Customer Financing

12 Months Ended

Apr. 25, 2020

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Customer Financing

Customer Financing

As a convenience to our customers, we offer several different financing alternatives, including a third party program and a Patterson-sponsored program. For the third party program, we act as a facilitator between the customer and the third party financing entity with no on-going involvement in the financing transaction. Under the Patterson-sponsored program, equipment purchased by creditworthy customers may be financed up to a maximum of $1,000. We generally sell our customers’ financing contracts to outside financial institutions in the normal course of our business. These financing arrangements are accounted for as a sale of assets under the provisions of ASC 860, Transfers and Servicing. We currently have two arrangements under which we sell these contracts.

First, we operate under an agreement to sell a portion of our equipment finance contracts to commercial paper conduits with MUFG serving as the agent. We utilize PDC Funding to fulfill a requirement of participating in the

commercial paper conduit. We receive the proceeds of the contracts upon sale to MUFG. At least 9.5% of the proceeds are held by the conduit as security against eventual performance of the portfolio. This percentage can be greater and is based upon certain ratios defined in the agreement with MUFG. The capacity under the agreement with MUFG at April 25, 2020 was $525,000.

Second, we maintain an agreement with Fifth Third Bank ("Fifth Third") whereby Fifth Third purchases customers’ financing contracts. PDC Funding II sells its financing contracts to Fifth Third. We receive the proceeds of the contracts upon sale to Fifth Third. At least 11.0% of the proceeds are held by the conduit as security against eventual performance of the portfolio. This percentage can be greater and is based upon certain ratios defined in the agreement with Fifth Third. The capacity under the agreement with Fifth Third at April 25, 2020 was $100,000.

We service the financing contracts under both arrangements, for which we are paid a servicing fee. The servicing fees we receive are considered adequate compensation for services rendered. Accordingly, no servicing asset or liability has been recorded.

The portion of the purchase price for the receivables held by the conduits is deemed a DPP receivable, which is paid to the applicable special purpose entity as payments on the customers’ financing contracts are collected by Patterson from customers. The difference between the carrying amount of the receivables sold under these programs and the sum of the cash and fair value of the DPP receivable received at time of transfer is recognized as a gain on sale of the related receivables and recorded in net sales in the consolidated statements of operations and other comprehensive (loss) income. Expenses incurred related to customer financing activities are recorded in operating expenses in our consolidated statements of operations and other comprehensive (loss) income.

During fiscal 2020, 2019 and 2018, we sold $357,616, $279,204 and $312,699 of contracts under these arrangements, respectively. In net sales in the consolidated statements of operations and other comprehensive (loss) income, we recorded a gain of $43,919, $16,883 and $13,347 during fiscal 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively, related to these contracts sold.

Included in cash and cash equivalents in the consolidated balance sheets are $21,830 and $34,016 as of April 25, 2020 and April 27, 2019, respectively, which represent cash collected from previously sold customer financing contracts that have not yet been settled. Included in current receivables in the consolidated balance sheets are $21,391 and $48,559 as of April 25, 2020 and April 27, 2019, respectively, of finance contracts we have not yet sold. A total of $613,570 of finance contracts receivable sold under the arrangements was outstanding at April 25, 2020. The DPP receivable under the arrangements was $228,019 and $121,657 as of April 25, 2020 and April 27, 2019, respectively. Since the internal financing program began in 1994, bad debt write-offs have amounted to less than 1% of the loans originated.

The arrangements require us to maintain a minimum current ratio and maximum leverage ratio. We were in compliance with those covenants at April 25, 2020.