SEC Form 10-Q filed by Park Aerospace Corp.

1.  CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet and the Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity as of November 26, 2023, the Consolidated Statements of Operations and the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Earnings for the 13 weeks and 39 weeks ended November 26, 2023 and November 27, 2022, and the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the 39 weeks then ended have been prepared by Park Aerospace Corp. (the “Company”), without audit. In the opinion of management, these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (which include only normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the financial position at November 26, 2023 and the results of operations and cash flows for all periods presented. The Consolidated Statements of Operations are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year or any subsequent interim period.

Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted. It is suggested that these condensed consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 26, 2023. There have been no significant changes to such accounting policies during the 39 weeks ended November 26, 2023.

2.  FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the “exit price”) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

Fair value measurements are broken down into three levels based on the reliability of inputs as follows:

Level 1 inputs are quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date. An active market for the asset or liability is a market in which transactions for the asset or liability occur with sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis.

Level 2 inputs are inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 2 inputs include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability (e.g., interest rates and yield curves observable at commonly quoted intervals or current market) and contractual prices for the underlying financial instrument, as well as other relevant economic measures.

Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability. Unobservable inputs are used to measure fair value to the extent that observable inputs are not available, thereby allowing for situations in which there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.

The fair value of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their carrying value due to their short-term nature. Certain assets and liabilities of the Company are required to be recorded at fair value on either a recurring or non-recurring basis. On a recurring basis, the Company records its marketable securities at fair value using Level 1 or Level 2 inputs (see Note 3).

The Company’s non-financial assets measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis include goodwill and any long-lived assets written down to fair value. To measure fair value of such assets, the Company uses Level 3 inputs consisting of techniques including an income approach and a market approach. The income approach is based on a discounted cash flow analysis and calculates the fair value by estimating the after-tax cash flows attributable to a reporting unit and then discounting the after-tax cash flows to a present value using a risk-adjusted discount rate. Assumptions used in the discounted cash flow analysis require the exercise of significant judgment, including judgment about appropriate discount rates, terminal values, growth rates and the amount and timing of expected future cash flows. With respect to goodwill, the Company first assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that fair value is less than carrying value. If, based on that assessment, the Company believes it is more likely than not that fair value is less than carrying value, a goodwill impairment test is performed. There have been no changes in events or circumstances which required impairment charges to be recorded during the 13 weeks and 39 weeks ended November 26, 2023.

3.  MARKETABLE SECURITIES

All marketable securities are classified as available-for-sale and are carried at fair value, with the unrealized gains and losses, net of tax, included in comprehensive earnings. Realized gains and losses, amortization of premiums and discounts, and interest and dividend income are included in interest and other income in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. The costs of securities sold are based on the specific identification method.

The following is a summary of available-for-sale securities:

The following table shows the amortized cost basis of, and gross unrealized gains and losses on, the Company’s available-for-sale securities:

The estimated fair values of such securities at November 26, 2023 by contractual maturity are shown below:

4.  INVENTORIES

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out method) or net realizable value. The Company writes down its inventory for estimated obsolescence or unmarketability based upon the age of the inventory and assumptions about future demand for the Company’s products and market conditions. Work-in-process and finished goods inventories cost valuations include direct material costs as well as a portion of the Company’s overhead expenses.  The Company’s overhead expenses that are applied to its finished goods inventories are based on actual expenses related to the procurement, storage, shipment and production of the finished goods. Inventories consisted of the following:

5.  LEASES

The Company has operating leases related to land, office space, warehouse space and equipment. All of the Company’s leases have been assessed to be operating leases. Renewal options are included in the lease term to the extent the Company is reasonably certain to exercise the option. The exercise of lease renewal options is at the Company’s sole discretion. The incremental borrowing rate represents the Company’s ability to borrow on a collateralized basis over a term similar to the lease term. The leases typically contain renewal options for periods ranging from one year to ten years and require the Company to pay real estate taxes and other operating costs. The latest land lease expiration is 2068 assuming exercise of all applicable renewal options by the Company. The Company’s existing leases are not subject to any restrictions or covenants which preclude its ability to pay dividends, obtain financing or exercise its available renewal options.

Future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases as of November 26, 2023 are as follows:

The above payment schedule includes renewal options that the Company is reasonably likely to exercise. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet. The Company recognizes lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the terms of the leases.

For the 13 weeks and 39 weeks ended November 26, 2023, the Company’s operating lease expenses were $15 and $46, respectively. For the 13 weeks and 39 weeks ended November 27, 2022, the Company’s operating lease expenses  were  $15  and  $46,  respectively. Cash payments of $40, pertaining to operating leases, are reflected in the cash flow statement under cash flows from operating activities.

The following table sets forth the right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities as of November 26, 2023:

The Company’s weighted average remaining lease term for its operating leases is 8.7 years.

In December 2018, the Company entered into a Development Agreement with the City of Newton (“City”), Kansas and the Board of County Commissioners of Harvey County (“County”), Kansas. Pursuant to this agreement, the Company agreed to construct and operate a redundant manufacturing facility of approximately 90,000 square feet for the design, development and manufacture of advanced composite materials and parts, structures and assemblies for aerospace. The Company further agreed to equip the facility through the purchase of machinery, equipment and furnishings and to create additional new full-time employment of specified levels during a five-year period. In exchange for these agreements, the City and the County agreed to lease to the Company three acres of land at the Newton, Kansas Airport, in addition to the eight acres previously leased to the Company by the City and County. The City and County further agreed to provide financial and other assistance toward the construction of the additional facility as set forth in the Development Agreement. The total cost of the additional facility was $19,800 and the expansion is complete. As of November 26, 2023, the Company had $26 in equipment purchase obligations related to the additional facility.

6.  STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

As of November 26, 2023, the Company had a 2018 Stock Option Plan (the “2018 Plan”) and no other stock-based compensation plan. The 2018 Plan was adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company on May 8, 2018 and approved by the shareholders of the Company at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Company on July 24, 2018 and provides for the grant of options to purchase up to 800,000 shares of common stock of the Company. Prior to the 2018 Plan, the Company had the 2002 Stock Option Plan (the “2002 Plan”) which had been approved by the Company’s shareholders and provided for the grant of stock options to directors and key employees of the Company. All options granted under the 2018 Plan and 2002 Plan have exercise prices equal to the fair market value of the underlying common stock of the Company at the time of grant which, pursuant to the terms of such Plans, is the reported closing price of the common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the date preceding the date the option is granted. Options granted under the Plans become exercisable 25% one year after the date of grant, with an additional 25% exercisable each succeeding anniversary of the date of grant, and expire 10 years after the date of grant. Upon termination of employment or service as a director, all options held by the optionee that have not previously become exercisable shall terminate and all other options held by such optionee may be exercised, to the extent exercisable on the date of such termination, for a limited time after such termination. Any shares of common stock subject to an option under the 2018 Plan, which expires or is terminated unexercised as to such shares, shall again become available for issuance under the 2018 Plan.

During the 39 weeks ended November 26, 2023, the Company granted options under the 2018 Plan to purchase a total of 133,300 shares of common stock to its directors and certain of its employees. The future compensation expense to be recognized in earnings before income taxes is $387 and will be recorded on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. The weighted average fair value of the granted options was $3.01 per share using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions: risk-free interest rate of 3.61%-3.85%; expected volatility factor of 28.5%-29.6%; expected dividend yield of 3.82%; and estimated option term of 4.9-8.3 years.

The risk-free interest rates were based on U.S. Treasury rates at the date of grant with maturity dates approximately equal to the estimated terms of the options at the date of the grant. Volatility factors were based on historical volatility of the Company’s common stock. The expected dividend yields were based on the regular quarterly cash dividend per share most recently declared by the Company and on the exercise price of the options granted during the 13 weeks and 39 weeks ended November 26, 2023. The estimated term of the options was based on evaluations of the historical and expected future employee exercise behavior.

During the 2024 fiscal year, the Company recorded non-cash charges of $109 related to the modification of previously granted employee stock options resulting from the $1.00 per share special cash dividend paid by the Company in April 2023.

The following is a summary of option activity for the 39 weeks ended November 26, 2023:

7.  EARNINGS PER SHARE

Basic earnings per share are computed by dividing net earnings by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share are computed by dividing net earnings by the sum of (a) the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period and (b) the potentially dilutive securities outstanding during the period. Stock options are the only potentially dilutive securities; and the number of dilutive options is computed using the treasury stock method.

The following table sets forth the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share:

Potentially dilutive securities, which were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share, because either the effect would have been anti-dilutive or the options’ exercise prices were greater than the average market price of the common stock, were 72,000 and 595,000 for the 13 weeks ended November 26, 2023 and November 27, 2022, respectively, and 126,000 and 498,000 for the 39 weeks ended November 26, 2023 and November 27, 2022, respectively.

8.  SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

On May 23, 2022, the Company announced that its Board of Directors authorized the Company’s purchase, on the open market and in privately negotiated transactions, of up to 1,500,000 additional shares of its common stock. This authorization supersedes any unused prior Board of Directors’ authorizations to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock. The Company purchased 221,099 and 0 shares of its common stock during the 39 weeks ended November 26, 2023 and November 27, 2022, respectively. As a result, the Company is authorized to purchase up to a total of 1,278,901 shares of its common stock, representing approximately 6.3% of the Company’s 20,253,361 total outstanding shares as of the close of business on January 2, 2024. There is no assurance the Company will purchase any shares pursuant to this Board of Directors’ authorization. Shares purchased by the Company, if any, will be retained as treasury stock and will be available for use under the Company’s stock option plan and for other corporate purposes.

9.  INCOME TAXES

For the 13 weeks and 39 weeks ended November 26, 2023, the Company recorded income tax provisions from operations of $423 and $1,730, respectively, which included discrete income tax provisions of $25 and $78, respectively. For the 13 weeks and 39 weeks ended November 27, 2022, the Company recorded income tax provisions from operations of $990 and $2,362, respectively, which included discrete income tax provisions of $58 and $133, respectively.

The Company’s effective tax rates for the 13 weeks and 39 weeks ended November 26, 2023 were income tax provisions of 26.0% and 26.5%, respectively, compared to income tax provisions of 30.7% and 28.2% in the comparable prior periods. The effective tax rates for the 13 weeks and 39 weeks ended November 26, 2023 were higher than the U.S. statutory rate of 21% primarily due to state and local taxes and a discrete income tax provision for the accrual of interest related to unrecognized tax benefits. The effective rates for the 13 weeks and 39 weeks ended November 27, 2022 were higher than the U.S. statutory rate of 21% primarily due to state and local taxes and discrete income tax provisions for the accrual of interest related to unrecognized tax benefits.

Notwithstanding the U.S. taxation of the deemed repatriated earnings as a result of the mandatory one-time transition tax on the accumulated untaxed earnings of foreign subsidiaries of U.S. shareholders included in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the Company intends to indefinitely invest approximately $25 million of undistributed earnings outside of the U.S. If these future earnings are repatriated to the U.S., or if the Company determines such earnings will be remitted in the foreseeable future, the Company may be required to accrue U.S. deferred taxes on such earnings.

10.  GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS

The Company’s products are sold to customers in North America, Asia and Europe. The Company’s manufacturing facility is located in Kansas. Sales are attributed to geographic regions based upon the region in which the materials were delivered to the customer. All of the Company’s long-lived assets are located in North America.

Financial information regarding the Company’s continuing operations by geographic region is as follows:

11. CONTINGENCIES

Litigation

The Company is subject to a small number of immaterial proceedings, lawsuits and other claims related to environmental, employment, product and other matters. The Company is required to assess the likelihood of any adverse judgments or outcomes in these matters as well as potential ranges of probable losses. A determination of the amount of reserves required, if any, for these contingencies is made after careful analysis of each individual issue. The required reserves may change in the future due to new developments in each matter or changes in approach, such as a change in settlement strategy in dealing with these matters. The Company believes that the ultimate disposition of such proceedings, lawsuits and claims will not have a material adverse effect on the liquidity, capital resources, business, consolidated results of operations or financial position of the Company.

Environmental Contingencies

The Company and certain of its subsidiaries have been named by the Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) or a comparable state agency under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (the “Superfund Act”) or similar state law as potentially responsible parties in connection with alleged releases of hazardous substances at three sites.

Under the Superfund Act and similar state laws, all parties who may have contributed any waste to a hazardous waste disposal site or contaminated area identified by the EPA or comparable state agency may be jointly and severally liable for the cost of cleanup. Generally, these sites are locations at which numerous persons disposed of hazardous waste. In the case of the Company’s subsidiaries, generally the waste was removed from their manufacturing facilities and disposed at waste sites by various companies which contracted with the subsidiaries to provide waste disposal services. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have been accused of or charged with any wrongdoing or illegal acts in connection with any such sites. The Company believes it maintains an effective and comprehensive environmental compliance program.

The insurance carriers which provided general liability insurance coverage to the Company and its subsidiaries for the years during which the Company’s subsidiaries’ waste was disposed at these three sites have in the past reimbursed the Company and its subsidiaries for 100% of their legal defense and remediation costs associated with two of these sites.

The Company does not record environmental liabilities and related legal expenses for which the Company believes that it and its subsidiaries have general liability insurance coverage for the years during which the Company’s subsidiaries’ waste was disposed at two sites for which certain subsidiaries of the Company have been named as potentially responsible parties. Pursuant to such general liability insurance coverage, three insurance carriers reimburse the Company and its subsidiaries for 100% of the legal defense and remediation costs associated with the two sites.

Included in selling, general and administrative expenses are charges for actual expenditures and accruals, based on estimates, for certain environmental matters described above. The Company accrues estimated costs associated with known environmental matters when such costs can be reasonably estimated and when the outcome appears probable. The Company believes that the ultimate disposition of known environmental matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows or financial position.