grepcent public filings, reorganized for comparison

ADVANCED DRAINAGE SYSTEMS, INC. (WMS) FY 2023 MD&A

Verbatim Item 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis from ADVANCED DRAINAGE SYSTEMS, INC.'s 10-K for fiscal year 2023. Filing date: 2023-05-18. Report date: 2023-03-31. Accession: 0001604028-23-000015.

This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Published MD&A gate trimmed front/tail over-capture. Confidence: high.

Company profile: WMS · All MD&A years: index · Previous year: FY 2022 · Next year: FY 2024

Item 7.    Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Our fiscal year begins on April 1 and ends on March 31. Unless otherwise noted, references to “year” pertain to our fiscal year. For example, “2023” refers to fiscal 2023, which is the period from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of our operations should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that are based on the beliefs of our management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, our management. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed below. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those identified below, and those discussed in the sections titled “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Statement About Forward-Looking Statements” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Please read the following discussion together with the sections titled “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and our consolidated financial statements, including the related notes, included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.

Overview

We are the leading manufacturer of innovative water management solutions in the stormwater and onsite septic wastewater industries, providing superior drainage solutions for use in the construction and agriculture marketplaces. Our innovative products, for which we hold many patents, are used across a broad range of end markets and applications, including non-residential, infrastructure and agriculture applications. We have established a leading position in many of these end markets by leveraging our national sales and distribution platform, industry-acclaimed engineering support, overall product breadth and scale plus manufacturing excellence.

Key Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations

Product Demand - There are numerous factors that influence demand for our products. Our businesses are cyclical in nature and sensitive to general economic conditions, primarily in the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America. The non-residential, residential, agricultural and infrastructure markets we serve are affected by the availability of credit, lending practices, interest rates and unemployment rates. Demand for new homes, farm income, commercial development and highway infrastructure spending have a direct impact on our financial condition and results of operations. Accordingly, the following factors may have a direct impact on our business in the markets in which our products are sold:

•the strength of the economy;

•the amount and type of non-residential and residential construction;

•funding for infrastructure spending;

•farm income and agricultural land values;

•inventory of improved housing lots;

•changes in raw material and commodity prices;

•the availability and cost of credit;

•non-residential occupancy rates; and

•demographic factors such as population growth and household formation.

Growth in Allied Products & Other - Our Allied Products & Other include storm and septic chambers, PVC drainage structures, fittings, stormwater filters and water separators. These products complement our pipe products and allow us to offer a comprehensive water management solution to our customers and drive organic growth. Our leading market position in pipe products allows us to cross-sell Allied Products effectively. Our comprehensive offering of Allied Products can also increase pipe sales in certain markets. Allied Products are less sensitive to resin prices since resin prices represent a smaller percentage of the cost for Allied Products. Our leading position in the pipe market has allowed us to increase organic growth of our Allied Products, and we also expect to expand our Allied Product offerings through acquisitions.

Product Pricing - The price of our products is impacted by competitive pricing dynamics in our industry as well as by raw material costs. Our industry is highly competitive and the sales prices for our products may vary based on the sales policies of our competitors. Raw material costs represent a significant portion of the cost of goods sold for our products. We aim to increase our product selling prices in order to cover raw material price increases, but the inability to do so could impact our profitability. Movements in raw material, logistics or other overhead costs and resulting changes in the selling prices may also impact changes in period-to-period comparisons of net sales.

Material Conversion - Our HDPE and PP pipe, plastic leachfield chambers, septic tanks and related water management product lines compete with other manufacturers of similar products as well as manufacturers of alternative products made with traditional materials, such as concrete, steel and PVC. Our net sales are driven by market trends, including the adoption of thermoplastic corrugated pipe products as a replacement for traditional materials. Thermoplastic corrugated

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pipe is generally lighter, more durable, more cost effective and easier to install than comparable products made from traditional materials. We believe customers will continue to acknowledge the superior attributes and compelling value proposition of our thermoplastic products and expanded regulatory approvals allow for their use in new markets and geographies. In addition, we believe that PP pipe products will also help accelerate conversion given the additional applications for which our PP pipe products can be used.

Raw Material Costs - Our raw material cost and product selling prices fluctuate with changes in the price of resins utilized in production. We actively manage our resin purchases and pass fluctuations in the cost of resin through to our customers, where possible, in order to maintain our profitability. Fluctuations in the price of crude oil and natural gas prices may impact the cost of resin. In addition, changes in and disruptions to existing capacities could also significantly increase resin prices, often within a short period of time. Our ability to pass through raw material price increases to our customers may lag the increase in our costs of goods sold. Sharp rises in raw material prices over a short period of time have historically occurred with a significant supply disruption, which may increase prices to levels that cannot be fully passed through to customers due to pricing of competing products or the anticipated length of time the raw material pricing will stay elevated.

We currently purchase in excess of 1.1 billion pounds of virgin and recycled resin annually from approximately 400 suppliers in North America. As a high-volume buyer of resin, we are able to achieve economies of scale to negotiate favorable terms and pricing. Our purchasing strategies differ based on the material (virgin resin versus recycled material). The price movements of the different materials vary, resulting in the need to use a number of strategies to reduce volatility.

In order to reduce the volatility of raw material costs in the future, our raw material strategies for managing our costs include the following:

•increasing the use of recycled resin in place of virgin resin while meeting or exceeding industry standards;

•internally processing greater amounts of our recycled resin in order to closely monitor quality and minimize costs;

•managing a resin price risk program that may entail both physical fixed price and volume contracts; and

•maintaining supply agreements with our major resin suppliers that provide multi-year terms and volumes that are in excess of our projected consumption.

We also consume a large amount of energy and other petroleum products in our operations, including the electricity we use in our manufacturing process as well as the diesel fuel consumed in delivering a significant volume of products to our customers through our in-house fleet. As a result, our operating profit also depends upon our ability to manage the cost of the energy and fuel we require, as well as our ability to pass through increased prices or surcharges to our customers.

Seasonality - Our operating results are impacted by seasonality. Historically, sales of our products have been higher in the first and second quarters of each fiscal year due to favorable weather and longer daylight conditions accelerating construction project activity during these periods while fourth quarter results are impacted by the timing of spring in the northern United States and Canada. Seasonal variations in operating results may also be significantly impacted by inclement weather conditions, which can delay projects, resulting in decreased net sales for one or more quarters, but we believe that these delayed projects generally result in increased net sales during subsequent quarters.

In the non-residential, residential and infrastructure markets in the northern United States and Canada, the construction season typically begins to gain momentum in late March and lasts through November, before winter significantly slows the construction markets. In the southern and western United States, Mexico, Central America and South America, the construction markets are less seasonal. The agricultural drainage market is concentrated in the early spring just prior to planting and in the fall just after crops are harvested prior to freezing of the ground in winter.

Currency Exchange Rates - Although we sell and manufacture our products in many countries, our sales and production costs are primarily denominated in U.S. dollars. We have wholly-owned facilities in Canada, the Netherlands and joint venture facilities in Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Peru. The functional currencies in the areas in which we have wholly-owned facilities and joint venture facilities other than the U.S. dollar are the Canadian dollar, Euro, Mexican peso, Chilean peso, Brazilian real and Colombian peso. From time to time, we use derivatives to reduce our exposure to currency fluctuations.

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Executive Summary of Our Fiscal Year 2023 Results

•Net sales increased 10.9% to $3.1 billion

•Net income increased to $511.4 million, compared to net income of $275.0 million in the prior year

•Adjusted EBITDA increased 33.7% to $904.0 million

•Cash provided by operating activities increased 157.5% to $707.8 million

•Free cash flow increased 329.9% to $540.9 million

Net sales increased $301.8 million, or 10.9%, to $3,071.1 million, as compared to $2,769.3 million in the prior year. Domestic pipe sales increased $203.7 million, or 13.1%, to $1,759.0 million. Domestic Allied Products & Other sales increased $131.0 million, or 23.0%, to $700.3 million. These increases were driven by growth in both the U.S. construction and agriculture end markets. Infiltrator sales decreased $28.3 million, or 5.1%, to $523.6 million. International sales increased $14.3 million, or 6.4%, to $239.1 million, driven by double-digit sales growth in the Canadian, Mexican and Exports businesses.

Gross profit increased $318.0 million, or 39.7%, to $1,118.4 million as compared to $800.4 million in the prior year. The increase in gross profit is primarily due to the favorable pricing on pipe, onsite septic and allied products as well as favorable material cost. This increase was partially offset by a decrease in volume, inflationary cost pressures and higher manufacturing costs.

Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, increased $227.9 million, or 33.7%, to $904.0 million, as compared to $676.0 million in the prior year. The increase is primarily due to the factors mentioned above. As a percentage of net sales, Adjusted EBITDA was 29.4% as compared to 24.4% in the prior year.

Description of our Segments

We operate our business in three distinct reportable segments: “Pipe”, “International” and “Infiltrator.” “Allied Products & Other” represents our Allied Products and all other business segments. We generate a greater proportion of our net sales and gross profit in our Pipe segment, which consists of Pipe product sales in the United States. We expect the percentage of total net sales and gross profit derived from our other segments to continue to increase in future periods as we continue to expand non-Pipe product and our international presence. See “Note 19. Business Segment Information,” to our audited consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.

Pipe – Our Pipe segment manufactures and markets high performance thermoplastic corrugated pipe throughout the United States. We maintain and serve these markets through product distribution relationships with many of the largest national and independent waterworks distributors, buying groups and co-ops, major national retailers as well as an extensive network of hundreds of small to medium-sized distributors across the United States.

Infiltrator – Infiltrator is a leading national provider of plastic leachfield chambers and systems, septic tanks and accessories, primarily for use in residential applications. Infiltrator products are used in onsite septic wastewater treatment systems in the United States and Canada.

International – Our International segment manufactures and markets products in regions outside of the United States, with a strategy focused on our owned facilities in Canada and those markets serviced through our joint ventures in Mexico and South America. Pipe manufactured in these countries is primarily sold into the same region. Our joint venture strategy has provided us with local and regional access to new markets. The unconsolidated sales of the South American Joint Venture were $69.5 million, $61.6 million, and $45.6 million, in fiscal 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

Allied Products & Other – Our other operating segments manufacture a range of Allied Products & Other that are complementary to our Pipe products. Our Allied Products & Other offer adjacent technologies to our core Pipe offering, presenting a complete drainage solution for our clients and customers.

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Results of Operations for Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2023 Compared with Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2022

The following table summarizes our operating results as a percentage of net sales that have been derived from our Consolidated Financial Statements for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2023 and 2022. We believe this presentation is useful to investors in comparing historical results.

(Amounts in thousands)20232022
Net sales$3,071,121100.0%$2,769,315100.0%
Cost of goods sold1,952,71363.61,949,75070.4
Cost of goods sold - ESOP acceleration19,1810.7
Gross profit1,118,40836.4800,38428.9
Selling, general and administrative expenses339,50411.1309,84011.2
Selling, general and administrative - ESOP acceleration11,2540.4
Loss on disposal of assets and costs from exit and disposal activities4,3970.13,3980.1
Intangible amortization55,1971.863,9742.3
Income from operations719,31023.4411,91814.9
Interest expense70,1822.333,5501.2
Derivative gains and other income, net(7,972)(0.3)(5,143)(0.2)
Income before income taxes657,10021.4383,51113.8
Income tax expense150,5894.9110,0714.0
Equity in net income of unconsolidated affiliates(4,842)(0.2)(1,586)(0.1)
Net income511,35316.7275,0269.9
Less: net income attributable to the non-controlling interest4,2670.13,6950.1
Net income attributable to ADS$507,08616.5%$271,3319.8%

Net sales – The following table presents net sales to external customers by reportable segment for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2023 and 2022.

(Amounts in thousands)20232022$ Variance% Variance
Pipe$1,717,189$1,539,434$177,75511.5%
Infiltrator442,280460,500(18,220)(4.0)
International219,853205,31214,5417.1
Allied Products & Other691,799564,069127,73022.6
Total Consolidated$3,071,121$2,769,315$301,80610.9%

Our consolidated net sales for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 increased by $301.8 million, or 10.9%, compared to fiscal 2022. The increase in net sales was primarily a result of growth in our domestic Pipe segment and Allied Products & Other. Our Pipe segment experienced growth primarily through improved pricing/mix of products sold partially offset by volume decreases. Our Infiltrator segment experienced decreased sales primarily due to lower volume offset by improved pricing/mix of products sold. The increase in our International segment was driven by growth in the Canadian and Mexican businesses. Growth in Allied Products & Other was driven mainly by improved price/mix of product offerings and the acquisition of Cultec partially offset by volume decreases.

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Cost of goods sold and Gross profit – The following table presents gross profit by reportable segment for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2023 and 2022.

(Amounts in thousands)20232022$ Variance% Variance
Pipe$476,859$269,855$207,00476.7%
Infiltrator213,242217,432(4,190)(1.9)
International56,18853,2842,9045.5
Allied Products & Other371,195279,02292,17333.0
1,117,484819,593297,89136.3
Cost of goods sold - ESOP acceleration(19,181)19,181100.0
Intersegment eliminations924(28)952(3400.0)
Total gross profit$1,118,408$800,384$318,02439.7%

Our consolidated Cost of goods sold for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 increased by $3.0 million or, 0.2%, and our consolidated Gross profit increased by $318.0 million, or 39.7%, compared to the same period in fiscal 2022. The increase in our gross profit was due to an increase in net sales from improved pricing partially offset by a decrease in volume, inflationary cost pressures and higher manufacturing costs.

Selling, general and administrative expenses – The following table presents selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of sales for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2023 and 2022.

(Amounts in thousands)20232022$ Variance% Variance
Selling, general and administrative$339,504$309,840$29,6649.6%
% of Net Sales11.1%11.2%(0.1)

Selling, general and administrative expenses for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 increased $29.7 million from the same period in fiscal 2022 and as a percentage of sales, decreased by 0.1%. The increase in Selling, general and administrative expenses is the result of increased headcount to support business growth.

Selling, general and administrative – ESOP acceleration – In fiscal 2022, ESOP acceleration compensation expense of $11.3 million was allocated to selling, general and administrative expenses which did not occur in fiscal 2023.

Loss on disposal of assets and costs from exit and disposal activities – The change in Loss on disposal of assets and costs from exit and disposal activities is primarily due to asset disposals and site closures.

Intangible amortization – Intangible amortization decreased by $8.8 million primarily due the accelerated method of amortization for certain customer relationships.

Interest expense – Interest expense increased $36.6 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 compared to the same period in fiscal 2022. The increase was primarily due to increased average debt levels and an increase in interest rates.

Derivative gains and other income, net – Derivative gains and other income, net increased by $2.8 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 compared to the same period in fiscal 2022 primarily due to increased interest income.

Income tax expense – The following table presents the effective tax rates for the fiscal years presented:

20232022
Effective tax rate22.9%28.7%

The change in the effective tax rate for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 was primarily related to the transition of the Company’s ESOP and the repayment of the ESOP loan in fiscal year 2022. See “Note 15. Income Taxes” for additional information.

Equity in net income of unconsolidated affiliates – The Equity in net income of unconsolidated affiliates increased for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 compared to the same period in fiscal 2022 due to an increase in the current period income at our South American Joint Venture.

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Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest – Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest increased for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 due to increased net income at our ADS Mexicana joint venture.

The discussion of our results of operations for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 compared with the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021 can be found in “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Discussion and Results of Operations” in our fiscal 2022 Form 10-K for further information on our prior period results of operations.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin - EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin, non-GAAP financial measures, have been presented in this Annual Report on Form 10-K as supplemental measures of financial performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and should not be considered as alternatives to net income as measures of financial performance or any other performance measure derived in accordance with GAAP. We calculate Adjusted EBITDA as net income before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation expense, non-cash charges and certain other gains and expenses. We calculate Adjusted EBITDA Margin as Adjusted EBITDA divided by net sales.

EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin are included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K because they are key metrics used by management and our Board of Directors to assess our financial performance. EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin are frequently used by analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate companies in our industry. In addition to covenant compliance and executive performance evaluations, we use EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin to supplement GAAP measures of performance to evaluate the effectiveness of our business strategies, to make budgeting decisions and to compare our performance against that of other peer companies using similar measures.

EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin are not GAAP measures of our financial performance and should not be considered as alternatives to net income as measures of financial performance or any other performance measure derived in accordance with GAAP, and it should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or non-recurring items. EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin contain certain other limitations, including the failure to reflect our cash expenditures, cash requirements for working capital needs and cash costs to replace assets being depreciated and amortized. In evaluating EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin, you should be aware that in the future we will incur expenses that are the same as or similar to some of the adjustments in this presentation, such as stock-based compensation expense, derivative fair value adjustments, and foreign currency transaction losses. Management compensates for these limitations by relying on our GAAP results in addition to using EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin on a supplemental basis. Our measure of EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin are not necessarily comparable to other similarly titled captions of other companies due to different methods of calculation.

(Amounts in thousands)202320222021
Net income (loss)$511,353$275,026$226,090
Depreciation and amortization145,149141,808145,586
Interest expense70,18233,55035,658
Income tax expense150,589110,07186,382
EBITDA877,273560,455493,716
Loss on disposal of assets and costs from exit and disposal activities4,3973,3984,275
Stock-based compensation expense21,65924,15820,453
ESOP compensation expense53,40144,981
ESOP acceleration compensation expense (a)30,435
Transaction costs (b)3,9033,5391,415
Strategic growth and operational improvement initiatives (c)3,304
Interest income(9,782)(52)(287)
Other adjustments (d)6,512708(902)
Adjusted EBITDA$903,962$676,042$566,955
Adjusted EBITDA Margin29.4%24.4%28.6%

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(a)In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022, the approximately 0.3 million remaining unallocated shares of Preferred Stock were allocated on March 31, 2022 after repayment of the ESOP loan. See “Note 13. Employee Benefit Plans” for additional information.

(b)Represents expenses recorded related to legal, accounting and other professional fees incurred in connection with business or asset acquisitions and dispositions.

(c)Represents professional fees incurred in connection with our strategic growth and operational improvement initiatives, which included various market feasibility assessments, acquisition strategies, evaluations of our manufacturing network and operating improvement initiatives.

(d)Includes derivative fair value adjustments, foreign currency transaction (gains) losses, the proportionate share of interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization related to the South American Joint Venture, which is accounted for under the equity method of accounting and executive retirement expense (benefit).

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Historically we have funded our operations through internally generated cash flow supplemented by debt financings, equity issuance and finance and operating leases. These sources have been sufficient historically to fund our primary liquidity requirements, including working capital, capital expenditures, debt service and dividend payments. From time to time, we may explore additional financing methods and other means to raise capital. There can be no assurance that any additional financing will be available to us on acceptable terms or at all.

Free Cash Flow - Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure that comprises cash flow from operations less capital expenditures. Free cash flow is a measure used by management and our Board of Directors to assess our ability to generate cash. Accordingly, free cash flow has been presented in this Annual Report on Form 10-K as a supplemental measure of liquidity that is not required by, or presented in accordance with GAAP, because management believes that free cash flow provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our ability to generate cash flow from operations after capital expenditures. Free cash flow is not a GAAP measure of our liquidity and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flow from operating activities as a measure of liquidity or any other liquidity measure derived in accordance with GAAP. Our measure of free cash flow is not necessarily comparable to other similarly titled captions of other companies due to different methods of calculation.

(Amounts in thousands)202320222021
Cash flow from operating activities$707,810$274,888$452,216
Capital expenditures(166,913)(149,083)(78,757)
Free cash flow$540,897$125,805$373,459

The following table presents key liquidity metrics utilized by management:

(Amounts in thousands)3/31/2023
Total debt (debt and finance lease obligations)$1,324,897
Cash217,128
Net debt (total debt less cash)1,107,769
Leverage ratio1.2

The following table summarizes our available liquidity under our Revolving Credit Facility as of March 31, 2023:

(Amounts in thousands)3/31/2023
Revolver capacity$600,000
Less: outstanding borrowings
Less: letters of credit9,650
Revolver available liquidity$590,350

In addition to the available liquidity above, we have the ability to borrow up to $1.3 billion under our Term Loan Facility, subject to leverage ratio restrictions.

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As of March 31, 2023, we had $6.7 million in cash that was held by our foreign subsidiaries, and none held by our Canadian subsidiaries. We continue to evaluate our strategy regarding foreign cash, but our earnings in foreign subsidiaries still remain indefinitely reinvested, except for Canada. See “Note 15. Income Taxes” for additional discussion of our plans to repatriate earnings from Canada.

Working Capital and Cash Flows

Our source of cash in fiscal 2023, of $197.0 million, was predominantly driven by cash generated from operations in excess of changes in working capital and $500.0 million proceeds from the issuance of senior notes. These sources were offset by $575.0 million in share repurchases and capital expenditures of $166.9 million. Our use of cash in fiscal 2022, of $174.9 million, was predominantly driven by the $292.0 million in share repurchases net of incremental borrowings during fiscal 2022, offset by cash generated from operations in excess of investments in working capital and capital expenditures. Cash in fiscal 2021 increased by $20.8 million primarily from cash generated from operations net of payments on our Term Loan Facility and Revolving Credit Facility.

As of March 31, 2023, we had $807.5 million in liquidity, including $217.1 million of cash, $590.4 million in borrowings available under our Revolving Credit Agreement, excluding $9.7 million of outstanding letters of credit. We believe that our cash on hand, together with the availability of borrowings under our Credit Agreement and other financing arrangements and cash generated from operations, will be sufficient to meet our working capital requirements, anticipated capital expenditures, and scheduled principal and interest payments on our indebtedness for at least the next twelve months.

Working Capital - Working capital is an indication of liquidity and potential need for short-term funding. We define working capital as current assets less current liabilities. Working capital increased to $638.7 million as of March 31, 2023, from $480.7 million as of March 31, 2022, primarily due to increases in cash from the issuance of our 2030 Notes and decreases in accounts payable and other accrued liabilities partially offset by a decrease in accounts receivable and inventory aligned with planned sales demand.

Operating Cash Flows - During fiscal 2023, cash provided by operating activities was $707.8 million. Cash flow from operating activities in fiscal 2023 was primarily driven by operating income offset by changes in working capital.

During fiscal 2022, cash provided by operating activities was $274.9 million. Cash flow from operating activities in fiscal 2022 was primarily driven by operating income offset by investments in working capital.

During fiscal 2021, cash provided by operating activities was $452.2 million. Cash flow from operating activities during fiscal 2021 was primarily impacted by increased income from continuing operations and improvements in payment terms on accounts payable.

Investing Cash Flows - During fiscal 2023, cash used for investing activities was $214.5 million. The increase in cash used for investing cash flows was primarily due to elevated capital expenditures and the acquisition of Cultec, Inc. Our capital expenditures in fiscal 2023 were used primarily to support growth and our productivity initiatives, including automation and safety.

During fiscal 2022, cash used for investing activities was $198.8 million. The increase in cash used for investing cash flows was primarily due to elevated capital expenditures and the acquisition of Jet Polymer Recycling. Our capital expenditures in fiscal 2022 were used primarily to support growth, but also to support our recycled resin and technology improvement initiatives.

During fiscal 2021, cash used for investing activities was $77.9 million. Our capital expenditures in fiscal 2021 were used primarily to support facility expansions, equipment replacements, our recycled resin and technology improvement initiatives.

We currently anticipate that we will make capital expenditures of approximately $200 to $225 million in fiscal 2024 to focus on growth and productivity through increasing our manufacturing capacity and investing in automation. Such capital expenditures are expected to be financed using funds generated by operations. We had approximately $90 million of open orders through purchase commitments as of March 31, 2023.

Financing Cash Flows – During fiscal 2023, cash used in financing activities was $296.3 million. During fiscal 2023, ADS repurchased shares for $575.0 million, paid $114.3 million of the Revolving Credit Facility, net of proceeds, and dividend payments of $44.9 million. The cash outflows were offset by $500.0 million of proceeds from Senior Notes due 2030.

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During fiscal 2022, cash used in financing activities was $251.1 million. During fiscal 2022, ADS repurchased shares for $292.0 million.

During fiscal 2021, cash used in financing activities was $354.6 million, due to payments on the Term Loan Facility of $207.0 million and the Revolving Credit Facility of $100.0 million. In addition, we made dividend payments of $32.1 million and $21.5 million on our finance lease obligations.

Debt and Capitalized Lease Obligations

See “Note 6. Leases” and “Note 12. Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for a discussion of the Company’s financing transactions, including the Secured Bank Loans, the Senior Notes and the Company’s finance lease obligations.

Financing Transactions

Senior Secured Credit Facility - On September 24, 2019, we successfully completed a $700 million syndication of the remaining balance of its credit facility (the “Term Loan Facility”) subsequent to the common stock offering and Senior Notes due 2027 and in connection with the syndication, we amended the Base Credit Agreement (the “Senior Secured Credit Facility”). The Senior Secured Credit Facility provided for a Revolving credit facility up to $350 million as a Revolving Facility, and up to $50 million as a letter of credit facility, as a sublimit of the Revolving Credit Facility.

In May 2022, we entered into a Second Amendment (the “Second Amendment”) to our Company's Base Credit Agreement with Barclays Bank PLC, as administrative agent under the Term Loan Facility, PNC Bank, National Association, as new administrative agent under the Revolving Credit Facility. Among other things, the Second Amendment (i) amended the Base Credit Agreement by increasing the Revolving Credit Facility (the “Amended Revolving Credit Facility”) from $350.0 million to $600.0 million (including an increase of the sub-limit for the swing-line sub-facility from $50.0 million to $60.0 million) and extended the maturity date of the Revolving Credit Facility to May 26, 2027.

At the option of the Company, borrowings under the Term Loan Facility and under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility (subject to certain limitations) bear interest at either a base rate (as determined pursuant to the Second Amendment) or at a Eurocurrency Rate, based on SOFR (as defined in the Second Amendment), plus the applicable margin as set forth therein from time to time. In the case of the Amended Revolving Credit Facility, the applicable margin is based on the Company's consolidated senior secured net leverage ratio (as defined in the Second Amendment). All borrowings under the Term Loan Facility as described above initially bear interest at a Eurocurrency Rate (as defined in the Amended Credit Facility). See “Note 12. Debt” for further information on the Term Loan Facility and Second Amendment.

The Company’s obligations under the Credit Agreement have been secured by granting a first priority lien on substantially all of the Company’s assets (subject to certain exceptions and limitations), and each of StormTech, LLC, Advanced Drainage of Ohio, Inc. and Infiltrator Water Technologies, LLC (collectively the “Guarantors”) has agreed to guarantee the obligations of the Company under the Senior Secured Credit Facility and to secure the obligations thereunder by granting a first priority lien in substantially all of such Guarantor's assets (subject to certain exceptions and limitations).

Issuance of Senior Notes due 2027 - On September 23, 2019, we issued $350.0 million aggregate principal amount of its senior notes (“2027 Notes”), pursuant to the Indenture dated September 23, 2019 (the “2027 Indenture”), among the Company, the guarantors party thereto (the “Guarantors”) and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (the “Trustee”). The 2027 Notes were offered and sold either to persons reasonably believed to be “qualified institutional buyers” pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) or to persons outside the United States under Regulation S of the Securities Act. We may redeem the 2027 Notes, in whole or in part, at any time on or after September 30, 2022 at established redemption prices set forth in the 2027 Indenture. See “Note 12. Debt” for further information on the 2027 Notes.

Equipment Financing – In November 2021, we purchased material handling equipment, trucks and trailers previously leased under a master lease agreement and classified as finance leases. The purchase was funded with debt through the Master Lease Agreement and Interim Funding Schedule with Fifth Third. The assets acquired are titled to the Company and included in Property, plant and equipment, net on our Consolidated Balance Sheet. The equipment financing has a balance of $18.6 million and had an initial term of between 12 and 84 months, based on the life of the equipment. The equipment financing bears a weighted average interest of 1.5% as of March 31, 2023.

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Issuance of Senior Notes Due 2030 – On June 9, 2022, we issued $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of 6.375% its senior notes (the “2030 Notes”) pursuant to an Indenture, dated June 9, 2022 (the “2030 Indenture”), among the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee. The 2030 Notes were offered and sold either to persons reasonably believed to be “qualified institutional buyers” pursuant to the Securities Act or to persons outside the United States under Regulation S of the Securities Act. See “Note 12. Debt” for further information on the 2030 Notes.

Covenant Compliance

The Senior Secured Credit Facility requires, if the aggregate amount of outstanding exposure under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility exceeds $210.0 million at the end of any fiscal quarter, the Company to maintain a consolidated senior secured net leverage ratio not to exceed 4.25 to 1.00 for any four consecutive fiscal quarter periods.

The Senior Secured Credit Facility also includes other covenants, including negative covenants that, subject to certain exceptions, limit the Company's and its restricted subsidiaries’ (as defined in the Credit Agreement) ability to, among other things: (i) incur additional debt, including guarantees; (ii) create liens upon any of their property; (iii) enter into any merger, consolidation or amalgamation, liquidate, wind up or dissolve, or dispose of all or substantially all of their property or business; (iv) dispose of assets; (v) pay subordinated debt; (vi) make certain investments; (vii) enter into swap agreements; (viii) engage in transactions with affiliates; (ix) engage in new lines of business; (x) modify certain material contractual obligations, organizational documents, accounting policies or fiscal year; or (xi) create or permit restrictions on the ability of any subsidiary of any Loan Party (as defined in the Senior Secured Credit Facility) to pay dividends or make distributions to the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

The Senior Secured Credit Facility also contains customary provisions requiring the following mandatory prepayments (subject to certain exceptions and limitations): (i) annual prepayments (beginning with the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021) with a percentage of excess cash flow (as defined in the Senior Secured Credit Facility); (ii) 100% of the net cash proceeds from any non-ordinary course sale of assets and certain casualty or condemnation events; and (iii) 100% of the net cash proceeds of indebtedness not permitted to be incurred under the Senior Secured Credit Facility. For further information, see “Note 12. Debt” to the Consolidated Financial Statements. We were in compliance with our debt covenants as of March 31, 2023.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements, with the exception of the guarantee of 50% of certain debt of our unconsolidated South American Joint Venture, as further discussed in “Note 11. Related Party Transactions” of our Consolidated Financial Statements included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” of this Form 10-K. Our maximum potential obligation under this guarantee totals $11 million as of March 31, 2023. The maximum borrowing permitted under the South American Joint Venture’s credit agreement is $22 million. As of March 31, 2023, our South American Joint Venture had approximately $5.5 million of outstanding debt subject to our guarantee, resulting in our guarantee of 50%, or $2.8 million. We do not believe that this guarantee will have a current or future effect on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, or capital resources.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations are based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts in our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Certain of our accounting policies involve a higher degree of judgment and complexity in their application, and therefore, represent the critical accounting policies used in the preparation of our financial statements. If different assumptions or conditions were to prevail, the results could be materially different from our reported results. We believe the following accounting policies may involve a higher degree of judgment and complexity in their application and represent the critical accounting policies used in the preparation of our financial statements. For additional discussion of our significant accounting policies, see “Note 1. Background and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to our consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and

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Supplementary Data” included in this Form 10-K.

PolicyJudgments and EstimatesEffect if Actual Results Differ from Assumptions
Goodwill- Goodwill is reviewed annually for impairment as of March 31 or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. The fair value of goodwill is determined by considering both the income and market approach.Determining the fair value of a reporting unit is judgmental in nature and involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions. Estimates and assumptions include: revenue growth rates and EBITDA used to calculate projected future cash flows, risk-adjusted discount rates, future economic and market conditions, and determination of appropriate market comparables. The fair value estimates are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable but are inherently uncertain.We performed our annual impairment test for goodwill for all reporting units as of March 31, 2023 using a quantitative approach. We determined for our goodwill that the fair value of the assets exceeded carrying value for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023. Future events and unanticipated changes to assumptions could require a provision for impairment in a future period.
Definite-lived intangible assets-Definite-lived intangible assets are tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that carrying amounts of the asset group may not be recoverable. Asset groups are established primarily by determining the lowest level of cash flows available. If the estimated undiscounted future cash flows are less than the carrying amounts of such assets, an impairment loss is recognized to the extent the fair value of the asset less any costs of disposition is less than the carrying amount of the asset. Indefinite-lived intangible assets-Indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested for impairment annually as of March 31 or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may be greater than fair value. Determining the fair value of these assets is judgmental in nature and involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions. We base our fair value estimates on assumptions we believe to be reasonable, but that are inherently uncertain. To estimate the fair value of these indefinite-lived intangible assets, we use an income approach, which utilizes a market derived rate of return to discount anticipated performance. An impairment loss is recognized when the estimated fair value of the intangible asset is less than the carrying value.Determining the fair value of the definite-lived and indefinite-lived intangible assets is judgmental in nature and involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions.We did not record any impairment charges for definite-lived intangible assets in fiscal 2023, 2022, or 2021. We performed our annual impairment test for indefinite-lived intangible assets as of March 31, 2023. We performed a quantitative impairment analysis and determined for our indefinite-lived intangible assets that the fair value of the assets exceeded carrying value for fiscal years ended March 31, 2023. Future events and unanticipated changes to assumptions could require a provision for impairment in a future period.

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PolicyJudgments and EstimatesEffect if Actual Results Differ from Assumptions
Revenue Recognition- We generate revenue by selling pipe and related water management products primarily to distributors, retailers, buying groups and co-operative buying groups. Products are shipped predominately by our internal fleet, and we do not provide any additional revenue generating services after product delivery. Payment terms and conditions vary by contract. Revenue is recognized at the point in-time obligations under the terms of a contract with a customer are satisfied, which generally occurs upon the transfer of control of the promised goods. In substantially all of our contracts with customers, control is transferred to the customer upon delivery. We recognize revenue in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services.We estimate and allocate variable consideration, such as right of return, credits or incentives, based on numerous factors, including the customer agreements and past transaction history.If our historical experience differs from future experience, our estimates of variable consideration could differ.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

For a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements, see “Note 1. Background and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to our consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

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