Cash used for financing activities totaled $207.9 million for the first nine months of 2019, compared with $317.2 million for the first nine months of 2018. At September 30, 2019, total debt, net was $2,428.8 million, compared with $2,632.7 million at December 31, 2018. For the first nine months of 2019, short-term borrowings decreased by $258.2 million, compared with a $0.9 million increase for the first nine months of 2018. At September 30, 2019, the Company had available borrowing capacity of $1,970.2 million under its revolving credit facility, including the $500 million accordion feature.
In December 2018, the Company completed the 2018 private placement agreement to sell $575 million and 75 million Euros in senior notes to a group of institutional investors utilizing two funding dates. The first funding occurred in December 2018 for $475 million and 75 million Euros ($85.1 million). The third funding occurred in January 2019 for $100 million. The 2018 Private Placement senior notes carry a weighted average interest rate of 3.93% and are subject to certain customary covenants, including financial covenants that, among other things, require the Company to maintain certain
debt-to-EBITDA
(earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization) and interest coverage ratios. The proceeds from the funding from the 2018 Private Placement were used to pay down domestic borrowings under the Company’s revolving credit facility.
In the third quarter of 2018, $80 million of 6.35% senior notes and $160 million of 7.08% senior notes matured and were paid. In the fourth quarter of 2018, $65 million of 7.18% senior notes matured and were paid. The
debt-to-capital
ratio was 33.3% at September 30, 2019, compared with 38.3% at December 31, 2018. The net
debt-to-capital
ratio (total debt, net less cash and cash equivalents divided by the sum of net debt and stockholders’ equity) was 25.8% at September 30, 2019, compared with 34.9% at December 31, 2018. The net
debt-to-capital
ratio is presented because the Company is aware that this measure is used by third parties in evaluating the Company.
Additional financing activities for the first nine months of 2019 included cash dividends paid of $95.5 million, compared with $97.0 million for the first nine months of 2018. Effective February 12, 2019, the Company’s Board of Directors approved an increase of $500 million in the authorization for the repurchase of the Company’s common stock. Proceeds from stock option exercises were $59.6 million for the first nine months of 2019, compared with $28.7 million for the first nine months of 2018.
As a result of all the Company’s cash flow activities for the first nine months of 2019, cash and cash equivalents at September 30, 2019 totaled $735.4 million, compared with $354.0 million at December 31, 2018. At September 30, 2019, the Company had $363.0 million in cash outside the United States, compared with $311.2 million at December 31, 2018. The Company utilizes this cash to fund its international operations, as well as to acquire international businesses. The Company is in compliance with all covenants, including financial covenants, for all of its debt agreements. The Company believes it has sufficient cash-generating capabilities from domestic and unrestricted foreign sources, available credit facilities and access to long-term capital funds to enable it to meet its operating needs and contractual obligations in the foreseeable future.
Critical Accounting Policies
The Company’s critical accounting policies are detailed in Part II, Item 7 Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition of its Annual Report on Form
10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2018. Primary disclosure of the Company’s significant accounting policies is also included in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of its Annual Report on Form
10-K.
The majority of the Company’s revenues on product sales are recognized at a point in time when the customer obtains control of the product. The transfer in control of the product to the customer is typically evidenced by one or more of the following: the customer having legal title to the product, the Company’s present right to payment, the customer’s physical possession of the product, the customer accepting the product, or the customer has the benefits of ownership or risk of loss. Legal title transfers to the customer in accordance with the delivery terms of the order, usually upon shipment, which is the point that control transfers. For a small percentage of sales where title and risk of loss transfers at the point of delivery, the Company recognizes revenue upon delivery to the customer, which is the point that control transfers, assuming all other criteria for revenue recognition are met.
Under ASC 606, the Company determined that revenues from certain of its customer contracts met the criteria of satisfying its performance obligations over time, primarily in the areas of the manufacture of custom-made equipment and for service repairs of customer-owned equipment. Prior to the adoption of the new standard, these revenues were recorded upon shipment or, in the case of those sales where title and risk of loss passes at the point of delivery, the Company recognized revenue upon delivery to the customer. Recognizing revenue over time for custom-manufactured equipment is based on the Company’s judgment that, in certain contracts, the product does not have an alternative use and the Company has an enforceable right to payment for performance completed to date. This change in revenue recognition accelerated the revenue recognition and costs on the impacted contracts.