Liquidity and Sources of Capital
The Company’s overall cash and cash equivalents balance decreased $3,385,000 to $116,044,000 at February 28, 2022, from $119,429,000 at August 31, 2021. The decreased cash balance is primarily attributable to the payment of the $9,460,000 annual dividend in the second quarter of fiscal 2022 and the strategic inventory build that was going over the first half of fiscal 2022. The net decrease in cash was offset by cash flow from operations. Of the above-noted amounts, $28,509,000 and $26,309,000 were held outside the United States by Chase Corporation and its foreign subsidiaries as of February 28, 2022 and August 31, 2021, respectively. Given the Company’s cash position and borrowing capability in the United States and the potential for increased investment and acquisitions in foreign jurisdictions (as evidenced by the fiscal 2021 acquisition of ABchimie), prior to the second quarter of fiscal 2018 the Company did not have a history of repatriating a significant portion of its foreign cash. With the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) in the second fiscal quarter of 2018, significant changes in the Internal Revenue Code were enacted, changing the U.S. taxable nature of previously unrepatriated foreign earnings. Following the passage of the Tax Act, the Company repatriated $10,499,000 in U.K. foreign earnings in fiscal 2018 and $17,230,000 in fiscal 2019. No additional amounts were repatriated in fiscal year 2020, 2021 and the first half of fiscal 2022. Please see Note 14 — “Income Taxes” to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of the effects of the Tax Act.
Cash flow provided by operations was $8,757,000 in the first six months of fiscal year 2022 compared to $26,386,000 in the same period of the comparable year. Cash provided by operations during the current period was primarily related to operating income. Negatively impacting the cash flow from operations in the current period was our continued strategic inventory build, undertaken to help ensure our ability to satisfy our customers’ demands and to address our elevated backlog caused in part by macroeconomic supply chain challenges.
The ratio of current assets to current liabilities was 8.3 as of February 28, 2022 compared to 6.5 as of August 31, 2021, primarily due to decreases in accounts payable and accrued payroll and other compensation balances.
Cash flow used in investing activities of $1,974,000 was largely due to the cash spent on capital purchases of machinery and equipment in the first six months of fiscal 2022.
Cash flows used in financing activities of $9,460,000 was due to a cash dividend of $1.00 per share. The dividend was paid on December 9, 2021 to shareholders of record on November 30, 2021.
On July 27, 2021 (the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021), the Company entered into the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “New Credit Agreement”) by and among the Company and NEPTCO Incorporated (“NEPTCO”), each of the borrowers, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto, the financial institutions party thereto as Lenders, and Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, with participation from Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., PNC Bank, N.A. and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. The New Credit Agreement was entered into to amend, restate and extend the Company’s preexisting credit facility, which had a maturity date of December 15, 2021, and to provide for additional liquidity to finance acquisitions, working capital and capital expenditures, and for other general corporate purposes. Under the New Credit Agreement, Chase obtained an increased revolving credit loan (the “New Revolving Facility”), with borrowing capabilities not to exceed $200,000,000 at any time, with the ability to request an increase in this amount by an additional $100,000,000 at the individual or collective option of any of the Lenders. The applicable interest rate for the New Revolving Facility and New Term Loan (defined below) is based on the effective London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) plus a range of 1.00% to 1.75%, depending on the consolidated net leverage ratio of Chase and its subsidiaries. At February 28, 2022, there was no outstanding principal balance, and as such, no applicable interest rate. The New Credit Agreement has a five-year term with interest payments due at the end of the applicable LIBOR period (but in no event less frequently than the three-month anniversary of the commencement of such LIBOR period) and principal payment due at the expiration of the agreement, July 27, 2026. The New Credit Agreement contains provisions that may replace LIBOR as the benchmark index under certain circumstances. In addition, the Company may elect a base rate option for all or a portion of the New Revolving Facility, in which case interest payments shall be due with respect to such portion of the New Revolving Facility on the last business day of each quarter. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the New Credit Agreement, the Company may elect to convert all or a portion of the outstanding New Revolving Facility into a new term loan twice during the term of the New Revolving Facility (each, a “New Term Loan”, and collectively with the New Revolving Facility, the “New Credit Facility”), which New Term Loan shall be payable