Capital Resources and Liquidity
Working capital and the ratio of current assets to current liabilities were $435,611,000 and 1.8 to 1, respectively, at December 29, 2018, compared with $412,560,000 and 1.8 to 1, respectively, at December 30, 2017, and $357,096,000 and 1.9 to 1, respectively, at December 31, 2016. Landstar has historically operated with current ratios within the range of 1.5 to 1 to 2.0 to 1. Cash provided by operating activities was $297,901,000, $138,963,000, and $190,242,000 in fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The increase in cash flow provided by operating activities for fiscal year 2018 was primarily attributable to increased net income and the timing of collections of trade receivables. The decrease in cash flow provided by operating activities for fiscal year 2017 compared to fiscal year 2016 was primarily attributable to the timing of collections of trade receivables.
The Company declared and paid $0.63 per share, or $25,933,000 in the aggregate, in cash dividends during fiscal year 2018 and, during such period, also paid $62,985,000 of dividends payable which were declared during fiscal year 2017 and included in current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet at December 30, 2017. The Company declared and paid $0.38 per share, or $15,938,000 in the aggregate, in cash dividends during fiscal year 2017. The Company declared and paid $0.34 per share, or $14,332,000 in the aggregate, in cash dividends during fiscal year 2016. During fiscal year 2018, the Company purchased 2,000,000 shares of its Common Stock at a total cost of $208,087,000. During fiscal year 2017, the Company did not purchase any shares of its Common Stock. During fiscal year 2016, the Company purchased 773,281 shares of its Common Stock at a total cost of $50,516,000. The Company has used cash provided by operating activities to fund the purchases. Since January 1997, the Company has purchased approximately $1,587,000,000 of its Common Stock under programs authorized by the Board of Directors of the Company in open market and private block transactions. As of December 29, 2018, the Company was authorized to purchase up to an additional 1,000,000 shares of its Common Stock under its authorized stock purchase program. On January, 23, 2019 the Board of Directors authorized the Company to purchase up to 1,000,000 additional shares of its Common Stock under a share purchase program. Accordingly, as of January 23, 2019, Landstar was authorized to purchase in the aggregate up to a total of 2,000,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock under its share purchase programs. Long-term debt, including current maturities, was $128,425,000 at December 29, 2018, compared to $125,113,000 at December 30, 2017 and $138,304,000 at December 31, 2016.
Equity was $689,133,000, or 84% of total capitalization (defined as long-term debt including current maturities plus equity), at December 29, 2018, compared to $653,877,000, or 84% of total capitalization, at December 30, 2017 and $542,557,000 or 80% of total capitalization, at December 31, 2016. The increase in equity in fiscal year 2018 was primarily a result of net income, partially offset by purchases of shares of the Company’s Common Stock and dividends declared by the Company in fiscal year 2018. The increase in equity in fiscal year 2017 compared to fiscal year 2016 was primarily a result of net income, partially offset by dividends declared by the Company in fiscal year 2017.
On June 2, 2016, Landstar entered into a credit agreement with a syndicate of banks and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (the “Credit Agreement”). The Credit Agreement, which matures on June 2, 2021, provides $250,000,000 of borrowing capacity in the form of a revolving credit facility, $50,000,000 of which may be utilized in the form of letter of credit guarantees. The credit agreement includes an “accordion” feature providing for a possible increase up to an aggregate borrowing amount of $400,000,000. The Company’s prior credit agreement was terminated on June 2, 2016.
The Credit Agreement contains a number of covenants that limit, among other things, the incurrence of additional indebtedness. The Company is required to, among other things, maintain a minimum Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, as defined in the Credit Agreement, and maintain a Leverage Ratio, as defined in the Credit Agreement, below a specified maximum. The Credit Agreement provides for a restriction on cash dividends and other distributions to stockholders on the Company’s capital stock to the extent there is a default under the Credit Agreement. In addition, the Credit Agreement under certain circumstances limits the amount of such cash dividends and other distributions to stockholders to the extent that, after giving effect to any payment made to effect such cash dividend or other distribution, the Leverage Ratio would exceed 2.5 to 1 on a pro forma basis as of the end of the Company’s most recently completed fiscal quarter. The Credit Agreement provides for an event of default in the event that, among other things, a person or group acquires 35% or more of the outstanding capital stock of the Company or obtains power to elect a majority of the Company’s directors or directors cease to consist of a majority of Continuing Directors, as defined in the Credit Agreement. None of these covenants are presently considered by management to be materially restrictive to the Company’s operations, capital resources or liquidity. The Company is currently in compliance with all of the debt covenants under the Credit Agreement.
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