Cash used in investing activities was $24.0 million in the three months ended August 31, 2006, compared to $42.8 million in the prior fiscal year period. This $18.8 million decrease was due primarily to a $9.2 million decrease in Additions to property, plant and equipment, which totaled $6.2 million for the three months ended August 31, 2006 compared to $15.4 million in the prior fiscal year period, principally due to decreased information technology spending. Acquisition-related payments totaled $3.3 million in the three months ended August 31, 2005 due to a contingent payment related to the acquisition of Klutz in fiscal 2002.
Cash used in financing activities was $23.7 million in the three months ended August 31, 2006, compared to cash provided by financing activities of $89.3 million in the prior fiscal year period. This change was due to the effect of a higher cash position at the beginning of the three months ended August 31, 2006 compared to the beginning of the prior fiscal year period, along with the open market repurchase of $35.4 million of the Company’s 5.75% Notes due January 15, 2007 (the “5.75% Notes”) during the current fiscal year period.
Due to the seasonality of its business as discussed under “Seasonality” above, the Company experiences negative cash flow in the June through October time period. As a result of the Company’s business cycle, seasonal borrowings have historically increased during June, July and August, have generally peaked in September or October, and have been at their lowest point in May.
The Company’s operating philosophy is to use cash provided from operating activities to create value by paying down debt, reinvesting in existing businesses and, from time to time, by making acquisitions that will complement its portfolio of businesses. The Company believes that cash generated by its operations and amounts available under its existing credit facilities will be sufficient to finance short- and long-term capital requirements. The Company also believes it has adequate access to capital to finance its ongoing operating needs and to repay its debt obligations as they become due, including its 5.75% Notes, as discussed under “Financing” below.
During the first quarter, the credit rating of the Company’s senior unsecured debt was downgraded from BB+ to BB by Standard & Poor’s and from Baa3 to Ba1 by Moody’s Investor Service. Under prevailing market conditions, the Company believes that these ratings afford it adequate access to the public and private markets for debt.
Scholastic Corporation and Scholastic Inc. are parties to an unsecured revolving credit agreement with certain banks (the “Credit Agreement”), which expires on March 31, 2009. The Credit Agreement provides for aggregate borrowings of up to $190.0 million (with a right in certain circumstances to increase borrowings to $250.0 million), including the issuance of up to $10.0 million in letters of credit. Interest under this facility is either at the prime rate or a rate equal to 0.325% to 0.975% over LIBOR (as defined). There is a facility fee ranging from 0.10% to 0.30% and a utilization fee ranging from 0.05% to 0.25% if borrowings exceed 50% of the total facility. The amounts charged vary based upon the Company’s credit rating. The interest rate, facility fee and utilization fee (when applicable) as of August 31, 2006 were 0.975% over LIBOR, 0.30% and 0.25%, respectively. The Credit Agreement contains certain financial covenants related to debt and interest coverage ratios (as defined) and limits dividends and other distributions. There were no borrowings outstanding under the Credit Agreement at August 31, 2006 or May 31, 2006. At August 31, 2005, $35.0 million was outstanding under the Credit Agreement at a weighted average interest rate of 4.3%.
SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION
Item 2. MD&A
Scholastic Corporation and Scholastic Inc. are joint and several borrowers under an unsecured revolving loan agreement with a bank (the “Revolver”). The Revolver provides for unsecured revolving credit of up to $40.0 million and expires on March 31, 2009. Interest under this facility is either at the prime rate minus 1%, or at a rate equal to 0.375% to 1.025% over LIBOR (as defined). There is a facility fee ranging from 0.10% to 0.30%. The amounts charged vary based upon the Company’s credit rating. The interest rate and facility fee as of August 31, 2006 were 1.025% over LIBOR and 0.30%, respectively. The Revolver contains certain financial covenants related to debt and interest coverage ratios (as defined) and limits dividends and other distributions. At August 31, 2006 and 2005, $1.0 million and $37.0 million were outstanding under the Revolver at a weighted average interest rate of 7.3% and 5.0%, respectively, with the increase in the weighted average interest rate principally due to higher market interest rates. There were no borrowings outstanding under the Revolver at May 31, 2006.
The Credit Agreement and Revolver allow the Company to borrow, repay or, to the extent permitted by the agreements, prepay and re-borrow at any time prior to the stated maturity dates and subject to the terms and conditions of the facilities. The $71 million decrease in aggregate borrowings under these facilities at August 31, 2006 compared to August 31, 2005 was primarily due to the higher cash position at the start of the current fiscal year period compared to the start of the prior fiscal year period. At August 31, 2006, the Company was in compliance with its debt covenants under each of these facilities.
Unsecured lines of credit available in local currencies to certain of Scholastic Corporation’s international subsidiaries were, in the aggregate, equivalent to $79.3 million at August 31, 2006, as compared to $59.1 million at August 31, 2005 and $67.9 million at May 31, 2006. These lines are used primarily to fund local working capital needs. There were borrowings outstanding under these lines of credit equivalent to $42.2 million at August 31, 2006, as compared to $33.7 million at August 31, 2005 and $33.8 million at May 31, 2006. These lines of credit are considered short-term in nature. The weighted average interest rate on the outstanding borrowings was 6.0% and 5.5% at August 31, 2006 and 2005, respectively, and 6.0% at May 31, 2006.
The Company’s total debt obligations at August 31, 2006 and August 31, 2005 were $475.8 million and $579.8 million, respectively. The Company’s total debt obligations at May 31, 2006 were $502.4 million. In the quarter ended August 31, 2006, the Company repurchased $35.4 million of its 5.75% Notes on the open market. As of August 31, 2006, the outstanding balance of the 5.75% Notes, net of premium, totaled $259.3 million. For a more complete description of the Company’s debt obligations, see Note 3 of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements – Unaudited in Item 1, “Financial Statements.”
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Prior to June 1, 2006, the Company applied the intrinsic value-based method of accounting prescribed by Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees” (“APB No. 25”), and related interpretations in accounting for its stock-based benefit plans. Under this method, no compensation expense was recognized with respect to options granted under the Company’s stock-based benefit plans, as the exercise price of each stock option issued was equal to the market price of the underlying stock on the date of grant and the exercise price and number of shares subject to grant were fixed.
In May 2006, the Human Resources and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Corporation, which consists entirely of independent directors, approved the acceleration of the vesting of all of the Company’s unvested options to purchase Class A Stock and Common Stock outstanding as of May 30, 2006 granted to employees (including executive officers) and outside directors of the Corporation (the “Acceleration”). Except for the Acceleration, all other terms and conditions applicable to such stock options were unchanged. Substantially all of these options had exercise prices in excess of the market value of the underlying Common Stock on May 30, 2006. The primary purpose of the Acceleration was to mitigate the future compensation expense that the Company would have otherwise recognized in its financial statements with respect to these options as a result of the June 1, 2006 adoption of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 123R, “Share Based Payment” (“SFAS 123R”).
Effective June 1, 2006, the Company adopted the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS 123R, which revises SFAS No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation,” using the modified prospective method. SFAS 123R requires the Company to recognize the cost of employee and director services received in exchange for any stock-based awards. Under SFAS 123R, the Company is required to recognize compensation expense over an award’s vesting period, based on the award’s fair value at the date of grant, on a straight-line basis.
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SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION
Item 2. MD&A
The fair values of stock options granted by the Company are estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Company’s determination of the fair value of share-based payment awards using this option-pricing model is affected by the price of common stock, par value $.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), of Scholastic Corporation (the “Corporation”), as well as by assumptions regarding highly complex and subjective variables, including, but not limited to, the expected price volatility of the Common Stock over the terms of the awards, the risk-free interest rate, and actual and projected employee stock option exercise behaviors. Estimates of fair value are not intended to predict actual future events or the value that may ultimately be realized by employees or directors who receive these awards.
For a more complete description of the Company’s stock-based compensation plans, see Note 1 of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements – Unaudited in Item 1, “Financial Statements.”
Forward Looking Statements
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including the conditions of the children’s book and educational materials markets and acceptance of the Company’s products within those markets, and other risks and factors identified in this Report, in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2006, and from time to time in the Company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated.
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SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
The Company conducts its business in various foreign countries, and as such, its cash flows and earnings are subject to fluctuations from changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Management believes that the impact of currency fluctuations does not represent a significant risk to the Company given the size and scope of its current international operations. The Company manages its exposures to this market risk through internally established procedures and, when deemed appropriate, through the use of short-term forward exchange contracts. All foreign exchange hedging transactions are supported by an identifiable commitment or a forecasted transaction. The Company does not enter into derivative transactions or use other financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.
Market risks relating to the Company’s operations result primarily from changes in interest rates, which are managed through the mix of variable-rate versus fixed-rate borrowings. Additionally, financial instruments, including swap agreements, have been used to manage interest rate exposures. Approximately 9% of the Company’s debt at August 31, 2006 bore interest at a variable rate and was sensitive to changes in interest rates, compared to approximately 7% at May 31, 2006 and approximately 18% at August 31, 2005. The Company is subject to the risk that market interest rates and its cost of borrowing will increase and thereby increase the interest charged under its variable-rate debt, as well as the risk that variable-rate borrowings will represent a larger portion of total debt in the future.
Additional information relating to the Company’s outstanding financial instruments is included in Item 2, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
The following table sets forth information about the Company’s debt instruments as of August 31, 2006 (see Note 3 of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements - Unaudited in Item 1, “Financial Statements”):
($ amounts in millions) | | Fiscal Year Maturity |
|
| | 2007 | | | 2008 | | | 2009 | (1) | | 2010 | | 2011 | | Thereafter | | Total |
|
Debt Obligations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Lines of credit | | $ | 42.2 | | | $ | - | | $ | - | | | $ | - | | $ | - | | $ | - | | | $ | 42.2 | |
Average interest rate | | | 6.0 | % | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Long-term debt including | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
current portion: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Fixed-rate debt | | $ | 258.6 | | | $ | - | | $ | - | | | $ | - | | $ | - | | $ | 175.0 | | | $ | 433.6 | |
Average interest rate | | | 5.75 | % | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5.0 | % | | | | |
|
Variable-rate debt | | $ | - | | | $ | - | | $ | 1.0 | (1) | | $ | - | | $ | - | | $ | - | | | $ | 1.0 | |
Average interest rate | | | | | | | | | | 7.25 | % | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
(1) | Represents amount drawn on the Revolver. The Revolver and Credit Agreement, with credit lines totaling $230.0, expire in fiscal 2009. |
|
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SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
The Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation, after conducting an evaluation, together with other members of the Company's management, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Corporation’s disclosure controls and procedures as of August 31, 2006, have concluded that the Corporation’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Corporation in its reports filed or submitted under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC and accumulated and communicated to members of the Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. There was no change in the Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended August 31, 2006 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting.
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PART II – OTHER INFORMATION
SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION
Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
On July 18, 2006, the holders of the 1,656,200 outstanding shares of the Corporation’s Class A Stock, $0.01 par value (the “Class A Stock”), approved by written consent an action to fix the number of directors constituting the full Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”) at ten. The Corporation’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that the holders of shares of Class A Stock, voting as a class, have the right to fix the size of the Board so long as it does not consist of less than three nor more than 15 directors.
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SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION
Item 6. Exhibits
| | |
| Exhibits: | |
| | |
| 3.1 | Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as amended to date. |
| 10.1 | Amendment No. 2 to the Scholastic Corporation 2004 Class A Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Appendix C to the Corporation’s definitive Proxy Statement as filed with the SEC on August 21, 2006 (the “2006 Proxy Statement”)). |
| 10.2 | Amended and Restated Guidelines for Stock Units granted under the Scholastic Corporation 2001 Stock Incentive Plan. |
| 31.1 | Certification of the Chief Executive Officer of Scholastic Corporation filed pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| 31.2 | Certification of the Chief Financial Officer of Scholastic Corporation filed pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| 32 | Certifications of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Scholastic Corporation furnished pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
|
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SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
| SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION |
| (Registrant) |
|
|
|
|
Date: October 5, 2006 | /s/ Richard Robinson |
|
|
| Richard Robinson |
| Chairman of the Board, |
| President, and Chief |
| Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
Date: October 5, 2006 | s/ Mary A. Winston |
|
|
| Mary A. Winston |
| Executive Vice President and |
| Chief Financial Officer |
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SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION
QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q, DATED AUGUST 31, 2006
Exhibits Index
| | |
Exhibit | | |
Number | | Description of Document |
| | |
3.1 | | Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, |
| | as amended to date. |
| | |
10.1 | | Amendment No. 2 to the Scholastic Corporation 2004 Class A Stock Incentive Plan |
| | (incorporated by reference to the 2006 Proxy Statement). |
| | |
10.2 | | Amended and Restated Guidelines for Stock Units granted under the |
| | Scholastic Corporation 2001 Stock Incentive Plan. |
| | |
31.1 | | Certification of the Chief Executive Officer of Scholastic Corporation filed |
| | pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
|
31.2 | | Certification of the Chief Financial Officer of Scholastic Corporation filed |
| | pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
|
32 | | Certifications of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of |
| | Scholastic Corporation furnished pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley |
| | Act of 2002. |
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