impact of the aforementioned severance expenses, early pay discount programs, and increased customer rebates and decreased vendor rebates, which were elevated relative to the year-ago quarter.
Effective margin, which is defined as adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP financial measure defined below) as a percentage of gross profit, was 24.4% in the first quarter of 2021 compared to 38.2% for the same period in 2020. The decrease was driven by the aforementioned decline in adjusted EBITDA and the related mitigating factors on the Company’s profitability performance. Effective margin is expected to improve over the coming quarters as the Company works to offset these factors and drive greater benefits from its strategic investments.
Cash and cash equivalents increased 15% to $33.7 million on March 31, 2021, compared to $29.3 million at December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily driven by continued improvements in working capital, along with the liquidity benefits of the aforementioned early pay discount program. The Company remained debt free on March 31, 2021, and had no borrowings outstanding under its $20 million credit facility.
Financial results include operations of Interwork Technologies effective May 1, 2020, as well as operations of CDF Group effective November 6, 2020. The initial allocation of the purchase price of CDF Group is based on preliminary information and is subject to adjustments during a one-year measurement period following the close date of the acquisition. This may include adjustments to provisional balances including the fair value of tangible and intangible asset values, amortization and deferred taxes. More information will be available in the Company’s quarterly report filed on Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Conference Call
Wayside Technology Group will conduct a conference call tomorrow, May 6, 2021, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time to discuss its results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021.
Wayside management will host the conference call, followed by a question and answer period.
Date: Thursday, May 6, 2021
Time: 8:30 a.m. Eastern time
Toll-free dial-in number: (888) 771-4371
International dial-in number: (847) 585-4405
Conference ID: 50151487
Please call the conference telephone number 5-10 minutes prior to the start time. An operator will register your name and organization. If you have any difficulty connecting with the conference call, please contact Gateway Investor Relations at 1-949-574-3860.
The conference call will be broadcast live and available for replay here and on the investor relations section of the company’s website at www.waysidetechnology.com.
About Wayside Technology Group
Wayside Technology Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: WSTG) is a value-added IT distribution and solutions company specializing in emerging technologies. Wayside operates across the US, Canada and Europe through multiple business units, including Climb Channel Solutions, Sigma, Grey Matter, Interwork and TechXtend. The Company provides IT distribution and solutions for emerging companies in the Security, Data