Financial Assistance will impact the Company’s withdrawal liability in the future, the Company’s actuary believes any withdrawal will continue to be limited to the twenty annual payments previously discussed and that those payments will not be affected by Special Financial Assistance regulation.
During second quarter 2023, the Company and the union concluded negotiations and entered into a new labor contract which expires in September 2027. Under terms of the union contract the Company is obligated to continue its participation in the Plan during the contract period. The Company is unable to determine the ultimate outcome of the above discussed multi-employer union pension matter and therefore is unable to determine the effects on its consolidated financial statements, but the ultimate outcome could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or cash flows in one or more future periods. See also Note 7 of the Company’s Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
The Company is focused on the longer term and therefore is continuing to make investments in plant manufacturing operations to meet new consumer and customer product demands, achieve product quality improvements, expand capacity in certain product lines, and increase operational efficiencies in order to provide genuine value to consumers.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Net cash flows provided by operating activities were $70,102 and $39,606 in nine months 2024 and 2023, respectively, a favorable increase of $30,496. The $30,496 increase in cash flows from operating activities from 2024 to 2023 principally reflects benefits from changes in working capital, primarily more favorable changes in inventories and the timing of pre-payments during nine months 2024 compared to nine months 2023. The favorable changes in inventories reflect changes in the Company’s production plan in 2024, as well as the effects of lower sales demand for the rest of 2024, which trend is generally in line with the nine months 2024 sales results when compared to nine months 2023.
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities was $(32,176) in nine months 2024 compared to $233 in nine months 2023. Cash flows used in investing activities reflect $82,391 and $65,616 of purchases of available for sale securities during nine months 2024 and 2023, respectively, and $65,578 and $86,259 of sales and maturities of available for sale securities during nine months 2024 and 2023, respectively. Nine months 2024 and 2023 investing activities include capital expenditures of $13,911 and $19,458, respectively. The Company is evaluating a plant expansion, including both the addition and replacement of certain processing and packaging lines, to better meet its higher level of projected demand for certain products on a timelier and more cost effective basis. The Company believes that this plant expansion would take place over the next five years, but most of the actual expenditures would likely occur during the next three years. Company management believes that the total cost of this expansion, including new machinery, equipment and food processing infrastructure, will approximate $70,000 to $80,000. All capital expenditures have been and are expected to be funded from the Company’s cash flow from operations and internal sources including available for sale securities.
The Company’s consolidated financial statements include bank borrowings of $1,078 and $1,018 at September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, all of which relate to its Spanish subsidiary. The Company had no other outstanding bank borrowings at September 30, 2024.
Financing activities include Company common stock purchases and retirements of $2,196 and $27,550 in nine months 2024 and 2023, respectively. Cash dividends of $19,062 and $18,825 were paid in nine months 2024 and 2023, respectively.
The Company’s current ratio (current assets divided by current liabilities) was 3.6 to 1 at September 30, 2024 compared to 3.6 to 1 at December 31, 2023 and 3.2 to 1 at September 30, 2023. Net working capital was $247,685 at September 30, 2024 compared to $245,763 and $230,426 at December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2023, respectively. Included in net working capital is cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments totaling $163,211 at September 30, 2024 compared to $171,422 and $135,400 at December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2023, respectively. In addition, long term investments, principally debt securities comprising corporate bonds, were $318,344 at September 30, 2024, as compared to $255,606 and $243,205 at December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2023, respectively. Aggregate cash and cash equivalents and short and long-term investments were $481,555, $427,028, and $378,605, at September 30, 2024, December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2023, respectively, including $103,875,