UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM
10-K

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended January 31, 2019

2021

OR

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from
to

Commission file number
0-13200

AstroNova, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Rhode Island
 
05-0318215

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

600 East Greenwich Avenue,

West Warwick, Rhode Island

 
02893
(Address of principal executive offices)
 
(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:
(401) 828-4000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

 

Trading Symbol
Name of each exchange

on which registered

Common Stock, $.05 Par Value
 
ALOT
NASDAQ Global Market

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation
S-T
 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by checkmark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of regulationS-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statement incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form10-K or any amendment to this Form10-K.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a
non-accelerated
filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule
12b-2
of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer    ☐ Accelerated filer      Non-accelerated filer     Smaller reporting company
  ☒
    
Emerging growth company
   ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2
of the Act).  ☐  Yes    ☒  No
The aggregate market value of the registrant’s voting common equity held by
non-affiliates
at July 27, 201831, 2020 was approximately $112,325,000$47,045,000 based on the closing price on the Nasdaq Global Market on that date.

As of April 5, 2019
9
, 2021, there were 6,987,8237,212,977 shares of Common Stock (par value $0.05 per share) of the registrant outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the Company’s definitive Proxy Statement for the 20192021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form
10-K
where indicated.


Table of Contents

ASTRONOVA, INC.

FORM
10-K
ANNUAL REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

        
Page
PART I      
Item 1.    

  3-63-7
Item 1A.    

  6-168-20
Item 1B.    

  1620
Item 2.    

  1620-21
Item 3.    

  1621
Item 4.    

  1621
PART II      
Item 5.    

  1722
Item 6.    

  1823
Item 7.    

  18-3023-38
Item 7A.    

  30-3138
Item 8.    

  3239
Item 9.    

  3239
Item 9A.    

  3239
Item 9B.    

  3239
PART III      
Item 10.    

  3340
Item 11.    

  3441
Item 12.    

  3441
Item 13.    

  3441
Item 14.    

  3441
PART IV      
Item 15.    

  3542
Item 16.    

  3542

2

ASTRONOVA, INC.

Forward-Looking Statements

Information included in this Annual Report on Form
10-K
may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact, but rather reflect our current expectations concerning future events and results. We generally use the words “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “likely,” “continues,” “may,” “will,” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements, including those concerning our expectations, involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control, which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to, those factors set forth in this Annual Report on Form
10-K
under “Item 1A. Risk Factors.” We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The reader is cautioned not to unduly rely on such forward-looking statements when evaluating the information presented in this Annual Report on Form
10-K.

PART I

Item 1.1
. Business

General

Unless otherwise indicated, references to “AstroNova,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” and “us” in this Annual Report on Form
10-K
refer to AstroNova, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

AstroNova designs, develops, manufactures

We design, develop, manufacture and distributesdistribute a broad range of specialty printers and data acquisition and analysis systems, including both hardware and software, which incorporate advanced technologies to acquire, store, analyze, and present data in multiple formats. Target markets for our hardware and software products of the Company include aerospace, apparel, automotive, avionics, chemicals, computer peripherals, communications, distribution, food and beverage, general manufacturing, packaging and transportation.

The Company’s

Our products are distributed around the world through itsour own sales force, authorized dealers, and through independent dealers and representatives.

Our business consists of two segments, Product Identification (“PI”) and Test & Measurement (“T&M”). The PI segment includes specialty printing systems and related supplies sold under the brand names QuickLabel
®
, TrojanLabel
®
and GetLabels™.GetLabels
brand names. The Company’s T&M segment includes our line of aerospace printers and test and measurement data acquisition systems sold under the AstroNova
®
brand name and includes the Company’s line of aerospace flight deck printers.name. Refer to Note 16,17, “Nature of Operations, Segment Reporting and Geographical Information,” in our audited consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this report for financial information regarding the Company’sour segments.

On September 28, 2017, AstroNova, Inc. entered into an Asset Purchase and License Agreement with Honeywell International, Inc. pursuant to which it acquired an exclusive perpetual world-wide license to manufacture Honeywell’s narrow-format flight deck printers for the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 aircraft. Revenue related to that transaction has been included as part of the aerospace printer product line of the Company’s Test & Measurement segment since the acquisition date. On February 1, 2017, AstroNova completed its acquisition of TrojanLabel ApS (“TrojanLabel”), a European manufacturer of digital color label presses and specialty printing systems for label professionals and commercial printers. TrojanLabel is reported as part of our PI segment beginning with the first quarter of fiscal year 2018. Refer to Note 3, “Acquisitions,” in our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

The following description of our business should be read in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations” on pages 1923 through 3028 of this Annual Report on Form
10-K.

Description of Business

Product Overview

AstroNova leverages its

We leverage our expertise in data visualization technologies to design, manufacture and market specialty printing systems, test and measurement systems, and related services for select growing markets on a global basis.

Products

Product Identification products sold under the QuickLabel, TrojanLabel and GetLabels brands are used in industrialbrand owner and commercial applications to provide product packaging, marketing, tracking, branding and
3

labeling applicationssolutions to print custom labels, packaging materials and corresponding visual contentin-house digitally.a wide array of industries. The PI segment offers a variety of hardwaredigital color label tabletop printers, high-volume presses and software productsspecialty OEM printing systems, as well as a wide range of label, tag and associatedflexible packaging material substrates and other supplies, that allowincluding ink and toner, allowing customers to mark, track, protect and enhance the appearance of their products. ProductsIn the T&M segment, we have a long history of using our technologies to provide networking systems and high-resolution light-weight flight deck and cabin printers for the aerospace market. In addition, the T&M segment includes data acquisition recorders, sold under the AstroNova brand, to enable our customers to acquire and record visual and electronic signal data from local and networked data streams and sensors. The recorded data is processed, and analyzed and then stored and presented in various visual output formats. In the aerospace market, the Company has
Product Identification
Our PI segment includes three brands: QuickLabel, TrojanLabel, and GetLabels. The segment provides a long historywide array of using its data visualization technologies to provide networking systemsdigital
end-to-end
product marking and high-resolution light-weight flight deckidentification solutions including hardware, software, and cabin printers.

Product Identification

QuickLabel brand products include tabletop and work cell-ready digital color labelsupplies for OEMs, commercial printers, and specialty OEM printing systems. QuickLabel products are sold to manufacturers, processors, and retailers whobrand owners. Our customers typically label or mark products on ashort-run basis. QuickLabel customers short to

mid-size
run basis and benefit from the efficiency, flexibility and cost-savings of digitally printing labels or packaging in their labelsin-housefacility,
on-demand,
with the ability to accommodate multiple SKUs or variable data such as bar codes, lot numbers or expiration dates. QuickLabel brand products include tabletop printers, production-ready digital color label printers and on demand. Industry segments that commonly benefit fromshort-runspecialty OEM printing systems for either standalone output or inline integration with existing
pre-processing
and finishing systems. Customers use our digital label printing include chemicals,products in a wide variety of industries, including chemical, cosmetics, food and beverage, medical products, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and pharmaceuticals, among many others.

TrojanLabel expands our customer market by providing a range of higher volume digital color printers, OEM printing systems and supplies that target the more demanding needs of brand owners, commercial printers, label converters, and packaging manufacturers, giving them the ability to digitally mark or encode products directly or to produce labels for post-printing applications. GetLabels brand products include a full line of media supplies, including label materials, tags, inks, toners and thermal transfer ribbons designed for optimal performance with our printing hardware, while also being compatible with a wide variety of competitive and third-party printing hardware.

Current QuickLabel models include a familyselection ofhigh-end monochrome professional tabletop digital color label printers. The high-speed
QL-120X
was built on our pioneering and successful Kiaro! platform. Introduced early in 2019, the high-performance
QL-300
was the first
5-color
toner-based electrophotographic tabletop production label printer in the market. In addition, our QuickLabel line of printers includes the QL-300, a high performance color toner based printer, theQL-800 wide format
QL-850,
our next-generation wide-format inkjet color label printer, the
QL-30
and
QL-60
series, a family of
high-end
monochrome printers, and the Kiaro!® family
QLS-4100
XE, a unique solution with the ability to digitally print full-color labels and tags using thermal transfer ribbon technology.
Our TrojanLabel portfolio includes a range of high-speed inkjet color label printers which includes theQL-120, a professional table top digital label printer.

TrojanLabel brand products includefrom professional digital color label presses andmini-presses to large-scale

all-in-one
inline specialty printing systems as well as overprinting solutions. This highly innovative line of presses expands the Company’s customer base by offering commercial printers (label converters) and packaging manufacturers the ability to execute smaller runs with an affordable digital solution. It is commonly sold to largerfor both brand owners, label converters,OEMs and commercial printers and packaging manufacturers.

Our current TrojanLabel portfolio includes theprinters. The

T2-C,
a compact, digital mini pressmini-press designed for 24/7 label production;production, includes numerous differentiating features for several
end-use
market applications. The
T2-L
is a narrow format digital press designed specifically for flexible packaging substrates. Beyond label printing, the parent
T3-OPX,
introduced in late 2019, allows printing directly onto a range of theT2-C, the T2, a label press with afull-size PC displayflat products, including cardboard, paper bags, flat wood planks and many other items using pigment inks that supports mini jumbo label rolls for commercial production; the T4, aare water-resistant and highly resistant to UV exposure. A professional label press and finishing system, whichthe T4, enables print, die cut
die-cut,
and lamination all in one an
all-in-one
machine with a much smaller footprint than others in the market;market.
GetLabels provides a broad range of high-quality supplies for both our printers and the T3, a modular over-printer offered in multiple OEM integration versions.

GetLabels brand products include a full line of suppliesthird-party printers including labels, tags,label and tag materials, inks, toners,toner and thermal transfer ribbons. Quality label materials and substrates arematerial, all specifically designed and constructed for an extensivea wide variety of labeling applications. Every one of the label materialsLabel material and substrates are carefully qualified and tested in our Rhode Island Materials Research Laboratory to ensure durability and compatibility for thewith our QuickLabel brand,and TrojanLabel brand and alsobranded products, along with a variety of competitor printers to meet the specific labeling needs for a wide diversitythird-party printers.

4

Table of markets.

Contents

The Product IdentificationPI segment additionallyalso develops and licenses various specialized software usedprograms to design and manage labels, print images, manage and operate theour printers and presses, design labels and managecoordinate printing on an automated basis anddirectly over networked systems. PI also provides worldwide training and support.

T&M

Products sold under the AstroNovaour T&M brandsegment are designed and manufactured for airborne printing solutions and data acquisition. Our aerospace products include flight deck printing solutions, networking hardware and specialized aerospace grade thermal paper. Our data acquisition systems are used in research and development, flight testing, missile/rocket telemetry production monitoring, power and maintenance applications. These products are sold to customers in a variety of industries, including aerospace & defense, automotive, commercial airline, energy, manufacturing and transportation, to meet their need to acquire and record visual data from local and networked data streams and sensors. The recorded data is processed and analyzed and then stored and presented in various visual output formats. The Company supplies a range of products and services that
Airborne printers include hardware, software and supplies to customers in a variety of industries.

Our T&M products include; the Daxusour flagship ToughWriter

®DXS-100 distributed data acquisition system, the TMX® high-speed data acquisition system, the SmartCorder®DDX-100 portable data acquisition system, theEV-5000 digital strip chart recording system, the ToughWriter®, Miltope-brand and RITEC-brand airborne printers, thePTA-45B cockpit printer that is subject to the Asset Purchase and Licenses Agreement with Honeywell and ToughSwitch® ruggedized Ethernet switches.

AstroNova airborne printers are

series used in the flight deckdecks and in the cabincabins of military, commercial and business aircraft to print hard copies of data required for the safe and efficient operation of aircraft, includingaircraft. Examples of printed data include navigation maps, arrival and departure procedures,information, flight itineraries, weather maps, performance data, passenger data, and various air traffic control data. ToughSwitch
®
Ethernet switches are used primarily in military aircraft and military vehicles to connect multiple computers or Ethernet devices. The airborne printers and Ethernet switches are ruggedized to comply with rigorous military and commercial flight worthiness standards for operation under extreme environmental conditions. The Company isWe are currently furnishing ToughWriter airborne printers for many aircraft made by Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, Bombardier, Lockheed, Gulfstream and others.

In addition to the ToughWriter products, we manufacture other flight deck printers, including the TP/NP series, the RTP80 series and the

PTA-45B
series of airborne printers. The Company’s portable data acquisition systems are used
PTA-45B
is subject to the Asset Purchase and License Agreement with Honeywell International, Inc. (the “Honeywell Agreement”), pursuant to which in research2017 we acquired an exclusive perpetual world-wide license to manufacture and development (R&D), field testing, productionsupport Honeywell’s narrow-format flight deck printers for the Boeing 737 and maintenance applications in a wide range of industries including aerospaceAirbus 320 aircraft. Over time we expect customers will replace the
PTA-45B
printers with ToughWriter products because they have numerous technical features and defense, energy, industrialfunctional advantages and transportation. Thesignificant weight savings.
Other T&M products include the TMX
®
all-in-one
high-speed data acquisition system is anall-in-one solution for applications in which the ability to monitorrequiring high channel counts and view acquisition rates; the Daxus
®
 DXS-100
distributed data acquisition platform; the SmartCorder
®
DDX-100,
a wide variety of input signals, including time-stamped and synchronized video capture portable
all-in-one
data and audio notation is essential. The SmartCorderDDX-100 is an ultra-portableall-in-one solutionacquisition system for facilitiesfacility maintenance and field testing.testing; and the Everest
®
EV-5000
digital strip chart recording system used mainly in telemetry applications. The Daxus
DXS-100 is a distributed data acquisition platform that
can be connected to the SmartCorderDDX-100 to increase channel count or networked as part of a distributed measurement system spanning vast distances.

Technology

Our core technologies are data visualization technologies that relate to (1) acquiring data, (2) conditioning the data, (3) displaying or printing the data on hard copy, monitor or electronic storage media and (4) analyzing the data.

To service data visualization, we maintain technological core competencies and trade

know-how
concerning the subject matter peculiar to each business unit. The technological disciplines are diverse and include electronic, software, mechanical and industrial engineering aspects. Additionally, we possess engineering expertise in digital signal processing, image processing, fluidics, color theory, high-speed material handling and airworthiness design.
Patents and Copyrights

We hold a number ofseveral product patents in the United States and in foreign countries. We rely on a combination of copyright, patent, trademark and trade secret laws in the United States and other jurisdictions to protect our technology and brand name. While wenames. We consider our intellectual property to be importantcritical to the operation of our business,business. In particular, we do not believe that any existing patent,the loss of the trademarks QuickLabel, TrojanLabel, ToughWriter or ToughSwitch
5

Table of Contents
or the loss of the license trademark or other intellectual property right is of such importance that its loss or termination wouldprovided under the Honeywell Agreement could have a material adverse effectimpact on the Company’sour business taken as a whole.

Manufacturing and Supplies

We manufacture many of the products that we design and sell. Raw materials and supplies are typically available from a wide variety of sources. We manufacture many of the
sub-assemblies
and parts
in-house,
including certain specialty printed circuit board assemblies and harnesses, machined parts and generalwe have extensive electronic and mechanical final assembly.assembly and test operations. Many parts not manufactured
in-house
are standard electronic items available from multiple sources. Other printers and parts are designed or modified by us and manufactured by outside vendors.vendors according to our specifications. We purchase certain components, assembled products and supplies used in theto manufacture of our products from a single source or limited supplier source. Whilesources. Although we believe the majority of these sole or limited source components, assembled products and supplies could be sourced elsewhere with appropriate changes in the design of our products, such design might not be feasible on a timely basis, and any interruption in these components, products or supplies could adversely affect our business.

When circumstances cause us to anticipate that we may not be able to acquire such components, products or supplies on a timely basis, our practice is to procure a sufficient quantity in advance. In the past we have made such advance purchases primarily for aerospace products and in quantities that we anticipate will suffice for the life of the aircraft program for which those printers are designed.

Marketing and Competition

The Company competes

We compete worldwide in multiple markets. In the specialty printing field,Through our expanding network of manufacturing, sales and support facilities, we now do business in over 150 countries.
We believe we are a market leader in tabletop digital color label printing technology in the specialty printing field, a market leader in flight deck printers, and an innovator in aerospace printers.digital color mini-press systems. In the data acquisition area, we are one of the leaders in general-purpose portable, reliable, high-speed data acquisition systems.

We retain a leadership position by virtue of proprietary technology, product reputation, delivery, technical assistance, and service to customers. The number of competitors varies by product line. Our management

Management believes that we have a market leadership position in many of the markets we serve. We retain our leadership position by virtue of our proprietary technology, product reputation, delivery, our channels to market, technical assistance and service to customers. The number of competitors varies by product line. Key competitive factors vary among our product lines, but include technology, quality, service and support, distribution network and breadth of product and service offerings.

Our Product Identification products are sold by direct field salespersons as well as independent dealers and representatives, while our Test & Measurement products are sold predominantly through direct sales and manufacturers’ representatives. In the United States, the Company haswe have factory-trained direct field salespeople located in major cities from coast to coastthroughout the country specializing in either Product Identification or AstroNova T&M products. We also have direct field sales or service centers in Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Spain and the United Kingdom staffed by our own employees and dedicated third party contractors. Additionally, we utilize over 150200 independent dealers and representatives selling and marketing our products in over 5060 countries.

No single customer accounted for 10% or more of our net revenue in any of the last three fiscal years.

Order Backlog

Our backlog varies regularly. It consists of a blend of orders for
end-user
customers, as well as original equipment manufacturer customers. Manufacturing production is designed to meet forecasted demands and
built-to-order
customer requirements. Accordingly, the amount of order backlog may not indicate future sales trends. Backlog at January 31, 2019, 20182021 and 20172020 was $25.6 million, $21.4$22.5 million and $17.6$25.2 million, respectively.

Employees

As of January 31, 2019,2021, we employed 374 people. We are generally able to satisfy327 people full-time employees. Of our employment requirements. Nofull-time employees, 230 were in the United States, 78 in Europe, 10 in Canada, seven in Asia and two in Mexico.
6

Table of Contents
None of our employees are represented by a union. labor union or covered by a collective bargaining agreement; except for our employees in France, where collective bargaining agreements are generally required by local regulations.
Successful execution of our business strategy depends on our ability to retain several key employees in both individual contributor and management roles. We continuously assess the risk of losing our key employees through regular communications, engagement surveys and assessments in the labor market. Our retention strategy is focused on ensuring competitive compensation packages, career and professional development, leadership coaching and other actions to improve overall engagement with our key employees.
Culture
We have ingrained a strong and definable company culture that shapes the way we operate and engage with stakeholders and employees. Our culture consists of four key components:
A powerful set of core values, including: Customer First, One Global Team, Innovation, Continuous Improvement and Building Shareholder Value.
The AstroNova Operating System (AOS), the comprehensive business management process which helps us manage the business to achieve continuous improvements in quality, delivery, cost, and growth.
A commitment to operating with integrity and compliance to ensure business is conducted in an honest, legal, and environmentally responsible manner.
A passionate commitment to quality that drives our goal to achieve zero defects and understand the changing needs and expectations of our customers.
Our core values guide our employees’ behavior and dictate the way our business is conducted. These core values are reinforced during new hire orientation, ongoing engagement surveys, leadership development, and team development activities, and are also demonstrated through teamwork, leadership, and everyday interactions.
Diversity and Inclusion
We believe that employee relationsour culture and core values are good.

strengthened through diversity and inclusion. Our diversity initiatives include—but are not limited to—our practices and policies on recruitment and selection; compensation and benefits; professional development and training; promotions; transfers; social and recreational programs; layoffs; terminations; and the ongoing development of a work environment built on the premise of gender and diversity equity. These initiatives include periodic evaluation of our workforce demographics as compared to the demographics in the workforce market, and an affirmative effort to attract, recruit, retain and train a diverse workforce that is representative of the populations in the regions in which we do business.

Other Information

The Company’s

Our business is not seasonal in nature. However, our revenue is impacted by the size of certain individual transactions, which can cause fluctuations in revenue from quarter to quarter.

Available Information

We make available on our website (www.astronovainc.com) the Company’sour Annual Report on Form
10-K,
Quarterly Reports on Form
10-Q,
Current Reports on Form
8-K
and, if applicable, amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as reasonably practicable after the Companywe electronically filesfile such material with, or furnishes it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These filings are also accessible on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
7

Table of Contents

Item 1A.
Risk Factors

The following risk factors should be carefully considered in evaluating AstroNova, because such factors may have a significant impact on our business, operating results, liquidity and financial condition. As a result of the risk factors set forth below, actual results could differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently consider to be immaterial, may also impact our business operations.

AstroNova’s

Business and Industry Risks
The ongoing
COVID-19
pandemic has adversely affected and will likely continue to adversely affect our revenues, results of operations and financial condition.
Our business has been and will likely continue to be materially adversely affected by the global
COVID-19
pandemic. We operate in several regions of the world, with the largest concentration of team members in North America and Europe, and a small presence in Asia. We, and many other businesses and other organizations with which we do business directly or which otherwise impact us, have taken and are continuing to take steps to avoid or reduce infection, including limiting business travel and staying home from work when recommended by the public health authorities. These measures have disrupted and continue to disrupt our normal business operations both inside and outside of affected areas and have had significant negative impacts on our business, the businesses of our suppliers and customers, and on businesses and financial markets worldwide. Until vaccine availability and inoculation rates reach the point where public health authorities determine that the quarantines, travel restrictions, business closures, cancellations of public gatherings and other measures that national, state and local governments have implemented as a result of the pandemic are no longer necessary, we expect our business to be negatively impacted.
In response to the
COVID-19
pandemic, we have established new procedures to monitor government recommendations and regulations and made good faith efforts to comply with those regulations and the best practices recommendations issued by a variety of governmental health authorities and manufacturing industry organizations to which we belong. In addition, we have made significant modifications to our normal operations because of the
COVID-19
pandemic, including requiring most
non-production
related team members to work remotely, at least part-time. At this time, we expect that these measures will continue to remain in place for the near term, and we do not know when or if it will become practical to relax or eliminate these measures altogether. Since the start of the pandemic, we have maintained most of manufacturing operational capacity at our facilities located in West Warwick, Rhode Island, as well as our manufacturing facilities in Canada and Germany. However, there were periods when a number of team members were unable to keep work schedules due to the effects of the pandemic, which resulted in reduced production capacity that led to longer order fulfillment lead times and as a result, reduced revenues. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic continues to negatively impact our manufacturing production will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and any associated variants, the efficacy and timing of distribution of vaccines, and the actions to
contain COVID-19 or
treat its impact, among others. We also do not yet know to what extent our operations will be impacted permanently by remote work, increased safety protocols and the other adaptations undertaken during the pandemic.
During the
COVID-19
pandemic, we have experienced some difficulties in obtaining raw materials and components for our products. We have been able to recover from these difficulties, but we have had to incur some additional costs in expedited and express shipping fees. These difficulties have impacted our efficiency and our ability to satisfy customer requirements, but we do not believe that they have materially impacted our financial results or our relationships with our customers. We are currently monitoring the world-wide delays in transit time, as freight carriers are now experiencing significant delays in overseas shipments. We are addressing these issues through long range planning and supplementing inventories as needed. We are also monitoring the extended lead times on active electronic components and utilizing several strategies, including blanket orders,
8

vendor-bonded inventories, and extended commitments to our supply base. Additionally, we have taken actions to maintain regular contact with our important vendors and have increased our forecasting horizon for our products to help us better manage our supply chain. Our strategies to counteract the impact of the pandemic have tended to increase the amount of inventory we maintain, but because of the complexity of our supply chain and update our mitigation strategies as we determine to be appropriate. We will continue to monitor our supply chain a priority going forward. We are not able to predict what the full impact of the current supply chain difficulties, as it depends on how the course of the
COVID-19
pandemic continues and its impacts on the economy evolve.
The aerospace industry, which we serve through our aerospace product line, has also been significantly disrupted by the
COVID-19
pandemic, both inside and outside of the United States. The decline in air travel has had and will continue to have a material adverse impact on our financial results, the ultimate scope of which we cannot estimate at this time. Should one or more of our airplane OEM manufacturing customers or a significant number of airline customers fail to continue business as a going concern, declare bankruptcy, or otherwise permanently reduce the demand for our products as a result of the impact of the
COVID-19
pandemic, it would have a material adverse impact on our business operations and financial results.
While it is not possible at this time to estimate the full scope of the impact that
COVID-19
will have on our business, customers, suppliers or other business partners, in the long run we expect that the lasting presence of
COVID-19,
will continue to adversely impact our operational capacity and the efficiency of our team members and will continue to negatively affect our results of operations and financial condition for the near term.
Our operating results and financial condition could be harmed if the markets into which we sell our products decline or do not grow as anticipated.

Any decline in our customers’ markets or in their general economic conditions would likely result in a reduction in demand for our products. Although we have continued to experience measured progress,For example, the 2020 grounding, suspension and subsequent slow restart of production of the Boeing 737 MAX has reduced demand for our airborne printers that are installed on that aircraft, as sales have increased steadily from prior years, we are stillwell as the related repairs and supplies, which has negatively affected our results of operations. In addition, the current worldwide
COVID-19
pandemic has negatively impacted the airline industry as a whole, which could result in a reduction in orders by the continued global economic uncertainty.airlines for new planes and reduce demand for retrofitting airplanes already in service and, therefore, a further reduction in demand for our airborne printer products. The effect of the
COVID-19
pandemic and any future action relating to the 737 MAX on our business is currently unknown, but we expect any resulting reductions in production schedules will likely have an adverse effect on our business, which could be material. Some of our customers may be reluctant to make capital equipment purchases or may defer certain of these purchases to future quarters. Some of our customers may also limit consumable product purchases to quantities necessary to satisfy immediate needs with no provisions to stock supplies for future use. Also, if our customers’ markets decline enough to impact their financial capacity, we may not be able to collect on outstanding amounts due to us. Such declines could harm our results of operations, financial position and cash flows and could limit our ability to continue to remain profitable.

AstroNova’s

Our future revenue growth depends on our ability to develop and introduce new products and services on a timely basis and achieve market acceptance of these new products and services.

The markets for our products are characterized by rapidly changingevolving technologies and acceleratingwhich in turn effect our product introduction cycles. Our future success depends largely upon our ability to address the rapidly changing needs of our customers by developing and supplying high-quality, cost-effective products, product enhancements and services on a timely basis and by keeping pace with technological developments and emerging industry standards. The success of our new products will also depend on our ability to differentiate our offerings from our competitors’ offerings, price our products competitively, anticipate our competitors’ development of new products, and maintain high levels of product quality and reliability. AstroNova spendsWe spend a significant amount of time and effort related toon the development of our airborne and color printer products as well as our Testacquisition and Measurement data recorder products. Failure to meet our customers’ changing business needs or to further develop any of our new products and their related markets as anticipated could adversely affect our future revenue growth and operating results.

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As we introduce new or enhanced products, we must also successfully manage the transition from older products to minimize disruption in customers’ ordering patterns, avoid excessive levels of older product inventories and provide sufficient supplies of new products to meet customer demands. The introduction of new or enhanced products may shorten the life cycle of our existing products, or replace sales of some of our current products, thereby offsetting the benefit of even a successful product introduction and may cause customers to defer purchasing existing products in anticipation of the new products. Additionally, when we introduce new or enhanced products, we face numerous risks relating to product transitions, including the inability to accurately forecast demand, manage excess and obsolete inventories, address new or higher product cost structures, and manage different sales and support requirements due to the type or complexity of the new products. Any customer uncertainty regarding the timeline for rolling out new products or AstroNova’sour plans for future support of existing products may cause customers to delay purchase decisions or purchase competing products which would adversely affect our business and operating results.

AstroNova is

Operational and Business Strategy Risks:
We are dependent upon contract manufacturers for some of our products. If these manufacturers do not meet our requirements, either in volume or quality, then we could be materially harmed.

We subcontract the manufacturing and assembly of certain of our products to independent third parties at facilities located in various countries. Relying on subcontractors involves a number of significant risks, including:

Disruptions in the global supply chain as a result of the
COVID-19
pandemic;
Limited control over the manufacturing process;

Potential absence of adequate production capacity;

Potential delays in production lead times;

Unavailability of certain process technologies; and

Reduced control over delivery schedules, manufacturing yields, quality and costs.

If one of our significant subcontractors becomes unable or unwilling to continue to manufacture or provide these products in required volumes or fails to meet our quality standards, we will have to identify qualified alternate subcontractors or we will have to take over the manufacturing ourselves. Additional qualified subcontractors may not be available or may not be available on a timely or cost competitive basis. Any interruption in the supply, or increase in the cost of the products manufactured by a third party subcontractorssubcontractor or failure of a subcontractor to meet quality standards could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

For certain components, assembled products and supplies, AstroNova iswe are dependent upon single or limited source suppliers. If these suppliers do not meet demand, either in volume or quality, then we could be materially harmed.

Although we use standard parts and components for our products where possible, we purchase certain components, assembled products and supplies used in the manufacture of our products from a single source or limited supplier sources. If the supply of a key component, assembled products or certain supplies were to be delayed or curtailed or, in the event a key manufacturing or sole supplier delays shipment of such components or assembled products, our ability to ship products in desired quantities and in a timely manner would be adversely affected. For example, due to the continued global
COVID-19
pandemic, there has been and likely will continue to be disruption to our supply chain due to the delays of component shipments from our vendors in China and other jurisdictions in which normal business operations are disrupted. Our business, results of operations and financial position could also be adversely affected, depending on the time required to obtain sufficient quantities from the original source or, if possible, to identify and obtain sufficient quantities from an alternative source. Additionally, if any single or limited source supplier becomes unable or unwilling to continue to supply these
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components, assembled products or supplies in required volumes, we will have to identify and qualify acceptable replacements or redesign our products with different components. Alternative sources may not be available, or product redesign may not be feasible on a timely basis. Any interruption in the supply of or increase in the cost of the components, assembled products and supplies provided by single or limited source suppliers could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

AstroNova faces

We face significant competition, and our failure to compete successfully could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

We operate in an environment of significant competition, especially in the markets in which we sell our PI printers and T&M data acquisition products. This competition is driven by rapid technological advances, evolving industry standards, frequent new product introductions and the demands of customers to become more efficient. Our competitors range from large international companies to relatively small firms. We compete based on the basis of technology, performance, price, quality, reliability, brand, distribution and customer service and support. Our success in future performance is largely dependent upon our ability to compete successfully in the markets we currently serve and to expand into additional market segments. Additionally, current competitors or new market entrants may develop new products or services with features that could adversely affect the competitive position of our products. To remain competitive, we must develop new products, services and applications and periodically enhance our existing offerings. If we are unable to compete successfully, our customers could seek alternative solutions from our competitors and we could lose market share, and important customers to our competitors which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial position.

AstroNova’s

Our profitability is dependent upon our ability to obtain adequate pricing for our products and to control our cost structure.

structure

.
Our success depends on our ability to obtain adequate pricing for our products and services which provides a reasonable return to our shareholders. Depending on competitive market factors, future prices we obtain for our products and services may decline from previous levels. In addition, pricing actions to offset the effect of currency devaluations may not prove sufficient to offset further devaluations or may not hold in the face of customer resistance and/or competition. If we are unable to obtain adequate pricing for our products and services, our results of operations and financial position could be materially adversely affected.

We are continually reviewing our operations with a view towards reducing our cost structure, including but not limited to downsizingreducing our employee base,labor

cost-to-revenue
ratio, improving process and system efficiencies and outsourcing somecertain internal functions. From time to time, we also engage in restructuring actions to reduce our cost structure. If we are unable to maintain process and systems changes resulting from cost reduction and prior restructuring actions, our results of operations and financial position could be materially adversely affected.

AstroNova has

Our inability to adequately enforce and protect our intellectual property, defend against assertions of infringement or lose certain licenses could prevent or restrict our ability to compete.
We rely on patents, trademarks, licenses, and proprietary knowledge and technology, both internally developed and acquired, in order to maintain a competitive advantage. Our competitors may develop technologies that are similar or superior to our proprietary technologies or design technologies around the intellectual property protections or licenses that we currently own. The loss of the trademarks QuickLabel, TrojanLabel, ToughWriter and ToughSwitch or the loss of the licenses provided under the Honeywell Agreement could have a material adverse impact on our business taken as a whole. Operating outside the United States also exposes us to additional intellectual property risk. The laws and enforcement practices of certain jurisdictions in which we operate do not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as in the United States. Any diminution in our ability to defend against the unauthorized use of these rights and assets could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. Litigation may be necessary to protect our intellectual property rights or defend against claims of infringement, which could result in significant costs and divert our management’s focus away from operations.
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We have significant inventories on hand.

We maintain a significant amount of inventory. Although we have provided an allowance for slow-moving and obsolete inventory, any significant unanticipated changes in future product demand or market conditions, including obsolescence or the uncertainty in the global market, as well as continued reduced demand for our products if the
COVID-19
pandemic is further prolonged, could have an impact on the value of inventory and adversely impactaffect our business, operating results and financial condition.

Economic, political and other risks associated with international sales and operations could adversely affect AstroNova’s results of operations and financial position.

Because we sell our products worldwide, our business is subject to risks associated with doing business internationally. Revenue from international operations, which includes both direct and indirect sales to customers outside the U.S., accounted for 39% of our total revenue for fiscal year 2019, and we anticipate that international sales will continue to account for a significant portion of our revenue. In addition, we have employees, suppliers, job functions and facilities located outside the U.S. Accordingly, our business, operating results and financial condition could be harmed by a variety of factors, including:

Interruption to transportation flows for delivery of parts to us and finished goods to our customers;

Customer and vendor financial stability;

Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates;

Changes in a specific country’s or region’s environment including political, economic, monetary, regulatory or other conditions;

Trade protection measures and import or export licensing requirements;

Negative consequences from changes in tax laws;

Difficulty in managing and overseeing operations that are distant and remote from corporate headquarters;

Difficulty in obtaining and maintaining adequate staffing;

Differing labor regulations;

Differing protection of intellectual property;

Unexpected changes in regulatory requirements; and

Geopolitical turmoil, including terrorism and war.

AstroNovaWe could incur liabilities as a result of installed product failures due to design or manufacturing defects.

AstroNova has

We have incurred and could incur additional liabilities as a result of installed product failures due to design or manufacturing defects. Our products may have defects despite our internal testing or testing by current or potential customers. These defects could result in among other things, a delay in recognition of sales, loss of sales, loss of market share, failure to achieve market acceptance or substantial damage to our reputation. We could be subject to material claims by customers and may incur substantial expenses to correct any product defects.

In addition, through our acquisitions, we have assumed, and may in the future assume, liabilities related to products previously developed by an acquired company that have not been subjected to the same level of product development, testing and quality control processes used by us,we employ, and may have knownunknown or undetected errors.defects. Some types of errorsdefects may not be detected until the product is installed in a user environment. This may cause AstroNovaus to incur significant warranty, and repair or

re-engineering costs, may
costs. As such, it could also divert the attention of engineering personnel from product development efforts andwhich may cause significant customer relations problems such as reputational problems with customers resultingresult in increased costs and lower profitability.

Certain of our products require certifications by regulators or standards organizations, and our failure to obtain or maintain such certifications could negatively impact our business.

In certain industries and for certain products, such as those used in aircraft, we must obtain certifications for our products by regulators or standards organizations. If we fail to obtain required certifications for our products, or if we fail to maintain such certifications on our products after they have been certified, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

Changes in our tax rates or exposure to additional income tax liabilities or assessments could affect our profitability. In addition, audits by tax authorities could result in additional tax payments for prior periods.

On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA” or “Tax Act”) was signed into law. The Tax Act significantly revises the U.S. federal corporate income tax law and includes a broad range of tax reform measures affecting business including among other things, the reduction of the corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, the loss of certain business deductions, the acceleration of first-year expensing of certain capital expenditures and aone-time tax imposed on unremitted cumulativenon-U.S. earnings of foreign subsidiaries. The Tax Act is complex andfar-reaching, and we continue to evaluate the actual impact of its enactment on the Company. Any material adverse impact resulting from the Tax Act that has not yet been identified could have an adverse affect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flow.

Changes to tax laws and regulations or changes to the interpretation thereof (including regulations and interpretations pertaining to the Tax Act), the ambiguity of tax laws and regulations, the subjectivity of factual interpretations, uncertainties regarding the geographic mix of earnings in any particular period, and other factors, could have a material impact on our estimates of our effective tax rate and our deferred tax assets and liabilities. The impact of these factors may be substantially different from period-to-period.

In addition, the amount of income taxes we pay is subject to ongoing audits by U.S. federal, state and local tax authorities. If audits result in payments or assessments different from our reserves, our future results may include unfavorable adjustments to our tax liabilities and our financial statements could be adversely affected. Any further significant changes to the tax system in the United States or in other jurisdictions(including changes in the taxation of international income as further described below) could adversely affect our financial statements.

The agreements governing our indebtedness subject us to various restrictions that may limit our ability to pursue business opportunities.

The agreement governing our current credit facility contains, and any future debt agreements may include, a number of restrictive covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us and our subsidiaries. Such restrictive covenants may significantly limit our ability to:

Incur future indebtedness;

Place liens on assets;

Pay dividends or distributions on our and our subsidiaries’ capital stock;

Repurchase or acquire our capital stock;

Conduct mergers or acquisitions;

Sell assets; and/or

Alter our or our subsidiaries’ capital structure, to make investments and loans, to change the nature of their business, and to prepay subordinated indebtedness.

Such agreements also require us to satisfy other requirements, including maintaining certain financial ratios and condition tests. Our ability to meet these requirements can be affected by events beyond our control, and we may be unable to meet them. To the extent we fail to meet any such requirements and are in default under our debt obligations, our financial condition may be materially adversely affected. These restrictions may limit our ability to engage in activities that could otherwise benefit us. To the extent that we are unable to engage in activities that support the growth, profitability and competitiveness of our business, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

AstroNova may not realize the anticipated benefits of past or future acquisitions, divestitures and strategic partnerships, and integration of acquired companies or divestiture of businesses may negatively impact AstroNova’s overall business.

We have made strategic investments in other companies, products and technologies, including our September 2017 Asset Purchase and License Agreement with Honeywell International, Inc. and our February 2017 acquisition of the digital color label press and specialty printing systems business of the Danish company, TrojanLabel. We may continue to identify and pursue acquisitions of complementary companies and strategic assets, such as customer bases, products and technology. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to identify suitable acquisition opportunities. In any acquisition that we complete we cannot be certain that:

We will successfully integrate the operations of the acquired business with our own;

All the benefits expected from such integration will be realized;

Management’s attention will not be diverted or divided, to the detriment of current operations;

Amortization of acquired intangible assets or possible impairment of acquired intangibles will not have a negative impact on operating results or other aspects of our business;

Delays or unexpected costs related to the acquisition will not have a detrimental impact on our business, operating results and financial condition;

Customer dissatisfaction with, or performance problems at, an acquired company will not have an adverse impact on our reputation; and

Respective operations, management and personnel will be compatible.

In certain instances as permitted by applicable law and NASDAQ rules, acquisitions may be consummated without seeking and obtaining shareholder approval, in which case shareholders will not have an opportunity to consider and vote upon the merits of such an acquisition. Although we will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular acquisition, there can be no assurance that we will properly ascertain or assess such risks.

We may also divest certain businesses from time to time. Divestitures will likely involve risks, such as difficulty splitting up businesses, distracting employees, potential loss of revenue and negatively impacting margins, and potentially disrupting customer relationships. A successful divestiture depends on various factors, including our ability to:

Effectively transfer assets, liabilities, contracts, facilities and employees to the purchaser;

Identify and separate the intellectual property to be divested from the intellectual property that we wish to keep; and

Reduce fixed costs previously associated with the divested assets or business.

All of these efforts require varying levels of management resources, which may divert our attention from other business operations. Further, if market conditions or other factors lead us to change our strategic direction, we may not realize the expected value from such transactions.

If we are not able to successfully integrate or divest businesses, products, technologies or personnel that we acquire or divest, or able to realize expected benefits of our acquisitions, divestitures or strategic partnerships, AstroNova’s business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Adverse conditions in the global banking industry and credit markets could impair our liquidity or interrupt our access to capital markets, borrowings or financial transactions to hedge certain risks.

At the end of fiscal 2019, we had approximately $7.5 million of cash and cash equivalents. Our cash and cash equivalents are held in a mix of money market funds, bank demand deposit accounts and foreign bank accounts. Disruptions in the financial markets may, in some cases, result in an inability to access assets such as money market funds that traditionally have been viewed as highly liquid. Any failure of our counterparty financial institutions or funds in which we have invested may adversely impact our cash and cash equivalent positions and, in turn, our financial position.

To date, we have been able to access financing that has allowed us to make investments in growth opportunities and fund working capital requirements as needed. In addition, we occasionally enter into financial transactions to hedge certain foreign exchange and interest rate risks. Our continued access to capital markets, the stability of our lenders and their willingness to support our needs, and the stability of the counter parties to our financial transactions that hedge risks are essential for us to meet our current and long-term obligations, fund operations, and fund our future strategic initiatives. An interruption in our access to external financing or financial transactions to hedge risk could materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.

AstroNova could experience a significant disruption in or security breach in security of our information technology system which could harm our business and adversely affect our results of operations.

We employ information technology systems to support our business. Any security breaches or other disruptions to our information technology infrastructure could interfere with operations, compromise our information and that of our customers and suppliers, and expose us to liability which could adversely impact our business and reputation. In the ordinary course of business, we rely on information technology networks and systems, some of which are managed by third parties, to process, transmit and store electronic proprietary or confidential information regarding our customers, employees, suppliers and to manage or support a variety of business processesothers including personally identifiable information, credit card data, and activities.other confidential information. While we continually work to safeguard our systems and mitigate potential risks, there is no assurance that such actions will be sufficient to prevent cyber attackscyber-attacks or security breaches. As a result, our information technology networks and infrastructure may still be vulnerable to damage, disruptions or shutdowns due to attack by hackers or breaches, employee error, power outages, computer viruses, telecommunication or utility failures, systems failures, natural disasters, catastrophic events or other unforeseen events and in any such circumstance our system redundancy and other disaster recovery planning may be ineffective or inadequate. While we have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, these types of threats to our information technology networks and infrastructure, none of them to date has had a material impact. Any such events could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability or penalties under privacy laws, disruption in operations, and damage to the Company’sour brand and reputation, which could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

AstroNova

We could experience risksdisruptions related to the implementation of our new global enterprise resource planning system.

We are currently engaged in a multi-year process of conforming all of our operations to one global enterprise resource planning system (“ERP”). system. The ERP system is designed to improve the efficiency of our supply chain and financial transaction processes, improve the efficiency of how we accurately maintain our books and records and provideenhance the speed and quality of information important to the operation of the businessprovided to our management team.team for use in the operation and management of our business. The implementation of the ERP system will continue to require significant
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investment of human and financial resources,resources. As a result of the
COVID-19
pandemic, we have and we maywill continue to experience significant delays and increased costs and other difficulties as a result. Anyresult of factors such as limited
on-site
availability of Company personnel and outside consultants due to travel restrictions and remote work conditions. The significant disruption in the implementation and transition to the new ERP system as a result of the
COVID-19
pandemic could delay or otherwise negatively impact our ability to obtain the benefits that the new ERP system is intended to provide. Additionally, while we have taken steps to ensure that we prevent adverse developments, any significant disruption or deficiency in the design, implementation and transition to the new ERP system could negatively impact our ability to:

record and process orders,

manufacture and ship our products in a timely manner, and

process data and electronic communications among our business locations,

any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated financial condition or results of operations.

We also face the challenge of supporting our older systems while we implement the new ERP system. WhileAlthough we have invested significant resources in planning and project management, significant unforeseen implementation issues may arise that could impact our normal business operations and could have a material adverse impact on our operating results and cash flow.

AstroNova depends

We depend on our key employees and other highly qualified personnel and our ability to attract and develop new, talented professionals. Our inability to attract and retain key employees, as well as challenges with respect to the management of human capital resources could compromise our future success and our business could be harmed.

Our future success depends upon our ability to attract and retain, through competitive compensation and benefits programs, professional and executive employees, including sales, operating, marketing, and financial management personnel.personnel as well as our ability to manage human capital resources. There is substantial competition for skilled personnel, and the failure to attract, develop, retain and motivate qualified personnel could negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and future prospects. In order to hire new personnel or retain or replace our key personnel, we must maintain competitive compensation and benefits and we may also be required to increase compensation, which would decrease net income. Additionally, a number ofseveral key employees have special knowledge of customers, supplier relationships, business processes, manufacturing operations, and financial management issues and theissues. The loss of any of these employees as the result of competitive compensation pressures or ineffective management of human capital resources could harm the company’sour ability to perform efficiently and effectively until their knowledge and skills are replaced, which might be difficult to do quickly, and as a result could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

AstroNova

We may record future impairment charges, which could materially adversely impact our results of operations.
We test our goodwill balances annually, or more frequently if indicators are present or changes in circumstances suggest that impairment may exist. We assess goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level and, in evaluating the potential for impairment of goodwill, we make assumptions regarding estimated revenue projections, growth rates, cash flows and discount rates. We monitor the key drivers of fair value to detect events or other changes that would warrant an interim impairment test of our goodwill and intangible assets. Declines in the future performance and cash flows of a reporting unit or asset group, changes in our reporting units or in the structure of our business as a result of future reorganizations, acquisitions or divestitures of assets or businesses, or changes in other key assumptions, may result in the recognition of significant asset impairment charges, which could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.
We also review our long-lived assets including property, plant and equipment, and other intangibles assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable.
13

Factors we consider include significant under-performance relative to expected historical or projected future operating results, significant negative industry or economic trends and our market capitalization relative to net book value. We may be required in the future to record a significant charge to earnings in our financial statements during the period in which any impairment of our long-lived assets is determined. Such charges could have a significant adverse impact on our results of operations and our financial condition.
Financial and Economic Risks:
Economic, political and other risks associated with international sales and operations could adversely affect our results of operations and financial position.
Because we sell our products worldwide, our business is subject to risks associated with doing business internationally. Revenue from international operations, which includes both direct and indirect sales to customers outside the U.S., accounted for approximately 40% of our total revenue for fiscal year 2021, and we anticipate that international sales will continue to account for a significant portion of our revenue. In addition, we have employees, suppliers, contractors and facilities located outside the U.S. Accordingly, our business, operating results and financial condition could be harmed by a variety of factors, including:
Interruption to transportation flows for delivery of parts to us and finished goods to our customers;
Customer and vendor financial stability;
Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates;
Changes in a specific country’s or region’s environment including political, economic, monetary, regulatory or other conditions;
Trade protection measures and import or export licensing requirements;
Negative consequences from changes in tax laws;
Difficulty in managing and overseeing operations that are distant and remote from corporate headquarters;
Difficulty in obtaining and maintaining adequate staffing;
Differing labor regulations;
Differing protection of intellectual property;
Unexpected changes in regulatory requirements;
Uncertainty surrounding the implementation and effects of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU, commonly known as “Brexit”; and
Geopolitical turmoil, including terrorism, war and public health disruptions, such as that caused by the current
COVID-19
pandemic.
Changes in our tax rates or exposure to additional income tax liabilities or assessments could affect our profitability. In addition, audits by tax authorities could result in additional tax payments for prior periods
.
As a global company, we are subject to taxation in numerous countries, states and other jurisdictions. As a result, our effective tax rate is based on the tax rates in effect where we operate. In preparing our financial statements, we estimate the amount of tax that will become payable in each jurisdiction. Our effective tax rate may vary as a result of numerous factors, including changes in the mix of our profitability from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, the results of examinations and audits of our tax filings, whether we secure or sustain acceptable arrangements with tax authorities, adjustments to the value of our uncertain tax positions, changes in accounting for income taxes and changes in tax laws, including the 2017 U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”). Any of these factors could cause us to experience an effective tax rate significantly different from previous periods or our current expectations.
14

The Tax Act significantly revised the U.S. federal corporate income tax law and included a broad range of tax reform measures affecting business including among other things, the reduction of the corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, the loss of certain business deductions, the acceleration of first-year expensing of certain capital expenditures and a
one-time
tax imposed on unremitted cumulative
non-U.S.
earnings of foreign subsidiaries. The Tax Act is complex and
far-reaching,
and we continue to evaluate the actual impact of its enactment on the Company. Any material adverse impact resulting from the Tax Act that has not yet been identified could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flow.
Further changes in the tax laws of foreign jurisdictions could arise as a result of the base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) project undertaken by the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation
and Development (OECD), which represents a coalition of member countries. On October 5, 2015, the OECD issued a series of reports recommending changes to numerous long-standing tax principles. Many of these recommendations or similar concepts are being adopted by various countries in which we do business and may increase our taxes in these countries. Changes to these and other areas in relation to international tax reform, including future actions taken by foreign governments in response to the Tax Act, could increase uncertainty and may adversely affect our tax rate and cash flow in future years.
Changes to tax laws and regulations or changes to the interpretation thereof (including regulations and interpretations pertaining to the Tax Act), the ambiguity of tax laws and regulations, the subjectivity of factual interpretations, uncertainties regarding the geographic mix of earnings in any particular period, and other factors, could have a material impact on our estimates of our effective tax rate and our deferred tax assets and liabilities. The impact of these factors may be substantially different
from period-to-period.
In addition, the amount of income taxes we pay is subject to ongoing audits by U.S. federal, state and local tax authorities. If audits result in payments or assessments different from our reserves, our future results may include unfavorable adjustments to our tax liabilities and our financial statements could be adversely affected. Any further significant changes to the tax system in the United States or in other jurisdictions
(including changes in the taxation of international income as further described below) could adversely affect our financial statements.
We may have exposure to additional tax liabilities, which could negatively impact our income tax expense, net income and cash flow.
We are subject to income and other taxes in both the U.S. and the foreign jurisdictions in which we operate. The determination of our worldwide provision for income taxes and current and deferred tax assets and liabilities requires significant judgment and estimation. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. We are subject to regular review and audit by both domestic and foreign tax authorities and to the prospective and retrospective effects of changing tax regulations and legislation. Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, the ultimate tax outcome may materially differ from the amounts recorded in our consolidated financial statements and may materially affect our income tax benefit or expense, net loss or income, and cash flows in the period in which such determination is made.
Deferred tax assets are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the carrying amount for financial reporting purposes and the tax bases of assets and liabilities, and for net operating losses and tax credit carry forwards. In some cases, we may record a valuation allowance to reduce our deferred tax assets to estimated realizable value. We review our deferred tax assets and valuation allowance requirements quarterly. If we are unable to demonstrate that it is more likely than not that we will not be able to generate sufficient future taxable income to realize the net carrying value of deferred tax assets, we will record a valuation allowance to reduce the deferred tax assets to estimated realizable value, which could result in a material income tax charge. As part of our review, we consider positive and negative evidence, including cumulative results of recent years.
15

If we are unable to successfully comply with our credit agreement with Bank of America or secure alternative financing, our business and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
Our credit agreement with Bank of America requires us, among other things, to satisfy certain financial ratios on an ongoing basis, consisting of a maximum consolidated leverage ratio and a minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio. We are also required to comply with other covenants and conditions, set forth in the credit agreement, including, among others, limitations on our and our subsidiaries’ ability to incur future indebtedness, to place liens on assets, to pay dividends or distributions on their capital stock, to repurchase or acquire their capital stock, to conduct mergers or acquisitions, to sell assets, to alter their capital structure, to make investments and loans, to change the nature of their business, and to prepay subordinated indebtedness, in each case subject to certain exceptions and thresholds as set forth in the credit agreement. If we were to violate the terms of the credit agreement and we were unable to renegotiate its terms at that time or secure alternative financing, it could have a material adverse impact on us.
The agreements governing our indebtedness subject us to various restrictions that limit our ability to pursue business opportunities.
The credit agreement governing our credit facility with Bank of America, N.A., as amended, contains, and any future debt agreements may include, several restrictive covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us and our subsidiaries. Such restrictive covenants may significantly limit our ability to:
Incur future indebtedness;
Place liens on assets;
Pay dividends or distributions on our and our subsidiaries’ capital stock;
Repurchase or acquire our capital stock;
Conduct mergers or acquisitions;
Sell assets; and/or
Alter our or our subsidiaries’ capital structure, to make investments and loans, to change the nature of their business, and to prepay subordinated indebtedness.
In addition, the agreement governing our credit facility permits us to elect to pay interest on our term loan and revolving line of credit based on LIBOR or an alternative rate as specified in the agreement. In July 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority, the authority that regulates LIBOR, announced that it intends to stop compelling banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021. The Alternative Reference Rates Committee has proposed the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) as the preferred alternative to U.S. Dollar LIBOR
(“USD-LIBOR”).
Additionally, it is uncertain if applicable tenors of LIBOR will cease to exist after calendar year 2021, or whether additional reforms to LIBOR may be enacted, or whether alternative reference rates will gain market acceptance as a replacement for LIBOR. At this time, it is not possible to predict whether SOFR will attain market traction as a LIBOR replacement. Our credit facility provides for the transition to a SOFR-based alternative benchmark at such time that LIBOR rates are no longer available. We will continue to monitor the situation and address the potential reference rate changes in future debt obligations that we may incur. Accordingly, the potential effect of the
phase-out
or replacement of LIBOR on our cost of capital cannot yet be determined. Further, the use of an alternative base rate or a benchmark replacement rate as a basis for calculating interest with respect to any outstanding variable rate indebtedness could lead to an increase in the interest we pay and a corresponding increase in our costs of capital.
We may not realize the anticipated benefits of past or future acquisitions, divestitures and strategic partnerships, and integration of acquired companies or divestiture of businesses may negatively impact our overall business.
We have made strategic investments in other companies, products and technologies. We will continue to identify and pursue acquisitions of complementary companies and strategic assets, such as customer bases,
16

products and technology. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to identify suitable acquisition opportunities. In any acquisition that we complete we cannot be certain that:
We will successfully integrate the operations of the acquired business with our own;
All the benefits expected from such integration will be realized;
Management’s attention will not be diverted or divided, to the detriment of current operations;
Amortization of acquired intangible assets or possible impairment of acquired intangibles will not have a negative impact on operating results or other aspects of our business;
Delays or unexpected costs related to the acquisition will not have a detrimental impact on our business, operating results and financial condition;
Customer dissatisfaction with, or performance problems at, an acquired company will not have an adverse impact on our reputation; and
Respective operations, management and personnel will be compatible.
In certain instances, as permitted by applicable law and NASDAQ rules, acquisitions may be consummated without seeking and obtaining shareholder approval, in which case shareholders will not have an opportunity to consider and vote upon the merits of such an acquisition. Although we will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in an acquisition, there can be no assurance that we will properly ascertain or assess such risks.
We may also divest certain businesses from time to time. Divestitures will likely involve risks, such as difficulty splitting up businesses, distracting employees, potential loss of revenue and negatively impacting margins, and potentially disrupting customer relationships. A successful divestiture depends on various factors, including our ability to:
Effectively transfer assets, liabilities, contracts, facilities and employees to the purchaser;
Identify and separate the intellectual property to be divested from the intellectual property that we wish to keep; and
Reduce fixed costs previously associated with the divested assets or business.
All of these efforts require varying levels of management resources, which may divert our attention from other business operations. Further, if market conditions or other factors lead us to change our strategic direction, we may not realize the expected value from such transactions.
If we are not able to successfully integrate or divest businesses, products, technologies or personnel that we acquire or divest, or able to realize expected benefits of our acquisitions, divestitures or strategic partnerships, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
Adverse conditions in the global banking industry and credit markets could impair our liquidity or interrupt our access to capital markets, borrowings or financial transactions to hedge certain risks.
At the end of fiscal 2021, we had approximately $11.4 million of cash and cash equivalents. Our cash and cash equivalents are held in a mix of money market funds, bank demand deposit accounts and foreign bank accounts. Disruptions in the financial markets such as those caused by the current
COVID-19
pandemic may, in some cases, result in an inability to access assets such as money market funds that traditionally have been viewed as highly liquid. Any failure of our counterparty financial institutions or funds in which we have invested may adversely impact our cash and cash equivalent positions and, in turn, our financial position.
To date, we have been able to access financing that has allowed us to make investments in growth opportunities and fund working capital requirements as needed. In addition, we occasionally enter into financial transactions to hedge certain foreign exchange and interest rate risks. Our continued access to capital markets, the stability of our lenders and their willingness to support our needs, and the stability of the counter-parties to our
17

financial transactions that hedge risks are essential for us to meet our current and long-term obligations, fund operations, and fund our future strategic initiatives. An interruption in our access to external financing or financial transactions to hedge risk could materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.
Inadequate self-insurance accruals or insurance coverage for employee health care benefits could have an adverse effect on our business, financial results or financial condition.
In the U.S., we maintain an employee health insurance coverage plan on a self-insured basis backed by stop-loss coverage which sets a limit on our liability for both individual and aggregate claim costs. We record expenses based on actual claims incurred and estimates of the costs of expected claims, administrative costs, and stop-loss insurance premiums.
We record a liability for our estimated cost of U.S. claims incurred and unpaid as of each balance sheet date. Our estimated liability is recorded on an undiscounted basis and is based on historical trends. Our history of claims activity is closely monitored, and liabilities are adjusted as warranted based on changing circumstances. It is possible, however, that our actual liabilities may exceed our estimates of loss. We may also experience an unexpectedly large number of claims that result in costs or liabilities in excess of our projections, which could cause us to record additional expenses, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow. We believe that the liabilities we have recorded to date will be sufficient to provide for losses we may incur due to increased
COVID-19
related employee health care insurance costs. However, the ultimate amount of these costs cannot be estimated at this time, and a prolonged period of spread of the disease could further increase our costs and liabilities, the impact of which may be material.
Legal and Regulatory Risks:
Certain of our products require certifications by customers, regulators or standards organizations, and our failure to obtain or maintain such certifications could negatively impact our business.
In certain industries and for certain products, such as those used in aircraft, we must obtain certifications for our products by customers, regulators or standards organizations. If we fail to obtain required certifications for our products, or if we fail to maintain such certifications on our products after they have been certified, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.
We are subject to laws and regulations; failure to address or comply with these laws and regulations could harm our business and adversely affect our results of operations.

Our operations are subject to laws, rules, regulations, including environmental regulations, government policies and other requirements in each of the jurisdictions in which we conduct business. Changes in laws, rules, regulations, policies or requirements could result in the need to modify our products and could affect the demand for our products, which may have an adverse impact on our future operating results. In addition, we must comply with regulations restricting our ability to include lead and certain other substances in our products. If we do not comply with applicable laws, rules and regulations we could be subject to costs and liabilities and our business may be adversely impacted.

Certain of our operations and products are subject to environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, which may result in substantial compliance costs or otherwise adversely affect our business.

Our operations are subject to numerous federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to protection of the environment, including those that impose limitations on the discharge of pollutants into the air and water, establish standards for the use, treatment, storage and disposal of solid and hazardous materials and wastes, and govern the cleanup of contaminated sites. We have used and continue to use various substances in our products and manufacturing operations, and have generated and continue to generate wastes, which have been or may be deemed to be hazardous or dangerous. As such, our business is subject to and may be materially
18

Table of Contents
and adversely affected by compliance obligations and other liabilities under environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. These laws and regulations affect ongoing operations and require capital costs and operating expenditures in order to achieve and maintain compliance.

As the result of the
COVID-19
pandemic crisis, we have been required by U.S. federal and state governmental authorities and governmental authorities in
non-U.S.
jurisdictions, as well as our own desire to adhere to best health and safety practices, to implement a number of policies and procedures that have increased our costs and added complexity and inefficiency to our manufacturing operations and all administrative and office-based functions.
Our operations are subject to anti-corruption laws, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and any determination that the Companywe or any of itsour subsidiaries has violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act could have a material adverse effect on our business.

The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the UK Bribery Act and similar worldwide anti-corruption laws generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to government

officials and others for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Our internal policies mandate compliance with these anti-corruption laws. We operate in parts of the world that have experienced governmental corruption to some degree, and in certain circumstances, strict compliance with anti-corruption laws may conflict with local customs and practices. Despite our training and compliance programs, there can be no assurance that our internal control policies and procedures will protect us from reckless or criminal acts committed by those of our employees or agents who violate our policies.

Unauthorized access to personal data could give rise to liabilities as a result of governmental regulation, conflicting legal requirements or differing views of personal privacy rights and compliance with laws designed to prevent unauthorized access of personal data could be costly.

AstroNova collects

We collect and storesstore certain data, including proprietary business information, and may have access to confidential or personal information that is subject to privacy and security laws, regulations and customer-imposed controls. Security breaches or other unauthorized access to, or the use or transmission of, personal user information could result in a variety of claims against us, including privacy-related claims. There are numerous federal, state, local, and international laws in the countries in which we operateand regulations regarding privacy and the storage, sharing, use, processing, disclosure and protection of this kind of information, the scope of which are changing, inconsistent and conflicting and subject to differing interpretations, andinterpretations.
We also expect that there will continue to be new laws, of this nature are adopted from time to time.regulations, and industry standards concerning privacy, data protection, and information security proposed and enacted in various jurisdictions. For example, in 2016 the European Commission adopted the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a comprehensive privacy and data protection reform that became effective in May 2018. The GDPR, which is applicable to all companies processing data of European Union residents, imposes significant fines and sanctions for violations. Similarly, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, which was enacted in June 2018 and came into effect on January 1, 2020, provides a new private right of action for data breaches and requires companies that process information on California residents to make new disclosures to consumers about their data collection, use and sharing practices and allow consumers to opt out of certain data sharing with third parties.
Additionally, certain developing countriesother jurisdictions have enacted or are enacting data localization laws that require data generated in which we do business are also considering adopting privacy and data protectionor relating to the residents of those jurisdictions to be physically stored within those jurisdictions. In many cases, these laws and regulations apply not only to transfers between unrelated third parties but also to transfers between us and legislative proposals concerning privacyour subsidiaries. All of these evolving compliance and operational requirements impose significant costs that are likely to increase over time.
While we continue to assess these requirements and the protectionways they may impact the conduct of user information are often pending before the U.S. Congress and various U.S. state legislatures.

Whileour business, we believe that we materially comply with industry standards and applicable laws and industry codes of conduct relating to privacy and

19

data protection in all material respects, thereprotection. There is no assurance that we will not be subject to claims that we have violated applicable laws or codes of conduct, that we will be able to successfully defend against such claims or that we will not be subject to significant fines and penalties in the event we are found not to be in compliance with such laws or codes ofnon-compliance.

conduct.

Any failure or perceived failure by us (or any third parties with whom we have contracted to store such information) to comply with applicable privacy and security laws, policies or related contractual obligations or any compromise of security that results in unauthorized access to personal information may result in governmental enforcement actions, significant fines, litigation, claims of breach of contract and indemnity by third parties and adverse publicity. In the case of such an event, our reputation may be harmed, we could lose current and potential users and the competitive positions of our various brands could be diminished, any or all of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may record future impairment charges, which could materially adversely impact our results of operations.

We test our goodwill balances annually, or more frequently if indicators are present or changes in circumstances suggest that impairment may exist. We assess goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level and, in evaluating the potential for impairment of goodwill, we make assumptions regarding estimated revenue projections, growth rates, cash flows and discount rates. We monitor the key drivers of fair value to detect events or other changes that would warrant an interim impairment test of our goodwill and intangible assets. Relatively small declines in the future performance and cash flows of a reporting unit or asset group, changes in our reporting units or in the structure of our business as a result of future reorganizations, acquisitions or divestitures of assets or businesses, or small changes in other key assumptions, may result in the recognition of significant asset impairment charges, which could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.

We also review our long-lived assets including property, plant and equipment, and other intangibles assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors we consider include significant under-performance relative to expected historical or projected future

operating results, significant negative industry or economic trends and our market capitalization relative to net book value. We may be required in the future to record a significant charge to earnings in our financial statements during the period in which any impairment of our long-lived assets is determined. Such charges could have a significant adverse impact on our results of operations and our financial condition.

Changes in accounting standards and subjective assumptions, estimates, and judgments by management related to complex accounting matters could significantly affect our financial results or financial condition.

Generally accepted accounting principles and related accounting pronouncements, implementation guidelines, and interpretations with regard to a wide range of matters that are relevant to our business, such as revenue recognition, asset impairment and fair value determinations, inventories, business combinations and intangible asset valuations, leases, and litigation, are highly complex and involve many subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments. Changes in these rules or their interpretation or changes in underlying assumptions, estimates, or judgments could significantly change our reported or expected financial performance or financial condition.

Compliance with rules governing “conflict minerals” could adversely affect the availability of certain product components and our costs and results of operations could be materially harmed.

SEC rules require disclosures regarding the use of “conflict minerals” mined from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjoining countries necessary to the functionality or production of products manufactured or contracted to be manufactured. We have determined that we use gold, tin and tantalum, each of which is considered a “conflict mineral” under the SEC rules, as they occur in electronic components supplied to us in the manufacture of our products. Because of this finding, we are required to conduct inquiries designed to determine whether any of the conflict minerals contained in our products originated or may have originated in the conflict region or come from recycled or scrap sources. There are costs associated with complying with these disclosure requirements, including performing due diligence in regards to the source of any conflict minerals used in our products, in addition to the cost of remediation or other changes to products, processes or services of supplies that may be necessary as a consequence of such verification activities. As we use contract manufacturers for some of our products, we may not be able to sufficiently verify the origins of the relevant minerals used in our products through the due diligence procedures that we implement. We may also encounter challenges to satisfy those customers who require that all of the components of our products be certified as conflict-free, which could place us at a competitive disadvantage if we are unable to do so. As a result, our business, operating results and financial condition could be harmed.

Due to the fact that we have operations located within the United Kingdom (UK), our business and financial results may be negatively impacted as a result of the UK’s planned exit from the European Union (EU). These risks would be heightened in the event that the UK and the EU are unable to reach a mutually satisfactory exit agreement.

On June 23, 2016, the UK held a referendum in which voters approved an exit from the European Union, commonly referred to as “Brexit.” On March 29, 2017, the UK Government invoked Article 50 of the Treaty on the European Union, which is expected to result in the UK exiting the EU. The UK Government continues to negotiate the terms of the UK’s future relationship with the EU, although there is still considerable uncertainty as to the outcome. It is possible that following agreement, the new relationship will result in greater restrictions on imports and exports between the UK and EU countries, as well as the US. and increased regulatory complexity. There is also the potential for disruption to the movement of raw materials and finished goods in the event that no agreement is reached by the planned exit date. These changes may adversely affect our operations and financial results.

Additionally, following the referendum on Brexit, the value of the British pound (GBP) incurred significant fluctuations. If the value of the British Pound Sterling continues to incur similar fluctuations, unfavorable exchange rate changes may negatively affect the value of our operations located in the UK, as translated to our

reporting currency, the USD, in accordance with US GAAP, which may impact the revenue and earnings we report. Continued fluctuations in the GBP may also result in the imposition of price adjustments byEU-based suppliers to our UK operations, as those suppliers seek to compensate for the changes in value of the GBP as compared to the Euro. In addition, aso-called “Hard Brexit,” where no formal agreement is made between the EU and the UK prior to the UK’s exit, could result in a continued deflation of the British Pound Sterling; additional increases in prices, fees, taxes or tariffs applicable to goods that are bought and sold between the UK and EU, and a negative impact on end markets in the UK as a result of declines in consumer sentiment or decreased immigration rates into the UK. Any of these results could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2.
Properties

The following table sets forth information regarding the Company’sour principal owned properties, allproperty. This property is subject to a security agreement and a mortgage in favor of which are included in the consolidated balance sheet appearing elsewhere in this annual report.

lender under our credit facility.

Location

 
Approximate

Square

Footage
  

Principal Use

West Warwick, Rhode Island, USA

United States
  135,500  Corporate headquarters, research and development, manufacturing, sales and service

AstroNova

We also leaseslease facilities in various other locations. The following information pertains to each location:

Location

 
Approximate

Square

Footage
  

Principal Use

Dietzenbach, Germany

  18,630  Manufacturing, sales and service

Copenhagen, Denmark
4,800R&D, sales and service
Brossard, Quebec, Canada

  4,500  Manufacturing, sales and service

Elancourt, France

  4,150  Sales and service

Copenhagen, Denmark

Schaumburg, Illinois, United States
  4,8003,428  R&DSales)

Maidenhead, England

Irvine, California, United States
  1,0003,100Sales
Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
2,067Sales
Maidenhead, England
1,021  Sales and service

Schaumburg, Illinois, USA

3,428Sales (Product Identification only)

Shanghai, China

  461  Sales (Product Identification only)

Irvine, California, USA

Mexico City, Mexico
  3,10097  Sales (Product Identification only)

Tambauam Chennai, India

70Sales (Product Identification only)

Mexico City, Mexico

65Sales (Product Identification only)

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We believe our facilities are well maintained, in good operating condition and generally adequate to meet our needs for the foreseeable future.

Item 3.
Legal Proceedings

There

We are nonot a party to any pending, or threatenedmaterial legal proceedings against the Company believed to be material to the financial position or results of operationsproceedings. However, because of the Company.

nature of our business, we may be subject in the future to lawsuits or other claims, including those pertaining to product liability, patent infringement, commercial, employment, employee benefits, environmental and stockholder matters

.
Item 4.
Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

21

PART II

Item 5.

Market for the RegistrantsRegistrant’s Common Stock, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

AstroNova

Our common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “ALOT.”

AstroNova

We had approximately 256270 shareholders of record as of April 5, 2019,9, 2021, which does not reflect shareholders with beneficial ownership in shares held in nominee name.

Dividend Policy

AstroNova began a program of paying quarterly cash dividends in fiscal 1992 and has paid a dividend for 110 consecutive quarters. During fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, we paid a dividend of $0.07 per share in each quarter and anticipate that we will continue to pay comparable cash dividends on a quarterly basis.

Stock Repurchases

Pursuant to an authorization approved by AstroNova’s Board of Directors in August 2011, the Company is currently authorized to repurchase up to 390,000 shares of common stock, subject to any increase or decrease by the Board of Directors at any time. This is an ongoing authorization without any expiration date.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019, the Company2021, we made the following repurchases of itsour common stock:

   Total Number
of Shares
Repurchased
  Average
Price paid
Per Share
  Total Number of
Shares Purchased as
Part of Publicly
Announced  Plans
or Programs
     Maximum Number
of Shares  That
May Be Purchased
Under The Plans
or Programs
 

November 1 – November 30

                 —             —                             —                     390,000 

December 1 - December 31

                 —             —                             —                     390,000 

January 1 - January 31

   1,899(a)   19.55(a)                           —                    390,000 

   
Total Number
of Shares
Repurchased
  
Average
Price paid
Per Share ($)
  
Total Number of
Shares Purchased as
Part of Publicly
Announced Plans
or Programs
   
Maximum Number
of Shares That
May Be Purchased
Under the Plans
or Programs
 
November 1 – November 30
               —                 —                             —                        —   
December 1 – December 31
               —                 —                             —                        —   
January 1 – January 31
   1,870(a)   10.53(a)                           —                        —   
(a) An executive of the company delivered 1,8991,870 shares of the Company’sour common stock toward the satisfaction of taxes due in connection with the vesting of restricted shares. The shares delivered were valued at a market value of $19.55$10.53 per share and are included with treasury stock in the consolidated balance sheet. This transaction did not impact the number
22

Table of shares authorized for repurchase under the Company’s current repurchase program.Contents

Item 6.
Selected Financial Data

Historical Financial Summary

Income Statement Data

(In thousands, except per share data)  For the Fiscal Years Ended January 31, 
   2019   2018   2017   2016   2015 

Revenue

  $136,657   $113,401   $98,448   $94,658   $88,347 

Gross profit

   53,999    44,002    39,489    38,158    36,977 

Operating income

   8,720    5,412    6,281    5,934    7,231 

Income before taxes

   7,308    5,157    6,605    6,909    6,932 

Net income

  $5,730   $3,286   $4,228   $4,525   $4,662 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Income per Common Share—Basic

  $0.83   $0.48   $0.57   $0.62   $0.61 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income per Common Share—Diluted

  $0.81   $0.47   $0.56   $0.61   $0.60 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Dividends Declared per Common Share

  $0.28   $0.28   $0.28   $0.28   $0.28 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance Sheet Data

 

(In thousands)

  As of January 31, 
   2019   2018   2017   2016   2015 

Cash and Marketable Securities

  $7,534   $11,688   $24,821   $20,419   $23,132 

Current Assets

   62,608    62,948    61,423    54,514    59,289 

Total assets

   118,983    122,313    83,665    77,963    74,330 

Current liabilities

   24,665    25,912    11,985    9,548    9,569 

Debt, including short term portion

   18,242    23,372    —      —      —   

Shareholders’ equity

  $69,775   $63,647   $70,537   $67,373   $63,511 

(In thousands, except per share data)
  
For the Fiscal Years Ended January 31,
 
   
2021
   
2020
   
2019
   
2018
   
2017
 
Revenue
  $116,033   $133,446   $136,657   $113,401   $98,448 
Gross Profit
   41,360    48,758    53,999    44,002    39,489 
Operating Income
   2,433    2,433    8,720    5,412    6,281 
Income before Taxes
   2,179    1,370    7,308    5,157    6,605 
Net Income
  $1,284   $1,759   $5,730   $3,286   $4,228 
                         
Net Income per Common Share—Basic
  $0.18   $0.25   $0.83   $0.48   $0.57 
                         
Net income per Common Share—Diluted
  $0.18   $0.24   $0.81   $0.47   $0.56 
                         
Dividends Declared per Common Share
  $0.07   $0.28   $0.28   $0.28   $0.28 
                         
Balance Sheet Data
 
(In thousands)
  
As of January 31,
 
   
2021
   
2020
   
2019
   
2018
   
2017
 
Cash and Marketable Securities
  $11,439   $4,249   $7,534   $11,688   $24,821 
Current Assets
   60,721    60,151    62,608    62,948    61,423 
Total Assets
   115,473    116,664    118,983    122,313    83,665 
Revolving Credit Facility
   —      6,500    1,500    —      —   
Current Liabilities
   20,968    26,767    24,665    25,912    11,985 
Debt, including short term portion
   12,576    13,034    18,242    23,372   —   
Shareholders’ Equity
  $74,683   $71,375   $69,775   $63,647   $70,537 
Item 7.
Management
s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Overview

AstroNova is

We are a multi-national enterprise that leverages its proprietary data visualization technologies to design, develop, manufacture, distribute and service a broad range of products that acquire, store, analyze and present data in multiple formats. The Company organizes itsWe organize our structure around a core set of competencies, including research and development, manufacturing, service, marketing and distribution. It marketsWe market and sells itssell our products and services through the following two segments:

Product Identification (PI)(“PI”) – offers color and monochromatic digital label printers, over-printers and custom OEM printers. PI also provides software to design, manage and print labeling software, spare parts, service contracts and packaging images locally and across networked printing systems, as well as all related printing supplies such as pressure sensitive labels, tags, inks, toners and thermal transfer ribbons used in those product identificationby digital printers.

PI also provides
on-site

and remote service, spare parts and various service contracts.

Test and Measurement Product Group (T&M)(“T&M”) – offers a suite of products and services that acquire data from local and networked data streams and sensors as well as wired and wireless networks. The recorded data is processed and analyzed and then stored and presented in various visual output formats. The T&M segment also includes a line of aerospace printers that are used to print hard copies of data required for the safe and efficient operation of aircraft, including navigation maps, clearances, arrival and departure procedures, flight itineraries, weather maps, performance data, passenger data, and various air traffic control data. Aerospace products also include Ethernet switches which are used in military aircraft networking systems for high-speed onboard data transfer. T&M also provides repairs, service and military vehicles to connect multiple computers or Ethernet devices.

spare parts.

The Company markets

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We market and sells itssell our products and services globally through a diverse distribution structure of direct sales personnel, manufacturers’ representatives and authorized dealers that deliver a full complement of branded products and services to customers in our respective markets. Our growth strategy centers on organic growth through product innovation made possible by research and development initiatives, as well as strategic acquisitions that fit into or complement existing core businesses. In fiscal 2019, 2018,2021, 2020 and 21017,2019, revenue from customers in various geographic areas outside the United States, primarily in Western Europe, Canada and Asia, amounted to $45.1 million, $49.8 million and $53.0 million, $43.6 million and $28.6 million, respectively.

We maintain an active program of product research and development. During fiscal 2019, 20182021, 2020 and 2017,2019, we spent $7.8$6.2 million, $7.5$8.1 million and $6.3$7.8 million, respectively, on Company-sponsored product development. We are committed to continuous product development as essential to our organic growth and expect to continue our focus on research and development efforts in fiscal 20202021 and beyond.

We also continue to invest in sales and marketing initiatives by expanding the existing sales force and using various marketing campaigns to achieve our goals of sales growth and increased profitability notwithstanding the challenging economic environment.

On September 28, 2017, AstroNova

In fiscal 2018, we entered into an Asset Purchase and License Agreement (“Honeywell Agreement”) with Honeywell International, Inc. (“Honeywell”) pursuant to which, itwe acquired the exclusive perpetual world-wide license to manufacture Honeywell’s narrow format flight deck printers for the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 aircraft. Revenue
COVID-19
Update—Overview
Our business has been materially adversely affected by the global
COVID-19
pandemic, and will likely continue to be negatively impacted until the vaccine availability and inoculation rates reach the point where public health authorities conclude that the quarantines, travel restrictions, business closures, cancellations of public gatherings and other similar measures are no longer necessary. We operate in several regions of the world, with the largest concentration of team members in North America and Europe, and a small presence in Asia. Due to the
COVID-19
pandemic, we and many other businesses and organizations with which we do business directly or which otherwise impact us have taken and are continuing to take steps to avoid or reduce infection, including limiting business travel and working from home as advised by the salespublic health authorities. These measures have been and continue to be disrupting normal business operations both inside and outside of these printers is reported as partaffected areas and have had significant negative impacts on our business, the businesses of our Test & Measurement segment beginningsuppliers and customers, and on businesses and financial markets worldwide.
Since the
COVID-19
pandemic began to impact us in early March 2020, we have closely monitored the government and health authority recommendations applicable to us and have made modifications to our operations based on that guidance and on our growing experience and knowledge of the situation. We responded by reducing our staffing levels and reducing other costs.
In response to the pandemic, we have established new procedures to monitor government recommendations and regulations and made good faith efforts to comply with both those regulations and the best practices recommendations issued by a variety of governmental health authorities and manufacturing industry organizations to which we belong. In addition, we have made significant modifications to our normal operations, including requiring most
non-production
related team members to work remotely, for at least part-time. At this time, we expect that these measures will continue to remain in place for the near term, and we do not know when or if it will become practical to relax or eliminate them altogether. Since the start of the pandemic, we have maintained most of manufacturing operational capacity at our facilities located in West Warwick, Rhode Island, as well as our manufacturing facilities in Canada and Germany. However, there have been periods when a number of team members were unable to keep work schedules due to the effect of the COVID
-19
pandemic, resulting in reduced production capacity and longer order fulfillment lead times and as a result, reduced revenues. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our manufacturing production in the third quarterfuture will depend on future
24

Table of fiscal year 2018. ReferContents
COVID-19
developments, which are uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and any associated variants, the efficacy and distribution of vaccines, and the actions to Note 3, “Acquisitions,”
contain COVID-19 or
treat its impact, among others. We also do not yet know to what extent our operations will be impacted permanently by remote work, increased safety protocols and the other temporary adaptations undertaken during the pandemic.
During the
COVID-19
pandemic, we have experienced some difficulties in obtaining raw materials and components for our products. We have been able to recover from these difficulties, but we have had to incur some additional costs in expedited and express shipping fees. These difficulties have impacted our efficiency and our ability to satisfy customer requirements, but we have been able to keep these impacts to a minimum. We are currently monitoring the world-wide delays in transit time, as freight carriers are now experiencing significant delays in overseas shipments. We are addressing these issues through long range planning and supplementing inventories as needed. We are also monitoring the extended lead times on active electronic components and utilizing several strategies, including blanket orders, vendor bonded inventories, and extended commitments to our supply base. Additionally, we have taken actions to maintain regular contact with our important vendors and have increased our forecasting horizon for our products to help us better manage our supply chain. Our strategies to counteract the impact of the pandemic have tended to increase the amount of inventory we have had to maintain, but because of the complexity of our supply chain it is impossible to isolate the exact impact. We will continue to monitor our supply chain.
While it is not possible at this time to estimate the full scope of the impact that
COVID-19
will have on our business, customers, suppliers or other business partners in the audited consolidatedlong run, we expect that the lasting presence of
COVID-19
will continue to adversely impact our operational capacity and the efficiency of our team members and will continue to negatively affect our results of operations and financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

On February 1, 2017, AstroNova completed its acquisition of TrojanLabel ApS (TrojanLabel), a European manufacturer of digital color label presses and specialty printing systemscondition for the commercial label printing and packaging markets. TrojanLabel is reported as partnear term.

Product Identification Update
The global
COVID-19
pandemic has also negatively impacted sales of our Product Identification segment beginninghardware products primarily as a result of the impact of travel restrictions on our sales efforts, as most customers historically have preferred
in-person
demonstrations of these printers at their production sites prior to placing orders with us and those visits have been severely limited. Additionally, the firstwidespread cancellation of trade shows, which traditionally provided an effective forum for customers to consider our products, has also had an adverse impact on traditional methods of sales lead generation. However, we believe we have been able to ameliorate these negative impacts by placing a greater reliance on various forms of digital advertising and internet-based marketing techniques, including remote video demonstrations and support, which has proven effective in obtaining sales. Despite favorable market reception to our recently refreshed and expanded product lines, the degree to which we will be able to maintain or grow the level of hardware revenues through the changes we have made to our
go-to-market
strategies remains unclear. When the
COVID-19
pandemic abates, and it is possible again for our direct sales force and distributors to travel to visit customers and attend and present products at trade shows (if they are even offered) it is likely that some reversion to those historical sales methods will occur, but some of the
COVID-19
induced adaptations are also likely to become permanent. We do not know how that mix of sales strategies will evolve and how they will impact the results of operations for this segment.
Despite the pandemic, underlying overall demand remained strong through this period and in general, we believe that the diversified nature of our end markets and the relative concentration of business in consumer
non-durable
market related applications impart a greater degree of near- and longer-term stability to our Product Identification segment.
Test & Measurement Update
Our sales of flight deck printers for Boeing 737 aircraft have been severely impacted by the chain of events that occurred after two 737 MAX aircraft crashed. In March 2019, all major civil aviation authorities worldwide grounded the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft for safety reasons. In April 2019, Boeing reduced the number of 737
25

Table of Contents
MAX aircraft produced per month from 52 to 42, and in January 2020, Boeing ceased production of the 737 MAX completely. On May 27, 2020, in anticipation of an eventual certification, Boeing announced that it would
re-start
production at low initial rates and gradually increase production in the future.
On August 3, 2020, the United States Federal Aviation Administration (the “FAA”) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking for a Boeing 737 MAX airworthiness directive, and on November 18, 2020 the FAA certified the model for return to service in the United States. On January 27, 2021, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approved the return to service of the Boeing 737 MAX in Europe. The exact timing of
re-certification
by other worldwide civil aviation authorities is unknown but we expect that most will permit a return to service later in 2021. Before any individual 737 MAX aircraft can return to commercial service, all civilian aviation authority agency certification requirements relevant to each carrier must be met. As these requirements vary, and can be quite extensive, the exact timing of the recertification and return to service of the 737 MAX fleet in each geographical area is unclear at this time and will depend on the ability of Boeing and each airline to complete the required steps.
Aircraft manufacturing rather than aircraft deliveries drives demand for our airborne printer products. We have experienced very low levels of 737 MAX new printer orders and shipments since the production halt, as Boeing is now producing a small number of new aircraft per month. The majority of our future 737 MAX printer sales volume will be tied to the pace of Boeing’s manufacturing dates and delivery schedules, and the recovery is expected to be prolonged. We believe that Boeing has already installed our printers in most of the airplanes that it has completed and that require our printers to be installed prior to delivery. Further, due to the
COVID-19
pandemic, global air travel demand precipitously declined, and the number of flights scheduled by airlines declined sharply. As a result, order demand from airlines for new deliveries of most aircraft models has declined. The demand for air travel and the demand for new airplanes from the airlines is expected to remain lower for an unknown period due to the unpredictable course of the pandemic and the perceived infection risk of air travel. Aircraft manufacturers have reduced their projected production rates across most or all of their product lines. As the
COVID-19
pandemic impact on the air travel industry continues, the financial health of the airlines and airframe manufacturers may become further stressed, and the ultimate impact on the structure of the industry and the individual companies that comprise it is unknown. Because we are the primary source for aircraft cabin printers to the airframe manufacturers for a majority of aircraft models produced in the world, the longer-term demand for our products is defined less by the impact of
COVID-19
on particular airlines within the industry than the health of the industry as a whole. Although we do not know what the timing and rate of recovery will be, we do expect that the industry, and hence the demand for our products, will continue to recover slowly after effective vaccines and treatments for
COVID-19
become both widely available and accepted, and as demand for air travel recovers.
Demand for aerospace spare products, paper, parts and repairs has also been significantly impacted by the decline in air travel, as requirements for these products and services are based primarily upon aircraft usage. Although we have experienced modest increases in demand for spare products, paper, parts and repairs as flight hours have increased since the second quarter of fiscal year 2018. Refer2021, it is unknown whether this will continue or increase, or at what pace.
The decline in demand for our aerospace products has had a material adverse impact on our revenues and results of operations, which we expect will continue until demand recovers.
While we have reduced and plan to Note 3, “Acquisitions,”continue to reduce our costs as much as we are prudently able to, our strategy and operational plans are to maintain sufficient capabilities and staffing to fully support our customers and meet the stringent quality requirements the market requires, and to be able to rapidly increase production as demand returns, the decline in the audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

revenue has adversely impacted our profitability.

26

Results of Operations

Fiscal 20192021 compared to Fiscal 2018

2020

The following table presents the revenue of each of the Company’sour segments, as well as the percentage of total revenue and change from the prior year.

($ in thousands)  2019  2018 
   Revenue   As a % of
Total Revenue
  % Change
Over Prior Year
  Revenue   As a % of
Total Revenue
 

Product Identification

  $86,786    63.5  6.2��$81,681    72.0

T&M

   49,871    36.5  57.2  31,720    28.0
  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  $136,657    100.0  20.5 $113,401    100.0
  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

 

($ in thousands)  
2021
  
2020
 
   
Revenue
   
As a % of
Total Revenue
  
% Change
Over Prior Year
  
Revenue
   
As a % of
Total Revenue
 
Product Identification
  $90,268    77.8  2.4 $88,116    66.0
T&M
   25,765    22.2  (43.2)%   45,330    34.0
  
 
 
   
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
   
 
 
 
Total
  $116,033    100.0  (13.0)%  $133,446    100.0
  
 
 
   
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
   
 
 
 
Net revenue in fiscal 20192021 was $136.7$116.0 million, a 20.5% increase13.0% decrease compared to priornet revenue of $133.4 million for fiscal 2020. Current year revenue of $113.4 million. Revenue through domestic channels was $70.9 million, a decline of 15.3% from prior year domestic revenue of $83.7 million was up 19.9% from $69.8 million in the prior year due to sales increases in both segments.million. International revenue of $53.0$45.1 million increased 21.5% overfor fiscal 2021 decreased 9.4% compared to prior year international revenue of $43.6 million primarily due to the impact on revenue from the Honeywell product line and despite lower than expected revenue from European Product Identification sales. Current year$49.8 million. Fiscal 2021 international revenue includesreflects a modest favorable foreign exchange rate impact of $0.5 million.

$0.8 million, compared to an unfavorable impact of $1.4 million in fiscal 2020. International revenue declined primarily due to lower international sales of aerospace printers in Europe.

Hardware revenue in fiscal 20192021 was $53.2$34.1 million, a $15.7$14.8 million, or 41.9%30.3%, increasedecrease compared to prior yearfiscal 2020 hardware revenue of $37.5$49.0 million. The largest contributioncurrent year decrease in hardware revenue is primarily due to this increase wasthe decline in revenue in the T&M segment whereresulting from lower aerospace printer product lines sales as a result of the full yeareffects of the Boeing 737 MAX grounding and the impact of the Honeywell acquisition (which was completed on September 28, 2017) caused sharp decline in air travel due to

COVID-19.
T&M segment hardware revenue to increase 61.2%. The increasefor the current year was also aided,impacted by a decline in sales of data recorders. Also contributing to the overall decline in hardware revenue for the current year was a much lesser degree, by growthmore modest the decline in T&M’s data acquisition product lines. Hardware revenuesales in the Product IdentificationPI segment increased 9.5% comparedof certain QuickLabel model printers which was entirely offset by sales related to prior year primarily due to increasesprinters in the TrojanLabel product lines.

group.

Revenue from supplies in fiscal 20192021 was $71.2$71.8 million, representing a $ 5.9 million, or 9.0%,which was consistent with the fiscal 2020 supplies revenue. The PI segment recognized an increase in current year supply revenue primarily due to increased demand for Trojan Label product supplies due to increased market penetration of these printers, offset somewhat by lower sales of QuickLabel supplies compared to a very strong prior year revenue of $65.3 million. The dollar increase is primarily attributable to growth from Product Identification inkjet printer inks and labels, with the largest share of that increase related to the QuickLabel product line. Also contributing to the revenueyear. This increase was offset to a large extent by a decline in sales supplies for the impact in the T&M segment of significantly higher sales of the specialized paper used in aerospace printersproduct group due to the large inherited installed base ofdeclines in commercial aircraft flight hours within the acquired Honeywell product line.

T&M segment.

Service and other revenue in fiscal 20192021 was $12.3$10.1 million, a 16.0% increase19.8% decrease compared to prior yearfiscal 2020 service and other revenue of $10.6$12.6 million. All of this increaseThe current year decrease is due primarily to declines in repair and part revenue related to the aerospace printer product linesline in the T&M segment as athe result of the acquired Honeywell product line.

The Company achieveddeclines in commercial aircraft flight hours.

Gross profit was $41.4 million for fiscal 2021, reflecting a 15.2% decline compared to fiscal 2020 gross profit of $54.0 million for fiscal 2019, reflecting a 22.7% improvement compared to the prior year’s gross profit of $44.0$48.8 million. The Company’sOur gross profit margin of 39.5%35.6% in the current yearfiscal 2021 reflects an increase from the prior year’sa decrease compared to fiscal 2020 gross profit margin of 38.8%36.5%. The higherlower gross profit for the current year compared to the prior year is primarily attributable to increased revenue; the current year’s increaseadverse effects of the decline in gross margin is primarily due to an increaserevenue in the aerospace printer product line and related product mix, which were slightly offset by the favorable impact of higher gross margins in the acquired Honeywell product lines.

reductions on our manufacturing and period costs.

Operating expenses for the current year were $45.3$38.9 million, representing a 17.3% increase16.0% decrease from the prior year’s operating expenses of $38.6 million, a growth rate 3.2% lower than the growth rate of revenues.$46.3 million. Specifically, selling and marketing expenses of $ 26.3$23.3 million in fiscal 2019 increased 18.5%2021 decreased 13.3% from the prior year amount of $22.2$26.9 million. The increasedecrease in selling and marketing expenses for the current year is primarily relatesdue to full year amortization of customer related intangibles acquired in the Honeywell transaction, as well an increase in wagesdecreased travel and benefits for fiscal 2019.entertainment, advertising trade shows and commission expenses. Selling and marketing expenses represent 19.3% and 19.6%20.1% of net revenue for both fiscal 20192021 and 2018, respectively.
27

Table of Contents
2020. Current year general and administrative (“G&A”) expenses increasedof $9.4 million decreased by 24.9%17.1% from the prior year to $11.1amount of $11.4 million, primarily as a result of decreased IT costs, a decline in employee fees and lower travel and entertainment expenses due to the impact of
COVID-19.
G&A expenses represented 8.1% of net revenue for fiscal 2021, compared to 8.5% in fiscal 2020. The decline in G&A expenses in the current year is partially offset by an increase in wages, bonuses and share-based compensation expenses. The current year increase in G&A is also a result of the fact that fiscal 2018 G&A included $1.4 million of income attributable to the change in the fair value of the Company’s contingent earn out liability related to the TrojanLabel acquisition. The current year increase in G&A is partly offset by lower professional service costs and the favorable impact of a $1.0 million of income recorded in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 as a result of a change in the accounting estimateexpenses for product costs and operating expenses pursuant to a transition service agreement we entered into with Honeywell.outside services fees. Research & development (“R&D”) costs in fiscal 20192021 of $7.8$6.2 million increased 4.8%decreased 23.2% from $7.5$8.1 million in fiscal 2018. While R&D spending increased,2020, primarily due to increased benefita decrease in wages, benefits and incentive costs, theoutside services. The R&D spending level for fiscal 20192021 represents 5.7%5.3% of net revenue, a decrease compared to the prior year level of 6.6%6.1%.

Other expense in fiscal 20192021 was $1.4$0.3 million compared to other expense of $0.3$1.1 million in fiscal 2018.2020. Current year other expense includes $1.0 million of interest expense on debt and revolving line of credit, offset by a net foreign exchange gain of $0.6 million and other income of $0.1 million. Other expense in fiscal 2020 includes interest expense on debt of $0.9 million and foreign exchange loss of $0.7 million, offset by investment income of $0.1 million. Other income in fiscal 2018 included interest expense on debt of $0.4 million and a foreign exchange loss of $0.2$0.5 million, which were partially offset by investment and other income of $0.2$0.1 million.

Net income for fiscal 20192021 was $5.7$1.3 million, or $0.81$0.18 per diluted share, an increasea decrease compared to $3.3$1.8 million, or $0.47$0.24 per diluted share in fiscal 2018. Current year results were impacted by $0.1 million, or $0.01 per diluted share, in taxes as a result of the finalization of the accounting for the 2017 Tax Act. The prior year included a $1.1 million increase in the tax provision consisting of $1.0 million related to revaluation of our deferred tax assets at the new lower corporate tax rate and $0.1 million related to the transition tax on the un-repatriated earnings of our foreign subsidiaries also included in the Tax Act.2020. During fiscal 2019 the Company

2021 we recognized a $1.6$0.9 million income tax expense, and had anor a 41.1% effective tax rate of 21.6% compared to an income tax expensebenefit of $1.8$0.4 million, or a 36.2%28.4% negative effective tax rate for fiscal 2020. The increase in the effective tax rate in fiscal 2018.

Fiscal 2018 compared to Fiscal 2017

The following table presents the revenue of each of the Company’s segments, as well as the percentage of total revenue and change2021 from prior year.

($ in thousands)  2018  2017 
   Revenue   As a % of
Total Revenue
  % Change
Over Prior Year
  Revenue   As a % of
Total Revenue
 

Product Identification

  $81,681    72.0  16.9 $69,862    71.0

T&M

   31,720    28.0  11.0  28,586    29.0
  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  $113,401    100.0  15.2 $98,448    100.0
  

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net revenue in fiscal 2018 was $113.4 million, a 15.2% increase compared to the prior year revenue of $98.4 million. Revenue through domestic channels of $69.8 million was consistent with prior year domestic revenue of $69.8 million. International revenue of $43.6 million increased 52.4% over the prior year international revenue of $28.6 million primarily due to the impact on revenue from the Honeywell and TrojanLabel acquisitions. The international revenue for fiscal 2018 includes a favorable foreign exchange rate impact of $0.6 million.

Hardware revenue in fiscal 2018 was $37.5 million, a 10.9% increase compared to the prior year’s revenue of $33.8 million. Hardware revenue in the Product Identification segment increased 23.5% in fiscal 2018 compared to the prior year due to the integration of TrojanLabel, but was tempered by lower OEM bar code printer sales. Hardware revenue in the T&M segment increased 4.6% in fiscal 2018 primarily due to the Honeywell acquisition and the introduction of theEV-5000 data recorder. These revenue increases were partially offset by lower sales from the Aerospace ToughWriter 4 product line.

Revenue from supplies in fiscal 2018 was $65.3 million, representing a 16.2% increase compared to the prior year revenue of $56.2 million. This increase2020 is primarily attributable to double-digit growth from Product Identification inkjet printer inks and labels. Also contributing to the revenue increase in fiscal 2018 was the impact of Honeywell and TrojanLabel paper and ink sales.

Service and other revenue in fiscal 2018 was $10.6 million, a 26.2% increase compared to the prior year revenue of $8.4 million. Product Identification and Test & Measurement segments both generated double-digit growth in service and other revenue as a result of the TrojanLabel and Honeywell acquisitions.

The Company achieved gross profit of $44.0 million for fiscal 2018, reflecting an 11.4% improvement compared to the prior year’s gross profit of $39.5 million. The Company’s gross profit margin of 38.8% in fiscal 2018 reflects a decrease from the prior year’s gross profit margin of 40.1%. The higher gross profit for fiscal 2018 compared to the prior year is primarily attributable to increased revenue; fiscal 2018’s decrease in gross margin was due to product mix and higher manufacturing and period costs.

Operating expenses for fiscal 2018 were $38.6 million, representing a 16.2% increase from the prior year’s operating expenses of $33.2 million. Specifically, selling and marketing expenses of $22.2 million in fiscal 2018 increased 17.3% from the prior year’s amount of $19.0 million. The increase in selling and marketing expenses primarily relates to increases in wages and amortization related to the TrojanLabel and Honeywell acquisitions. Selling and marketing expenses represent 19.6% and 19.3% of net revenue for fiscal 2018 and 2017, respectively. Fiscal 2018 G&A expenses increased by 12.1% from the prior year to $8.9 million primarily as a result of an increase in share-based compensation expenses, as well as outside and professional service costs, includingnon-recurring costs related to expenses incurred pursuant to a transition service agreement we entered into with Honeywell. The increase in G&A was offset by income of $1.4 million due to the change in mix of income between relevant jurisdictions in which we are subject to income taxes. Specific items increasing the fair

value of the Company’s contingent earn out liability related to the TrojanLabel acquisition. R&D costs in fiscal 2018 of $7.5 million increased 18.0% from $6.3 million in fiscal 2017, primarily due to the increase related to the absorption of the TrojanLabel R&D team, as well as an increase in wages.2021 effective tax rate include foreign rate differential, Denmark statutory audit adjustments, stock-based compensation, and Canada withholding taxes. This increase was slightly temperedoffset by the foreign derived intangible income deduction, the release of a decreasevaluation allowance in outside service costsChina, and prototype expenses. The R&D spending level for fiscal 2018 represents 6.6% of net revenue, an increasetax credits expected to be utilized.

Fiscal 2020 compared to the prior year’s level of 6.4%.

Other expense in fiscal 2018 was $0.3 million compared to other income of $0.3 million in fiscal 2017. Other expense for fiscal 2018 includes interest expense on debt of $0.4 million and foreign exchange loss of $0.2 million, offset by investment income of $0.2 and income related toFiscal 2019

For a settlement of a trademark infringement litigation. Other income in fiscal 2017 includes a gain on sale of a property we owned in England of $0.4 million and $0.1 million related to an amount retained from the RITEC escrow partially offset by foreign exchange loss of $0.2 million.

Net income for fiscal 2018 was $3.3 million, or $0.47 per diluted share, a decrease from $4.2 million, or $0.56 per diluted share in fiscal 2017. The results for fiscal 2018 were impacted by income of $1.4 million ($1.1 million net of tax or $0.16 per diluted share) related to change in the fair value of the Company’s contingent earn out liability and $1.1 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, in taxes as a result of the enactment of the Tax Act. The $1.1 million increase in tax provision includes $1.0 million related to revaluationcomparison of our deferred tax assets atresults of operations for the new lower corporate tax ratefiscal years ended January 31, 2020 and $0.1 million related to the transition tax on theun-repatriated earningsJanuary 31, 2019, see “Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our foreign subsidiaries also included in the Tax Act. During fiscal 2017 the Company recognized a $2.4 million income tax expense and had an effective tax rate of 36.0%. Fiscal 2017 income tax expense included a $0.2 million tax expense related tonon-deductible transaction costs annual report on Form

10-K
for the TrojanLabel acquisition and a $0.2 million tax expense related tofiscal year ended January 31, 2020, filed with the increase for unrecognized tax benefits.

SEC on April 10, 2020.

Segment Analysis

We report two segments consistent with our product revenue groups: Product IdentificationPI and Test & Measurement (T&M).T&M. Segment performance is evaluated based on the operating segment’s profit (loss) before corporate and financial administration expenses.

The following table summarizes selected financial information by segment.

($ in thousands) Revenue  Segment Operating Profit  Segment Operating Profit as
a % of Revenue
 
  2019  2018  2017  2019  2018  2017  2019  2018  2017 

Product Identification

 $86,786  $81,681  $69,862  $7,910  $10,561  $9,821   9.1  12.9  14.1

T&M

  49,871   31,720   28,586   11,933   3,754   4,399   23.9  11.8  15.4
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total

 $136,657  $113,401  $98,448   19,843   14,315   14,220   14.5  12.6  14.4
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

     

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Corporate Expenses

     11,123   8,903   7,939    
    

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

    

Operating Income

     8,720   5,412   6,281    

Other Income (Expense), Net

     (1,412  (255  324    
    

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

    

Income Before Income Taxes

     7,308   5,157   6,605    

Income Tax Provision

     1,578   1,871   2,377    
    

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

    

Net Income

    $5,730  $3,286  $4,228    
    

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

    

($ in thousands) 
Revenue
  
Segment Operating Profit (Loss)
  
Segment Operating Profit
(Loss) as a % of Revenue
 
  
2021
  
2020
  
2019
  
2021
  
2020
  
2019
  
 2021 
  
 2020 
  
 2019 
 
PI
 $90,268  $88,116  $86,786  $12,885  $7,509  $7,910   14.3  8.5  9.1
T&M
  25,765   45,330   49,871   (1,032  6,281   11,933   (4.0)%   13.9  23.9
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
Total
 $116,033  $133,446  $136,657   11,853   13,790   19,843   (10.2)%   10.3  14.5
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
     
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
Corporate Expenses
     9,420   11,357   11,123    
    
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
    
Operating Income
     2,433   2,433   8,720    
Other Expense, Net
     (254  (1,063  (1,412   
    
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
    
Income Before Income Taxes
     2,179   1,370   7,308    
Income Tax Provision (Benefit)
     895   (389  1,578    
    
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
    
Net Income
    $1,284  $1,759  $5,730    
    
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
    
28

Product Identification

Revenue from the Product IdentificationPI segment increased 6.2%2.4% in fiscal 20192021, with revenue of $86.8$90.3 million compared to revenue of $81.7$88.1 million in the prior year. HardwareThe current year increase is primarily attributable to growth in demand for ink jet and media supplies for the Trojan Label product lines grew 9.5%line and supplies product lines grew 6.0%. Theto a lesser degree, the increase in hardwarecurrent year sales of QuickLabel’s electrophotographic printer supplies. Also contributing to the increase in revenue for the current year was primarily due toan increase in hardware sales in the contributionTrojan Label product group, including contributions from the TrojanLabel linelaunch of presses. The supplies revenue increase innew products such as the current year was a result of growth in ink, print head, and
T3-OPX
label and tag supplies revenue across all product lines. Product Identificationpress. PI current year segment operating profit was $7.9$12.9 million reflectingwith a profit margin of 9.1%, compared to prior year segment profit of $10.6 million and related profit margin of 12.9%. The decrease in Product Identification current year segment operating profit margin is due to significant investment in fiscal 2019 in new product development, sales and marketing capabilities, and product introduction costs.

Revenue from the Product Identification segment increased 16.9% in fiscal 2018 with revenue of $81.7 million compared to revenue of $69.9 million in the prior year. Both the hardware and supplies product lines saw strong growth in fiscal 2018, with increases of 23.5% and 15.2%, respectively, as compared to the prior year. The increase in hardware revenue for fiscal 2018 was primarily due to the contribution from the TrojanLabel line of presses. The supplies revenue increase in fiscal 2018 was a result of supplies revenue from the newly acquired TrojanLabel business and continued strong demand for digital color printer ink as well as label and tag products supplies. Fiscal 2018 Product Identification segment operating profit was $10.6 million, reflecting a profit margin of 12.9%14.3%, compared to the prior year segment operating profit of $9.8$7.5 million and related profit margin of 14.1%8.5%. The decreaseincrease in Product Identificationcurrent year segment operating profit and margin in fiscal 2018 wasis primarily due to unfavorable product mixincreased revenue and increasedlower operating and period costs.

Test & Measurement

Revenue from the T&M product group was $49.9$25.8 million for fiscal 2019,2021, a 57.2% increase43.2% decrease compared to revenue of $31.7$45.3 million in the prior year. The Honeywell product linedecrease in revenue began in September of 2017, and fiscal year 2019 was the first full year of revenue for this acquisition: it was the primary reason for the significant growth in both the hardware and supplies product lines. T&M’s segment operating profit for the current fiscal year is primarily attributable to the decline in the aerospace printer product lines impacted by the Boeing 737 MAX grounding and the dramatic drop in air travel due to the impact of
COVID-19.
To a lesser degree, the decrease in the current year revenue was $11.9also impacted by the declines in certain T&M’s data acquisition hardware sales, as well as a decline in supplies, service and other revenue in the aerospace product lines, due to
Covid-19
induced declines in commercial airline flights. T&M current year segment operating loss was $1.0 million which resultedresulting in a 23.9%negative 4.0% profit margin compared to the
prior year’syear segment operating profit of $3.8$6.3 million and related operating margin of 11.8%13.9%. Again,Despite lower manufacturing and period costs, the higher margins weresegment operating loss and related margin for the current year is primarily due to the acquisition, which was integrated into the existing facilities without adding significant ongoing facilities expense, and the generally favorable margins on the acquired products, despite the incremental costs incurreddecline in supporting the integration, certain fees payable to Honeywell in connection with the transition of the product line, and the payment of licensing royalties.

Revenue from the T&M product group was $31.7 million for fiscal 2018, an 11.0% increase compared to revenue of $28.6 million in the prior year. Both the hardware and supplies product lines saw sustained growth in fiscal 2018, with the overall increase primarily attributable to the contribution of revenue from the entry into the arrangement with Honeywell in September 2017. T&M’s segment operating profit for fiscal 2018 was $3.8 million which resulted in an 11.8% profit margin compared to the prior year’s segment operating profit of $4.4 million and related operating margin of 15.4%. The lower segment operating profit and related margin in fiscal 2018 were due to product mix and higher operating costs.

current year revenue.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Overview

Generally,

Historically, our primary sourcesources of short-term liquidity ishave been cash generated from operating activities. We may also utilize amounts availableactivities and borrowings under our revolving credit facility, as described below, to supplement funding for our operating activities and to fundfacility. These sources have also funded a portion of our capital expenditures and contractual contingent consideration obligations,obligations. We have typically funded acquisitions by borrowing under bank term loan facilities.
The onset of the
COVID-19
pandemic and future acquisitions. We believe that our current levelthe decline in revenues in the T&M segment due to the decline in aerospace printer sales, combined with the period of cash and short-term financing capabilities along with future cash flows from operations will be sufficient
COVID-19
pandemic induced credit risk avoidance in the capital markets, led to meet our operating and capital needsa period of liquidity concerns for at least the next 12 months.

During fiscal 2019, we converted our securities available for sale to cash. Inus through the second quarter of fiscal 2019,2021 despite our efforts to reduce expenses as rapidly as possible and preserve liquidity. As a result of the availability of the PPP loan during our fiscal second quarter of 2021discussed below, we drew $3.0 millionwere able, despite a pending default on our revolving credit facility, to secure an amendment at the end of which $1.5 million was repaidthe second quarter of fiscal 2021 that provided additional liquidity. Those two sources of capital allowed us the time necessary to retain employment levels and $1.5 million remains outstandingfocus on continuing efforts to reduce costs, and as of January 31, 2019. Our cashthose cost reductions took hold, to improve operating profit and cash equivalents at January 31, 2019,flow. Based on improved conditions in the credit market and in recognition of the substantial cost and working capital reductions we accomplished, we were $7.5able to reduce our debt, and, subsequent to the end of fiscal year 2021, renegotiate the amendment to the credit agreement we had signed in the second quarter of fiscal 2021, which, together with our improved performance, restored us to a solid liquidity position.

On May 6, 2020, we entered into a loan agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with and executed a promissory note (the “Promissory Note”) in favor of Greenwood Credit Union (“Greenwood”) pursuant to which we borrowed $4.4 million (the “PPP Loan”) from Greenwood pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”) administered by the United States Small Business Administration (the “SBA”) and we have $8.5 million remaining available for borrowing underauthorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), enacted on March 27, 2020. The terms
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of the PPP Loan were subsequently revised in accordance with the provisions of the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act of 2020 (the “PPP Flexibility Act”), which was enacted on June 5, 2020. We believe that our revolving credit facility.

Indebtedness

Onobtaining the PPP Loan and suspending the payment of dividends on our common stock were instrumental in our ability to successfully negotiate the A&R Credit Agreement, as defined below.

At the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2021, the deterioration of our financial condition and operating results due to the decline in 737
MAX-related
revenue and
COVID-19
impacts caused us to violate the financial covenants in our Credit Agreement dated February 28, 2017 the Company and the Company’s wholly owned Danish subsidiary, ANI ApS (together, the “Parties”(the “Prior Credit Agreement”) entered into a credit agreement with Bank of America, N.A., which provided (the “Lender”). On June 22, 2020, we entered into a letter agreement with the Lender wherein it agreed to waive compliance with those financial covenants for a secured credit facility consisting of a $9.2 million term loan tothe measurement period ended May 2, 2020.
On July 30, 2020, we entered into an Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “A&R Credit Agreement”) with the Lender, our wholly owned subsidiary ANI ApS, a Danish private limited liability company and ANI ApS’s wholly-owned subsidiary “ANITrojanLabel ApS, a Danish private limited liability company (“TrojanLabel”). The A&R Credit Agreement amended and restated the Prior Credit Agreement. In connection with our entry into the A&R Credit Agreement, we entered into an Amended and Restated Security and Pledge Agreement and a mortgage in favor of the Lender with respect to our owned real property in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Under the A&R Credit Agreement, AstroNova, Inc. is the sole borrower, and, prior to the effectiveness of the Amendment (as defined below), its obligations were guaranteed by ANI ApS and TrojanLabel.
Immediately prior to the closing of the A&R Credit Agreement, we repaid $1.5 million in principal amount of term loans outstanding under the Prior Credit Agreement.
The A&R Credit Agreement provided for (i) a term loan in the principal amount of $15.2 million, which we used to refinance the outstanding term loans borrowed by us and ANI ApS under the Prior Credit Agreement and a portion of the outstanding revolving loans borrowed by us under the Prior Credit Agreement, and (ii) a $10.0 million revolving credit facility for the Company. On September 28, 2017, the Parties entered into the First Amendmentavailable to the Credit Agreement to permit the Honeywell Asset Purchase and License Agreement and temporarily increase the amount available for borrowing under the revolving credit line from $10.0 million to $15.0 million. The Company used $14.6 million of the revolving credit line to complete the Honeywell Asset Purchase and License Agreement.

On November 30, 2017, the Parties entered into the Second Amendment to the Credit Agreement which, in addition to the revolving credit facility and the term loan previously borrowed by ANI ApS under the original Credit Agreement, provided for a term loan to the Company in the principal amount of $15.0 million. Upon the closing of the Second Amendment, the Company used the proceeds from the $15.0 million term loan to repay the entire $14.6 million principal balance of the revolving loan outstanding under the revolving credit facility as of October 28, 2017, with the remaining proceeds retained by the Company to be usedus for general corporate purposes. The principal amount of the revolving credit facility under the Credit Agreement, which had been temporarily increased to $15.0 million pursuant to the First Amendment, was reduced to $10.0 million effective upon the closing of the Second Amendment, and the revolving credit facility termination and maturity date was extended from January 31, 2022 to November 22, 2022.

On April 17, 2018, the Parties entered into a Third Amendment to the Credit Agreement with the Lender. The Third Amendment provides that no “Immaterial Subsidiary” will be required to become a guarantor or securing party under (unless requested by the Lender during default) or have its equity pledged pursuant to the Credit Agreement. The Third Amendment defines “Immaterial Subsidiary” as any subsidiary of the Company with (a) consolidated total assets that do not exceed 5.0% of the consolidated total assets of the Company and its subsidiaries as a whole and (b) revenues that do not exceed 5.0% of the consolidated revenues of the Company and its subsidiaries as a whole, as of the last day of the most recent fiscal quarter. Immaterial Subsidiaries may not account for, in the aggregate, more than 10% the of consolidated total assets or consolidated revenues of the Company and its subsidiaries.

Revolving credit loans may be borrowed, at the Company’sour option, in U.S. Dollars or, subject to certain conditions, Euros, British Pounds, Canadian Dollars or Danish Krone. Amounts borrowedKroner.

At January 31, 2021, our cash and cash equivalents were $11.4 million. There was no outstanding balance on our revolving line of credit at January 31, 2021 and we had $10.0 million available for borrowing under the A&R Credit Agreement.
On March 24, 2021, subsequent to year end, we entered into a First Amendment to Credit Agreement (the “Amendment”) to our A&R Credit Agreement (the “A&R Credit Agreement amended by the Amendment, the “Amended Credit Agreement”) with the Lender, ANI ApS and TrojanLabel. Immediately prior to the closing of the Amendment, we repaid $ 2.6 million in principal amount of the term loan outstanding under the A&R Credit Agreement, resulting in an outstanding balance of the term loan of $10.0 million and no amount drawn and outstanding under the revolving credit facility under the Amended Credit Agreement.
The Amended Credit Agreement expires on September 30, 2025, a significant extension of tenor. It also eliminated a minimum adjusted EBITDA covenant, an asset coverage covenant and a minimum liquidity covenant, and, subject to ongoing covenant compliance, significantly reduced limitations on restricted payments such as dividends, eliminated restrictions on capital expenditures and increased operating flexibility with respect to funding our global operations.
The Amended Credit Agreement provides for (i) a term loan in the principal amount of $10.0 million, and (ii) a $22.5 million revolving credit facility available for general corporate purposes. At the closing of the Amended Credit Agreement, we borrowed the entire $10.0 million term loan which was used to refinance in full the outstanding term loan under the A&R Credit Agreement. Under the Amended Credit Agreement, revolving credit loans may continue to be borrowed, at our option, in U.S. Dollars or, subject to certain conditions, Euros, British Pounds, Canadian Dollars or Danish Kroner.
30

While we expected that as a result of the impact of the
COVID-19
pandemic, some of our customers would experience liquidity pressure and be unable to pay us for products on a timely basis, in general our recent receivables collection experience has been consistent with our historical experience and a significant deterioration in receivables collection has not occurred through the end of fiscal year. We believe that this favorable result in T&M was due in part to the terms of the contractual relationships with our customers, and in part due to the critical nature of the nature of repairs and supplies relationships. In Product Identification it was due to the critical nature of our relationships with our customers and the general resilience of the markets we generally serve. For both segments, we have experienced improved collections efforts. During the first quarter of fiscal 2021, we experienced a limited number of cases in which certain of our aerospace customers failed to pay us on a timely basis and we increased our reserves for potential losses on those accounts. In the second quarter of fiscal 2021, two small airlines with whom we had small receivable balances for which we had previously fully reserved, entered bankruptcy, but in general, in the following quarters, the aerospace customer problems abated such that we did not increase our reserves. If the impact of the
COVID-19
pandemic continues for a prolonged period or worsens, we may experience further adverse impacts of delayed aerospace receivable collections.
In response to the
COVID-19
pandemic and related economic dislocation, we have implemented and will continue to implement a variety of expense reduction and cash preservation initiatives. On April 27, 2020, our board of directors suspended our quarterly cash dividend beginning with the second quarter of our fiscal year 2021.
We currently have $22.5 million available for borrowing under our Amended Credit Agreement and we believe that our available cash and credit facilities combined with our cash generated from operations will be sufficient to support our operating requirements, so long as the impact of
COVID-19
does not worsen.
Indebtedness
Term Loan
The Amended Credit Agreement requires that the term loan be paid as follows: the principal amount of each quarterly installment required to be paid on the last day of each of our fiscal quarters ending on or about April 30, 2021 through January 31, 2022 is $187,500; the principal amount of each quarterly installment required to be paid on the last day of each of our fiscal quarters ending on or about April 30, 2022 through January 31, 2023 is $250,000; the principal amount of each quarterly installment required to be paid on the last day of each of our fiscal quarters ending on or about April 30, 2023 through January 31, 2025 is $312,500; the principal amount of each quarterly installment required to be paid on the last day of each of our fiscal quarters ending on or about April 30, 2025 and July 31, 2025 is $500,000; and the entire remaining principal balance of the term loan is required to be paid on September 30, 2025. We may voluntarily prepay the term loan, in whole or in part, from time to time without premium or penalty (other than customary breakage costs, if applicable). We may repay borrowings under the revolving credit facility at any time without premium or penalty (other than customary breakage costs, if applicable), but in any event no later than September 30, 2025, at which time any outstanding revolving loans will be due and payable in full, and the revolving credit facility will terminate. We may reduce or terminate the revolving line of credit at any time, subject to certain thresholds and conditions, without premium or penalty.
The Amended Credit Agreement includes an uncommitted accordion provision under which the term loan and/or revolving credit facility commitments may be increased in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $10,000,000, subject to obtaining the agreement of the Lender and the satisfaction of certain other conditions.
As under the A&R Credit Agreement, the loans under the Amended Credit Agreement are subject to certain mandatory prepayments, subject to various exceptions, from (a) net cash proceeds from certain dispositions of property, (b) net cash proceeds from certain issuances of equity, (c) net cash proceeds from certain issuances of additional debt and (d) net cash proceeds from certain extraordinary receipts.
31

Amounts repaid under the revolving credit facility may be reborrowed, subject to continued compliance with the Amended Credit Agreement. No amount of the term loan that is repaid may be reborrowed.
The interest rates under the A&R Credit Agreement were modified in the Amended Credit Agreement as follows: the term loan and revolving credit loans bear interest at a rate per annum equal to, at the Company’sour option, either (a) the LIBOR rateRate as defined in the A&R Credit Agreement (or in the case of revolving credit loans denominated in a currency other than U.S. Dollars, the applicable quoted rate), plus a margin that varies within a range of 1.0%1.60% to 1.5%2.30% based on the Company’sour consolidated leverage ratio, or (b) a fluctuating reference rate equal to the highest of (i) the federal funds’fund rate plus 0.50%, (ii) Bank of America’s publicly announced prime rate, or (iii) the LIBOR rateRate plus 1.00% or (iv) 0.50%, plus a margin that varies within a range of 0.0%0.60% to 0.5%1.30% based on the Company’sour consolidated leverage ratio. The Company isIn addition to certain other fees and expenses that we are required to pay to the Lender, we are required to pay a commitment fee on the undrawn portion of the revolving credit facility at the rate of 0.25% per annum. Outstanding borrowings under the revolving credit line during fiscal 2019 bear interest at an annual rate of 5.6% and the Company has paid $61 thousand of interest expense for revolving credit line borrowings for the year ended January 31, 2019.

Both term loans bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the LIBOR rate plus a margin that varies within a range of 1.0% to 1.5%0.15% and 0.30% based on the Company’sour consolidated leverage ratio. In connection

We must comply with our entry intovarious customary financial and
non-financial
covenants under the originalAmended Credit Agreement. The financial covenants under the Amended Credit Agreement ANI ApS entered intoconsist of a hedging agreement to manage the variable interest rate risk and currency risk associated with its payments in respect to the term loan. Under this combined arrangement, payments of principal and interest with respect to approximately $8.9 million of the principal of the term loan will be made in Danish Krone, and interest on such principal amount will be payable at a fixed rate of 0.67% per annum for the entire term, subject only to potential changes based on the Company’smaximum consolidated leverage ratio and a minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio. In connectionThe minimum EBITDA, minimum consolidated asset coverage ratio, minimum liquidity and maximum capital expenditures covenants with our entry intowhich we were required to comply under the Second Amendment of theA&R Credit Agreement effective November 30, 2017, the Company entered into a hedging agreement to manage the variable interest rate risk associated with its payments in respect to the $15.0 million term loan. Under this combined arrangement, interest will be payable at a fixed rate of 2.04% per annum for the entire term, plus an incremental margin of 1.0% to 1.5%, based on the Company’s consolidated leverage ratio.

In connection with the Credit Agreement, AstroNova and ANI ApS entered into certain hedging arrangements with the Lender to manage the variable interest rate risk and currency risk associated with its payments in respect of the term loans.

The obligations of ANI ApS in respect of the $9.2 million term loan are guaranteedwere eliminated by the CompanyAmendment. The primary

non-financial
covenants limit our and TrojanLabel ApS. The Company’s obligationsour subsidiaries’ ability to incur future indebtedness, to place liens on assets, to pay dividends or distributions on their capital stock, to repurchase or acquire their capital stock, to conduct mergers or acquisitions, to sell assets, to alter their capital structure, to make investments and loans, to change the nature of their business, and to prepay subordinated indebtedness, in respect of the $15.0 million term loan, revolving credit facility and its guarantee in respect of the ANI ApS term loan are secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company (including a pledge of a portion of the equity interests held by the Company in ANI ApS and the Company’s wholly-owned German subsidiary AstroNova GmbH),each case subject to certain exceptions.

exceptions and thresholds as set forth in the Amended Credit Agreement, certain of which provisions were modified by the Amendment.

The Lender is entitled to accelerate repayment of the loans and to terminate its revolving credit commitment under the Amended Credit Agreement upon the occurrence of any of various customary events of default.

The Parties must comply with various customary financial andnon-financialdefault, which include, among other events, the following (which are subject, in some cases, to certain grace periods): failure to pay when due any principal, interest or other amounts in respect of the loans, breach of any of our covenants or representations under the loan documents, default under any other of our or our subsidiaries’ significant indebtedness agreements, a bankruptcy, insolvency or similar event with respect to us or any of our subsidiaries, a significant unsatisfied judgment against us or any of our subsidiaries, or a change of control.

Our obligations under the Amended Credit Agreement.

AsAgreement continue to be secured by substantially all of our personal property assets (including a pledge of the equity interests held by us in ANI ApS, in our wholly-owned German subsidiary AstroNova GmbH, and in our wholly-owned French subsidiary AstroNova SAS), subject to certain exceptions, and by a mortgage on our owned real property in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Pursuant to the Amendment, the guarantees of our obligations under the A&R Credit Agreement that were previously provided by ANI ApS and TrojanLabel were released.

PPP Loan
The PPP Loan, which will mature on May 6, 2022, is unsecured and bears interest at a rate of 1.0% per annum, accruing from the loan date and is payable monthly. No payments are due on the PPP Loan at this time, but interest accrues during the deferral period. Interest accrued in the amount of $33,000 is included in other expense for the period ended January 31, 2019,2021.
The PPP Loan may be prepaid at any time without penalty. The Loan Agreement and Promissory Note include customary provisions for a loan of this type, including prohibitions on our payment of dividends or repurchase of shares of our stock while the Company believes it is in compliance with allPPP Loan remains outstanding and events of default relating to, among other things, payment defaults, breaches of the covenantsprovisions of the Loan Agreement or the Promissory Note and cross-defaults on other loans.
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Table of Contents
Subject to the limitations and conditions set forth in the Credit Agreement.

CARES Act, the PPP Flexibility Act and the regulations and guidance provided by the SBA with respect to the PPP, a portion of the PPP Loan may be forgiven in an amount up to the amount of the PPP Loan proceeds we spent on payroll, rent, utilities and interest on certain debt during the twenty-four week period following incurrence of the PPP Loan; interest accrued on the forgiven portion of the principal amount of the PPP Loan is also forgiven. The amount of the PPP Loan to be forgiven in respect of rent, utilities and interest on certain debt will be capped at 40% of the forgiven amount, with the remaining forgiven amount allocated to payroll costs. We fully utilized the PPP Loan proceeds for qualifying expenses and have applied for forgiveness of the PPP Loan (including all associated accrued interest) subsequent to year end. Whether our application for forgiveness will be granted and in what amount is subject to an application to, and approval by, the SBA and may also be subject to further requirements in any regulations and guidelines the SBA may adopt.

Cash Flow

The statements of cash flows for the years ended January 31, 2019, 20182021, 2020 and 20172019 are included on page 4753 of this Form
10-K.
Net cash provided by operating activities was $3.4$15.5 million in fiscal 20192021 compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $3.7$3.2 million in the previous year. The decreaseincrease in net cash provided by operations for the current year is primarily due to payments of prior years’ accrued expenses to Honeywell under the TSA agreement and the increase in inventory to support the transition of the production of printers to the West Warwick facility in accordance with the Honeywell TSA. The combination of these factors on working capital, along with an increase in cash provided by working capital of $12.4 million from fiscal 2020. The changes in accounts receivable, due to increased revenueinventory, income taxes, accounts payable and accrued expenses for the current year resultedincreased cash by $7.4 million in a decrease in cash of $8.3 million for fiscal 2019,2021 compared to a decrease to cash of $5.0 million forin the same period in fiscal 2018. The current year decrease in cash provided by operations was somewhat offset by increased net income and an increase innon-cash amortization related to the Honeywell acquisition. prior year.
The accounts receivable balance was $23.5decreased to $17.4 million at the end of the current yearJanuary 31, 2021, compared to $22.4$19.8 at January 31, 2020. The $2.4 million decrease in the accounts receivable balance is directly related to lower full year revenues in fiscal 2021 compared to the prior year. The days sales outstanding dropped to 51 days at year end compared to 55 days at the end of fiscal 2018, although2020 contributing to the collection cyclelower receivables balance at January 31, 2021. The days sales outstanding decrease in the current year is due to customer mix, as aerospace receivables typically take longer to collect, and these revenues were down significantly in fiscal 2021.
The
year-end
inventory balance decreased to 49$30.1 million at January 31, 2021 versus $33.9 million at January 31, 2020 and the days comparedinventory on hand decreased to 55147 days at year end. The inventory balance increased to $30.2 million at the end of fiscal 2019,2021 as compared to $27.6 million at fiscal 2018 year end with the inventory days on hand decreasing to 120151 days at the end of the fiscal 2020. The current year from 124 days at the prior year end.

Net cash provided by operating activities was $3.7 million in fiscal 2018 compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $7.0 million in fiscal 2017. Theperiod decrease in net cash from operations for fiscal 2018 was primarilyinventory is due to lower production demand, particularly in the decrease in net incomeTest & Measurement segment and the increase in working capital accounts, particularly inventory and accounts receivables. Excluding the impact of the TrojanLabel acquisition, inventory increased $6.8 million

to $27.6 million in fiscal 2018 compared to $19.5 million in fiscal 2017, and accounts receivable increased $5.9 million to $22.4 million in fiscal 2018 from $15.7 million in fiscal 2017. The increase in inventory for fiscal 2018 was due to increased purchasing volume and decreased inventory turns, as inventoryrelated days on hand increased to 124 days at fiscal year end 2018 from 114 days at the prior year end. The increase in accounts receivable for fiscal 2018 was due to increased revenuedecline is a reflection of improved procurement strategies and an increase in the accounts receivable collection cycle to 55 days at January 31, 2018 compared to 49 days at the prior year end.

Net cash provided by operating activities was $7.0 million in fiscal 2017 compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $7.7 million in fiscal 2016. The decrease in net cash from operations for fiscal 2017 is primarily due to increased net income and increased cash used for working capital. The combination of changes in accounts receivable, inventory, and accounts payable and accrued expenses decreased cash by $3.6 million in fiscal 2017, compared to a decrease of $0.5 million in fiscal 2016. The year-over-year decline was due to increased inventory and purchasing volume in fiscal 2017. The accounts receivable collection cycle decreased to 49 days of revenue at January 31, 2017 compared to 50 days of revenue at the prior year end. Inventory days on hand increased to 114 days at the end of the 2017 fiscal year from 92 days at the prior year end.

production scheduling.

Net cash used by investing activities for fiscal 20192021 was $1.5 million, which included $2.6 million for capital expenditures, consisting of $0.1 million for land and building improvements; $1.5$2.4 million for information technology; $0.7 million for machinery and equipment; $0.2 million for tools and dies; and $0.1 million for furniture, fixtures and other capital expenditures. Cash used for investments in fiscal 2019 was partially offset by $1.5 million of proceeds from sales and maturities of securities available for sale.

Net cash used by investing activities for fiscal 2018 was $20.8 million, which included $23.9 million of cash paid for the TrojanLabel acquisition and the Honeywell asset purchase and licenses agreement, partially offset by $5.5 million of proceeds from sales and maturities of securities available for sale. Cash used for investing activities for fiscal 2018 included capital expenditures of $2.2 million, consisting of $0.7 million for land and building improvements; $0.7 million for information technology; $0.5 million for machinery and equipment; $0.2 million for tools and dies; and $0.1 million for furniture, fixtures and other capital expenditures.

Net cash provided by investing activities for fiscal 2017 was $3.1 million, which included $4.0 million of proceeds from maturities of securities available for sale and proceeds of $0.5 million related to the sale of the UK property. Cash used for investing activities for fiscal 2017 included capital expenditures of $1.2 million, consisting of $0.4 million for land and building improvements; $0.3 million for information technology; $0.3 million for machinery and equipment; $0.1 million for tools and dies; and $0.1 million for furniture, fixtures and other capital expenditures.

dies.

Net cash used by financing activities for fiscal 20192021 was $4.1$5.1 million, consisting primarily as a resultof $6.5 million net cash decrease on the revolving line of credit, $4.0 million of principal payments of $4.8 million on long-term debt, and $1.5$2.0 million payment on the Company’s revolving credit facility. Cash used for financing was partiallyguaranteed royalty obligation payment, and $0.5 million of dividends, offset by borrowings$4.4 million of $3.0proceeds received from the PPP loan and a net of $3.5 million onof proceeds received in the Company’s revolving credit facility insecond quarter of fiscal 2019. The Company did not repurchase any shares2021 related to the refinance of its common stock inlong-term debt..
Fiscal 2020 compared to Fiscal 2019
For a comparison of our cash flow for the fiscal 2019. Atyears ended January 31, 2020 and January 31, 2019, there is an ongoing authorization by the Company’s Boardsee “Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Directors Liquidity and Capital Resources” in our annual report on Form
10-K
for the purchasefiscal year ended January 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on April 10, 2020.
33

Table of 390,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. Cash provided or used by financing activities also included cash used to pay dividends of $1.9 million in both fiscal 2019 and 2018 and $2.1 million in fiscal 2017.

Net cash provided by financing activities for fiscal 2018 was $9.1 million and includes $24.2 million of proceeds related to the issuance of debt under the Company’s credit facility with Bank of America. Offsetting the cash provided by financing activities in fiscal 2018 was $11.2 million of cash used to repurchase 826,305 shares of the Company’s common stock at a per share price of $13.60. The purchase of these shares was from a trust established by the former founder and chief executive officer of the Company and did not impact the shares authorized for future purchases as part of the Company’s stock buyback program.

Contents

Contractual Obligations, Commitments and Contingencies

At January 31, 2019, the Company’s2021, our contractual obligations with initial remaining terms in excess of one year were as follows:

(In thousands)  Total   Less than
1 Year
   1-3
Years
   3-5
Years
   More than
5 Years
 

Purchase Commitments (1)

  $30,617   $30,146   $471   $—     $—   

Debt

   18,242    5,208    10,784    2,250    —   

Interest on Debt (2)

   1,517    585    709    223    —   

Royalty Obligation (3)

   11,791    1,779    3,651    3,152    3,209 

Excess Royalty Obligation (4)

   1,265    1,265    —      —      —   

Operating Lease Obligations

   2,616    574    907    567    568 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $64,783   $38,292   $16,522   $6,192   $3,777 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(In thousands)  
Total
   
Less than
1 Year
   
1-3

Years
   
3-5

Years
   
More than
5 Years
 
Purchase Commitments (1)
  $15,250   $14,959   $291   $—    $—  
Debt (2)
   12,576    5,326    7,250    —      —   
Interest on Debt (3)
   648    496    152    —      —   
Royalty Obligation (4)
   8,161    1,300    3,652    1,959    1,250 
Excess Royalty Obligation (5)
   177   177   —      —      —   
Operating Lease Obligations
   1,599    372    610    347    270 
                         
  $38,411   $22,630   $11,955   $2,306   $1,520 
                         
(1)

Purchase obligations include undiscounted amounts committed under legally enforceable contracts or purchase orders for goods and services with defined terms as to price, quantity and delivery dates.

(2)

Based on the term loan balance outstanding under the A&R Credit Agreement as of January 31, 2021.
(3)
Interest rate on variable rate debt is provided at the effective fixed rate paid by the Company per the hedging arrangements plus the maximum additional margin payable based on the Company’sLIBOR Rate, plus a margin that varies within a range of 2.15% to 3.65% based on our consolidated leverage ratio for the outstanding loan under the A&R Credit Agreement as of 1.5%.

January 31, 2021.
(3)(4)

The Company is

We are subject to a guaranteed minimum royalty payment obligation over the next tenseven years pursuant to the Honeywell Asset Purchase and License Agreement. Refer to Note 3, “Acquisitions,”11, “Royalty Obligation” in the audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report for further details.

(4)(5)

The Company is

We are subject to excess royalty payments beyond the guaranteed minimum royalty obligation pursuant to the Honeywell Asset Purchase & License Agreement. Refer to Note 3, “Acquisitions,11, “Royalty Obligation,” in the audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report for further details.

The Company is

We are also subject to contingencies, including legal proceedings and claims arising out of its businesses that cover a wide range of matters, such as: contract and employment claims; workers compensation claims; product liability claims; warranty claims; and claims related to modification, adjustment or replacement of component parts of units sold. While it is impossible to ascertain the ultimate legal and financial liability with respect to contingent liabilities, including lawsuits, we believe that the aggregate amount of such liabilities, if any, in excess of amounts provided, or covered by insurance, will not have a material adverse affecteffect on our consolidated financial position or results of operations. It is possible, however, that results of operations for any particular future period could be materially affected by changes in our assumptions or strategies related to these contingencies or changes out of the Company’sour control.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations are based upon the Company’sour consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Certain of our accounting policies require the application of judgment in selecting the appropriate assumptions for calculating financial estimates. By their nature, these judgments are subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty. We periodically evaluate the judgments and estimates used for our critical accounting policies to ensure that such judgments and estimates are reasonable for our interim and
year-end
reporting requirements. These judgments and estimates are based on the Company’sour historical experience, current trends and information available from other sources, as appropriate. If differentactual conditions resultdiffer from thosethe assumptions used in our judgments, theour financial results could be materially different from our estimates. We believe the following critical accounting policies require significant judgments and estimates in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements:

34

Revenue Recognition
:

Effective February 1, 2018, we adopted We recognize revenue in accordance with Accounting Standards Update

(ASU) 2014-9, Revenue
from Contracts with Customers and the related amendments (also referred to as Topic 606) using the modified retrospective method. Topic 606 was applied to all contracts within the scope of Topic 606 as of the February 1, 2018 adoption date.. Under ASC Topic 606, based on the nature of our contracts and consistent with prior practice, we recognize the large majoritymost of our revenue upon shipment, which is when the performance obligation has been satisfied. Accordingly, the adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our revenue recognition and there was no cumulative effective adjustment as of February 1, 2018 as a result of the adoption of ASC Topic 606.

Our accounting policies relating to the recognition of revenue under Topic 606 require management to make estimates, determinations and judgments based on historical experience and on various other assumptions, which include (i) the existence of a contract with the customer, (ii) the identification of the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) the value of any variable consideration in the contract, (iv) the stand alone selling price of multiple obligations in the contract, for the purpose of allocating the consideration in the contract, and (v) determining when a performance obligation has been met. Recognition of revenue based on incorrect judgments, including the identification of performance obligation arrangements as well as the pattern of delivery for those services, could result in inappropriate recognition of revenue, or incorrect timing of revenue recognition, which could have a material affecteffect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We recognize revenue for
non-recurring
engineering (NRE) fees, as necessary, for product modification orders upon completion of agreed-upon milestones. Revenue is deferred for any amounts received prior to completion of milestones. Certain of our NRE arrangements include formal customer acceptance provisions. In such cases, we determine whether we have obtained customer acceptance for the specific milestone before recognizing revenue.

Infrequently, the Company receiveswe receive requests from customers to hold product being purchased from us for the customers’ convenience. We recognize revenue for such bill and hold arrangements in accordance with the guidance provided by Topic 606, which requires the transaction to meet the following criteria in order to determine that the customer has obtained control: (a) the reason for the bill and hold is substantive, (b) the product has separately been identified as belonging to the customer, (c) the product is currently ready for physical transfer to the customer, and (d) the Company doeswe do not have the ability to use the product or direct it to another customer.

Warranty Claims

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts:
Accounts receivable consists primarily of receivables from our customers arising from the sale of our products. We actively monitor our exposure to credit risk through the use of credit approvals and Bad Debts:Provisionscredit limits. Accounts receivable is presented net of reserves for doubtful accounts.
We estimate the estimated costscollectability of our receivables and establish allowances for future product warranty claimsaccounts receivable that we estimate to be uncollectible. We base these allowances on our historical collection experience, the length of time our accounts receivable are outstanding and bad debtsthe financial condition of individual customers. In situations where we are recorded in costaware of revenue and general and administrative expense, respectively. The amounts recorded are generally based upon historically derived percentages while also factoring in any new business conditions that might impact the historical analysisa specific customer’s inability to meet its financial obligation, such as new product introductionin the case of a bankruptcy filing, we assess the need for warranty and bankruptcies of particular customersa specific reserve for bad debts. We also periodically evaluate the adequacy of reserves for warranty and bad debts recorded in our consolidated balance sheet as a further test to ensure the adequacy of the recorded provisions. Warranty and bad debt analysis often involves subjective analysis of a particular customer’s ability to pay. As a result, significant judgment is required in determining the appropriate amounts to record, and such judgments may prove to be incorrect in the future. We believe that our proceduresprocedure for estimating such amounts areis reasonable and historically have not resulted in material adjustments in subsequent periods whenperiods. Bad debt expense was less than 1% of net sales in each of fiscal 2021 and 2020.
Warranty Claims:
We offer warranties on some of our products. We establish a reserve for estimated costs of warranties at the time the product revenue is recognized. This reserve requires us to make estimates regarding the amounts necessary to settle future and existing claims using historical data on products sold as of the balance sheet date. The length of the warranty period, the product’s failure rates, and the customer’s usage affect estimated warranty cost. If actual warranty costs differ from our estimated amounts, future results of operations could be affected adversely. Warranty cost is recorded as cost of revenue, and the reserve balance recorded as an accrued expense. While we maintain product quality programs and processes, our warranty obligation is affected by product failure rates and the related corrective costs. If actual product failure rates and/or corrective costs differ from the estimates, are adjusted to the actual amounts.

we revise our estimated warranty liability accordingly.

Inventories:
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost(first-in,
(first-in,
first-out)
or net realizable value. The process for evaluating and recording obsolete and excess inventory provisions consists of analyzing the inventory supply on hand and estimating the net realizable value of the inventory based on historical experience, current business
35

conditions and anticipated future revenue. We believe that our procedures for estimating such amounts are reasonable and historically have not resulted in material adjustments in subsequent periods when the estimates are adjusted to actual experience.

Income Taxes:
A valuation allowance is established when it is
“more-likely-than-not”
that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized. A review of all available positive and negative evidence must be considered, including our performance, the market environment in which we operate, length of carryforward periods, existing revenue backlog and future revenue projections. If actual factors and conditions differ materially from the estimates made by management, the actual realization of the net deferred tax assets or liabilities could vary materially from the amounts previously recorded. At January 31, 2019, the Company has2021, we had provided valuation allowances for future state tax benefits resulting from certain domestic R&D tax credits and foreign tax credit carryforwards, both of which could expire unused.

The calculation of tax liabilities involves significant judgment in estimating the impact of uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws and regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions. Although guidance on the accounting for uncertain income taxes prescribes the use of a recognition and measurement model, the determination of whether an uncertain tax position has met those thresholds will continue to require significant judgment by management. If the ultimate resolution of tax uncertainties is different from what we have estimated, our income tax expense could be materially impacted.

On December 22, 2017, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”) was enacted into law in the U.S. and the new legislation contains several key tax provisions that affected us, including a
one-time
mandatory transition tax on accumulated foreign earnings and a reduction of the corporate income tax rate to 21% effective January 1, 2018, among others. We are required to recognize the effect of the tax law changes in the period of enactment, such as determining the transition tax, remeasuring our U.S. deferred tax assets and liabilities as well as reassessing the net realizability of our deferred tax assets and liabilities. In December 2017, the SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118, Income Tax Accounting Implications of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“SAB 118”), which allows us to record provisional amounts during a measurement period not to extend beyond one year of the enactment date. All accounting under SAB 118 was finalized during the quarter ending January 31, 2019 with no material changes from the provisional amounts previously recorded. Refer
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was signed into law. The legislation had sweeping effects including various types of economic relief for impacted businesses and industries. One such relief provision was the Paycheck Protection Program, which provided short-term cash flow assistance to Note 15 “Income Taxes”finance employee payroll and qualified expenses. On May 6, 2020, we entered into a loan agreement with, and executed a promissory note in favor of Greenwood Credit Union (“Greenwood”) pursuant to which we borrowed $4.4 million (the “PPP Loan”). On December 27, 2020 the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, H.R. 133 was signed into law. The legislation permits the deductibility of expenses to the extent that the payment of such expenses results (or is expected to result) in the audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhereforgiveness of a loan (covered loan) guaranteed under the Paycheck Protection Program. We have fully utilized the PPP Loan proceeds for qualifying expenses and subsequent to year end have applied for forgiveness of the PPP Loan (including all associated accrued interest) in this report for further details.

accordance with the terms of the CARES Act, as amended by the PPP Flexibility Act. Consistent with the legislation, we expect to deduct the full $4.4 million of qualified expenses on our 2020 federal tax return.

Intangible and Long-Lived Assets:
Long-lived assets, such as definite-lived intangible assets and property, plant and equipment, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. Determination of recoverability is based on an estimate of undiscounted future cash flows resulting from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition. If the projected undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying value, then an impairment charge would be recorded for the excess of the carrying value over the fair value, which is determined by the discounting of future cash flows.

Goodwill:
Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit. A reporting unit is an operating segment or a business unit one level below an operating segment if discrete financial information for that business is prepared and regularly reviewed by segment management. However, components within an operating segment
36

are aggregated as a single reporting unit if they have similar economic characteristics. Management evaluates the recoverability of goodwill annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances, such as declines in revenue, earnings or cash flows, or material adverse changes in the business climate, indicate that the carrying value of an asset might be impaired. Goodwill is first qualitatively assessed to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. Factors that management considers in this assessment include macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, overall financial performance (both current and projected), changes in management and strategy and changes in the composition or carrying amount of net assets. If this qualitative assessment indicates that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then a quantitative assessment is required for the reporting unit. The quantitative assessment compares the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying value. We estimate the fair value of our reporting units using the income approach based upon a discounted cash flow model. We believe that this approach is appropriate because it provides a fair value estimate based upon the reporting unit’s expected long-term operating cash flow performance. In addition, we use the market approach, which compares the reporting unit to publicly-tradedpublicly traded companies and transactions involving similar business, to support the conclusions based upon the income approach. The income approach requires the use of many

assumptions and estimates including future revenue, expenses, capital expenditures, and working capital, as well as discount factors and income tax rates. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds the carrying value of the net assets including goodwill assigned to that unit, goodwill is not impaired. If the carrying value of the reporting unit’s net assets including goodwill exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, then we record an impairment charge based on that difference.

Due to the consideration of the impact of the decline in the global economy due to the global
COVID-19
pandemic, coupled with the grounding of the 737 MAX in March, 2019 and the 737 MAX production halt in January, 2020 which negatively impacted revenues and margins in fiscal 2020 and 2021, we elected to forgo the qualitative assessment and perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test to determine whether the carrying values of the reporting units are greater than the fair values. We utilized a blended income and market approach. The income approach was based upon a discounted cash flow model which we believe provides a fair values estimate of the reporting unit’s expected long-term operating performance. The market approach compares the reporting units to similar publicly traded companies. Based on our quantitative impairment assessment as of January 31, 2021, we determined that the fair value of the reporting units were in excess of their carrying values and therefore, no goodwill impairment has occurred.
Self-Insurance Liability Accrual:
We maintain self-insured group medical and dental programs for qualifying employees in the United States and maintain stop-loss coverage from a third party which limits our exposure to large claims. We record a liability associated with these benefits that includes an estimate of both claims filed and losses incurred but not yet reported based on historical claims experience. In estimating this accrual, we utilize an independent third-party broker to estimate a range of expected losses, which are based on analyses of historical data. Our assumptions are closely monitored and adjusted when warranted by changing circumstances. Should claims occur or medical costs increase in greater amounts than we have expected, accruals may not be sufficient, and we may record additional expenses.
Share-Based Compensation:
Share-based compensation expense is measured based on the estimated fair value of the share-based award when granted and is recognized as an expense over the requisite service period (generally the vesting period of the equity grant). We have estimated the fair value of each option on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Our estimate of share-based compensation requires a number ofseveral complex and subjective assumptions including our stock price volatility, employee exercise patterns (expected life of the options), the risk-free interest rate and the Company’sour dividend yield. The stock price volatility assumption is based on the historical weekly price data of our common stock over a period equivalent to the weighted-average expected life of our options. Management evaluated whether there were factors during that period which were unusual and would distort the volatility figure if used to estimate future volatility and concluded that there were no such factors. In determining the expected life of the option grants, the Company haswe have observed the actual terms of prior grants with similar characteristics and the actual vesting schedule of the grants and assessed the expected risk tolerance of different option groups. The risk-free interest rate used in the model is based on the actual
37

U.S. Treasury zero coupon rates for bonds matching the expected term of the option as of the option grant date. The dividend assumption is based upon the prior year’s average dividend yield. No compensation expense is recognized for options that are forfeited for which the employee does not render the requisite service. Our accounting for share-based compensation for restricted stock awards (RSA)(“RSAs”) and restricted stock units (RSU)(“RSUs”) is also based on the fair value method. The fair value of the RSUs and RSAs is based on the closing market price of the Company’sour common stock on the date of grant. Reductions in compensation expense associated with forfeited awards are estimated at the date of grant, and this estimated forfeiture rate is adjusted periodically based on actual forfeiture experience.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Reference is made to Note 1 of our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

Item 7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

We have exposure to

Our primary financial market risks including changes inconsists of foreign currency exchange rates risk and the impact of changes in interest rates.

rates that fluctuate with the market on our variable rate credit borrowings under our existing credit agreement.

Financial Exchange Risk

The functional currencies of our foreign subsidiaries and branches are the local currencies – currencies—the British Pound in the UK,U.K., the Canadian Dollar in Canada, the Danish KroneKroner in Denmark, the Chinese Yuan in China, and the Euro in France and Germany. We are exposed to foreign currency exchange risk as the functional currency financial statements of foreign subsidiaries are translated to U.S. dollars. The assets and liabilities of our foreign subsidiaries having a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate prevailing at the balance sheet date, and at an average exchange rate for the reporting period for revenue and expense accounts. The cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment is recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in shareholders’ equity. The reported results of our foreign subsidiaries will be influenced by their translation into U.S. dollars by currency movements against the U.S. dollar. Our primary currency translation exposure is related to our subsidiaries that have functional currencies denominated in Danish Kroner and the Euro. A hypothetical 10% change in the rates used to translate the results of our foreign subsidiaries would result in an increase or decrease in our consolidated net income of less than $0.1approximately $0.3 million for the year ended January 31, 2019.

2021.

Transactional exposure arises where transactions occur in currencies other than the functional currency. Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded at the exchange rate prevailing at the date of the transaction. The resulting monetary assets and liabilities are translated into the appropriate functional currency at exchange rates prevailing at the balance sheet date and the resulting gains and losses are reported as foreign exchange gain (loss) in the consolidated statements of income. Realized and unrealized foreignForeign exchange lossesgains resulting from transactional exposure were $0.7$0.6 million for the year ended January 31, 2019.

2021.

Interest Rate Risk

At January 31, 2021, our total indebtedness included $12.6 million of term loan variable-rate debt. At January 31, 2021, the term loan under the A&R Credit Agreement bears interest at the LIBOR rate plus a margin that varies within a range of 2.15% to 3.65% based on our consolidated leverage ratio. The Company has exposure to interest rate risk from its variable rate long-term debt. We entered into interest rate swaps to hedgeimpact on our results of operations of a 100basis point change in the interest rate exposure related toon the outstanding balance of our variable rate debt. Generally, the fair market valuevariable-rate debt at January 31, 2021, would be approximately $0.1 million annually.
38

Table of fixed interest rate debt will increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Giving effect to our interest rate swaps, if interest rates were to decrease by 50 basis points, the fair value of the Company’s debt would increase by approximately $0.2 million. If interest rates were to increase by 50 basis points, the fair value of the Company’s debt would decrease by approximately $0.2 million.Contents

Item 8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

The consolidated financial statements required under this item are submitted as a separate section of this report on the pages indicated at Item 15(a)(1).

Item 9.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

None.

Item 9A.
Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management has evaluated, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form
10-K
pursuant to Rules
13a-15(e)
and
15d-15(e)
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act). Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at January 31, 20192021 to ensure that the information required to be disclosed in our Exchange Act reports is (1) recorded, processed, summarized and reported in a timely manner and (2) accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

The Company’s

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules
13a-15(f)
and
15d-15(f)
under the Exchange Act). The Company’sOur internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of its financial reporting and the preparation of published financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Because of the inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance may deteriorate.

Management conducted its evaluation of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting as of January 31, 2019.2021. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth in the Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). Based on this assessment, the principal executive officer and principal financial officer believe that as of January 31, 2019, the Company’s2021, our internal control over financial reporting was effective based on criteria set forth by COSO in “Internal Control-Integrated Framework.”

The attestation report of the Company’s registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting appears in Part IV, Item 15 of this Form10-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

Changes in Internal Controls over Financial Reporting

There have been no changes in the Company’sour internal control over financial reporting during our most recentrecently completed fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Item 9B.
Other Information

None.

39

PART III

Item 10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

The information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference to the Company’sour definitive proxy statement to be filed for the 2019our 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

The following sets forth certain information with respect to all executive officers of the Company. All officers serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors.

Name

  
Age
   

Position

Gregory A. Woods

60  

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

David S. Smith

   62    

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
David S. Smith
64  
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Michael

Stephen M. Morawetz

Petrarca
   5958    

Vice President—EMEA

Operations

Stephen M. Petrarca

Michael J. Natalizia
   5657    

Chief Technology Officer and Vice President—Operations

President of Strategic Technical Alliances

Michael J. Natalizia

Tom Carll
   5554    

Vice President and Chief Technology Officer

General Manager—Aerospace

Mr. Woods has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Company since February 1, 2014. Mr. Woods joined the Company in September 2012 as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer on August 29, 2013. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Woods served from January 2010 to August 2012 as Managing Director of Medfield Advisors, LLC, an advisory firm located in Medfield, Massachusetts focused on providing corporate development and strategy guidance to technology driven manufacturing firms. From 2008 to 2010, Mr. Woods served as President of Performance Motion Devices, a specialty semiconductor and electronics manufacturer located in Lincoln, Massachusetts.

Mr. Smith was appointed Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Company effective January 22, 2018. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Smith served as Managing Partner of S.C. Advisors LLC, a financial management consultancy firm from 2008 through January 2018. Mr. Smith has also held a variety of senior finance positions at semiconductor and manufacturing companies, including Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Standard Microsystems Corporation, a global semiconductor company, from 2005 to 2008 and Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of both Dover Corporation, a diversified global manufacturing company, from 2000 to 2002 and Crane Company, a diversified manufacturing company from 1994 to 2000.

Mr. Morawetz was appointed Vice President—EMEA in 2006. He was previously the General Manager of Branch Operations for the Company’s German subsidiary, having joined the Company in 1989.

Mr. Petrarca was appointed Vice President—Operations in 1998. He has previously held positions as General Manager of Manufacturing, Manager of Grass Operations and Manager of Grass Sales. He has been with the Company since 1980.

Mr. Natalizia was appointed Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of the Company on March 9, 2012. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Natalizia held the position of Director of Product Development of the Company since 2005.

Mr. Carll joined the Company in 1989 and has held the position of Vice President and General Manager—Aerospace since 2011. Previously, Mr. Carll was Product Manager and National Sales Manager of the AstroNova Test & Measurement product group and from its formation in 2004, the AstroNova Aerospace business group.
Code of Ethics

The Company has

We have adopted a Code of Conduct which applies to all of our directors, officers and employees of the Company, including theour Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) and principal accounting officer which meets the requirements of a “code of ethics” as defined in Item 406 of Regulation
S-K.
A copy of the Code of Conduct will be provided to shareholders, without charge, upon request directed to Investor Relations or can be obtained on the Company’sour website, (www.astronovainc.com)
(www.astronovainc.com)
, under the heading “Investors—Corporate Governance—Governance Documents.” The Company intendsWe intend to disclose any amendment to, or waiver of, a provision of the Code of Conduct for the CEO, CFO, principal accounting officer, or persons performing similar functions by posting such information on itsour website.

40

Item 11.
Executive Compensation

The information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference to the Company’sour definitive Proxy Statement to be filed for the 2019our 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

The information set forth under the heading “Compensation Committee Report” in the Company’sour definitive Proxy Statement is furnished and shall not be deemed filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, nor be incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Item 12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

The information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference to the Company’sour definitive Proxy Statement to be filed for the 2019our 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table sets forth information about the Company’sour equity compensation plans as of January 31, 2019:

Plan Category

  Number of Securities to
be Issued Upon Exercise
of Outstanding Options,
Warrants and Rights
  Weighted-
Average Exercise
Price of
Outstanding
Options,
Warrants and
Rights
  Number of Securities
Remaining Available for
Future Issuance Under
Equity Compensation Plans
 

Equity Compensation Plans Approved by Shareholders

   901,664(1)  $14.30(2)   290,593(3) 

Equity Compensation Plans Not Approved by Shareholders

   —     —     —   
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total

   901,664(1)  $14.30(2)   290,593(3) 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

2021:
Plan Category
  
Number of Securities to
be Issued Upon Exercise
of Outstanding Options,
Warrants and Rights
  
Weighted-
Average Exercise
Price of
Outstanding
Options,
Warrants and
Rights
  
Number of Securities
Remaining Available for
Future Issuance Under
Equity Compensation Plans
 
Equity Compensation Plans Approved by Shareholders
   771,496(1)  $14.63(2)   538,853(3) 
Equity Compensation Plans Not Approved by Shareholders
   —     —     —   
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
Total
   771,496(1)  $14.63(2)   538,853(3) 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
(1)

Includes 417,695337,958 shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding options granted under the Company’sour 2007 Equity Incentive Plan; 202,450148,625 shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding options granted and 50,58510,833 restricted stock units outstanding under the Company’sour 2015 Equity Incentive Plan; and 151,000135,500 shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding options granted and 79,934138,580 restricted stock units outstanding under the Company’sour 2018 Equity Incentive Plan

Plan. This balance does not include 48,000 of unvested restricted stock which are subject to forfeiture.
(2)

Does not include restricted stock units.

(3)

Represents 256,740528,479 shares available for grant under the AstroNova, Inc. 2018 Equity Incentive Plan and 33,85310,374 shares available for purchase under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. This balance does not include 3,148 shares issued pursuant to outstanding unvested restricted stock awards which are subject to forfeiture.

Additional information regarding these equity compensation plans is contained in Note 14,15, “Share-Based Compensation,” in the Company’sour Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 15 hereto.

Item 13.
Certain Relationships, Related Transactions and Director Independence

The information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference to the Company’sour definitive Proxy Statement for the 2019our 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

Item 14.
Principal Accountant Fees and Services

The information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference to the Company’sour definitive Proxy Statement for the 2019our 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

41

PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedule

(a)(1) Financial Statements:

The following documents are included as part of this Annual Report filed on Form
10-K:

   
Page

  41-4247-48

  4349

  4450

  4551

  4652

  4753

  48-7954-81

(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedule:

  

  8083

All other schedules for which provision is made in the applicable accounting regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission are not required under the related instructions or are inapplicable, and therefore, have been omitted.

Item 16. Form
10-K
Summary

Not Applicable.

(a)(3) Exhibits:

Exhibit

Number

  
    (2.1) Share Purchase Agreement, dated January 7, 2017, as amended, by and among ANI ApS, Trojan Holding ApS, as a Seller and as the Sellers’ Representative, and Li Wei Chong filed as Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’sour Annual Report on Form10-K for the year ended January 31, 2017 and incorporated by reference herein*
    (3A) Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Company and all amendments thereto filed as Exhibit 3A to the Company’sour Quarterly Report on Form10-Q for the quarter ended April 30, 2016 and incorporated by reference herein.
    (3B) By-laws of the Company as amended to date filed as Exhibit 3B to the Company’sour Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2008 (File No. 000-13200) and incorporated by reference herein.
    (4)(4.1) Specimen form of common stock certificate of the Company filed as Exhibit 4 to the Company’sour Quarterly Report on Form10-Q for the quarter ended April 30, 2016 and incorporated by reference herein.
    (4.2)Description of securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act filed as Exhibit 4.2 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2020 (File No. 000-13200) and incorporated by reference herein.
  (10.1) AstroNova,We , Inc. 2007 Equity Incentive Plan as filed as Appendix A to the Definitive Proxy Statement filed on April 25, 2007 on Schedule 14A (File No. 000-13200) for the 2007 annual shareholders meeting and incorporated by reference herein.**
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Exhibit

Number

 (10.3)Form of Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement filed as Exhibit 10.9 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended April 28, 2012 and incorporated by reference herein.**
 (10.4)Equity Incentive Award Agreement dated as of November 24, 2014 by and between the Company and Gregory A. Woods filed as Exhibit 10.12 to the Company’sour Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 2015 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.5)(10.3) Change in Control Agreement dated as of November 24, 2014 by and between the Company and Gregory A. Woods filed as Exhibit 10.13 to the Company’sour Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 2015 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.6)(10.4) AstroNova Inc. 2015 Equity Incentive Plan filed as Exhibit A to the Definitive Proxy Statement filed on April 21, 2015 (File No. 000-13200) for the 2015 annual shareholders meeting and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.7)(10.5) Senior Executive Short Term Incentive Plan adopted March  27, 2015 filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended May 2, 2015 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.8)General Manager Employment Contract dated November  18, 2014 by and among AstroNova, Inc. and Michael Morawetz filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended May  2, 2015 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.9)Form of Indemnification Agreement for directors and officers filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’sour Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended October 31, 2015 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.10)(10.6) Credit Agreement dated February  28, 2017 among AstroNova, Inc., as the U.S. Borrower, ANI APS, as the Danish Borrower, Certain Subsidiaries of the U.S. Borrower, as the Guarantors and Bank of America, N.A. filed as Exhibit 10.16 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017 and incorporated by reference herein.
  (10.11)Security and Pledge Agreement dated February  28, 2017 among AstroNova, Inc. as the U.S. Borrower and such other parties that become Grantors hereunder after the date hereof and Bank of America, N.A. filed as Exhibit 10.18 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017 and incorporated by reference herein.
  (10.12)AstroNova, Inc. Amended and RestatedNon-Employee Director Annual Compensation Program filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended July 30, 2016 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.13)Form of Restricted Stock Agreement granted under the Amended and Restated Non-Employee Director Annual Compensation Program filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form10-Q for the period ended July 30, 2016 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.14)(10.7) Form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement granted under the 2015 Equity Incentive Plan filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended July 30, 2016 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.15)(10.8) Form ofNon-Statutory Stock Option Agreement granted under the 2015 Equity Incentive Plan filed as Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended July 30, 2016 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.16)(10.9) Form ofNon-Employee DirectorNon-Statutory Stock Option Agreement granted under the 2015 Equity Incentive Plan filed as Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form10-Q for the period ended July 30, 2016 and incorporated by reference herein.**

Exhibit

Number

  (10.17)(10.10) Form of Restricted Stock Agreement granted under the 2015 Equity Incentive Plan filed as Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended July 30, 2016 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.18)(10.11) Form ofNon-Employee Director Restricted Stock Agreement granted under the 2015 Equity Incentive Plan filed as Exhibit 10.7 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended July 30, 2016 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.19)(10.12) Form of Time-Based Restricted Stock Unit Agreement granted under the 2015 Equity Incentive Plan filed as Exhibit 10.8 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended July 30, 2016 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.20)(10.13) Form of Performance Restricted Stock Unit Agreement granted under the 2015 Equity Incentive Plan filed as Exhibit 10.9 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended July 30, 2016 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.21)(10.14) Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of May  1, 2017, by and among AstroNova, Inc. and the trust established by Albert W. Ondis by Declaration of Trust dated December 4, 2003, as amended filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form8-K, event date May 1, 2017, filed with the SEC on May 5, 2017 and incorporated by reference herein.
  (10.22)Consent under Credit Agreement, dated as of May  1, 2017, by and among AstroNova, Inc., ANI ApS, Trojanlabel ApS, and Bank of America, N.A. filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form8-K, event date May  1, 2017, filed with the SEC on May 5, 2017 and incorporated by reference herein.
  (10.23)AstroNova, Inc. Amended and RestatedNon-Employee Director Annual Compensation Program, as amended filed as Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended April 29, 2017 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.24)Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of May  1, 2017, by and among AstroNova, Inc. and the trust established by Albert W. Ondis by Declaration of Trust dated December 4, 2003, as amended filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form8-K, event date May 1, 2017, filed with the SEC on May 5, 2017 and incorporated by reference herein.
  (10.25)Consent under Credit Agreement, dated as of May  1, 2017, by and among AstroNova, Inc., ANI ApS, Trojanlabel ApS, and Bank of America, N.A. filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form8-K, event date May  1, 2017, filed with the SEC on May 5, 2017 and incorporated by reference herein.
  (10.26)Asset Purchase and License Agreement, dated September 28, 2017, by and between AstroNova, Inc. and Honeywell International, Inc. filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form8-K, event date September 28, 2017, filed with the SEC on October 4, 2017 and incorporated by reference herein.
  (10.27)(10.15) First Amendment to the Credit Agreement, dated September  28, 2017, by and among AstroNova, Inc., ANI ApS, Trojan Label ApS and Bank of America, N.A. filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form8-K, event dated September  28, 2017, filed with the SEC on October 4, 2017 and incorporated by reference herein.
  (10.28)Second Amendment to the Credit Agreement, dated November  30, 2017, by and among AstroNova, Inc., ANI ApS, Trojan Label ApS and Bank of America, N.A. filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form8-K, event dated November  30, 2017, filed with the SEC on December 6, 2017 and incorporated by reference herein.

Exhibit

Number

  (10.29)Amended and Restated AstroNova, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K/A, event date November 20, 2017, filed with the SEC on December 28, 2017 and incorporated by reference herein.
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Exhibit
Number
  (10.30)(10.16) Letter Agreement dated January 12, 2018 between the Company and David Smith filed as Exhibit 10.30 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2018 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.31)(10.17) Third Amendment to the Credit Agreement, dated April  17, 2018, by and among AstroNova, Inc., ANI ApS, Trojan Label ApS and Bank of America, N.A. filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form10-Q for the period ended April  28, 2018 and incorporated by reference herein.
  (10.32)AstroNova, Inc. 2018 Equity Incentive Plan filed as Appendix A to the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on May 4, 2018 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.33)Form of Performance-based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form8-K, event date June 4, 2018, filed with the SEC on June 4, 2018 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.34)(10.18) Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (time-based vesting) filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form8-K, event date June 4, 2018, filed with the SEC on June 4, 2018 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.35)(10.19) Form of Incentive Stock Option filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Current Report on Form8-K, event date June 4, 2018, filed with the SEC on June 4, 2018 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.36)(10.20) Form ofNon-statutory Stock Option filed as Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Current Report on Form8-K, event date June 4, 2018, filed with the SEC on June 4, 2018 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.37)(10.21) Form ofNon-statutory Stock Option(Non-employee Director) filed as Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Current Report on Form8-K, event date June 4, 2018, filed with the SEC on June 4, 2018 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.38)(10.22) Form of Restricted Stock Agreement filed as Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Current Report on Form8-K, event date June 4, 2018, filed with the SEC on June 4, 2018 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.39)(10.23) Form ofNon-employee Director Restricted Stock Agreement filed as Exhibit 10.7 to the Company’s Current Report on Form8-K filed, event date June 4, 2018, filed with the SEC on June 4, 2018 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.40)(10.24) AstroNova, Inc. Amended and RestatedNon-Employee Director Annual Compensation Program filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form8-K filed, event date January 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on February 4, 2019 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.41)(10.25) AstroNova, Inc. 2018 Equity Incentive PlanNon-Employee Director Restricted Stock Agreement.Agreement filed as Exhibit 10.41 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2019 and incorporated by reference to herein.*
  (10.26)AstroNova, Inc. 2018 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, filed as Appendix A to the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement filed with the SEC on May 25, 2019 on Schedule 14A and incorporated by reference herein.*
  (10.27)Loan Agreement effective as of May 6, 2020, by and between AstroNova, Inc. and Greenwood Credit Union, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended May 2, 2020 and incorporated by reference herein.
  (10.28)Promissory Note dated May 6, 2020, by and between AstroNova, Inc. and Greenwood Credit Union, filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended May 2, 2020 and incorporated by reference herein.
  (10.29)Letter of Agreement dated June 22, 2020 between AstroNova, Inc. and Bank of America, N.A. , filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended May 2, 2020 and incorporated by reference herein.
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Exhibit
Number
  (10.30)Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of July 30, 2020 among AstroNova, Inc., ANI ApS, TrojanLabel ApS, and Bank of America, N.A. filed as Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended August 1, 2020 and incorporated by reference herein.
  (10.31)Amended and Restated Security and Pledge Agreement dated as of July 30, 2020 among AstroNova, Inc. and Bank of America, N.A. , filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, event date July 30, 2020, and incorporated by reference herein.
  (10.32)Open-End Mortgage Deed to Secure Present and Future Loans under Chapter 25 of Title 34 of the Rhode Island General Laws, Assignment of Leases and Rents, Security Agreement and Fixture Filing dated as of July 30, 2020 among AstroNova, Inc. and Bank of America, N.A. , filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, event date July 30, 2020, and incorporated by reference herein.
  (10.33)Change in Control Agreement dated September 8, 2020 by and between AstroNova, Inc. and David S. Smith. filed as Exhibit 10.7 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended August 1, 2020 and incorporated by reference herein.**
  (10.34)First Amendment to Credit Agreement dated as of March 24, 2021 among AstroNova, Inc. ANI ApS, TrojanLabel ApS and Bank of America, N.A.
  (10.35)First Amendment to Open-End Mortgage Deed to Secure Present and Future Loans under Chapter 25 of Title 34 of the Rhode Island General Laws, Assignment of Leases and Rents, Security Agreement and Fixture Filing dated as of March 24, 2021 among AstroNova, Inc. and Bank of America, N.A.
  (21) List of Subsidiaries of the Company.
  (23.1) Consent of Wolf & Company, P.C.
  (31.1) Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
  (31.2) Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Exhibit

Number

  (32.1) Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
  (32.2) Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
  (101)(101.INS) The following materials from Registrant’s Annual Report onForm 10-K for XBRL Instance Document—the year ended January 31, 2019, formattedinstance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language): (i)tags are embedded within the Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii)Inline XBRL document
  (101.SCH)Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
  (101.CAL)Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
  (101.DEF)Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
  (101.LAB)Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
  (101.PRE)Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
  (104)Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Consolidated Statements of Income, (iii) the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, (iv) the Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity, (v) the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, and (vi) the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. Filed electronically herein.Inline XBRL document).

*

Schedules to this Exhibit have been omitted in reliance on Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation
S-K.
The Company will furnish copies of any such schedules to the SEC upon request.

**

Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

45

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) 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.

  

ASTRONOVA, INC.

(Registrant)

Date: April 10, 201913, 2021  By: 

/S/    GREGORY A. WOODS        

   (Gregory A. Woods, Chief Executive Officer)

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the date indicated.

Name

  

Title

 

Date

/S/s/    GREGORY A. WOODS

Gregory A. Woods

  

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)

 April 10, 201913, 2021

/S/s/    DAVID S. SMITH

David S. Smith

  

Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Accounting and Financial Officer)

 April 10, 201913, 2021

/S/s/    JEAN A. BUA

Jean A. Bua

  

Director

 April 10, 201913, 2021

/S/s/    MITCHELL I. QUAIN

Mitchell I. Quain

  

Director

 April 10, 201913, 2021

/S/s/    YVONNE E. SCHLAEPPI

Yvonne E. Schlaeppi

  

Director

 April 10, 201913, 2021

/S/s/    HAROLD SCHOFIELD

Harold Schofield

  

Director

 April 10, 201913, 2021

/S/s/    RICHARD S. WARZALA

Richard S. Warzala

  

Director

 April 10, 201913, 2021

46

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Shareholders and Board of Directors and Shareholders of

AstroNova, Inc.

Opinions on the Consolidated Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of AstroNova, Inc. (the “Company”) as of January 31, 20192021 and 2018,2020, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended January 31, 2019,2021 and the related notes and the financial statement schedule listed in Item 15(a)(2)(collectively, the financial statements)“financial statements”). We also have audited AstroNova, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of January 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of January 31, 20192021 and 2018,2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended January 31, 20192021 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of January 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.

Basis for Opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for these

These financial statements for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessmentare the responsibility of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting.Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements and an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the auditsaudit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effectivefraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, was maintained in all material respects.

but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits of the financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

Definition and Limitationsopinion.

Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in

accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertainwere communicated or required to be communicated to the maintenance of recordsaudit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflectare material to the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effectany way our opinion on the financial statements.

Becausestatements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

Goodwill Impairment Assessment
As discussed in Note 3 to the financial statements, the Company’s consolidated goodwill balance was approximately $12.8 million as of its inherent limitations, internal control over financialJanuary 31, 2021. Company management tests goodwill for impairment at the reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projectionsunit level, at least annually, at the end of anythe fiscal year. As a result of the decline in revenues and
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margins in the current year, management performed a quantitative goodwill impairment test as of January 31, 2021. The quantitative assessment utilizes a combination of the income approach and market approach to estimate the fair value of each reporting unit.
We have identified the evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject togoodwill for impairment as a critical audit matter as a result of (i) the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or thatsignificant judgment by management when developing the fair value measurements and; (ii) a high degree of complianceauditor judgment, subjectivity, and effort in performing procedures and evaluating management’s significant assumptions related to financial projections.
Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the policies orfinancial statements. These procedures may deteriorate.

included, among others (i) evaluating the qualifications of the third-party expert engaged by management; (ii) testing management’s, and the third-party expert’s, process for developing the fair value estimates, including consideration of the appropriateness of the methods used; (iii) testing the completeness and accuracy of underlying data used in the fair value estimates; and (iv) evaluating the significant assumptions used in developing financial projections. In evaluating management’s assumptions used in the development of financial projections we considered (i) the current and past performance of the reporting units; (ii) whether these assumptions were consistent with evidence obtained in other areas of the audit and (iii) the sensitivity to change of the assumptions used.

/s/ Wolf & Company, P.C.

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2013.

Boston, Massachusetts

April 10, 201913, 2021
48

Table of Contents

ASTRONOVA, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

As of January 31

(In Thousands, Except Share Data)

   2019  2018 
ASSETS   

CURRENT ASSETS

   

Cash and Cash Equivalents

  $7,534  $10,177 

Securities Available for Sale

   —     1,511 

Accounts Receivable, net of reserves of $521 in 2019 and $377 in 2018

   23,486   22,400 

Inventories

   30,161   27,609 

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets

   1,427   1,251 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total Current Assets

   62,608   62,948 

Property, Plant and Equipment, net

   10,380   9,752 

Identifiable Intangibles, net

   29,674   33,633 

Goodwill

   12,329   13,004 

Deferred Tax Assets, net

   2,928   1,829 

Other

   1,064   1,147 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

TOTAL ASSETS

  $118,983  $122,313 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY   

CURRENT LIABILITIES

   

Accounts Payable

  $5,956  $11,808 

Accrued Compensation

   5,023   2,901 

Other Accrued Expenses

   2,911   2,414 

Current Portion of Long-Term Debt

   5,208   5,498 

Current Liability —Royalty Obligation

   1,875   1,625 

Revolving Credit Facility

   1,500   —   

Current Liability —Excess Royalty Payment Due

   1,265   615 

Income Taxes Payable

   554   684 

Deferred Revenue

   373   367 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total Current Liabilities

   24,665   25,912 

NON CURRENT LIABILITIES

   

Long-Term Debt, net of current portion

   12,870   17,648 

Royalty Obligation, net of current portion

   9,916   11,760 

Deferred Tax Liabilities

   40   698 

Other Long Term Liabilities

   1,717   2,648 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

TOTAL LIABILITIES

   49,208   58,666 

Commitments and Contingencies (See Note 20)

   

SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

   

Preferred Stock, $10 Par Value, Authorized 100,000 shares, None Issued

   —     —   

Common Stock, $0.05 Par Value, Authorized 13,000,000 shares; Issued 10,218,559 shares in 2019 and 9,996,120 shares in 2018

   511   500 

AdditionalPaid-in Capital

   53,568   50,016 

Retained Earnings

   49,511   45,700 

Treasury Stock, at Cost, 3,261,672 shares in 2019 and 3,227,942 shares in 2018

   (32,997  (32,397

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss, Net of Tax

   (818  (172
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

   69,775   63,647 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

  $118,983  $122,313 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

   
2021
  
2020
 
ASSETS
         
CURRENT ASSETS
         
Cash and Cash Equivalents
  $11,439  $4,249 
Accounts Receivable, net of reserves of $1,054 in 2021 and $856 in 2020
   17,415   19,784 
Inventories
   30,060   33,925 
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets
   1,807   2,193 
          
Total Current Assets
   60,721   60,151 
         
Property, Plant and Equipment, net
   12,011   11,268 
Identifiable Intangibles, net
   21,502   25,383 
Goodwill
   12,806   12,034 
Deferred Tax Assets, net
   5,941   5,079 
Right of Use Asset
   1,389   1,661 
Other
   1,103   1,088 
          
TOTAL ASSETS
  $115,473  $116,664 
          
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
         
CURRENT LIABILITIES
         
Accounts Payable
  $5,734  $4,409 
Accrued Compensation
   2,852   2,700 
Other Accrued Expenses
   3,939   4,711 
Revolving Credit Facility
   —     6,500 
Current Portion of Long-Term Debt
   5,326   5,208 
Current Liability—Royalty Obligation
   2,000   2,000 
Current Liability—Excess Royalty Payment Due
   177   773 
Income Taxes Payable
   655   —   
Deferred Revenue
   285   466 
          
Total Current Liabilities
   20,968   26,767 
NON CURRENT LIABILITIES
         
Long-Term Debt, net of current portion
   7,109   7,715 
Royalty Obligation, net of current portion
   6,161   8,012 
Long-Term Debt—PPP Loan
   4,422   —   
Lease Liabilities, net of current portion
   1,065   1,279 
Income Taxes Payable
   681   1,081 
Deferred Tax Liabilities
   384   435 
          
TOTAL LIABILITIES
   40,790   45,289 
Commitments and Contingencies (See Note 21)
       
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
         
Preferred Stock, $10 Par Value, Authorized 100,000 shares, NaNne Issued
   0—     0—   
Common Stock, $0.05 Par Value, Authorized 13,000,000 shares; Issued 10,425,094 shares in 2021 and 10,343,610 shares in 2020
   521   517 
Additional
Paid-in
Capital
   58,049   56,130 
Retained Earnings
   50,085   49,298 
Treasury Stock, at Cost, 3,297,058 shares in 2021 and 3,281,701 shares in 2020
   (33,588  (33,477
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss, net of tax
   (384  (1,093
          
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
   74,683   71,375 
          
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
  $115,473  $116,664 
          
See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

49

ASTRONOVA, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

For the years ended January 31

(In Thousands, Except Per Share Data)

   2019  2018  2017 

Revenue

  $136,657  $113,401  $98,448 

Cost of Revenue

   82,658   69,399   58,959 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Gross Profit

   53,999   44,002   39,489 

Costs and Expenses:

    

Selling and Marketing

   26,343   22,234   18,955 

Research and Development

   7,813   7,453   6,314 

General and Administrative

   11,123   8,903   7,939 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Operating Expenses

   45,279   38,590   33,208 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Operating Income

   8,720   5,412   6,281 

Other Income (Expense):

    

Interest Expense

   (876  (402  —   

Investment Income

   145   168   78 

Other, Net

   (681  (21  246 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 
   (1,412  (255  324 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Income before Income Taxes

   7,308   5,157   6,605 

Income Tax Provision

   1,578   1,871   2,377 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net Income

  $5,730  $3,286  $4,228 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net Income Per Common Share—Basic

  $0.83  $0.48  $0.57 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net Income Per Common Share—Diluted

  $0.81  $0.47  $0.56 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Weighted Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding—Basic

   6,881   6,911   7,421 

Dilutive Effect of Common Stock Equivalents

   203   104   151 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Weighted Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding—Diluted

   7,084   7,015   7,572 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

   
2021
  
2020
  
2019
 
Revenue
  $116,033  $133,446  $136,657 
Cost of Revenue
   74,673   84,688   82,658 
              
Gross Profit
   41,360   48,758   53,999 
Costs and Expenses:
             
Selling and Marketing
   23,301   26,884   26,343 
Research and Development
   6,206   8,084   7,813 
General and Administrative
   9,420   11,357   11,123 
              
Operating Expenses
   38,927   46,325   45,279 
              
Operating Income
   2,433   2,433   8,720 
Other Expense:
             
Interest Income (Expense), net
   (955  (682  (731
Gain (Loss) on Foreign Currency Transactions
   590   (448  (745
Other, net
   111   67   64 
              
    (254  (1,063  (1,412
              
Income before Income Taxes
   2,179   1,370   7,308 
Income Tax Provision (Benefit)
   895   (389  1,578 
              
Net Income
  $1,284  $1,759  $5,730 
              
Net Income Per Common Share—Basic
  $0.18  $0.25  $0.83 
              
Net Income Per Common Share—Diluted
  $0.18  $0.24  $0.81 
              
Weighted Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding—Basic
   7,104   7,024   6,881 
Dilutive Effect of Common Stock Equivalents
   62   214   203 
              
Weighted Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding—Diluted
   7,166   7,238   7,084 
              
See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

50

ASTRONOVA, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

For the years ended January 31

(In Thousands)

   2019  2018  2017 

Net Income

  $5,730  $3,286  $4,228 

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), net of taxes and reclassification adjustments:

    

Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments

   (671  867   (65

Change in Value of Derivatives Designated as Cash Flow Hedge

   622   (1,036  —   

(Gains) Losses from Cash Flow Hedges Reclassified to Income Statement

   (600  1,048   —   

Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Securities Available for Sale

   —     5   (16

Realized Gain on Securities Available for Sale Reclassified to Income Statement

   3   —     —   
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

   (646  884   (81
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Comprehensive Income

  $5,084  $4,170  $4,147 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

   
2021
  
2020
  
2019
 
Net Income
  $1,284  $1,759  $5,730 
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), net of taxes and reclassification adjustments:
             
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments
   710   (133  (671
Change in Value of Derivatives Designated as Cash Flow Hedge
   (239  122   622 
(Gains) Losses from Cash Flow Hedges Reclassified to Income Statement
   193   (264  (600
Cross-Currency Interest Rate Swap Terminations
   45   —     —   
Realized Gain on Securities Available for Sale Reclassified to Income Statement
   —     —     3 
              
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
   709   (275  (646
              
Comprehensive Income
  $1,993  $1,484  $5,084 
              
See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

5
1

ASTRONOVA, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

($ In Thousands)

  Common Stock  Additional
Paid-in
Capital
  Retained
Earnings
  Treasury
Stock
  Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
  Total
Shareholders’
Equity
 
  Shares  Amount 

Balance January 31, 2016

  9,666,290  $483  $45,675  $42,212  $(20,022 $(975 $67,373 

Share-based compensation

  —     —     1,019   —     —     —     1,019 

Employee option exercises

  93,483   5   834   —     (451  —     388 

Restricted stock awards vested, net

  75,133   4   (4  —     (308  —     (308

Common Stock – cash dividend—$0.28 per share

  —     —     —     (2,082  —     —     (2,082

Net income

  —     —     —     4,228   —     —     4,228 

Other comprehensive loss

  —     —     —     —     —     (81  (81
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Balance January 31, 2017

  9,834,906  $492  $47,524  $44,358  $(20,781 $(1,056 $70,537 

Share-based compensation

  —     —     1,583  —     —     —     1,583 

Employee option exercises

  90,042   4   913   —     (275  —     642 

Restricted stock awards vested, net

  71,172   4   (4  —     (103  —     (103

Repurchase of Common Stock

  —     —     —     —     (11,238  —     (11,238

Common Stock – cash dividend—$0.28 per share

  —     —     —     (1,944  —     —     (1,944

Net income

  —     —     —     3,286   —     —     3,286 

Other comprehensive loss

  —     —     —     —     —     884   884 
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Balance January 31, 2018

  9,996,120  $500  $50,016  $45,700  $(32,397 $(172 $63,647 

Share-based compensation

  —     —     1,886   —     —     —     1,886 

Employee option exercises

  150,125   7   1,669   —     (366  —     1,310 

Restricted stock awards vested, net

  72,314   4   (3  —     (234  —     (233

Reclassification due to adoption of ASU2018-02

  —     —     —     14  —     —     14 

Common Stock – cash dividend—$0.28 per share

  —     —     —     (1,933  —     —     (1,933

Net income

  —     —     —     5,730   —     —     5,730 

Other comprehensive income

  —     —     —     —     —     (646  (646
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Balance January 31, 2019

  10,218,559  $511  $53,568  $49,511  $(32,997 $(818 $69,775 
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

  
 
Common Stock
  
Additional
Paid-in

Capital
  
Retained
Earnings
  
Treasury
Stock
  
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
  
Total
Shareholders’
Equity
 
  
Shares
  
Amount
 
Balance January 31, 2018
  9,996,120  $500  $50,016  $45,700  $(32,397 $(172 $63,647 
Share-based compensation
  —     —     1,886   —     —     —     1,886 
Employee option exercises
  154,992   7   1,669   —     (366  —     1,310 
Restricted stock awards vested, net
  67,447   4   (3  —     (234  —     (233
Reclassification due to adoption of ASU
2018-02
  —     —     —     14   —     —     14 
Common Stock—cash dividend—$0.28 per share
  —     —     —     (1,933  —     —     (1,933
Net income
  —     —     —     5,730   —     —     5,730 
Other comprehensive loss
  —     —     —     —     —     (646  (646
                             
Balance January 31, 2019
  10,218,559  $511  $53,568  $49,511  $(32,997 $(818 $69,775 
Share-based compensation
  —     —     1,775   —     —     —     1,775 
Employee option exercises
  65,121   3   790   —     (11  —     782 
Restricted stock awards vested, net
  59,930   3   (3  —     (469  —     (469
Common Stock—cash dividend—$0.28 per share
  —     —     —     (1,972  —     —     (1,972
Net income
  —     —     —     1,759   —     —     1,759 
Other comprehensive loss
  —     —     —     —     —     (275  (275
                             
Balance January 31, 2020
  10,343,610  $517  $56,130  $49,298  $(33,477 $(1,093 $71,375 
Share-based compensation
  —     —     1,819   —     —     —     1,819 
Employee option exercises
  16,487   1   103   —     —     —     104 
Restricted stock awards vested, net
  64,997   3   (3  —     (111  —     (111
Common Stock—cash dividend—$0.07 per share
  —     —     —     (497  —     —     (497
Net income
  —     —     —     1,284   —     —     1,284 
Other comprehensive income
  —     —     —     —     —     709   709 
                             
Balance January 31, 2021
  10,425,094  $521  $58,049  $50,085  $(33,588 $(384 $74,683 
                             
See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

52

ASTRONOVA, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

For the years ended January 31

(In Thousands)

   2019  2018  2017 

Cash Flows from Operating Activities:

    

Net Income

  $5,730  $3,286  $4,228 

Adjustments to Reconcile Net Income to Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities:

    

Depreciation and Amortization

   6,152   3,994   2,431 

Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs

   51   34   —   

Share-Based Compensation

   1,886   1,583   1,019 

Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)

   (1,638  744   174 

Gain on Sale of UK Property

   —     —     (419

Changes in Assets and Liabilities, Net of Impact of Acquisitions:

    

Accounts Receivable

   (1,493  (4,722  (416

Inventories

   (2,872  (5,509  (4,659

Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses

   (3,967  5,207   1,426 

Income Taxes Payable

   (151  (801  2,187 

Other

   (318  (92  982 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities

   3,380   3,724   6,953 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Cash Flows from Investing Activities:

    

Proceeds from Sales/Maturities of Securities Available for Sale

   1,511   5,539   4,029 

Purchases of Securities Available for Sale

   —     (321  (400

Proceeds from Sale of UK Property

   —     —     474 

Cash Paid for TrojanLabel Acquisition, Net of Cash Acquired

   —     (9,007  —   

Cash Paid for Honeywell Asset Purchase and License Agreement

   (400  (14,873  —   

Payments Received on Line of Credit and Note Receivable

   —     85   256 

Additions to Property, Plant and Equipment

   (2,645  (2,204  (1,238
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net Cash Provided (Used) by Investing Activities

   (1,534  (20,781  3,121 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Cash Flows from Financing Activities:

    

Net Proceeds from Common Shares Issued Under Employee Benefit Plans and Employee Stock Option Plans, Net of Payment of Minimum Tax Withholdings

   1,077   539   79 

Purchase of Treasury Stock

   —     (11,238  —   

Proceeds from Issuance of Long-Term Debt

   —     24,200   —   

Borrowings under Revolving Credit Facility

   3,000   —     —   

Repayments under Revolving Credit Facility

   (1,500  —     —   

Change in TrojanLabel Earn Out Liability

   —     (1,438  —   

Principal Payments on Long-Term Debt

   (4,762  (828  —   

Payments of Debt Issuance Costs

   —     (234  —   

Dividends Paid

   (1,933  (1,944  (2,082
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net Cash (Used) Provided by Financing Activities

   (4,118  9,057   (2,003
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Effect of Foreign Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents

   (371  79   (16
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net (Decrease) Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents

   (2,643  (7,921  8,055 

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Year

   10,177   18,098   10,043 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Year

  $7,534  $10,177  $18,098 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Supplemental Information:

    

Cash Paid (Received) During the Period for:

    

Interest

  $636  $246  $ —   

Income Taxes, Net of Refunds

  $3,472  $1,940  $(84

Schedule ofnon-cash financing activities:

    

Value of Shares Received in Satisfaction of Option Exercise Price

  $366  $275  $451 

   
2021
  
2020
  
2019
 
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
             
Net Income
  $1,284  $1,759  $5,730 
Adjustments to Reconcile Net Income to Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities:
             
Depreciation and Amortization
   5,983   6,284   6,152 
Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs
   75   49   51 
Share-Based Compensation
   1,819   1,775   1,886 
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)
   (1,021  (1,638  (1,638
Changes in Assets and Liabilities:
             
Accounts Receivable
   2,702   3,594   (1,493
Inventories
   4,247   (3,938  (2,872
Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses
   (57  (2,732  (2,342
Income Taxes Payable
   1,482   (1,773  (151
Other
   (970  (156  (318
              
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities
   15,544   3,224   5,005 
              
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
             
Proceeds from Sales/Maturities of Securities Available for Sale
   —     —     1,511 
Cash Paid for Honeywell Asset Purchase and License Agreement
   —     —     (400
Additions to Property, Plant and Equipment
   (2,587  (2,906  (2,645
              
Net Cash Used by Investing Activities
   (2,587  (2,906  (1,534
              
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
             
Net Proceeds Employee Stock Option Plans
   9   654   1,228 
Net Cash Proceeds from Share Purchases under Employee Stock Purchase Plan
   95   128   82 
Net Cash Used for Payment of Taxes Related to Vested Restricted Stock
   (111  (469  (233
Net
(
Repayments
)
/Borrowing
s
 under Revolving Credit Facility
   (6,500  5,000   1,500 
Payment of Minimum Guarantee Royalty Obligation
   (2,000  (1,875  (1,625
Proceeds from Long-Term Debt – PPP Loan
   4,422   —     —   
Proceeds from Long-Term Debt Borrowings
   15,232   —     —   
Payoff of Long-Term Debt
   (11,732  —     —   
Principal Payments on Long-Term Debt
   (3,958  (5,208  (5,130
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs
   (100  —     —   
Dividends Paid
   (497  (1,972  (1,933
              
Net Cash Used by Financing Activities
   (5,140  (3,742  (6,111
              
Effect of Foreign Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents
   (627  139   (3
              
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents
   7,190   (3,285  (2,643
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Year
   4,249   7,534   10,177 
              
Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Year
  $11,439  $4,249  $7,534 
              
Supplemental Information:
             
Cash Paid During the Period for:
             
Interest
  $677  $531  $636 
Income Taxes, Net of Refunds
  $446  $2,913  $3,472 
Schedule of
non-cash
financing activities:
             
Value of Shares Received in Satisfaction of Option Exercise Price
  $—    $11  $366 
See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

53

ASTRONOVA, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

January 31, 2019, 20182021, 2020 and 2017

2019

Note 1—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation:
The accompanying financial datastatements and accompanying notes have been prepared by us pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and are presented in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). Our fiscal year end is January 31. Unless otherwise stated, all years and dates refer to our fiscal year.

Principles of Consolidation:
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of AstroNova, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All material intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.

Reclassification:
Certain amounts in prior year’s financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation.

Use of Estimates:
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect these financial statements and accompanying notes. Some of the more significant estimates relate to the allowances for doubtful accounts, inventory valuation, valuation and estimated lives of intangible assets, impairment of long-lived assets, goodwill, income taxes, share-based compensation and warranty reserves. Management’s estimates are based on the facts and circumstances available at the time estimates are made, past historical experience, risk of loss, general economic conditions and trends, and management’s assessments of the probable future outcome of these matters. Consequently, actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents:
Highly liquid investments with an original maturity of 90 days or less are considered to be cash equivalents. Similar investments with original maturities beyond three months are classified as securities available for sale. At both January 31, 20192021 and 2018, cash of $3.92020, $4.6 million and $3.4 million, respectively, was held in foreign bank accounts.

Securities Available for Sale:Securities available for sale are carried at fair value based on quoted market prices, where available. The difference between cost and fair value, net of related tax effects, is recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in shareholders’ equity.

Inventories:
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost(first-in,
(first-in,
first-out)
or net realizable value and include material, labor and manufacturing overhead.

Property, Plant and Equipment:
Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is provided on the straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets (land improvements—10 to 20 years; buildings and leasehold improvements—10 to 45 years; machinery and equipment—3 to 10 years and computer equipment and software—3 to 10 years).

Revenue Recognition:On February 1, 2018 we adopted
We recognize revenue in accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”)2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“Topic 606”),. which superseded nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP. The core principle of Topic 606 is to recognize revenue when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that is expected to be received for those goods or services. Topic 606 defines a five step process to recognize revenue and requires more judgment and estimates within the revenue recognition process than required under previous U.S. GAAP, which includesincluding identifying contracts with customers, identifying performance obligations in the contract, determining and estimating the amount of any variable consideration to include in the transaction price and allocating the transaction price to each separate performance obligation and recognizing revenue when the entity satisfies each performance obligation.

We adopted this standard using the modified retrospective method and have applied the guidance to all contracts within the scope of Topic 606 as of the February 1, 2018 adoption date. Under Topic 606,

based on the nature of our contracts and consistent with prior practice, we recognize the large majority of our revenue upon shipment, which is when the performance obligation has been satisfied. Accordingly, the adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our revenue recognition and there was no cumulative effective adjustment as of February 1, 2018 as a result of the adoption of Topic 606.

The vast majority of our revenue is generated from the sale of distinct products. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration we expect to receive in exchange for such products, which is generally at the contractually stated prices, and is recognized when we satisfy a performance obligation by transferring control of a product to a customer. The transfer of control generally occurs at one point in time, upon shipment, when title and risk of loss pass to the customer. Returns and customer credits are infrequent and are recorded as a reduction to revenue. Sales taxes and value added taxes collected concurrently with revenue generating activities are excluded from revenue.

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Many of the contracts entered into with customers are commonly comprised of a combination of equipment, supplies, installation and/or training services. We determine performance obligations by assessing whether the products or services are distinct from other elements of the contract. In order to be distinct, the product must perform either on its own or with readily available resources and must be separate within the context of the contract.

The majority

Most of our hardware products contain embedded operating systems and data management software which is included in the purchase price of the equipment. The software is deemed incidental to the systems as a whole, as it is not sold or marketed separately, and its production costs are minor compared to those of the hardware system. Hardware and software elements are typically delivered at the same time and are accounted for as a single performance obligation for which revenue is recognized at the point in time when ownership is transferred to the customer.

Installation and training services vary based on certain factors such as the complexity of the equipment, staffing availability in a geographic location and customer preferences, and can range from a few days to a few months. The delivery of installation and training services are not assessed to determine whether they are separate performance obligations, as the amounts are not material to the contract.

Shipping and handling activities that occur after control over a product has transferred to a customer are accounted for as fulfillment activities rather than performance obligations, as allowed under a practical expedient provided by Topic 606. The shipping and handling fees charged to customers are recognized as revenue and the related costs are included in cost of revenue at the point in time when ownership of the product is transferred to the customer.

We may perform service at the request of the customer, generally for the repair and maintenance of products previously sold. These services are short in duration typically less than one month, and total less than 9%10% of revenue for the yearyears ended January 31, 2019.2021 and 2020. Revenue is recognized as services are rendered and accepted by the customer. We also provide service agreements on certain of our Product Identification equipment. Service agreements are purchased separately from the equipment and provide for the right to obtain service and maintenance on the equipment for a period of typically one to two years. Accordingly, revenue on these agreements is recognized over the term of the agreements. The portion of service agreement contracts that are uncompleted at the end of any reporting period are included in deferred revenue.

We generally provide warranties for our products. The standard warranty period is typically 12 months for most hardware products except for airborne printers, which typically have warranties that extend for4-5
3-5
years, consistent with industry practice. Such assurance-type warranties are not deemed to be separate performance obligations from the hardware product and costs associated with providing the warranties are accrued in accordance with ASC 450, “Contingencies,” as we have the ability to ascertain the likelihood of the liability and can reasonably estimate the amount of the liability. Our estimate of costs to service the warranty obligations is based on historical experience and expectations of future conditions. To the extent that our experience in warranty claims or costs associated with servicing those claims differ from the original estimates, revisions to the

estimated warranty liability are recorded at that time, with an offsetting adjustment to cost of revenue. On occasion, customers request a warranty period longer than our standard warranty. In those instances, in which extended warranty services are separately quoted to the customer, an additional performance obligation is created, and the associated revenue is deferred and recognized as service revenue ratably over the term of the extended warranty period. The portion of service contracts and extended warranty services agreements that are uncompleted at the end of any reporting period are included in deferred revenue.

We recognize an asset for the incremental direct costs of obtaining a contract with a customer if we expect the benefit of those costs to be longer than one year. There hasCosts related to obtaining sales contracts for our aerospace printer products have been no change incapitalized and are being amortized based on the Company’s accounting for these contracts as a resultforecasted number of units sold over the adoption of Topic 606.estimated benefit term. We apply the practical expedient to expense costs incurred for costs to obtain a contract when the amortization period would have been less than a year. These costs include sales commissions paid to the internal direct sales team as well as to third-party representatives and distributors. Contractual
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agreements with each of these parties outline commission structures and rates to be paid. Generally speaking, the contracts are all individual procurement decisions by the customers and do not include renewal provisions and as such the majority of the contracts have an economic life of significantly less than a year.

Accounts Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts:
Standard payment terms are typically 30 days after shipment but vary by type and geographic location of our customer. Credit is extended based upon an evaluation of the customer’s financial condition. In circumstances where we are aware of a customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations, an allowance is established. The remainder of the allowance established is based on a variety of factors, including the age of amounts outstanding relative to their contractual due date, historical
write-off
experience and current market assessments. Accounts receivable are stated at their estimated net realizable value.

Research and Development Costs:
We charge costs to expense in the period incurred, and these expenses are presented in the consolidated statement of income. The following costs are included in research and development expense: salaries and benefits, external engineering service costs, engineering related information costs and supplies.

Foreign Currency Translation:
The financial statements of foreign subsidiaries and branches are measured using the local currency as the functional currency. Foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at
year-end
exchange rates with the translation adjustment recorded as a component of accumulated comprehensive income (loss) in shareholders’ equity. Revenues and expenses are translated at the average monthly exchange rates in effect during the related period. We do not provide for U.S. income taxes on foreign currency translation adjustments associated with our subsidiaries in Germany, Denmark and China since their undistributed earnings are considered to be permanently invested. OurIncluded in our consolidated statements of income was a net transactional foreign exchange losses included in the consolidated statementsgain of income were $0.7$0.6 million in fiscal 20192021, and $0.2a net transaction foreign exchange loss of $0.4 million in fiscal 2020 and $0.7 million for both fiscal 2018 and 2017.

2019.

Advertising:The Company expenses
We
expense advertising costs as incurred. Advertising costs including advertising production, trade shows and other activities are designed to enhance demand for our products and amounted to approximately $1.9$0.9 million; $1.8 million and $1.6$1.9 million in fiscal 2021, 2020 and 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Long-Lived Assets:
Long-lived assets to be held and used are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. Determination of recoverability is based on an estimate of undiscounted future cash flows resulting from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition. If the projected undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying value, then an impairment charge would be recorded for the excess of the carrying value over the fair value, as determined by the discounting of future cash flows. For 2019, 2018 and 2017, thereThere were no0 impairment charges for our long-lived assets.

assets in fiscal years 2021, 2020 or 2019.

Intangible Assets:
Intangible assets include the value of customer and distributor relationships, existing technology and
non-competition
agreements acquired in connection with business and asset acquisitions and are stated at cost (fair value at acquisition) less accumulated amortization. These intangible assets have a definite life

and are amortized over the assets’ useful lives using a systematic and rational basis which is representative of the assets’ use. Intangible assets with a definite life are tested for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset (asset group) may not be recoverable. If necessary, an impairment loss is recognized when the carrying amount of an asset exceeds the estimated undiscounted cash flows used in determining the fair value of the asset. The amount of the impairment loss recorded is calculated by the excess of the asset’s carrying value over its fair value. Fair value is generally determined using a discounted cash flow analysis. For 2019, 2018 and 2017, thereThere were no0 impairment charges for our intangible assets.

assets in fiscal years 2021, 2020 or 2019.

Goodwill:
Goodwill represents the excess of the aggregate purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired in a purchase business combination. Management evaluates the recoverability of goodwill annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances, such as declines in revenue, earnings or cash flows, or material adverse changes in the business climate indicate that the carrying value of an asset might be
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impaired. Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level. A reporting unit is an operating segment, or a business unit one level below an operating segment if discrete financial information for that business is prepared and regularly reviewed by segment management. However, components within an operating segment are aggregated as a single reporting unit if they have similar economic characteristics. We determined that each of our operating segments (Product Identification and T&M) represents a reporting unit for purposes of goodwill impairment testing.

The accounting guidance related to goodwill impairment testing allows for the performance of an optional qualitative assessment of whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. Factors that management considers in this qualitative assessment include macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, overall financial performance (both current and projected), changes in management and strategy and changes in the composition or carrying amount of net assets. If this qualitative assessment indicates that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then a quantitative assessment is required for the reporting unit. Additionally, we can elect to forgo the qualitative assessment and perform the quantitative test. The quantitative assessment compares the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying value. We estimate the fair value of our reporting units using thea blended income and market approach. The income approach is based uponon a discounted cash flow model. We believe that this approach is appropriate because itmodel and provides a fair value estimate based upon the reporting unit’s expected long-term operating cash flow performance. In addition, the Company uses theThe market approach, which compares the reporting unit to publicly-tradedpublicly traded companies and transactions involving similar business, to support the conclusions based upon the income approach. The income approachand requires the use of many assumptions and estimates including future revenue, expenses, capital expenditures, and working capital, as well as discount factors and income tax rates. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds the carrying value of the net assets including goodwill assigned to that unit, goodwill is not impaired. If the carrying value of the reporting unit’s net assets including goodwill exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, then we record an impairment charge based on that difference.

We performed a qualitative assessment for our fiscal 2019quantitative analysis of goodwill. Based on this assessment, management does not believe that it is more likely than not that the carrying values of the reporting units exceed theiras of January 31, 2021 and determined that the fair values. Accordingly,value was in excess of our carrying value and therefore, no quantitative assessment was performed,goodwill impairment has occurred. See Note 3, “Goodwill,” for further details.

Leases:
On February 1, 2019 we adopted ASC 842, Leases. This guidance requires a lessee to recognize assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for all leases, with the result being the recognition of a right of use (ROU) asset and a lease liability. The lease liability is equal to the present value of the minimum lease payments for the term of the lease, including any optional renewal periods determined to be reasonably certain to be exercised, using a discount rate determined at lease commencement. This discount rate is the rate implicit in the lease, if known; otherwise, the incremental borrowing rate for the expected lease term is used. Our incremental borrowing rate approximates the rate we would have to pay to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term at lease inception. The value of the ROU asset is equal to the initial measurement of the lease liability plus any lease payments made to the lessor at or before the commencement date and any unamortized initial direct costs incurred by the lessee, less any unamortized lease incentives received. Several of our lease contracts include options to extend the lease term and we include the renewal options for these leases in the determination of the ROU asset and lease liability when the likelihood of renewal is determined to be reasonably certain.
We enter into lease contracts for certain of our facilities at various locations worldwide. At inception of a contract, we determine whether the contract is or contains a lease. If we have a right to obtain substantially all of the economic benefits from the use of the identified asset and the right to direct the use of the asset, then the contract contains a lease.
There are two types of leases, operating leases and finance leases. Lease classification is determined at lease commencement. We have made an accounting policy election to apply the short-term exception, which does not require the capitalization of leases with terms of 12 months or less. All of our leases are classified as management believes that thereoperating leases. Operating lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term and included in general and administrative expense on the consolidated statement of income. ROU assets are no impairment issuesclassified in regards to goodwill at this time.

other long-term assets, short-term lease liabilities are classified in other current liabilities, and long-term lease liabilities are classified in other long-term liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet. In the statement of cash flow, payments for operating leases are classified as operating activities.

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In addition, several of our lease agreements include
non-lease
components for items such as common area maintenance and utilities which are accounted for separately from the lease component.
Income Taxes:
We use the liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial reporting basis and tax basis of the assets and liabilities and are measured using statutory tax rates that will be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. The Company’sOur deferred taxes are presented as
non-current
in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. An allowance against deferred tax assets is recognized when it is
more-likely-than-not
that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. At January 31, 20192021 and 2018,2020, a valuation allowance was provided for deferred tax assets attributable to certain statedomestic R&D credit carryforwards.

AstroNova accounts In addition, during fiscal 2021, we provided a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets attributable to foreign tax credit carryforwards which would expire unused.

We account for uncertain tax positions in accordance with the guidance provided in ASC 740, “Accounting for Income Taxes.” This guidance describes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement disclosure of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return and requires recognition of tax benefits that satisfy a
more-likely-than-not
threshold. ASC 740 also provides guidance on
de-recognition,
classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods and disclosure.

On December 22, 2017, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”) was enacted into law and the new legislation contains several key tax provisions that affected us, including a

one-time
mandatory transition tax on accumulated foreign earnings and a reduction of the corporate income tax rate to 21% effective January 1, 2018, among others. We are required to recognize the effect of the tax law changes in the period of enactment, such as determining the transition tax, remeasuring our U.S. deferred tax assets and liabilities as well as reassessing the net realizability of our deferred tax assets and liabilities. In December 2017, the SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118, Income Tax Accounting Implications of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“SAB 118”), which allows us to record provisional amounts during a measurement period not to extend beyond one year of the enactment date. All accounting under SAB 118 was finalized during the quarter ending January 31, 2019 with no material changes from the provisional amounts previously recorded. Refer
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was signed into law. The legislation had sweeping effects including various types of economic relief for impacted businesses and industries. One such relief provision was the Paycheck Protection Program, which provided short-term cash flow assistance to Note 15 “Income Taxes”finance employee payroll and qualified expenses. On May 6, 2020, we entered into a loan agreement with, and executed a promissory note in favor of Greenwood Credit Union (“Greenwood”) pursuant to which we borrowed $4.4 million (the “PPP Loan”). On December 27, 2020 the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, H.R. 133 was signed into law. The legislation permits the deductibility of expenses to the extent that the payment of such expenses results (or is expected to result) in the audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhereforgiveness of a loan (covered loan) guaranteed under the Paycheck Protection Program. We have fully utilized the PPP Loan proceeds for qualifying expenses and, subsequent to year end, have applied for forgiveness of the PPP Loan (including all associated accrued interest) in this report for further details.

accordance with the terms of the CARES Act, as amended by the PPP Flexibility Act. Consistent with the legislation, we expect to deduct the full $4.4 million of qualified expenses on our 2020 federal tax return.

Net Income Per Common Share:
Basic net income per share is based on the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share is based on the basic weighted average number of shares and potential common equivalent shares for stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units outstanding during the period using the treasury stock method. In fiscal years 2019, 20182021, 2020 and 2017,2019, there were 326,275, 675,600642,623; 202,187 and 459,700,326,275, respectively, of common equivalent shares that were not included in the computation of diluted net income per common share because their inclusion would be anti-dilutive.

Fair Value Measurement:
We measure our financial assets at fair value on a recurring basis in accordance with the guidance provided in ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurement and Disclosures,” which defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between
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market participants at the measurement date. In addition, ASC 820 establishes a three-tiered hierarchy for inputs used in management’s determination of fair value of financial instruments that emphasizes the use of observable inputs over the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that observable inputs be used when available. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect management’s belief about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing a financial instrument based on the best information available in the circumstances.

The fair value hierarchy is summarized as follows:

Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

Level 2—Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities; and

Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities

Cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued compensation, other accrued expenses and income tax payable are reflected in the consolidated balance sheet at carrying value, which approximates fair value due to the short termshort-term nature of these instruments.

Self-Insurance:
We are self-insured for U.S. medical and dental benefits for qualifying employees and maintain stop-loss coverage from a third party which limits our exposure to large claims. We record a liability associated with these benefits that includes an estimate of both claims filed and losses incurred but not yet reported based on historical claims experience. In estimating this accrual, we utilize an independent third-party broker to estimate a range of expected losses, which are based on analyses of historical data. Assumptions are closely monitored and adjusted when warranted by changing circumstances. Our liability for self-insured claims is included within accrued compensation in our consolidated balance sheets and was $0.2 million and $0.6 million, as of January 31, 2021 and 2020.
Share-Based Compensation:
Share-based compensation expense is measured based on the estimated fair value of the share-based award when granted and is recognized as an expense over the requisite service period (generally the vesting period of the equity grant). We have estimated the fair value of each option on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Our estimate of share-based compensation requires a number ofseveral complex and subjective assumptions including our stock price volatility, employee exercise patterns (expected life of the options), the risk-free interest rate and the Company’sour dividend yield. The stock price volatility assumption is based on the historical weekly price data of our common stock over a period equivalent to the weighted average expected life of our options. Management evaluated whether there were factors during that period which were unusual and would distort the volatility figure if used to estimate future volatility and concluded that there were no such factors. In determining the expected life of the option grants, the Company has

we have observed the actual terms of prior grants with similar characteristics and the actual vesting schedule of the grant and has assessed the expected risk tolerance of different option groups. The risk-free interest rate is based on the actual U.S. Treasury zero coupon rates for bonds matching the expected term of the option as of the option grant date. The dividend assumption is based upon the prior year’s average dividend yield. NoNaN compensation expense is recognized for options that are forfeited for which the employee does not render the requisite service. Our accounting for share-based compensation for restricted stock awards (RSA) and restricted stock units (RSU) is also based on the fair value method. The fair value of the RSUs and RSAs is based on the closing market price of the Company’sour common stock on the grant date. Reductions in compensation expense associated with forfeited awards are estimated at the date of grant, and this estimated forfeiture rate is adjusted periodically based on actual forfeiture experience.

Cash flow from tax deductions in excess of the compensation cost recognized for those options (excess tax benefits) is classified with other income tax cash flows as an operating activity.

Share-based compensation becomes deductible for determining income taxes when the related award vests, is exercised, or is forfeited depending on the type of share-based award and subject to relevant tax law.

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Derivative Financial Instruments: The Company
We occasionally uses derivative instruments as part of its overall strategy to manage its exposure to market risks primarily associated with fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates. Derivative instruments are recognized as either assets or liabilities in the balance sheet at fair value. The accounting for changes in the fair value (i.e., gains or losses) of a derivative instrument depends on whether it has been designated and qualifies as part of a hedging relationship and, further, on the type of hedging relationship. For derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments, the gain or loss is recognized in the statement of income during the current period. For those derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as hedging instruments, a company must designate the hedging instrument, based upon the exposure being hedged, as a fair value hedge, cash flow hedge, or a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation.

For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the effective portion of the gain or loss on the derivative instrument is reported as a component of other comprehensive income (loss) (OCI) and reclassified into earnings in the same line item associated with the forecasted transaction, and in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings (e.g., in “Interest Expense” when the hedged transactions are interest cash flows associated with floating-rate debt, or “Other, Net” for portions reclassified relating to the remeasurement of the debt). The remaining gain or loss on the derivative instrument in excess of the cumulative change in the present value of future cash flows of the hedged item, if any, (i.e., the ineffectiveness portion), or hedge components excluded from the assessment of effectiveness, are recognized in the statement of income during the current period.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Adopted:

Share-Based Compensation

Fair Value Measurement
In JuneAugust 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU2018-07 “Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting.” ASU2018-07 reduces the cost and complexity and improves financial reporting by expanding the scope of Topic 718 to include share-based payment transactions to nonemployees. ASU2018-07 is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted the provisions of this guidance effective beginning in the second quarter of fiscal 2019. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Income Taxes

In March 2018, the FASB issued ASU2018-05—“Income Taxes (Topic 740): Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting BulletinNo. 118.” ASU 2018-05 provides guidance for companies

Standard Update (“ASU”)
2018-13,

related to the U.S. government-enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Act.ASU 2018-05 allows for a measurement period of up to one year after the enactment date of the Tax Act to finalize the recording of the related tax impacts. This ASU is effective immediately as new information is available to adjust provisional amounts that were previously recorded. The Company adopted this standard in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 and has properly reflected the income tax effects of all aspects of the legislation for which the accounting under ASC 740 was impacted. All conclusions under SAB 118 were finalized during the fourth quarter of 2019 with no material changes to the provisional amounts. Refer to Note 15, “Income Taxes” for further details.

Comprehensive Income

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU2018-02, “Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income.” ASU2018-02 amends ASU Topic 220 and allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Act, to eliminate the stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Act. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 with early adoption permitted. The amendments in this update should be applied either in the period of adoption or retrospectively to each period (or periods) in which the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is recognized. The Company early adopted this amendment in the second quarter of fiscal 2019 and reclassified $14,000 from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings.

Revenue Recognition

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606).” ASU2014-09 completes the joint effort by the FASB and International Accounting Standards Board to improve financial reporting by creating common revenue recognition guidance for U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. ASU2014-09 applies to all companies that enter into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services. Under this guidance, revenue is recognized when a customer obtains control of promised goods or services in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. In addition, the standard requires disclosure of the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The Company adopted this guidance effective February 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Refer to the significant accounting policy discussion for “Revenue Recognition” included above for further details.

Derivatives and Hedging

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU2017-12, “Derivatives and Hedging: Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities.” The objective of this new guidance is to improve the financial reporting of hedging relationships by, among other things, eliminating the requirement to separately measure and record hedge ineffectiveness. ASU2017-12 is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years with early adoption permitted. We adopted the provisions of this guidance effective for the first quarter of fiscal 2019. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Share-Based Compensation

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU2017-09 “Stock Compensation: Scope of Modification Accounting.” ASU2017-09 provides guidance on the types of changes to the terms or conditions of share-based payment awards to which an entity would be required to apply modification accounting under ASC 718. The Company adopted this guidance effective February 1, 2018. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Statement of Cash Flows

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU2016-15, “Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (Topic 230).” ASU2016-15 addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice for certain cash receipts and cash payments. The Company adopted this guidance affective February 1, 2018. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Recent Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

Internal-Use Software

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU2018-15, “Intangibles—Goodwill andOther—Internal-Use Software (Subtopic350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract.” ASU2018-15 reduces complexity for the accounting for costs of implementing a cloud computing service arrangement and aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtaininternal-use software (and hosting arrangements that include an internal use software license). This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019 (Q1 fiscal 2021 for AstroNova), with early adoption permitted. Implementation should be applied either retrospectively or prospectively to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this new guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

Fair Value Measurement

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU2018-13, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820), Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement.” ASU

2018-13
modifies the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by removing, modifying or adding certain disclosures. This ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019 including interim periods within those fiscal years (Q1 fiscal 2021 for AstroNova), with early adoption permitted. The provisions of ASU
2018-13
relating to changes in unrealized gains and losses, the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements, and the narrative description of measurement uncertainty should be applied prospectively for only the most recent interim or annual period presented in the initial fiscal year of adoption. The remaining provisions should be applied retrospectively to all periods presented upon their effective date. The Company is currently evaluatingWe adopted the impactprovisions of this new guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Leases

Ineffective February 2016, the FASB issued ASU2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842).” ASU2016-02 supersedes current guidance related to accounting for leases and is intended to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by requiring lessees to recognize assets and liabilities in the balance sheet for operating leases with lease terms greater than twelve months.1, 2020. The update also requires improved disclosures to help users of financial statements better understand the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU2018-10, “Codification Improvements to Topic 842” which includes certain clarifications to address potential narrow-scope implementation issues. Additionally in July 2018 the FASB issued ASU2018-11, “Leases (Topic 842) Targeted Improvements,” which amends ASU2016-02 to provide an alternative transition method to adopt the new lease standard which will not require adjustments to comparative periods nor require modified disclosure in those comparative periods. The new standard will be effective for Astronova at the beginning of fiscal 2020.

Upon the adoption of this guidance the Company expects to recognize approximately $2.0 million ofright-of-use assets and lease liabilities on its consolidated balance sheet related to its operating leases. The

Company anticipates electing the package of practical expedients, which among other things, allows the carryforward of the historical lease classification. The Company is in the process of identifying appropriate changes to its accounting policies and procedures, system processes, and related internal controls to support the requirements of this new guidance. This standard willdid not have a material impact on our liquidityconsolidated financial statements and accompanying disclosures.

Recent Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted:
Income Taxes
In December 2019, the FASB issued an ASU
2019-12,
“Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes,” which simplifies the accounting for income taxes, eliminates certain exceptions within ASC 740, Income Taxes, and clarifies certain aspects of the current guidance to promote consistency among reporting entities. ASU
2019-12
is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. Early adoption of the standard is permitted, including adoption in interim or debt-covenant compliance under our current credit agreement,annual periods for which financial statements have not yet been issued. Most amendments within the standard are required to be applied on a prospective basis, while certain amendments must be applied on a retrospective or modified retrospective basis. We are not electing to early adopt and isdo not expectedexpect the adoption of this guidance to have any significanta material impact on the Company’s results of operations.

our consolidated financial statements and accompanying disclosures.

No other new accounting pronouncements, issued or effective during fiscal 2019,2021, have had or are expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

6
0

Note 2—Revenue Recognition

We derive revenue from the sale of (i) hardware including, digital color label printers and specialty OEM printing systems, portable data acquisition systems and airborne printers used in the flight deck and in the cabin of military, commercial and business aircraft, (ii) related consumable supplies required in the operation of the hardware,including paper, labels, tags, inks, toners and ribbons, (iii) repairs and maintenance of equipment and (iv) service agreements.

Revenues disaggregated by primary geographic markets and major product types are as follows:

Primary geographical markets:

   Year Ended 
(In thousands)  January 31,
2019
   January 31,
2018
   January 31,
2017
 

United States

  $83,668   $69,795   $69,850 

Europe

   31,574    29,948    18,848 

Asia

   8,207    3,808    1,664 

Canada

   6,692    5,373    5,008 

Central and South America

   4,147    3,402    3,053 

Other

   2,369    1,075    25 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Revenue

  $136,657   $113,401   $98,448 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

   
Year Ended
 
(In thousands)
  
January 31,
2021
   
January 31,
2020
   
January 31,
2019
 
United States
  $70,911   $83,671   $83,668 
Europe
   29,029    29,617    31,574 
Canada
   5,574    5,719    6,692 
Asia
   5,105    8,316    8,207 
Central and South America
   3,950    4,145    4,147 
Other
   1,464    1,978    2,369 
                
Total Revenue
  $116,033   $133,446   $136,657 
                
Major product types:

   Year Ended 
(In thousands)  January 31,
2019
   January 31,
2018
   January 31,
2017
 

Hardware

  $53,207   $37,501   $33,797 

Supplies

   71,178    65,265    56,169 

Service and Other

   12,272    10,635    8,482 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Revenue

  $136,657   $113,401   $98,448 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

   
Year Ended
 
(In thousands)
  
January 31,
2021
   
January 31,
2020
   
January 31,
2019
 
Hardware
  $34,111   $48,959   $53,207 
Supplies
   71,772    71,838    71,178 
Service and Other
   10,150    12,649    12,272 
                
Total Revenue
  $116,033   $133,446   $136,657 
                
Contract Assets and Liabilities

We normally do not have contract assets, which are primarily unbilled accounts receivable that are conditional on something other than the passage of time.
Our contract liabilities, which represent billings in excess of revenue recognized, are related to advanced billings for purchased service agreements and extended warrantieswarranties. Contract liabilities were $285,000 and were $373,000 and $367,000$466,000 at January 31, 20192021 and January 31, 2018,2020, respectively, and are recorded as deferred revenue in the consolidated balance sheet. The slight increasedecrease in the deferred revenue atbalance during the period ended January 31, 20192021 is primarily due to approximately $622,000$466,000 of revenue recognized during the yearperiod that was included in the deferred revenue balance of the prior year end,at January 31, 2020 offset by cash payments received in advance of satisfying performance obligations.

Contract Costs

We have determined that certain costs related to obtaining sales contracts for our aerospace printer products meet the requirement to be capitalized. These costs are deferred and amortized based on the forecasted number of units sold over the estimated benefit term. The balance of these contract assets at January 31, 20182020 was $832,000$944,000, of which $59,000 was reported in other current assets and $885,000 was reported in other assets in the consolidated balance sheet. In fiscal 2019, the Company incurred an additional $150,000 in incremental direct costs which were deferred. The amortizationAmortization of incremental direct costs was $79,000$26,940 for the period ended
6
1

January 31, 2019.2021. The balance of the deferred incremental direct contract costs net of accumulated amortization at January 31, 2019 202
1
is $903,000,$
917,000
, of which $109,000 $
36,000
was reported in other current assets and $794,000 $
881,000
was reported in other assets in the consolidated balance sheet. The contract costs are expected to be amortized over the estimated remaining period of benefit, which we currently estimate to be approximately 7
5
 years.

Note 3—Acquisitions

HoneywellGoodwill

Goodwill by reporting unit is as follows:
(In thousands)
  
Product
Identification
  
T&M
   
Total
 
Balance at January 31, 2019
  $7,807  $4,522   $12,329 
Foreign currency translation
   (295  —      (295
               
Balance at January 31, 2020
  $7,512  $4,522   $12,034
Foreign currency translation
   772   —      772 
               
Balance at January 31, 2021
  $8,284  $4,522   $12,806 
              
After consideration of the impact of the decline in the global economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the grounding of the 737 MAX in March, 2019 and the production halt in January, 2020 which negatively impacted revenues and margins in fiscal 2020 and 2021, we elected to forgo the qualitative assessment and instead performed a quantitative goodwill impairment test to determine if the carrying values of the reporting units are greater than the fair values. We utilized a blended income and market approach. The income approach was based upon a discounted cash flow model which we believe provides a fair value estimate of the reporting unit’s expected long-term operating performance. The market approach compares the reporting units to similar publicly traded companies. Based on our quantitative impairment assessment as of January 31, 2021, we determined that the fair value of the reporting units were in excess of their carrying values and therefore, 0 goodwill impairment had occurred.
Note 4—Intangible Assets
Intangible assets are as follows:
  
January 31, 2021
  
January 31, 2020
 
(In thousands)
 
Gross
Carrying
Amount
  
Accumulated
Amortization
  
Currency
Translation
Adjustment
  
Net
Carrying
Amount
  
Gross
Carrying
Amount
  
Accumulated
Amortization
  
Currency
Translation
Adjustment
  
Net
Carrying
Amount
 
Miltope:
                                
Customer Contract Relationships
 $3,100  $(2,284 $—    $816  $3,100  $(2,021 $—    $1,079 
RITEC:
                                
Customer Contract Relationships
  2,830   (1,423  —     1,407   2,830   (1,076  —     1,754 
Non-Competition
Agreement
  950   (950  —     0     950   (871  —     79 
TrojanLabel:
                                
Existing Technology
  2,327   (1,405  196   1,118   2,327   (1,053  78   1,352 
Distributor Relations
  937   (396  89   630   937   (297  27   667 
Honeywell:
                                
Customer Contract Relationships
  27,243   (9,712  —     17,531   27,243   (6,791  —     20,452 
                                 
Intangible Assets, net
 $37,387  $(16,170 $      285  $21,502  $37,387  $(12,109 $      105  $25,383 
                                 
62

There were 0 impairments to intangible assets during the periods ended January 31, 2021 and 2020. Amortization expense of $4.1 million; $4.2 million and $4.1 million with regard to acquired intangibles has been included in the consolidated statements of income for years ended January 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Estimated amortization expense for the next five fiscal years is as follows:
(In thousands)  
2022
   
2023
   
2024
   
2025
   
2026
 
Estimated amortization expense
  $3,938   $3,956   $4,055   $3,416   $3,021 
Note 5—Inventories
The components of inventories are as follows:
   
January 31
 
   
2021
   
2020
 
(In thousands)        
Materials and Supplies
  $20,265   $20,151 
Work-in-Progress
   2,076    1,408 
Finished Goods
   16,371    17,992 
           
    38,712    39,551 
Inventory Reserve
   (8,652   (5,626
           
   $30,060   $33,925 
           
Finished goods inventory includes $4.0 million and $3.4 million of demonstration equipment at January 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Note 6—Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment consist of the following:
   
January 31
 
   
2021
   
2020
 
(In thousands)        
Land and Land Improvements
    1,004   967 
Buildings and Leasehold Improvements
   12,642    12,524 
Machinery and Equipment
   23,346    23,167 
Computer Equipment and Software
   13,847    11,388 
           
Gross Property, Plant and Equipment
   50,839    48,046 
Accumulated Depreciation
   (38,828   (36,778
           
Net Property Plant and Equipment
  12,011   11,268 
           
Depreciation expense on property, plant and equipment was $1.9 million for the year ended January 31, 2021 and $2.0 million for both of the years ended January 31, 2020 and 2019.
63

Note 7—Accrued Expenses
Accrued expenses consisted of the following:
   
January 31
 
   
2021
   
2020
 
(In thousands)        
Warranty
  $730   $850 
Professional Fees
   546    697 
Lease Liability
   372    416 
Accrued Payroll & Sales Tax
   292    193 
Stockholder Relation Fees
   91    194 
Dealer Commissions
   57    236 
Other Accrued Expenses
   1,851    2,125 
           
   $3,939   $4,711 
           
Note 8—Credit Agreement and Long-
Term Debt
Credit Agreement
On July 30, 2020, we entered into an Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “A&R Credit Agreement”) with Bank of America, N.A., as lender (the “Lender”), our wholly owned subsidiary, ANI ApS, a Danish private limited liability company and TrojanLabel ApS, a Danish private limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of ANI ApS (“TrojanLabel”). The A&R Credit Agreement amended and restated the Credit Agreement dated as of February 28, 2017 (the “Prior Credit Agreement”) by and among us, ANI ApS, TrojanLabel and the Lender. In connection with the A&R Credit Agreement, we entered into an Amended and Restated Security and Pledge Agreement and a mortgage in favor of the Lender with respect to our owned real property in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Under the A&R Credit Agreement, AstroNova, Inc. is the sole borrower, and at January 31, 2021, its obligations are guaranteed by ANI ApS and TrojanLabel.
Immediately prior to the closing of the A&R Credit Agreement, we repaid $1.5 million in principal amount of term loans outstanding under the 
Prior
Credit Agreement.
The A&R Credit Agreement provides for (i) a term loan in the principal amount of $15.2 million, which we used to refinance the outstanding term loans borrowed by us and ANI ApS under the 
Prior
Credit Agreement
and a portion of the outstanding revolving loans borrowed by us under the
Pr
i
or
 Credit Agreement, and (ii) a $10.0 million revolving credit facility available to us for general corporate purposes. Revolving credit loans may be borrowed, at our option, in U.S. Dollars or, subject to certain conditions, Euros, British Pounds, Canadian Dollars or Danish Kroner.
During the third quarter of fiscal year 2021, we repaid the entire outstanding balance under the revolving line of credit. Balances outstanding under the revolving line of credit during the year ended January 31, 2021 bore interest at a weighted average annual rate of 3.41%, and $188,000 of interest was incurred and is included in other income (expense) in the accompanying condensed consolidated income statement for the year ended January 31, 2021. At January 31, 2021, there was no balance outstanding under the revolving line of credit and $10.0 million was available for borrowing under the revolving credit facility.
The A&R Credit Agreement was accounted for as a debt modification in a
non-
troubled
debt restructuring. We incurred $0.2 million of new debt issuance costs related to the term loan, of which $0.1 million of new lender fees were recorded against the debt as debt issuance costs and will be amortized over the term of the loan and $0.1 million of third party fees that were expensed as incurred. Additionally, $0.1 million of unamortized debt issuance costs related to the prior term debt will be amortized over the remaining life of the new term loan. We also incurred $0.1 million of new debt issuance fees in connection with the revolving line of credit which are included as a component of prepaid expenses and other current assets and will be amortized over the remaining life of the A&R Credit Agreement.
64

Under the A&R Credit Agreement, the principal amount of each quarterly installment required to be paid on the last day of each of our fiscal quarters ending on or about July 31, 2020 and October 31, 2020 was $0.8 million; the principal amount of the quarterly installment required to be paid on the last day of our fiscal quarter ending January 31, 2021 was $1.1 million; the principal amount of the quarterly installment required to be paid on the last day of the our fiscal quarter ending on or about April 30, 2021 will be $1.1 million; the principal amount of each quarterly installment required to be paid on the last day of each of the our fiscal quarters ending on or about July 31, 2021, October 31, 2021, January 31, 2022 and April 30, 2022 is $1.4 million, and the entire remaining principal balance of the term loan is required to be paid on June 15, 2022. We may voluntarily prepay the term loan, in whole or in part, from time to time without premium or penalty (other than customary breakage costs, if applicable). We may repay borrowings under the revolving credit facility at any time without premium or penalty (other than customary breakage costs, if applicable), but in any event no later than June 15, 2022, and any outstanding revolving loans thereunder will be due and payable in full, and the revolving credit facility will terminate, on such date. We may reduce or terminate the revolving line of credit at any time, subject to certain thresholds and conditions, without premium or penalty.
Under the A&R Credit Agreement the term loan and revolving credit loans bear interest at a rate per annum equal to, at the our option, either (a) the LIBOR Rate (or in the case of revolving credit loans denominated in a currency other than U.S. Dollars, the applicable quoted rate), plus a margin that varies within a range of 2.15% to 3.65% based on our consolidated leverage ratio, or (b) a fluctuating reference rate equal to the highest of (i) the federal fund rate plus 0.50%, (ii) Bank of America’s publicly announced prime rate, (iii) the LIBOR Rate plus 1.00% or (iv) 1.00%, plus a margin that varies within a range of 1.15% to 2.65% based on our consolidated leverage ratio. We are also required to pay a commitment fee on the undrawn portion of the revolving credit facility that varies within a range of 0.25% and 0.675% based on our consolidated leverage ratio.
The loans under the A&R Credit Agreement are subject to certain mandatory prepayments, subject to various exceptions, from (a) net cash proceeds from certain dispositions of property, (b) net cash proceeds from certain issuances of equity, (c) net cash proceeds from certain issuances of additional debt and (d) net cash proceeds from certain extraordinary receipts.
Amounts repaid under the revolving credit facility may be reborrowed, subject to continued compliance with the A&R Credit Agreement. No amount of the term loan that is repaid may be reborrowed.
Under the A&R Credit Agreement, we must comply with various customary financial and
non-financial
covenants including a maximum consolidated leverage ratio, a minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio, a minimum level of EBITDA, a consolidated asset coverage ratio and a minimum level of liquidity. The primary
non-financial
covenants limit our and our subsidiaries’ ability to incur future indebtedness, to place liens on assets, to pay dividends or distributions on capital stock, to repurchase or acquire capital stock, to conduct mergers or acquisitions, to sell assets, to alter the capital structure, to make investments and loans, to change the nature of their business, and to prepay subordinated indebtedness, in each case subject to certain exceptions and thresholds as set forth in the A&R Credit Agreement.
The Lender is entitled to accelerate repayment of the loans and to terminate its revolving credit commitment under the A&R Credit Agreement upon the occurrence of any of various customary events of default, which include, among other events, the following (which are subject, in some cases, to certain grace periods): failure to pay when due any principal, interest or other amounts in respect of the loans, breach of any of our covenants or representations under the loan documents, default under any other of our or our subsidiaries’ significant indebtedness agreements, a bankruptcy, insolvency or similar event with respect to us or any of our subsidiaries, a significant unsatisfied judgment against us or any of our subsidiaries, or our undergoing a change of control.
In addition to the guarantees by ANI ApS and TrojanLabel, our obligations under the A&R Credit Agreement are also secured by substantially all of AstroNova, Inc.’s personal property assets (including a pledge of the equity interests it holds in ANI ApS, in our wholly-owned German subsidiary AstroNova GmbH, and in our wholly-owned French subsidiary AstroNova SAS), subject to certain exceptions, and by a mortgage on our owned real property in West Warwick, Rhode Island.
65

Long-Term Debt
Long-term debt in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets under the A&R Credit Agreement is as follows:
   
January 31
 
(In thousands)  
2021
   
2020
 
USD Term Loan (4.65% as of January 31, 2021); maturity date of June 15, 2022
  $12,576   $0   
USD Term Loan (3.03% as of January 31, 2021); maturity date November 30, 2022
   0      8,250 
USD Term Loan (3.03% as of January 31, 2021); maturity date of January 31, 2022
   0      4,784 
           
    12,576    13,034 
Debt Issuance Costs, net of accumulated amortization
   (141   (111
Current Portion of Term Loan
   (5,326   (5,208
           
Long-Term Debt
  $7,109   $7,715 
           
During the years ended January 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, we recognized $0.5 million, $0.4 million and $0.6 million of interest expense, respectively, which was included in other income (expense) in the accompanying consolidated income statement.
The schedule of required principal payments remaining under the A&R Credit Agreement on long-term debt outstanding as of January 31, 2021 is as follows:
(In thousands)    
Fiscal 2022
  $5,326 
Fiscal 2023
   7,250 
      
   $12,576 
      
Refer to Note 23, “Subsequent Event” for details regarding the First Amendment to Credit Agreement to our A&R Credit Agreement, which was entered into subsequent to year end on March 24, 2021.
Note 9—Paycheck Protection Program Loan
On May 6, 2020, we entered into a loan agreement with, and executed a promissory note in favor of Greenwood Credit Union (“Greenwood”) pursuant to which we borrowed $4.4 million (the “PPP Loan”) from Greenwood pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) administered by the United States Small Business Administration (the “SBA”) and authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), enacted on March 27, 2020. The terms of the PPP Loan were subsequently revised in accordance with the provisions of the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act of 2020 (the “PPP Flexibility Act”) which was enacted on June 5, 2020.
The PPP Loan, which will mature on May 6, 2022, is unsecured and bears interest at a rate of 1.0% per annum, accruing from the loan date, and is payable monthly. NaN payments are due on the PPP Loan until the date on which the SBA determines the amount of the PPP Loan that is eligible for forgiveness, so long as we apply for forgiveness within the ten months from the end of the twenty-four week period following the date of loan disbursement, but interest will continue to accrue during the deferral period. We accrued interest for the PPP Loan in the amount of $33,000, which is included in other income (expense) in the accompanying consolidated statements of income for the year ended January 31, 2021.
The PPP Loan may be prepaid at any time without penalty. The loan agreement and promissory note include customary provisions for a loan of this type, including prohibitions on our payment of dividends or repurchase of
66

shares of our stock while the PPP Loan remains outstanding. The loan agreement and promissory note also include events of default relating to, among other things, payment defaults, breaches of the provisions of the loan agreement or the promissory note, and cross-defaults on other loans.
Subject to the limitations and conditions set forth in the CARES Act, the PPP Flexibility Act, and the regulations and guidance provided by the SBA with respect to the PPP, a portion of the PPP Loan may be forgiven in an amount up to the amount of the PPP Loan proceeds that we spent on payroll, rent, utilities and interest on certain debt during the twenty-four-week period following incurrence of the PPP Loan. Interest accrued on the forgiven portion of the principal amount of the PPP Loan is also forgiven. The amount of the PPP Loan to be forgiven in respect of rent, utilities and interest on certain debt will be capped at 40% of the forgiven amount, with the remaining forgiven amount allocated to payroll costs. We have fully utilized the PPP Loan proceeds for qualifying expenses during fiscal year 2021 and subsequent to year end we applied for forgiveness of the PPP Loan (including all associated accrued interest) in accordance with the terms of the CARES Act, as amended by the PPP Flexibility Act. Whether our application for forgiveness will be granted and in what amount is subject to approval by the SBA and may also be subject to further requirements in any regulations and guidelines the SBA may adopt. The PPP Loan is classified as long-term debt in the condensed consolidated balance sheet until the forgiveness determination has been made by the SBA.
Note 10—Derivative Financial Instruments and Risk Management
On February 28, 2017, as part of the Prior Credit Agreement, we entered into a cross-currency interest rate swap to manage the interest rate risk and foreign currency exchange risk associated with the floating-rate foreign currency-denominated term loan borrowing by ANI ApS and an interest rate swap to manage the interest rate risk associated with our variable rate term loan borrowing (the “Swaps”). Both Swaps were designated as cash flow hedges of floating-rate borrowings.
Our cross-currency interest rate swap agreement effectively modified our exposure to interest rate risk and foreign currency exchange rate risk by converting our floating-rate debt denominated in U.S. Dollars on ANI ApS’s books to a fixed-rate debt denominated in Danish Kroner for the term of the loan, thus reducing the impact of interest-rate and foreign currency exchange rate changes on future interest expense and principal repayments. This swap involved the receipt of floating interest rate amounts in U.S. Dollars in exchange for fixed-rate interest payments in Danish Kroner, as well as exchanges of principal at the inception spot rate, over the life of the term loan.
Subsequently, concurrent with our borrowings to fund the payments for the Asset Purchase and License Agreement

On September 28, 2017, with Honeywell International, we entered into an interest rate swap agreement to modify our exposure to interest rate risk by effectively converting our floating-rate borrowings to fixed-rate debt over the term of the loan, thus reducing the impact of interest-rate changes on future interest expense. This swap involved the receipt of floating interest rate amounts in U.S. Dollars in exchange for fixed interest rate payments in U.S. dollars over the life of the term loan.

As a direct result of the terms of the Lender’s conditions for entry into the A&R Credit Agreement, on July 30, 2020, we terminated the two Swaps that we used to manage the interest rate and foreign currency exchange risks associated with our prior borrowings under the
Prior
Credit Agreement. The terms of the A&R Credit Agreement caused those swaps to cease to be effective hedges of the underlying exposures. The termination of the Swaps was contracted immediately prior to the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2021 at a cash cost of approximately $0.7 million, which was settled in the third quarter. Upon termination, the remaining balance of $58,000 in accumulated other comprehensive loss related to the cross-currency interest rate swap was reclassified into earnings as the forecasted foreign currency interest payments will not occur and such balance is included in other expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of income for the period ended January 31, 2021. The remaining balance in accumulated other comprehensive loss related to the interest rate swap of $ 0.1 million is being amortized into earnings through the original term of the hedge relationship as the underlying floating interest rate debt still exists.
67

The following table summarizes the notional amount and fair value of our derivative instruments:
Cash Flow Hedges
(In thousands)
  
January 31, 2021
   
January 31, 2020
 
  
Notional Amount
   
Fair Value Derivatives
   
Notional Amount
   
Fair Value Derivatives
 
   
Asset
   
Liability
   
Asset
   
Liability
 
Cross-currency Interest Rate Swap
  $   $   $   $4,489   $   $250 
Interest Rate Swap
  $   $   $   $8,250   $   $96 
The following tables present the impact of the derivative instruments in our consolidated financial statements for the years ended January 31, 2021 and 2020:
   
Years Ended
 
Cash Flow Hedge
(In thousands)
  
Amount of Gain(Loss)
Recognized in OCI
on
Derivative
   
Location of Gain (Loss)
Reclassified from
Accumulated OCI into
Income
   
Amount of Gain (Loss)
Reclassified from
Accumulated OCI into
Income
 
  
January 31,
2021
  
January 31,
2020
   
January 31,
2021
  
January 31,
2020
 
Swap contracts
  $(301 $159    Other Income   $(248 $338 
                        
At January 31, 2021, we expect to reclassify approximately $0.1 million of net gains on the swap contracts from accumulated other comprehensive loss to earnings during the next 12 months due to changes in foreign exchange rates and the payment of variable interest associated with the floating-rate debt.
Note 11—Royalty Obligation
In fiscal 2018, AstroNova, Inc. entered into an Asset Purchase and License Agreement (the “Honeywell Agreement”) with Honeywell International, Inc. (“Honeywell”) to acquire an exclusive, perpetual, world-wide license to manufacture Honeywell’s narrow-format flight deck printers for two aircraft families along with certain inventory used in the manufacturing of the licensed printers. The purchase price consisted of an initial payment of $14.6 million in cash, paid at the closing of the transaction using borrowings from the Company’s revolving credit facility andincluded a guaranteed minimum royalty paymentspayment of $15.0 million, to be paid in quarterly installments over the next ten years,a
ten-year
period. Royalty payments are based on gross revenues from the sales of the printers, paper and repair services of the licensed products. The royalty rates vary based on the year in which they are paid or earned and product sold or service provided, and range from single-digit to mid double-digit percentages of gross revenue.

This transaction was evaluated under ASU2017-01, “Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business,” and was accounted for as an asset acquisition.

The guaranteed minimum royalty payment obligation of $15.0 million was recorded at the present value of the minimum annual royalty payments using a present value factor of 2.8%, which is based on the estimated after tax
after-tax
cost of debt for similar companies. During fiscal 2019, the CompanyAs of January 31, 2021, we had paid $1.9an aggregate of $5.5 million of the guaranteed minimum royalty payments.obligation. At January 31, 2019,2021, the current portion of the outstanding guaranteed minimum royalty obligation of $1.875$2.0 million is to be paid over the next twelve months and is reported as a current liability and the remainder of $9.9$6.1 million is reported as a long-term liability on the Company’sour consolidated balance sheet at January 31, 2019.sheet. In addition to the guaranteed minimum royalty payments, paid in fiscal 2019for the periods ended January 31, 2021 and 2018, the CompanyJanuary 31, 2020, we also incurred $2.8 million and $0.6 million, respectively, in excess royalty expense of $31 thousand and $1.2 million, respectively, which is included in cost of revenue in the Company’sour consolidated statements of income for the years ended January 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.income. A total of $1.3 million and $0.6$0.2 million of excess royalty is payable and reported as a current liability on the Company’sour consolidated balance sheet at January 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

In connection with2021.

Note 12—Leases
We enter into lease contracts for certain of its facilities at various locations worldwide. Our leases have remaining lease terms of one to eight years, some of which include options to extend the Honeywell Agreement,lease term for periods of up to five years when it is reasonably certain the Company also entered into a Transition Services Agreement (“TSA”) with Honeywell related to the transferwill exercise such options.
68

We lease office space from their current locations to AstroNova’s plant in West Warwick, Rhode Island. During fiscal 2019, the Company paid an additional $0.4 million to acquire another repair facility revenue stream in accordance with the terms of the TSA. The additional $0.4 million payment was included as part of the Honeywell Agreement purchase price and recordedaffiliate. This lease is classified as an increase to the related intangible asset.

Under the termsoperating lease with annual rental payments of the TSA, the Company is required to pay$63,000 for certain expenses incurred by Honeywell during the period in which product manufacturing is transferred to the Company’s facilities. In the first quarter of fiscal 2019, a change in accounting estimates for product costs and operating expenses related to the TSA resulted in an increase of $1.0 million in operating income ($0.8 million net of tax or $0.12 per diluted share). Additionally, in the first quarter of fiscal 2019, a change in accounting estimates for revenue subject to customer

rebates under the Honeywell Agreement increased operating income by $0.4 million ($0.3 million net of tax or $0.05 per diluted share). These changes in accounting estimates were the result of actual amounts billed and received differing from initial estimates.

Transaction costs incurred for this acquisition were $0.3 million and were included as part of the purchase price.

The assets acquired in connection with the acquisition were recorded by the Company at their estimated relative fair values as of the acquisition date as follows:

(In thousands)    

Inventory

  $1,411 

Identifiable Intangible Assets

   27,243
  

 

 

 

Total Purchase Price

  $28,654 
  

 

 

 

*

Includes additional $0.4 million related to the payment in fiscal 2019 in accordance with the terms of the TSA.

The purchase price, including the initial payment, minimum royalty payment obligation, transaction costs and subsequent additional TSA obligation payment, was allocated based on the relative fair value of the assets acquired. The fair value of the intangible assets acquired was estimated by applying the income approach. These fair value measurements are based on significant inputs that are not observable in the market and therefore represent a Level 3 measurement as defined in ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure.” Key assumptions in estimating the fair value of the intangibles include (1) the remaining life of the intangibles based on the term of the Honeywell Asset Purchase and License Agreement of 10 years, (2) a range of annual earnings projections from $3.9 million – $5.4 million and (3) the Company’s internal rate of return of 21.0%.

The acquired identifiable intangible assets are as follows:

(In thousands)  Fair
Value
   Useful Life
(Years)
 

Customer Contract Relationships

  $27,243    10 
  

 

 

   

Trojan Label

On February 1, 2017, the Company’s wholly-owned Danish subsidiary, ANI ApS, completed the acquisition of the issued and outstanding equity interests of TrojanLabel ApS (“TrojanLabel”). The acquisition of TrojanLabel was accounted for as a purchase of a business under the acquisition method in accordance with the guidance provided by FASB ASC 805, “Business Combinations.”

The purchase price of this acquisition was 62.9 million Danish Krone (approximately $9.1 million), net of cash acquired of 976,000 Danish Krone (approximately $0.1 million), of which 6.4 million Danish Krone (approximately $0.9 million) was placed in escrow to secure certain post-closing working capital adjustments and indemnification obligations of the sellers. The acquisition was funded using available cash and investment securities. In the first quarter of fiscal 2019, the Company settled the post-closing adjustment with TrojanLabel and recovered approximately 891,000 Danish Krone (approximately $145,000) of the amount held in the escrow account, which was recognized as an adjustment to the allowance account for TrojanLabel receivables. The remaining escrow balance was retained by TrojanLabel.

Part of the purchase agreement included an additional contingent consideration to be paid to the sellers of TrojanLabel if 80% of specified earnings targets were achieved by the TrojanLabel business during the seven years following the closing. However, subsequent to the acquisition, the Company restructured the operating model for the TrojanLabel business such that most of the sales and some of the expenses of the business would

be transferred to other legal entities of the Company. This caused the expected earnings targets in TrojanLabel, which was the basis upon which the contingent consideration was structured, to become unlikely to be met. As a result, during fiscal 2018, the estimated fair value of the contingent consideration was reduced resulting in the Company recognizing an additional $1.4 million of income for the year which is offset in general and administrative expense on the Company’s Consolidated Income Statement for the period endedboth January 31, 2018.

Total acquisition-related costs were approximately $0.7 million, of which $0.1 million and $0.6 million are included in the general and administrative expenses in the Company’s consolidated statements of income for the years ending January 31, 20182021 and January 31, 2017, respectively.

The US dollar purchase price of the acquisition has been allocated on the basis of fair value as follows:

(In thousands)    

Accounts Receivable

  $1,322 

Inventory

   796 

Other Current Assets

   166 

Property, Plant and Equipment

   15 

Identifiable Intangible Assets

   3,264 

Goodwill

   7,388 

Accounts Payable and Other Current Liabilities

   (1,821

Other Liability

   (114

Contingent Liability (Earnout)

   (1,314

Deferred Tax Liability

   (695
  

 

 

 

Total Purchase Price

  $9,007 
  

 

 

 

The fair value of the intangible assets acquired was estimated by applying the income approach,2020.

Balance sheet and the fair value of the contingent consideration liability was estimated by applying the real options method. These fair value measurements are based on significant inputs that are not observable in the market and therefore represent a Level 3 measurement as defined in ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure.” Key assumptions in estimating the fair value of the intangibles include (1) remaining life of existing technology acquired based on estimate of percentage of revenue from 0% – 100% for each product, (2) the Company’s internal rate of return of 19.0% and (3) a range of earnings projections from $121,000 – $1,070,000. Key assumptions in estimating the fair value of the contingent consideration liability (earnout) include (1) the estimated earnout targets over the next seven years of $407,000–$1,280,000, (2) the probability of success (achievement of the various contingent events) from 1.6%–87.2% and (3) a risk-adjusted discount rate of approximately 1.77%–3.35% used to adjust the probability-weighted earnout payments to their present value. The fair value of the contingent liability is revalued every reporting period based on updated assumptions. Refer above and to Note 21 “Fair Value Measurements” for further details.

Goodwill of $7.4 million, which is not deductible for tax purposes, represents the excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair value assigned to the tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed from TrojanLabel. The goodwill recognized is attributable to synergies which are expected to enhance and expand the Company’s overall product portfolio and opportunities in new and existing markets, future technologies that have yet to be determined and TrojanLabel’s assembled work force. The carrying amount of the goodwill was allocated to the Product Identification segment of the Company.

The following table reflects the fair value of the acquired identifiable intangible assets and related estimated useful lives:

(In thousands)  Fair
Value
   Useful Life
(Years)
 

Existing Technology

  $2,327    7 

Distributor Relations

   937    10 
  

 

 

   

Total

  $3,264   
  

 

 

   

The existing technology intangible asset acquired represents the various technologies TrojanLabel has developedother information related to its seriesour leases is as follows:

Operating Leases
(In thousands)
  
Balance Sheet Classification
  
January 31,
2021
   
January 31,
2020
 
Lease Assets
  Right of Use Assets  
$
1,389
  $1,661 
Lease Liabilities
Current
  Other Accrued Expenses   
372
   416 
Lease Liabilities
Long Term
  Lease Liabilities  
$
1,065
  $1,279 
Lease cost information is as follows:
Operating Leases
(In thousands)
  
Statement of Income Classification
   
Year Ended
January 31,
2021
   
Year Ended
January 31,
2020
 
Operating Lease Costs
     General and Administrative Expense     $485   $449 
Maturities of printing presses, including hardware components of the presses and the software utilized to optimize their performance.

Beginning February 1, 2017, the results of operations for TrojanLabel have been included in the Company’s statement of income for the period ended January 31, 2019 and 2018 and are reported as part of the Product Identification segment. Assuming the acquisition of TrojanLabel had occurred on February 1, 2016, the impact would not have had a material effect on the Company’s results for period ended January 31, 2017, as the acquisition was not considered a significant subsidiary.

Note 4—Intangible Assets

Intangible assetsoperating lease liabilities are as follows:

  January 31, 2019  January 31, 2018 
(In thousands) Gross
Carrying
Amount
  Accumulated
Amortization
  Currency
Translation
Adjustment
  Net
Carrying
Amount
  Gross
Carrying
Amount
  Accumulated
Amortization
  Currency
Translation
Adjustment
  Net
Carrying
Amount
 

Miltope:

        

Customer Contract Relationships

 $3,100  $(1,723 $—    $1,377  $3,100  $(1,438 $—    $1,662 

RITEC:

        

Customer Contract Relationships

  2,830   (725  —     2,105   2,830   (461  —     2,369 

Non-Competition Agreement

  950   (681  —     269   950   (491  —     459 

TrojanLabel:

        

Existing Technology

  2,327   (711  140   1,756   2,327   (350  313   2,290 

Distributor Relations

  937   (200  56   793   937   (99  130   968 

Honeywell:

        

Customer Contract Relationships

  27,243  (3,869  —     23,374   26,843   (958  —     25,885 
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Intangible Assets, net

 $37,387  $(7,909 $    196  $29,674  $36,987  $(3,797 $    443  $33,633 
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

*

Includes additional $0.4 million related to the payment in fiscal 2019 in accordance with the terms of the TSA.

There were no impairments to intangible assets during the periods ended January 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017. Amortization expense of $4.1 million; $2.2 million and $0.7 million with regard to acquired intangibles has been included in the consolidated statements of income for years ended January 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Estimated amortization expense for the next five years is as follows:

(In thousands)  2020   2021   2022   2023   2024 

Estimated amortization expense

  $4,223   $4,093   $4,005   $4,001   $3,997 

Note 5—Securities Available for Sale

Pursuant to our investment policy, securities available for sale include state and municipal securities with contractual or anticipated maturity dates ranging from 1 to 13 months. These securities are carried at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes, in shareholders’ equity until realized. Realized gains and losses from the sale of available for sale securities, if any, are determined on a specific identification basis. A decline in the fair value of any available for sale security below cost that is determined to be other than temporary will result in a write-down of its carrying amount to fair value. No such impairment charges were recorded for any period presented. All short-term investment securities have original maturities greater than 90 days.

The fair value, amortized cost and gross unrealized gains and losses of the securities are as follows:

   Amortized
Cost
   Gross
Unrealized
Gains
   Gross
Unrealized
Losses
   Fair
Value
 
(In thousands)                

January 31, 2019

        

State and Municipal Obligations

  $—     $   —     $   —     $—   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

January 31, 2018

        

State and Municipal Obligations

  $1,513   $—     $(2  $1,511 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The contractual maturity dates of these securities are as follows:

   January 31 
   2019   2018 
(In thousands)        

Less than one year

  $   —     $1,096 

One to two years

   —      415 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $—     $1,511 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Actual maturities may differ from contractual dates as a result of revenue or earlier issuer redemptions.

Note 6—Inventories

The components of inventories are as follows:

   January 31 
   2019   2018 
(In thousands)        

Materials and Supplies

  $17,517   $13,715 

Work-in-Progress

   1,633    1,404 

Finished Goods

   15,688    17,210 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   34,838    32,329 

Inventory Reserve

   (4,677   (4,720
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at January 31

  $30,161   $27,609 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Finished goods inventory includes $2.1 million and $2.0 million of demonstration equipment at January 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

(In thousands)
  
January 31,
2021
 
2022
  $372 
2023
   318 
2024
   292 
2025
   184 
2026
   163 
Thereafter
   270 
      
Total Lease Payments
   1,599 
Less: Imputed Interest
   (162
      
Total Lease Liabilities
  $1,437 
      

Note 7—Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment consist of the following:

   January 31 
   2019   2018 
(In thousands)        

Land and Land Improvements

  $967   $967 

Buildings and Leasehold Improvements

   12,165    12,056 

Machinery and Equipment

   22,810    22,125 

Computer Equipment and Software

   9,385    7,729 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Gross Property, Plant and Equipment

   45,327    42,877 

Accumulated Depreciation

   (34,947   (33,125
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Property Plant and Equipment

  $10,380   $9,752 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Depreciation expense on property, plant and equipment was $2.0 million, $1.8 million and $1.7 million for the years ended January 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Note 8—Accrued Expenses

Accrued expenses consisted of the following:

   January 31 
   2019   2018 
(In thousands)        

Warranty

  $832   $575 

Professional Fees

   403    392 

Dealer Commissions

   320    232 

Accrued Payroll & Sales Tax

   97    191 

Product Replacement Cost Reserve

   —      158 

Other

   1,259    866 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $2,911   $2,414 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Note 9—Revolving Line of Credit

The Company has a $10.0 million revolving line of credit under its existing Credit Agreement with Bank of America. Revolving credit loans may be borrowed, at the Company’s option, in U.S. Dollars or, subject to certain conditions, Euros, British Pounds, Canadian Dollars or Danish Krone. Amounts borrowed under the revolving credit facility bear interest at a rate per annum equal to, at the Company’s option, either (a) the LIBOR rate (or in the case of revolving credit loans denominated in a currency other than U.S. Dollars, the applicable quoted rate), plus a margin that varies within a range of 1.0% to 1.5% based on the Company’s consolidated leverage ratio, or (b) a fluctuating reference rate equal to the highest of (i) the federal funds’ rate plus 0.50%, (ii) Bank of America’s publicly announced prime rate or (iii) the LIBOR rate plus 1.00%, plus a margin that varies within a range of 0.0% to 0.5% based on the Company’s consolidated leverage ratio.

During fiscal 2019, $3.0 million was drawn on the revolving credit facility, of which $1.5 million was repaid and $1.5 million remains outstanding as of January 31, 2019. The outstanding balance bears interest at a weighted average annual rate of 5.6% and $61,000 of interest has been accrued and paid on this obligation and included in other expense in the accompanying consolidated income statement for the period ended January 31, 2019.

As of January 31, 2019, there is $8.5 million available2021, the weighted-average remaining lease term and weighted-average discount rate for our operating leases are 5.2 years and 4.00%, respectively. We calculated the weighted-average discount rate using incremental borrowing underrates, which equal the revolving credit facility.

The Company is requiredrates of interest that we would pay to payborrow funds on a commitment fee on the undrawn portion of the revolving credit facility at the rate of 0.25% per annum.

fully collateralized basis over a similar term.

Note 10—Debt

Long-term debt in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets

Supplemental cash flow information related to leases is as follows:

   January 31 
(In thousands)  2019   2018 

USD Term Loan (4.02% and 2.85% as of January 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively); maturity date November 30, 2022

  $11,250   $15,000 

USD Term Loan (4.02% and 3.06% as of January 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively); maturity date of January 31, 2022

   6,992    8,372 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   18,242    23,372 

Debt Issuance Costs, net of accumulated amortization

   (164   (226

Current Portion of Term Loan

   (5,208   (5,498
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Long-Term Debt

  $12,870   $17,648 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

The schedule

(In thousands)
  
Year Ended
January 31,
2021
   
Year Ended
January 31,
2020
 
Cash paid for operating lease liabilities
  $429   $406 
69

Table of required principal payments remaining during the next five years on long-term debt outstanding as of January 31, 2019 is as follows:

(In thousands)    

Fiscal 2020

  $5,208 

Fiscal 2021

   5,208 

Fiscal 2022

   5,576 

Fiscal 2023

   2,250 

Fiscal 2024

   —   
  

 

 

 
  $18,242 
  

 

 

 

On February 28, 2017, the Company and the Company’s wholly owned Danish subsidiary, ANI ApS (together, the “Parties”) entered into a Credit Agreement with Bank of America, N.A. (the “Lender”). The Parties also entered into a related Security and Pledge Agreement with the Lender. The Credit Agreement provided for a term loan to ANI ApS in the amount of $9.2 million. On November 30, 2017, the Parties entered into a Second Amendment to the Credit Agreement with the Lender. The Second Amendment provided for a term loan to the Company in the principal amount of $15.0 million, in addition to the revolving credit facility for the Company and the term loan previously borrowed by ANI ApS at the original closing under the Credit Agreement. The proceeds from the term loan were used to repay the entire $14.6 million principal balance of the revolving loan outstanding under the revolving credit facility as of that date.

The term loans bear interest at a rateper annum equal to the LIBOR rate plus a margin that varies within a range of 1.0% to 1.5% based on the Company’s consolidated leverage ratio. In connection with the Credit Agreement, AstroNova and ANI ApS entered into certain hedging arrangements with the Lender to manage the variable interest rate risk and currency risk associated with its payments in respect of the $9.2 million term loan. In connection with the Second Amendment to the Credit Agreement, AstroNova entered into certain hedging arrangements with the Lender to manage the variable interest rate risk and currency exchange risk associated with its payments in respect of the $15.0 million term loan. Refer to Contents

Note 11, “Derivative Financial Instruments and Risk Management” for further information about these arrangements.

The Parties must comply with various customary financial andnon-financial covenants under the Credit Agreement. The financial covenants consist of a maximum consolidated leverage ratio and a minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio. The Credit Agreement contains limitations, in each case subject to various exceptions and thresholds, on the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ ability to incur future indebtedness, to place liens on assets, to conduct mergers or acquisitions, to sell assets, to alter their capital structure, to make investments and loans, to change the nature of their business, and to prepay subordinated indebtedness. The Credit Agreement permits the Company to pay cash dividends on and repurchase shares of its common stock, subject to certain limitations.

The Lender is entitled to accelerate repayment of the loans and to terminate its revolving credit commitment under the Credit Agreement upon the occurrence of any of various customary events of default, which include, among other events, the following: failure to pay when due any principal, interest or other amounts in respect of the loans, breach of any of the Company’s covenants or representations under the loan documents, default under any other of the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ significant indebtedness agreements, a bankruptcy, insolvency or similar event with respect to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, a significant unsatisfied judgment against the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or a change of control of the Company.

The obligations of ANI ApS in respect of the $9.2 million term loan are guaranteed by the Company and TrojanLabel ApS. The Company’s obligations in respect of the $15.0 million term loan, revolving credit facility and its guarantee in respect of the ANI ApS term loan are secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company (including a pledge of a portion of the equity interests held by the Company in ANI ApS and the Company’s wholly-owned German subsidiary AstroNova GmbH), subject to certain exceptions.

As of January 31, 2019, the Company believes it is in compliance with all of the covenants in the Credit Agreement.

Note 11—Derivative Financial Instruments and Risk Management

The Company has entered into a cross-currency interest rate swap to manage the interest rate risk and foreign currency exchange risk associated with the floating-rate foreign currency-denominated term loan borrowing by our Danish Subsidiary and an interest rate swap to manage the interest rate risk associated with the variable rate term loan borrowing by the Company. In accordance with the guidance in ASC 815, both swaps have been designated as cash flow hedges of floating-rate borrowings and are recorded at fair value.

The cross-currency interest rate swap agreement utilized by the Company effectively modifies the Company’s exposure to interest rate risk and foreign currency exchange rate risk by converting the Company’s floating-rate debt denominated in U.S. Dollars on our Danish subsidiary’s books to a fixed-rate debt denominated in Danish Krone for the term of the loan, thus reducing the impact of interest-rate and foreign currency exchange rate changes on future interest expense and principal repayments. This swap involves the receipt of floating rate amounts in U.S. Dollars in exchange for fixed-rate interest payments in Danish Krone, as well as exchanges of principal at the inception spot rate, over the life of the term loan. As of January 31, 2019 and 2018, the total notional amount of the Company’s cross-currency interest rate swap was $6.3 million and $7.8 million, respectively.

The interest rate swap agreement utilized by the Company on the term loan effectively modifies the Company’s exposure to interest rate risk by converting the Company’s floating-rate debt to fixed-rate debt for the next five years, thus reducing the impact of interest-rate changes on future interest expense. This swap involves the receipt of floating rate amounts in U.S. dollars in exchange for fixed rate payments in U.S. dollars over the life of the term loan. As of January 31, 2019 and 2018, the total notional amount of the Company’s interest rate swap was $11.3 million and $14.3 million, respectively.

The following table provides a summary of the fair values of the Company’s derivatives recorded in the consolidated balance sheets:

Cash Flow Hedges

(In thousands)

  Balance Sheet Classification   January 31,
2019
   January 31,
2018
 

Cross-currency interest rate swap

   Other Long Term Liabilities   $600   $1,513
    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Interest rate swap

   Other Assets   $85   $101
    

 

 

   

 

 

 

The following tables present the impact of the derivative instruments in our condensed consolidated financial statements for the years ended January 31, 2019 and 2018:

   Years Ended 
   Amount of Gain
(Loss)
Recognized in OCI
on
Derivative
  Location of Gain
(Loss)
Reclassified from
Accumulated OCI  into
Income
   Amount of Gain
(Loss)
Reclassified from
Accumulated OCI into
Income
 

Cash Flow Hedge

(In thousands)

  January 31,
2019
   January 31,
2018
   January 31,
2019
   January 31,
2018
 

Swap contracts

  $797   $(1,330)  Other Income (Expense)   $769   $(1,344)
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

At January 31, 2019, the Company expects to reclassify approximately $0.4 million of net gains on the swap contracts from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to earnings during the next 12 months due to changes in foreign exchange rates and the payment of variable interest associated with the floating-rate debt.

Note 12—13—Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

Income (Loss)

The changes in the balance of accumulated other comprehensive lossincome (loss) by component are as follows:

(In thousands)  Foreign Currency
Translation
Adjustments
  Unrealized Holding
Gain (Loss)
on Available for
Sale Securities
  Net
Unrealized
Gain (Losses)
on Cash Flow
Hedges
  Total 

Balance at January 31, 2016

  $(983 $8   —    $(975

Other Comprehensive Loss

   (65  (16  —     (81

Amounts Reclassified to Net Income

   —     —     —     —   
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net Other Comprehensive Loss

   (65  (16  —     (81
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Balance at January 31, 2017

  $(1,048 $(8 $—    $(1,056

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) before reclassification

   867   5   (1,036  (164

Amounts reclassified from AOCI to Earnings

   —     —     1,048   1,048 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Other Comprehensive Income

   867   5   12   884 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Balance at January 31, 2018

  $(181 $(3 $12  $(172

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) before reclassification

   (671  —     622   (49

Amounts reclassified from AOCI to Earnings

   —     3  (600  (597
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

   (671  3   22   (646
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Balance at January 31, 2019

  $(852 $ —    $34  $(818
  

 

 

  

 

��

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

(In thousands)  
Foreign Currency
Translation
Adjustments
  
Unrealized
Holding
Gain (Loss)
on Available
for Sale
Securities
  
Net
Unrealized
Gain (Losses)
on Cash Flow
Hedges
  
Total
 
Balance at January 31, 2018
  $(181 $(3 $12  $(172
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) before reclassification
   (671  —     622   (49
Amounts reclassified from AOCI to Earnings
   —     3   (600  (597
                  
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
   (671  3   22   (646
                  
Balance at January 31, 2019
  $(852 $—    $34  $(818
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) before reclassification
   (133  —     122   (11
Amounts reclassified from AOCI to Earnings
   —     —     (264  (264
                  
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
   (133  —     (142  (275
                  
Balance at January 31, 2020
  $(985 $—    $(108 $(1,093
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) before reclassification
   710   —     (239  471 
Amounts Reclassified from AOCI to Earnings
   —     —     193   193 
Cross-Currency Interest Rate Swap Termination
   —     —     45   45 
                  
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
   710   —     (1  709 
                  
Balance at January 31, 2021
  $(275 $—    $(109 $(384
                  
The amounts presented above in other comprehensive income (loss) are net of taxes except for translation adjustments associated with our German and Danish subsidiaries.

Note 13—14—Shareholders’ Equity

During fiscal 2019, 20182021, 2020 and 2017,2019, certain of the Company’sour employees delivered a total of 33,430, 26,56115,357, 20,329 and 51,53133,430 shares, respectively, of the Company’sour common stock to satisfy the exercise price and related taxes for stock options exercised and restricted stock vesting. The shares delivered were valued at a total of $0.6 million, $0.4$0.1 million; $0.5 million and $0.8$0.6 million, respectively, and are included in treasury stock in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets at January 31, 2019, 20182021, 2020 and 2017.2019. These transactions did not impact the number of shares authorized for repurchase under the Company’sour current repurchase program.

On May 1, 2017, the Company entered into a stock repurchase agreement to repurchase 826,305 shares of the Company’s common stock held by a trust established by Albert W. Ondis at a per share price of $13.60, for an aggregate repurchase price of $11.2 million. This stock repurchase was consummated on May 2, 2017 and was funded using existing cash on hand. Following this stock repurchase, the Ondis trust owns 36,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.

April L. Ondis, who was then a director of the Company, is a beneficiary of the trust. The stock repurchase was authorized and approved by the Company’s Audit Committee as a related party transaction. Prior to entering into the agreement, the Company obtained an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that the consideration to be paid by the Company to the trust pursuant to the stock repurchase agreement would be fair to the public stockholders of the Company, other than the trust, from a financial point of view.

As of January 31, 2019, the Company’s Board of Directors has authorized the purchase of up to an additional 390,000 shares of the Company’s common stock on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions.

Note 14—15—Share-Based Compensation

The Company maintains the following share-based compensation plans:

Stock Plans:

During the year ending January 31, 2019,

We have one equity incentive plan from which we wereare authorized to grant equity awards, under two equity incentive plans: the 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2015 Plan”) and the AstroNova, Inc. 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2018 Plan”).

The 2018 Plan was approved by the Company’s shareholders at the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders held on June 4, 2018. The 2018 Plan provides for, among other things, the issuance of awards, with respect toincluding incentive stock options,

non-qualified
stock options, stock appreciation rights, time-based restricted stock units (“RSUs”), or performance-based restricted stock units (“PSUs”) and restricted stock awards (RSAs). The 2018 Plan authorizes the issuance of up to 650,000950,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, plus an additional number of shares equal to the number of shares subject to awards granted under the 2018 Plan or the 2015 Planprevious equity incentive plans that are following the effectiveness of the 2018 Plan, forfeited, cancelled, satisfied without the issuance of stock, otherwise terminated (other than by exercise), or, for shares of stock issued pursuant to any unvested award, that are reacquired by the Companyus at not more
70

than the grantee’s purchase price (other than by exercise). The 2015 Plan was to expire in May 2025, however following the approval ofUnder the 2018 Plan, the Company ceased granting new equityall awards pursuant to the 2015 Plan. Asemployees generally have a minimum vesting period of January 31, 2019, 80,934 unvested shares of restricted stockone year. Options granted and options to purchase an aggregate of 151,000 shares were outstanding under the 2018 Plan.

Under the 2015 Plan, the Company could grant incentive stock options,non-qualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, time or performance-based restricted stock units (RSUs), restricted stock awards (RSAs), and other stock-based awards to executives, key employees, directors and other eligible individuals. Options granted to employees under the plan vest over four years and expire after ten years. The exercise price of each stock option is established at the discretion of the Compensation Committee; however, all options granted under the 2015 Plan must be issued at an exercise price of not less than the fair market value of the Company’sour common stock on the date of grant. As of January 31, 2019, 50,585grant and expire after ten years. Under the 2018 Plan, 186,500 unvested shares of restricted stock granted and options to purchase an aggregate of 202,450135,500 shares were outstanding under the 2015 Plan.

Under the 2015 Plan, eachnon-employee director received an automatic annual grant often-year options to purchase 5,000 shares of stock upon the adjournment of each annual shareholders meeting. Each such option is exercisable at the fair market value of the Company’s common stock as of the grant date, and vests immediately prior to the next annual shareholders’ meeting. Accordingly, on May 17, 2017, 30,000 options were issued to thenon-employee directors.

January 31, 2021.

In addition to the 2015 Plan and the 2018 Plan, we previously granted equity awards under our 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2015 Plan”) and our 2007 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2007 Plan”). The 2007 Plan expired in May 2017 and noNo new awards may be issued under it,

either the 2007 or 2015 Plans, but outstanding awards will continue to be governed by it.those plans. As of January 31, 2019, 2,1482021, options to purchase an aggregate of 337,958 shares were outstanding under the 2007 Plan and 10,833 unvested shares of restricted stock granted and options to purchase an aggregate of 417,695148,625 shares were outstanding under the 20072015 Plan.

The Company had

We also have a
Non-Employee
Director Annual Compensation Program (the “Prior Program”“Program”), under which each of our
non-employee director received an automatic
directors automatically receives a grant of RSAsrestricted stock on the first business daydate of each fiscal quarter. Under the Program, thetheir
re-election
to our board of directors. The number of whole shares to be granted each quarter wasis equal to 25% of the number calculated by dividing the stock component of the director compensation amount determined by the compensation committee for that year by the fair market value of the Company’sour stock on suchthat day. The director annual compensation amount was $55,000 in fiscal year 2017, $65,000 in fiscal year 2018 and $75,000 in fiscal year 2019. In addition, the Chairmanvalue of the Board received RSAs with an aggregate valuerestricted stock award for fiscal 2021 was $60,000. Shares of $6,000, andrestricted stock granted under the Chairs of the Audit and Compensation Committees each receive RSAs with an aggregate value of $4,000, also issued in quarterly installments and calculated in the same manner as the directors’ RSA grants. RSAs granted prior to March 30, 2017Program become fully vested on the first anniversary of the date of grant. RSAs granted subsequent to March 30, 2017 become vested three months aftergrant, conditioned upon the daterecipient’s continued service on our board of grant. A total of 26,515, 28,062 and 11,379 shares were awarded to thenon-employeedirectors as compensation under the Program in fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Refer to Note 22, “Subsequent Event” for details regarding the Amended and Restated Non-Employee Director Annual Compensation Program adopted January 31, 2019 and effective beginning on February 1, 2019.

In May 2015 (fiscal year 2016), the Company granted an aggregate of 80,000 time-based and 155,000 performance-based RSUs to certain officers of the Company. Based upon revenue in fiscal 2018, 2017 and 2016, 33,638, 9,025 and 15,810 shares of the performance based RSUs were earned in the first quarter of fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

In March 2016 (fiscal year 2017), the Company granted 50,000 options and 4,030 RSAs to its Chief Executive Officer pursuant to an Equity Incentive Award Agreement dated as of November 24, 2014 (the “CEO Equity Incentive Agreement”).

In May 2016 (fiscal year 2017) the Company granted 37,000 options to certain key employees. On August 1, 2016 (fiscal year 2017) the Company granted 5,000 options to its Chief Financial Officer.

In March 2017 (fiscal year 2018), the Company granted 50,000 options to the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to the CEO Equity Incentive Agreement. In February and April 2017 the Company granted 52,189 options to certain other key employees. In December 2017, upon election to the Board, the Company granted 5,000non-qualified options and 675 RSUs to a Board member. In January 2018, the Company granted 50,000non-qualified options and 15,000 RSUs to the newly appointed Chief Financial Officer.

In April 2018 (fiscal year 2019), the Company granted 5,000non-qualified options.

In May 2018 (fiscal year 2019), the Company granted 40,000 options to certain key employees.

In June 2018 (fiscal year 2019), the Company granted an aggregate of 25,000non-qualified options to the members of the Board of Directors. Also in June 2018, the Company granted an aggregate of 126,000 options, 44,275 time-based RSUs and 38,000 performance-based RSUs to certain officers of the Company, all of which vest over three years. Of the 38,000 performance-based RSUs, 35,657 were earned based upon achievement of fiscal 2019 revenue and operating income targets.

through that date.

Share-Based Compensation:

Share-based compensation expense has been recognized as follows:

  Years Ended January 31 
          2019                   2018                   2017         
(In thousands)           

Stock Options

 $783   $437   $321 

Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units

  1,088    1,134    685 

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

  15    12    13 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

 $1,886   $1,583   $1,019 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

  
Years Ended January 31
 
  
    2021    
   
    2020    
   
    2019    
 
(In thousands)           
Stock Options
  $517   $616   $783 
Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units
   1,285    1,136    1,088 
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
   17    23    15 
                
Total
  $1,819   $1,775   $1,886 
                
71
Stock Options:

Aggregated information regarding stock options granted under the plans is summarized below:

   Number
of Shares
  Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price Per
Share
 

Options Outstanding, January 31, 2016

   657,936  $11.00 

Options Granted

   122,000   14.82 

Options Exercised

   (87,107  8.73 

Options Forfeited

   (4,250  13.91 

Options Cancelled

   (3,123  8.95 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Options Outstanding, January 31, 2017

   685,456  $11.96 

Options Granted

   187,189   13.57 

Options Exercised

   (84,025  10.08 

Options Forfeited

   (18,750  14.49 

Options Cancelled

   (24,600  11.76 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Options Outstanding, January 31, 2018

   745,270  $12.52 

Options Granted

   196,000   18.21 

Options Exercised

   (150,125  10.62 

Options Forfeited

   (16,300  15.10 

Options Cancelled

   (3,700  8.95 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Options Outstanding, January 31, 2019

   771,145  $14.30 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

   
Number
of Shares
  
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price Per
Share
 
Options Outstanding, January 31, 2018
   745,270  $12.52 
Options Granted
   196,000   18.21 
Options Exercised
   (150,125  10.62 
Options Forfeited
   (16,300  15.10 
Options Cancelled
   (3,700  8.95 
          
Options Outstanding, January 31, 2019
   771,145  $14.30 
Options Granted
   0     0   
Options Exercised
   (57,175  11.60 
Options Forfeited
   (34,526  15.73 
Options Cancelled
   (400  6.22 
          
Options Outstanding, January 31, 2020
   679,044  $14.46 
Options Granted
   0     —   
Options Exercised
   (1,200  7.60 
Options Forfeited
   (54,361  12.89 
Options Cancelled
   (1,400  7.36 
          
Options Outstanding, January 31, 2021
   622,083  $14.63 
          
Set forth below is a summary of options outstanding at January 31, 2019:

Outstanding

   Exercisable 

Range of

Exercise prices

  Number of
Shares
   Weighted-
Average
Exercise Price
   Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual Life
   Number of
Shares
   Weighted-
Average
Exercise Price
   Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
 
$5.00-10.00   74,981   $7.72    2.6    74,981   $7.72    2.6 
$10.01-15.00   453,164    13.65    6.8    313,347    13.66    6.3 
$15.01-20.00   243,000    17.55        8.9    30,000    15.17    7.5 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   771,145   $14.30        7.0    418,328   $12.70    5.7 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
2021:

The fair value of each stock option

Outstanding
   
Exercisable
 
Range of
Exercise prices
  
Number of
Shares
   
Weighted-
Average
Exercise Price
   
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual Life
   
Number of
Shares
   
Weighted-
Average
Exercise Price
   
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
 
$5.00-10.00   41,044   $7.97    1.3    41,044   $7.97    1.3 
$10.01-15.00   359,314    13.63    4.9    326,741    13.65    4.7 
$15.01-20.00   221,725    17.48        6.8    167,367    17.22    6.7 
                               
    622,083   $14.63        5.3    535,152   $14.33    5.1 
                               
NaN options were granted was estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions:

   Years Ended January 31 
           2019                  2018                  2017         

Risk-Free Interest Rate

   2.6  1.9  1.4

Expected Life (years)

   9   9   5 

Expected Volatility

   39.4  39.0  28.3

Expected Dividend Yield

   1.5  2.0  1.9

during fiscal 2021 or

fis
cal
2020. The weighted-average estimated fair value of options granted during fiscal 2019 2018 and 2017 was $7.43, $4.79 and $3.22, respectively.$7.43. As of January 31, 2019,2021, there was $1.5$0.2 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to the unvested stock options granted under the plans. This expense is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.30.8 years.

As of January 31, 2019,2021, the aggregate intrinsic value (the aggregate difference between the closing stock price of the Company’sour common stock on January 31, 2019,2021, and the exercise price of the outstanding options) that would have been received by the option holders if all options had been exercised was $3.0$0.1 million for all exercisable options and $4.4$0.1 million for all options outstanding. The total aggregate intrinsic value of options exercised during 2021, 2020 and 2019 2018was $4,000, $0.5 million and 2017 was $1.1 million, $0.4 million, and $0.6 million, respectively

respectively.

7
2

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) and Restricted Stock Awards (RSAs):

Aggregated information regarding RSUs and RSAs granted under the Plan is summarized below:

   RSAs & RSUs   Weighted-Average
Grant Date Fair Value
 

Outstanding at January 31, 2016

   293,088   $13.02 

Granted

   24,839    14.89 

Vested

   (75,133   12.05 

Forfeited

   (28,926   11.49 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Outstanding at January 31, 2017

   213,868   $14.08 

Granted

   43,737    13.78 

Vested

   (71,171   14.12 

Forfeited

   (9,087   14.05 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Outstanding at January 31, 2018

   177,347   $13.99 

Granted

   108,790    17.85 

Vested

   (67,447   14.26 

Forfeited

   (85,023   14.17 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Outstanding at January 31, 2019

   133,667   $16.90 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

   
RSAs & RSUs
   
Weighted-Average
Grant Date Fair Value
 
Outstanding at January 31, 2018
   177,347   $13.99 
Granted
   108,790    17.85 
Vested
   (67,447   14.26 
Forfeited
   (85,023   14.17 
           
Outstanding at January 31, 2019
   133,667   $16.90 
Granted
   119,522    19.86 
Vested
   (59,930   14.50 
Forfeited
   (58,625   19.00 
           
Outstanding at January 31, 2020
   134,634   $16.79 
           
Granted
   245,131    7.61 
Vested
   (64,997   17.28 
Forfeited
   (117,355   8.83 
           
Outstanding at January 31, 2021
   197,413   $9.96 
           
As of January 31, 2019,2021, there was $1.4$1.1 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested RSUs and RSAs. This expense is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.90.8 years.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP):

AstroNova’s

Our
 ESPP allows eligible employees to purchase shares of common stock at a 15% discount from fair market value on the date of purchase. A total of 247,500 shares were initially reserved for issuance under this plan. Summarized plan activity is as follows:

   Years Ended January 31 
       2019           2018           2017     

Shares Reserved, Beginning

   39,207    45,224    51,600 

Shares Purchased

   (5,354   (6,017   (6,376
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Shares Reserved, Ending

   33,853    39,207    45,224 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

   
Years Ended January 31
 
   
    2021    
   
    2020    
   
    2019    
 
Shares Reserved, Beginning
   24,974    33,853    39,207 
Shares Purchased
   (14,600   (8,879   (5,354
                
Shares Reserved, Ending
   10,374    24,974    33,853 
                
Note 15—16—Income Taxes

The components of income (loss) before income taxes are as follows:

   January 31 
   2019   2018   2017 
(In thousands)            

Domestic

  $6,859   $2,110   $4,026 

Foreign

   449    3,047    2,579 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $7,308   $5,157   $6,605 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

   
January 31
 
   
2021
  
2020
  
2019
 
(In thousands)          
Domestic
  $(1,193 $1,930  $6,859 
Foreign
   3,372   (560  449 
              
   $2,179  $1,370  $7,308 
              
73

The components of the provisionprovision/(benefit) for income taxes are as follows:

   January 31 
   2019  2018  2017 
(In thousands)          

Current:

    

Federal

  $1,807  $592  $1,269 

State

   457   251   209 

Foreign

   952   284   725 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 
   3,216   1,127   2,203 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Deferred:

    

Federal

  $(843 $903  $150 

State

   (170  (25  37 

Foreign

   (625  (134  (13
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 
   (1,638  744   174 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 
  $1,578  $1,871  $2,377 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

On December 22, 2017, the President signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“Tax Act”). The Tax Act, among other things, lowered the U.S. corporate

   
January 31
 
   
2021
  
2020
  
2019
 
(In thousands)          
Current:
             
Federal
  $1,272   $660   $1,807 
State
   224    221    457 
Foreign
   420    368    952 
                
   1,916    1,249    3,216 
               
 
 
Deferred:
             
Federal
  $(910 $(1,364 $(843
State
   (189  (282  (170
Foreign
   78   8   (625
              
    (1,021  (1,638  (1,638
              
   $895  $(389 $1,578 
              
Total income tax rateprovision/(benefit)
differs from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018. Consequently, we wrote down our net deferredthe expected tax assets as of January 31, 2018 by $1.0 million to reflect the impact of the Tax Act and recorded a corresponding provisional netone-timenon-cash charge of $1.0 million. The Company filed its 2017 federal income tax return in November 2018, which increased the tax expense related to theone-timenon-cash charge by $0.1 millionprovision/(benefit) as a result of certain provision to return adjustments.

The Tax Act taxes certain unrepatriated earnings and profits (E&P) of our foreign subsidiaries (“transition tax”). In order to determine the transition tax, we were required to determine, along with other information, the amount of our accumulated post-1986 E&P for our foreign subsidiaries, as well as the non-U.S. income tax paid by those subsidiaries on such E&P. We were capable of reasonably estimating theone-time deemed repatriation tax and recorded a provisional expense of $0.1 million. The U.S. Treasury issued certain notices and proposed regulations (“interpretative guidance”) during fiscal 2019 which provided additional guidance to assist companies in calculating theone-time deemed repatriation tax. The U.S. Treasury issued final regulations in January 2019. The final regulations did not impact the computation of the final income tax expense. The finalone-time deemed repatriation tax remained $0.1 million.

The SEC issued Staff Accounting Bulletin 118 (“SAB 118”) in December 2017, which provides guidance on accounting for the tax effects of Tax Reform. SAB 118 provides a measurement period in which to finalize the accounting under ASC 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”) as it relates to the Tax Act. This measurement period should not extend beyond one year from the Tax Act enactment date. In accordance with SAB 118, the Company has properly reflected the income tax effects of all aspects of the legislation for which the accounting under ASC 740 was impacted. All conclusions under SAB 118 were finalized during the fourth quarter of 2018 with no material changes to the provisional amounts.

following:

The Company’s

   
January 31
 
   
2021
  
2020
  
2019
 
(In thousands)          
Income Tax Provision at Statutory Rate
  $458  $288  $1,534 
Denmark Statutory Audit
   341   —     —   
Foreign Rate Deferential
   197   315   558 
Share Based Compensation
   171   (145  (127
Canada Withholding Taxes
   62   —     —   
State Taxes, Net of Federal Tax Effect
   28   (48  226 
Global Intangible Low Taxed Incom
e
   14   107   —   
Meals and Entertainment
   11   31   56 
U.S. Corporate Rate Change
   —     —     52 
Transition Tax on Repatriated Earnings
   —     —     14 
Return to Provision Adjustment
   (2  (207  58 
Change in Reserves Related to ASC 740 Liability
   (10  (352  (34
Change in Valuation Allowance
   (81  256   —   
R&D Credits
   (157  (209  (218
Foreign Derived Intangible Income
   (150  (107  (53
Foreign Tax Credits
   —     (344  (477
Other
   13   26   (11
              
   $895  $(389 $1,578 
              
Our effective tax rate for 20192021 was 21.6%41.1% compared to 36.3%negative 28.4% in 20182020 and 36.0%21.6% in 2017. The decrease in 2019 from 2018 is primarily related to the Tax Act. This includes the reduction in the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, the absence of theone-time U.S. deferred tax asset and liability remeasurement and transition tax. This decrease was offset by the absence of R&D credits from amended tax returns and the absence of thenon-taxable TrojanLabel earn out liability adjustment in TrojanLabel ApS.2019. The increase in the effective tax rate in 20182021 from 20172020 is primarily related to provisional Tax Actthe change in mix of income between relevant jurisdictions in which
we
are
subject to income taxes. Specific items increasing the effective tax expenses related to the remeasurement of U.S. deferred tax assetsrate include foreign rate differential, Denmark statutory audit adjustments, stock-based compensation, and liabilities and the transition tax, substantiallyCanada withholding taxes. This increase was offset by increasedthe foreign derived intangible income (“FDII”) deduction, the release of a valuation allowance in China, and R&D tax credits resulting from a completed study, aexpected to be utilized.
The decrease innon-deductible transaction costs, thenon-taxable TrojanLabel earn out liability adjustment effective tax rate in TrojanLabel ApS, and a decrease in unrecognized tax benefits. The increase in 20172020 from 20162019 is primarily related tonon-deductible transaction costs and increased unrecognized tax benefits. The provision for lower
pre-tax
income taxes differs fromin 2020 compared to 2019.. Specific items decreasing the amount computed by applying the United States federal statutory incomeeffective tax rate include FDII, the release of 21.0% (32.9% for FY18ASC 740 liabilities, R&D credit utilization, and 34% FY17)return to income before income taxes. The reasons for this difference were dueprovision adjustments. This decrease was offset by valuation
74

allowances recorded on unbenefited losses in China and on carryforward foreign tax credits expected to the following:

   January 31 
   2019  2018  2017 
(In thousands)          

Income Tax Provision at Statutory Rate

  $1,534  $1,697  $2,246 

U.S Corporate Rate Change

   52   1,010   —   

State Taxes, Net of Federal Tax Effect

   226   149   162 

Transition Tax on Repatriated Earnings

   14   104   —   

Capitalized Transaction Costs

   —     —     179 

Unrecognized State Tax Benefits

   (34  (20  165 

Domestic Production Deduction

   —     (47  (103

Return to Provision Adjustment

   58   (122  (75

TrojanLabel Earn Out Liability Adjustment

   —     (316  —   

R&D Credits

   (218  (537  (168

Foreign Deferred Intangible Income

   (53  —     —   

Other

   (1  (47  (29
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 
  $1,578  $1,871  $2,377 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 
expire unused.

The components of deferred income tax expense arise from various temporary differences and relate to items included in the statement of income. The tax effects of temporary differences that gave rise to significant portions of the deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows:

   January 31 
   2019  2018 
(In thousands)       

Deferred Tax Assets:

   

Inventory

  $1,800  $1,648 

Honeywell Royalty Liability

   3,146   3,382 

State R&D Credits

   1,305   1,161 

Share-Based Compensation

   493   399 

Compensation Accrual

   155  194 

Warranty Reserve

   201   139 

Unrecognized State Tax Benefits

   133   138 

Deferred Service Contract Revenue

   91   84 

Bad Debt

   101   —   

Net Operating Loss

   505   —   

Other

   142   176 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 
   8,072   7,321 

Deferred Tax Liabilities:

   

Intangibles

   2,660   3,679 

Accumulated Tax Depreciation in Excess of Book Depreciation

   982   1,028 

Other

   238   322 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 
   3,880   5,029 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Subtotal

   4,192   2,292 

Valuation Allowance

   (1,304  (1,161
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net Deferred Tax Assets

  $2,888  $1,131 
  

 

 

  

 

 

 

   
January 31
 
   
2021
  
2020
 
(In thousands)       
Deferred Tax Assets:
         
Inventory
  $2,700  $2,094 
Honeywell Royalty Liability
   2,590   2,583 
State R&D Credits
   1,546   1,496 
Share-Based Compensation
   600   582 
Bad Debt
   245   165 
Warranty Reserve
   176   205 
Compensation Accrual
   159   159 
Net Operating Loss
   154   443 
ASU 842 Adjustment—Lease Liability   125   —   
Unrecognized State Tax Benefits
   101   116 
Foreign Tax Credit
   83   113 
Deferred Service Contract Revenue
   68   111 
Other
   308   295 
          
    8,855   8,362 
Deferred Tax Liabilities:
         
Accumulated Tax Depreciation in Excess of Book Depreciation
   752   1,002 
Intangibles
   399   776 
ASU 842 Adjustment – Lease Liability   119   0   
Other
   307   188 
          
    1,577   1,966 
          
Subtotal
   7,278   6,396 
Valuation Allowance
   (1,721  (1,752
          
Net Deferred Tax Assets
  $5,557  $4,644 
          
The valuation allowance of $1.3$1.7 million at January 31, 2019 and $1.2 million at January 31, 2018 related 2021 relate
s
to statedomestic research and development tax credit carryforwards and foreign tax credit carryforwards which are expected to expire unused. The valuation allowance increased $0.1of $1.8 million at January 31, 2020 included a valuation allowance on China net operating losses, which was released during 2021.    
At January 31, 2021, we had net operating loss carryforwards of $0.4 million in 2019 and $0.5China, which expire in 2022 through 2026. We have net operating loss carryforwards of $0.2 million in 2018 dueGermany, which can be carried forward indefinitely. We expect to utilize the decrease in the federal tax effect of state taxes from the federal rate reduction provided for in the Tax Act and the generation of research and development credits in excess of the Company’s ability to currently utilize them. The Company has reached this conclusion after considering the availability of taxable income in prior carryback years, tax planning strategies, and the likelihood of future state taxable income and credits exclusive of reversing temporary differences andnet operating loss carryforwards in the relevantChina and Germany before expiration.
At January 31, 2021, we had state jurisdiction.

research credit carryforwards of approximately $1.5 million which expire in 2021 through 2028. We maintain a full valuation allowance against these credits as we expect these credits to expire unused.

75

We believe that it is reasonably possible that some unrecognized tax benefits, accrued interest and penalties could decrease income tax expense in the next year due to either the review of previously filed tax returns or the expiration of certain statutes of limitation. The changes in the balances of unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest and penalties are as
follows:

   2019  2018  2017 
(In thousands)          

Balance at February 1

  $665  $708  $591 

Increases in prior period tax positions

         75 

Increases in current period tax positions

   7   55   133 

Reductions related to lapse of statute of limitations

   (54  (98  (91
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Balance at January 31

  $618  $665  $708 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

   
2021
  
2020
  
2019
 
(In thousands)          
Balance at February 1
  $362  $618  $665 
Increases in prior period tax position
s
   59   —     —   
Increases in current period tax positions
   5   2   7 
Reductions related to lapse of statutes of limitations
   (42  (26  (54
Reductions related to settlement with tax authorities
   —     (232  —   
              
Balance at January 31
  $384  $362  $618 
              
During fiscal 2021 and 2020, we released $50,000 and $114,000, respectively, of accrued interest and penalties relating to a change in various unrecognized tax positions. During fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, the Companywe recognized $8,000 $24,000 and $52,000, respectively, of expensesexpense related to a change in interest and penalties, which are included as a component of income tax expense in the accompanying statements of income.income for the period ended January 31, 2019. The Company has accrued potential interest and penalties of $0.5$0.3 million and $0.4 millionincluded in Income Taxes Payable in the consolidated balance sheet at the end of both January 31, 20192021 and 2018, respectively.

2020.

The Company and its subsidiaries file income tax returns in U.S. federal jurisdictions, various state jurisdictions, and various foreign jurisdictions. The Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal tax examinations for fiscal years ended prior to January 2014. The Company is currentlywas previously under audit by the IRS for the tax years ended January 31, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2016. No proposed adjustments2017, but on June 6, 2019, we received formal communication regarding the close of the audit with no additional changes made by the IRS. Therefore, the reserves for federal uncertain tax positions relating to the years in question have been released. In fiscal 2020, we released $232,000 relating to the federal tax exposure for the years previously under audit and $74,000 of related interest (net of federal benefit) and penalties.
The Company was also notified of an income tax audit from the state of Rhode Island, but no significant items have been raised at this time.

time other than information requests. No assessments have been made as of January 31, 2021.

U.S. income taxes have not been provided on $6.6$5.7 million of undistributed earnings of the Company’sour foreign subsidiaries since it is the Company’sour intention to permanently reinvest such earnings offshore. If the earnings were distributed in the form of dividends, the Company would not be subject to U.S. Taxtax as a result of the Tax Act but could be subject to foreign income and withholding taxes. Determination of the amount of this unrecognized deferred income tax liability is not practical.

Note 16—17—Nature of Operations, Segment Reporting and Geographical Information

The Company’s

Our operations consist of the design, development, manufacture and sale of specialty printers and data acquisition and analysis systems, including both hardware and software and related consumable supplies. The Company organizesWe organize and manages itsmanage our business as a portfolio of products and services designed around a common theme of data acquisition and information output. The Company has twoWe have 2 reporting segments consistent with itsour revenue product groups: Product Identification (PI)(“PI”) and Test & Measurement (T&M)(“T&M”).

The Product Identification

Our PI segment produces an array of high-technology digital color and monochrome label printers and mini presses, labeling software and consumablessupplies for a variety of commercial industries worldwide. AstroNova’s T&M segment produces data acquisition systems used worldwide for a variety of recording, monitoring and troubleshooting applications for many industries including aerospace, automotive, defense, rail, energy, industrial and general manufacturing.

The T&M segment also includes our line of aerospace flight deck and cabin printers.

7
6

Business is conducted in the United States and through foreign branch offices and subsidiaries in Canada, Europe, China, Southeast Asia and Mexico. Manufacturing activities are primarily conducted in the United States. Revenue and service activities outside the United States are conducted through wholly-owned entities and, to a lesser extent, through authorized distributors and agents. Transfer prices are intended to produce gross profit margins as would be associated with an arms-length transaction.

On September 28, 2017, AstroNova entered into the Honeywell Agreement to acquire the exclusive perpetual world-wide license to manufacture Honeywell’s narrow format flight deck printers for two aircraft families. Revenue from the sales of these printers is reported as part of our T&M segment beginning in the third quarter of fiscal 2018. Refer to Note 3, “Acquisitions,” for further details.

On February 1, 2017, AstroNova completed its acquisition of TrojanLabel. TrojanLabel is reported as part of our Product Identification segment beginning with the first quarter of fiscal 2018. Refer to Note 3, “Acquisitions,” for further details.

The accounting policies of the reporting segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies herein. The Company evaluatesWe evaluate segment performance based on the segment profit before corporate and financial administration expenses.

Summarized below are the revenue and segment operating profit (loss) (both in dollars and as a percentage of revenue) for each reporting segment:

($ in thousands) Revenue  Segment Operating Profit  Segment Operating Profit as a
% of Revenue
 
  2019  2018  2017      2019          2018          2017        2019      2018      2017   

Product Identification

 $86,786  $81,681  $69,862  $7,910  $10,561  $9,821   9.1  12.9  14.1

T&M

  49,871   31,720   28,586   11,933   3,754   4,399   23.9  11.8  15.4
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total

 $136,657  $113,401  $98,448   19,843   14,315   14,220   14.5  12.6  14.4
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

     

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Corporate Expenses

     11,123   8,903   7,939    
    

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

    

Operating Income

     8,720   5,412   6,281    

Other Income (Expense), Net

     (1,412)   (255)   324    
    

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

    

Income Before Income Taxes

     7,308   5,157   6,605    

Income Tax Provision

     1,578   1,871   2,377    
    

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

    

Net Income

    $5,730  $3,286  $4,228    
    

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

    

No

($ in thousands) 
Revenue
  
Segment Operating Profit (Loss)
  
Segment Operating Profit (Loss)
as a % of Revenue
 
  
2021
  
2020
  
2019
  
    2021    
  
    2020    
  
    2019    
  
  2021  
  
  2019  
  
  2018  
 
Product Identification
 $90,268  $88,116  $86,786  $12,885  $7,509  $7,910   14.3  8.5  9.1
T&M
  25,765   45,330   49,871   (1,032  6,281   11,933   (4.0)%   13.9  23.9
                                     
Total
 $116,033  $133,446  $136,657   11,853   13,790   19,843   (10.3)%   10.3  14.5
                                     
Corporate Expenses
              9,420   11,357   11,123             
                                     
Operating Income
              2,433   2,433   8,720             
Other Expense, Net
              (254  (1,063  (1,412            
                                     
Income Before Income Taxes
              2,179   1,370   7,308             
Income Tax Provision (Benefit)
              895   (389  1,578             
                                     
Net Income
             $1,284  $1,759  $5,730             
                                     
NaN customer accounted for greater than 10% of net revenue in fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017.

2021, 2020 or 2019.

Other information by segment is presented below:

(In thousands)  Assets 
   2019   2018 

Product Identification

  $49,091   $49,832 

T&M

   62,250    60,579 

Corporate*

   7,642    11,902 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  $118,983   $122,313 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

(In thousands)  
Assets
 
   
2021
   
2020
 
Product Identification
  $50,047   $51,439 
T&M
   51,262    57,050 
Corporate*
   14,164    8,175 
           
Total
  $115,473   $116,664 
           
*

Corporate assets consist principally of cash, cash equivalents, deferred tax assets and securities available for sale.

refunds, and certain prepaid corporate assets.

(In thousands)  Depreciation and
Amortization
   Capital Expenditures 
   2019   2018   2017   2019   2018   2017 

Product Identification

  $1,888   $1,536   $885   $1,935   $1,497   $767 

T&M

   4,264    2,458    1,546    710    707    471 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  $6,152   $3,994   $2,431   $2,645   $2,204   $1,238 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(In thousands)  
Depreciation and
Amortization
   
Capital Expenditures
 
   
2021
   
2020
   
2019
   
2021
   
2020
   
2019
 
Product Identification
  $1,835   $1,928   $1,888   $1,563   $2,001   $1,935 
T&M
   4,148    4,356    4,264    1,024    905    710 
                               
Total
  $5,983   $6,284   $6,152   $2,587   $2,906   $2,645 
                               
77

Geographical Data

Presented below is selected financial information by geographic area:

(In thousands)  Revenue   Long-Lived Assets* 
   2019   2018   2017   2019   2018 

United States

  $83,668   $69,795   $69,850   $36,750   $39,432 

Europe

   31,574    29,948    18,848    3,223    3,808 

Asia

   8,207    3,808    1,664    —      —   

Canada

   6,692    5,373    5,008    81    145 

Central and South America

   4,147    3,402    3,053    —      —   

Other

   2,369    1,075    25    —      —   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  $136,657   $113,401   $98,448   $40,054   $43,385 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(In thousands)  
Revenue
   
Long-Lived Assets*
 
   
2021
   
2020
   
2019
   
2021
   
2020
 
United States
  $70,911   $83,671   $83,668   $31,226   $34,072 
Europe
   29,029    29,617    31,574    2,274    2,544 
Canada
   5,574    5,719    6,692    13    35 
Asia
   5,105    8,316    8,207    —      —   
Central and South America
   3,950    4,145    4,147    —      —   
Other
   1,464    1,978    2,369    —      —   
                          
Total
  $116,033   $133,446   $136,657   $33,513   $36,651 
                          
*

Long-lived assets excludesexclude goodwill assigned to the T&M segment of $4.5 million at both January 31, 20192021 and 20182020 and $7.8$8.3 million and $7.5 million assigned to the PI segment at January 31, 2019.

2021 and 2020, respectively.

Note 17—18—Employee Benefit Plans

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP):

AstroNova had an ESOP which provided retirement benefits to all eligible employees. Annual contributions of either cash or stock in amounts determined by the Company’s Board of Directors were invested by the ESOP’s Trustees in shares of common stock of AstroNova. On January 23, 2017, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors voted to terminate the ESOP and the Company did not make contributions to the ESOP in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017. AstroNova is in the process of allocating all shares owned by the ESOP to the participants; once completed, the ESOP will be terminated.

Profit-Sharing Plan:

AstroNova sponsors

We sponsor a Profit-Sharing Plan (the “Plan”) which provides retirement benefits to all eligible domestic employees. The Plan allows participants to defer a portion of their cash compensation and contribute such deferral to the Plan through payroll deductions. The Company makes matching contributions up to specified levels. The deferrals are made within the limits prescribed by Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code.

All contributions are deposited into trust funds. It
 is the
our
 policy of the Company
to fund any
contributions accrued. The Company’sOur annual contribution amounts are determined by the Board of Directors. Contributions paid or accrued amounted to $0.4 million in fiscal 2021 and $0.5 million in both fiscal years 2019, 20182020 and 2017.

2019.

Note 18—19—Product Warranty Liability

AstroNova offers

We offer a manufacturer’s warranty for the majority of itsour hardware products. The specific terms and conditions of warranty vary depending upon the products sold and country in which the Company doeswe do business. For products sold in the United States, the Company provides a basic limited warranty, including parts and labor. The Company estimatesWe estimate the warranty costs based on historical claims experience and recordsrecord a liability in the amount of such estimates at the time product revenue is recognized. The CompanyWe regularly assessesassess the adequacy of itsour recorded warranty liabilities and adjusts the amounts as necessary. Activity in the product warranty liability, which is included in other accrued expenses in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet, is as follows:

   January 31 
   2019  2018  2017 
(In thousands)          

Balance, beginning of the year

  $575  $515  $400 

Provision for Warranty Expense

   1,680   1,294   971 

Cost of Warranty Repairs

   (1,423  (1,234  (856
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Balance, end of the year

  $832  $575  $515 
  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

   
January 31
 
   
2021
  
2020
  
2019
 
(In thousands)          
Balance, beginning of the year
  $850  $832  $575 
Provision for Warranty Expense
   855   1,733   1,680 
Cost of Warranty Repair
s
   (975  (1,715  (1,423
              
Balance, end of the year
  $730  $850  $832 
              
Note 19—20—Concentration of Risk

Credit is generally extended on an uncollateralized basis to almost all customers after review of credit worthiness. Concentration of credit and geographic risk with respect to accounts receivable is limited due to the large number and general dispersion of accounts which constitute the Company’sour customer base. The CompanyWe periodically performsperform
on-going
credit evaluations of itsour customers. The Company hasWe have not historically experienced significant credit losses on collection of itsour accounts receivable.

Excess cash is invested principally in investment grade government and state municipal securities. The Company has established guidelines relative to diversification and maturities that maintain safety

78

During the years ended January 31, 2019, 20182021, 2020 and 2017,2019, one vendor accounted for 21.6%23.2%, 31.3%21.2% and 33.2%21.6% of purchases, and 28.7%23.8%, 26.6%28.0% and 42.7%28.7% of accounts payable, respectively.

Note 20—Commitments and Contingencies

The Company maintains leases for certain facilities and equipment and has entered into facility agreements, some of which contain provisions for future rent increases. The total amount of rental payments due over the lease term is being charged to rent expense on the straight-line method over the term of the lease. The difference between rent expense recorded and the amount paid is credited or charged to deferred rent, which is included in other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Minimum future rental commitments under allnon-cancelable operating leases during the next five yearsrespectively, as of January 31, 20192021, 2020 and 2019.

Note 21—Commitments and Contingencies
We are as follows:

(In thousands)

    

2020

  $574 

2021

   520 

2022

   387 

2023

   294 

2024

   273 

Thereafter

   568 
  

 

 

 
  $2,616 
  

 

 

 

Rental expense was $0.8 million, $0.7 million and $0.5 million in fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

The Company is subject to contingencies, including legal proceedings and claims arising in the normal course of business that cover a wide range of matters including, among others, contract and employment claims; workers compensation claims; product liability; warranty and modification; and adjustment or replacement of component parts of units sold.

Direct costs associated with the estimated resolution of contingencies are accrued at the earliest date at which it is deemed probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of such liability can be reasonably estimated. While it is impossible to ascertain the ultimate legal and financial liability with respect to contingent liabilities, including lawsuits, we believe that the aggregate amount of such liabilities, if any, in excess of amounts provided or covered by insurance, will not have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial position or results of operations. It is possible, however, that future results of operations for any particular future period could be materially affected by changes in our assumptions or strategies related to these contingencies or changes out of the Company’sour control.

Note 21—22—Fair Value Measurements

Assets and Liabilities Recorded at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

Fair value is applied to our financial assets and liabilities including money market funds, available for sale securities, derivative instruments and a contingent consideration liability relating to an earnout payment on future TrojanLabel operating results.

The following tables provide a summary of the financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value:

Assets measured at fair value:

  Fair value measurement at
January 31, 2019
   Fair value measurement at
January 31, 2018
 
(in thousands)  Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 

Money Market Funds (included in Cash and Cash Equivalents)

  $—     $ —     $ —     $ —     $1,798   $—     $ —     $1,798 

State and Municipal Obligations (included in Securities Available for Sale)

   —      —      —      —      —      1,511    —      1,511 

Swap Contract (include in Other Assets)

   —      85    —      85    —      101    —      101 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

  $ —     $85   $—     $85   $1,798   $1,612   $—     $3,410 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Liabilities measured at fair value:

  Fair value measurement at
January 31, 2019
   Fair value measurement at
January 31, 2018
 
(in thousands)  Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 

Swap Contract (included in Other Liabilities)

  $—     $600   $—     $600   $—     $1,513   $—     $1,513 

Earnout Liability (included in Other Liabilities)

   —      —      14    14    —      —      15    15 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

  $—     $600   $14   $614   $—     $1,513   $15   $1,528 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

For our money market funds and municipal obligations, we utilize the market approach to measure fair value. The market approach is based on using quoted prices for identical or similar assets.

Liabilities measured at fair value:
  
Fair value measurement at
January 31, 2021
   
Fair value measurement at
January 31, 2020
 
(in thousands)  
Level 1
   
Level 2
   
Level 3
   
Total
   
Level 1
   
Level 2
   
Level 3
   
Total
 
Cross-Currency Interest Rate Swap Contract (included in Other Long-Term Liabilities)
  $—     $0—     $—     $—     $—     $250   $—     $250 
Interest Rate Swap Contract (included in Other Long-Term Liabilities)
   —      0—      —      —      —      96    —      96 
Earnout Liability (included in Other Liabilities)
   —      —      —      —      —      —      14    14 
                                         
Total liabilities
  $
    
—     $
    
0—     $
    
—     $
    
—     $
 
 
—     $
 
 
346   $
 
 
14   $
 
 
360 
                                         
We also useused the market approach to measure fair value of our derivative instruments. Our derivative asset is comprised of an interest rate swap and our derivative liability is comprised of a cross-currency interest rate swap. These derivative instruments were measured at fair value using readily observable market inputs, such as quotations on interest rates and foreign exchange rates and are classified as Level 2 because they are
over-the-counter
contracts with a bank counterparty that are not traded in an active market.

The following table presents the changes in fair value

79

0.0%-0.9% and (3) a risk-adjusted discount rate of approximately2.68%-4.9% used to adjust the probability-weighted earnout payments to their present value. At each reporting period, the contingent consideration liability is recorded at its fair value with changes reflected in general and administrative expense in the condensed consolidated statements of operations.

Subsequent to the acquisition of Trojan Label business, the Company restructured the operating model such that most of the sales and some of the expenses of the business would be transferred to other legal entities of the Company. This caused the expected earnings targets in the Danish entity, which were the basis upon which the contingent consideration was structured, to become unlikely to be met. As a result, during fiscal 2018, the value of the contingent consideration was reduced resulting in the Company recognizing an additional $1.4 million of income for the year which is offset in general and administrative expense on the Company’s consolidated income statement for the period ended January 31, 2018.

Assets and Liabilities Not Recorded at Fair Value on the Consolidated Balance Sheet

The Company’s

Our long-term debt, including the current portion of long-term debt not reflected in the financial statements at fair value, is reflected in the table below:

   Fair Value Measurement at
January 31, 2019
     
(In thousands)  Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total   Carrying
Value
 

Long-Term Debt and Related Current Maturities

  $  —    $  —    $18,857   $18,857   $18,242 
   Fair Value Measurement at
January 31, 2018
     
(In thousands)  Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total   Carrying
Value
 

Long-Term Debt and Related Current Maturities

  $  —    $  —    $24,873   $24,873   $23,372 

   
Fair Value Measurement at
January 31, 2021
     
(In thousands)  
Level 1
   
Level 2
   
Level 3
   
Total
   
Carrying
Value
 
Long-Term Debt and Related Current Maturities
  $  —     $  —     $12,586   $12,586   $12,576 
   
   
Fair Value Measurement at
January 31, 2020
     
(In thousands)  
Level 1
   
Level 2
   
Level 3
   
Total
   
Carrying
Value
 
Long-Term Debt and Related Current Maturities
  $—     $—     $13,258   $13,258   $13,034 
The above table does not include the PPP loan, as the fair value of the PPP loan approximates its carrying value.
The fair value of the Company’sour long-term debt, including the current portion, is estimated by discounting the future cash flows using current interest rates at which similar borrowings with the same maturities would be made to borrowers with similar credit ratings and is classified as Level 3.

Note 22—2
3
Subsequent Event

On March 24, 2021, we entered into a First Amendment to Credit Agreement (the “Amendment”) to the A&R Credit Agreement
(the “A&R Credit Agreement,”
 as
amended by the Amendment; the “Amended Credit Agreement”) with Bank of America, N.A., as lender (the “Lender”), ANI ApS and TrojanLabel. Immediately prior to the closing of the Amendment, we repaid $2.6 million in principal amount of the term loan outstanding under the A&R Credit Agreement, resulting in an outstanding balance of the term loan of $10.0 million and no amount drawn and outstanding under the revolving credit facility under the A&R Credit Agreement.
The Amended Credit Agreement provides for (i) a term loan in the principal amount of $10.0 million, and (ii) a $22.5 million revolving credit facility available for general corporate purposes. At the closing of the Amend
ment
,
w
e
borrowed the entire $10.0 million term loan which was used to refinance, in full, the outstanding term loan under the A&R Credit Agreement. Under the Amended Credit Agreement, revolving credit loans may continue to be borrowed, at our option, in U.S. Dollars or, subject to certain conditions, Euros, British Pounds, Canadian Dollars or Danish Kroner.
The Amended Credit Agreement requires that the term loan be paid as follows: the principal amount of each quarterly installment required to be paid on the last day of each of our fiscal quarters ending on or about April 30, 2021 through January 31, 2019,2022 is $187,500; the compensation committeeprincipal amount of each quarterly installment required to be paid on the last day of each of our fiscal quarters ending on or about April 30, 2022 through January 31, 2023 is $250,000; the principal amount of each quarterly installment required to be paid on the last day of each of our fiscal quarters ending on or about April 30, 2023 through January 31, 2025 is $312,500; the principal amount of each quarterly installment required to be paid on the last day of each of our fiscal quarters ending on or about April 30, 2025 and July 31, 2025 is $500,000; and the entire remaining principal balance of the Company’s boardterm loan is required to be paid on September 30, 2025. We may voluntarily prepay the term loan, in whole or in part, from time to time without premium or penalty (other than customary breakage costs, if applicable). We may repay borrowings under the revolving credit facility at any time without premium or penalty (other than customary breakage costs, if applicable), but in any event no later than September 30, 2025, at which time any outstanding revolving loans will be due and payable in full, and the revolving credit facility will terminate. We may reduce or terminate the revolving line of directors adoptedcredit at any time, subject to certain thresholds and conditions, without premium or penalty.
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The Amended Credit Agreement includes an uncommitted accordion provision under which the term loan and/or revolving credit facility commitments may be increased in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $10.0 million, subject to obtaining the agreement of the Lender and the satisfaction of certain other conditions.
The interest rates under the
Prior
Credit Agreement were modified in the Amended Credit Agreement as follows: the term loan and Restated Non-Employee Director Annual Compensation Program (the “New Program”)revolving credit loans bear interest at a rate per annum equal to, at our option, either (a) the LIBOR Rate as de
fin
ed
 in the Amended Credit Agreement (or in the case of revolving credit loans denominated in a currency other than U.S. Dollars, the applicable quoted rate), which became effective asplus a margin that varies within a range of February 1, 20191.60% to 2.30% based on our consolidated leverage ratio, or (b) a fluctuating reference rate equal to the highest of (i) the federal fund rate plus 0.50%, (ii) Bank of America’s publicly announced prime rate, (iii) the LIBOR Rate plus 1.00% or (iv) 0.50%, plus a margin that varies within a range of 0.60% to 1.30% based on our consolidated leverage ratio. In addition to certain other fees and supersedesexpenses that we are required to pay to the Lender, we are required to pay a commitment fee on the undrawn portion of the revolving credit facility that varies within a range of 0.15% and 0.30% based on our consolidated leverage ratio. The commitment fee paid on the undrawn portion of the revolving credit facility was $28,000 for fiscal year 2021 and is included in the interest expense line in the consolidated income statement for the period ended January 31, 2021.
As under the Prior Program.Credit Agreement, the loans under the Amended Credit Agreement are subject to certain mandatory prepayments, subject to various exceptions, from (a) net cash proceeds from certain dispositions of property, (b) net cash proceeds from certain issuances of equity, (c) net cash proceeds from certain issuances of additional debt and (d) net cash proceeds from certain extraordinary receipts.
Amounts repaid under the revolving credit facility may be reborrowed, subject to continued compliance with the Amended Credit Agreement. No amount of the term loan that is repaid may be reborrowed.
We must comply with various customary financial and
non-financial
covenants under the Amended Credit Agreement. The financial covenants under the Amended Credit Agreement consist of a maximum consolidated leverage ratio and a minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio. The minimum EBITDA, minimum consolidated asset coverage ratio, minimum liquidity and maximum capital expenditures covenants with which we were required to comply under the Prior Credit Agreement were eliminated by the Amendment. The primary
non-financial
covenants limit our and our subsidiaries’ ability to incur future indebtedness, to place liens on assets, to pay dividends or distributions on their capital stock, to repurchase or acquire their capital stock, to conduct mergers or acquisitions, to sell assets, to alter their capital structure, to make investments and loans, to change the nature of their business, and to prepay subordinated indebtedness, in each case subject to certain exceptions and thresholds as set forth in the Amended Credit Agreement, certain of which provisions were modified by the Amendment.
The Lender is entitled to accelerate repayment of the loans and to terminate its revolving credit commitment under the Amended Credit Agreement upon the occurrence of any of various customary events of default, which include, among other events, the following (which are subject, in some cases, to certain grace periods): failure to pay when due any principal, interest or other amounts in respect of the loans, breach of any of our covenants or representations under the loan documents, default under any other of our or our subsidiaries’ significant indebtedness agreements, a bankruptcy, insolvency or similar event with respect to us or any of our subsidiaries, a significant unsatisfied judgment against us or any of our subsidiaries, or a change of control.
Our obligations under the Amended Credit Agreement continue to be secured by substantially all of our personal property assets (including a pledge of the equity interests held in ANI ApS, in our wholly-owned German subsidiary AstroNova GmbH, and in our wholly-owned French subsidiary AstroNova SAS), subject to certain exceptions, and by a mortgage on our owned real property in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Pursuant to the New Program, beginning with fiscal 2020, each non-employee director will automatically receive a grant of restricted stock onAmendment, the date of their re-election to the Company’s board of directors. The number of whole shares to be granted will be equal to the number calculated by dividing the stock component of the director compensation amount determined by the compensation committee for that year by the fair market valueguarantees of our stock on that day. The value of the restricted stock award for fiscal 2020 is $60,000. To account for the partial year beginning on February 1, 2019 and continuing through the 2019 annual meeting and thereby provide for the alignment of the timing of annual grants of restricted stockobligations under the New Program with the electionPrior Credit Agreement that were previously provided by ANI ApS and TrojanLabel were released.
8
1

SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited)

   2019      2018     
(In thousands, except per share data) Q1 (1)  Q2  Q3  Q4 (2)      Q1  Q2  Q3  Q4 (3)     

Revenue

 $31,487  $33,807  $34,196  $37,167    $24,458  $27,483  $28,760  $32,699  

Cost of Revenue

  19,377   20,408   20,288   22,585     15,152   17,224   16,966   20,057  

Gross Profit

  12,110   13,399   13,908   14,582     9,306   10,259   11,794   12,642  
  38.5  39.6  40.7  39.2    38.0  37.3  41.0  38.7 

Operating Expenses (4):

           

Selling & Marketing

 $6,500  $6,397  $6,587  $6,858    $5,238  $5,187  $5,532  $6,177  

Research & Development

  1,692   2,029   2,123   1,969     1,505   1,803   2,033   2,112  

General & Administrative

  2,653   2,808   2,836   2,825       1,856   2,327   2,597   2,123     

Total Operating Expenses

  10,845   11,234   11,546   11,652       8,599   9,317   10,162   10,512     

Operating Income

  1,265   2,165   2,362   2,930     707   942   1,632   2,130  
  4.0  6.4  6.9  7.9    2.9  3.4  5.7  6.5 

Other Income (Expense), Net

  (270  (512  (538  (92    (48  16   (12  (210 

Income Before Taxes

  995   1,653   1,824   2,838     659   958   1,620   1,920  

Income Tax Provision

  181   459   407   532       147   231   201   1,292     

Net income

 $814  $1,194  $1,417  $2,306      $512  $727  $1,419  $628     

Net Income per Common Share—Basic

 $0.12  $0.17  $0.21  $0.33      $0.07  $0.11  $0.21  $0.09     

Net Income per Common Share—Diluted

 $0.12  $0.17  $0.20  $0.32      $0.07  $0.11  $0.21  $0.09     

   
2021
      
2020
     
(In
 thousands,
 except
 per
 share
 data)
 
Q1
  
Q2
  
Q3
  
Q4
      
Q1
  
Q2
  
Q3
  
Q4
     
Revenue
 $30,919  $27,658  $28,017  $29,438    
 
 $36,181  $33,468  $33,318  $30,479     
Cost of Revenue
  20,064   17,871   18,282   18,456    
 
  21,942   21,491   21,021   20,234     
Gross Profit
  10,855   9,787   9,735   10,982    
 
  14,239   11,977   12,297   10,245     
   35.1  35.4  34.7  37.3   
 
  39.4  35.8  36.9  33.6    
Operating Expenses (1):
                   
 
                    
Selling & Marketing
 $5,925  $5,555  $5,553  $6,267    
 
 $6,765  $6,413  $6,944  $6,762     
Research & Development
  1,940   1,493   1,412   1,361    
 
  2,007   1,785   2,076   2,216     
General & Administrative
  2,327   2,535   2,353   2,206  
 
 
 
  2,999   2,616   2,830   2,912  
 
 
 
Total Operating Expenses
  10,192   9,583   9,318   9,834  
 
 
 
  11,771   10,814   11,850   11,890  
 
 
 
Operating Income (Loss)
  663   204   417   1,148    
 
  2,468   1,163   447   (1,645    
   2.1  0.7  1.5  3.9   
 
  6.8  3.5  1.3  (5.4)%     
Other Income (Expense), Net
  (349  328   (437  204    
 
  (368  (183  (238  (275    
Income (Loss) Before Taxes
  314   532   (20  1,352    
 
  2,100   980   209   (1,920    
Income Tax Provision (Benefit)
  (118  529   (32  516  
 
 
 
  400   29   (247  (572 
 
 
 
Net Income (Loss)
 $432  $3  $12  $836  
 
 
 
 $1,700  $951  $456  $(1,348 
 
 
 
Net Income (Loss) per Common Share—Basic
 $0.06  $0.00  $0.00  $0.12  
 
 
 
 $0.24  $0.14  $0.06  $(0.19 
 
 
 
Net Income (Loss) per Common Share—Diluted
 $0.06  $0.00  $0.00  $0.12  
 
 
 
 $0.23  $0.13  $0.06  $(0.19 
 
 
 
Annual totals may not agree to the summation of quarterly information due to insignificant rounding and the required calculation conventions.

(1)

The first quarter of fiscal 2019 includes (a) income of $1.0 million ($0.8 million net of tax or $0.12 per diluted share) for a change in accounting estimate for product costs and operating expenses related to the Honeywell TSA and (b) income of $0.4 million ($0.3 million net of tax or $0.05 per diluted share) for change in accounting estimates for revenue subject to customer rebates under the Honeywell Agreement. Both of these changes in accounting estimates were the result of actual amounts billed and received differing from initial estimates.

(2)

The fourth quarter of fiscal 2019 includes $0.1 million, or $0.01 per diluted share, of tax expense related to the enactment of the Tax Act.

(3)

The fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 includes (a) income of $0.9 million ($0.7 million net of tax or $0.11 per diluted share) related to the change in fair value of the Company’s contingent earn out liability; (b) expense of $42,000 ($36,000 net of tax or $0.1 per diluted share) related to the correction of a prior period error in the recording of the Honeywell transaction in the third quarter fiscal 2018 and (c) $1.1 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, of tax expense related to the enactment of the Tax Act.

(4)

Certain amounts reported in the prior quarters may have been reclassified to conform to the Company’sour current presentation at
year-end.

82

ASTRONOVA, INC.

SCHEDULE II—VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS AND RESERVES

Description

  Balance at
Beginning
of Year
   Provision/
(Benefit)
Charged to
Operations
  Deductions(2)  Balance
at End
of Year
 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts(1):

      
(In thousands)              

Year Ended January 31,

      

2019

  $377   $310  $(166 $521 

2018

  $266   $119  $(8 $377 

2017

  $404   $(80 $(58 $266 

Description
  
Balance at
Beginning
of Year
   
Provision/
(Benefit)
Charged to
Operations
   
Deductions(2)
  
Balance
at End
of Year
 
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts(1):
                   
(In thousands)               
Year Ended January 31,
                   
2021
  $856   $194   $4  $1,054 
2020
  $521   $546   $(211 $856 
2019
  $377   $310   $(166 $521 
(1)

The allowance for doubtful accounts has been netted against accounts receivable in the balance sheets as of the respective balance sheet dates.

(2)

Uncollectible accounts written off, net of recoveries.

80

8
3