Kimball Electronics (KE) SEC Quarterly Report (10-Q) for Q1 2017

(Mark One)

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

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2017

OR

o 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     001-36454

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  x No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Section 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Yes  x    No  o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, 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.

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. o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). 

Yes  o     No  x

The number of shares outstanding of the Registrant's common stock as of April 24, 2017 was 27,127,146 shares.

KIMBALL ELECTRONICS, INC.

FORM 10-Q

INDEX

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

KIMBALL ELECTRONICS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Amounts in Thousands, Except for Share Data)

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements .

KIMBALL ELECTRONICS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(Amounts in Thousands, Except for Per Share Data)

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements .

KIMBALL ELECTRONICS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(Amounts in Thousands)

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements .

KIMBALL ELECTRONICS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Amounts in Thousands)

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements .

KIMBALL ELECTRONICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

Note 1. Business Description and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Business Description:

Kimball Electronics, Inc. (also referred to herein as "Kimball Electronics," the "Company," "we," "us," or "our") is a global contract electronic manufacturing services ("EMS") company that specializes in producing durable electronics for the automotive, medical, industrial, and public safety end markets. We offer a package of value that begins with our core competency of producing "durable electronics" and includes our set of robust processes and procedures that help us ensure that we deliver the highest levels of quality, reliability, and service throughout the entire life cycle of our customers' products. We have been producing safety critical electronic assemblies for our automotive customers for over 30 years. We are well recognized by customers and industry trade publications for our excellent quality, reliability, and innovative service.

Basis of Presentation:

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements presented herein reflect the consolidated financial position as of March 31, 2017 and June 30, 2016 , results of operations for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 , and cash flows for the nine months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 . The financial data presented herein is unaudited and should be read in conjunction with the annual Consolidated Financial Statements as of and for the year ended June 30, 2016 and related notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K. As such, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") have been condensed or omitted, although we believe that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. Management believes the financial statements include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary to present fairly the financial statements for the interim periods. The results of operations for the interim periods shown in this report are not necessarily indicative of results for any future interim period or for the entire fiscal year.

Notes Receivable and Trade Accounts Receivable:

Notes receivable and trade accounts receivable are recorded per the terms of the agreement or sale, and accrued interest is recognized when earned. We determine on a case-by-case basis the cessation of accruing interest, the resumption of accruing interest, the method of recording payments received on nonaccrual receivables, and the delinquency status for our limited number of notes receivable.

In the ordinary course of business, customers periodically negotiate extended payment terms on trade accounts receivable. Customary terms require payment within 30 to 45 days, with any terms beyond 45 days being considered extended payment terms. We may utilize accounts receivable factoring arrangements with third-party financial institutions in order to extend terms for the customer without negatively impacting our cash flow. These arrangements in all cases do not contain recourse provisions which would obligate us in the event of our customers' failure to pay. Receivables are considered sold when they are transferred beyond the reach of Kimball Electronics and its creditors, the purchaser has the right to pledge or exchange the receivables, and we have surrendered control over the transferred receivables. In the nine months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 , we sold, without recourse, $107.8 million and $93.1 million of accounts receivable, respectively. Factoring fees were not material.

The Company's China operation, in limited circumstances, may receive banker's acceptance drafts from customers as payment for their trade accounts receivable. The banker's acceptance drafts are non-interest bearing and primarily mature within six months from the origination date. The Company has the ability to sell the drafts at a discount or transfer the drafts in settlement of current accounts payable prior to the scheduled maturity date. These drafts, which totaled $5.6 million at March 31, 2017 and $5.7 million at June 30, 2016 , are reflected in the Receivables line on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets until the banker's drafts are sold at a discount, transferred in settlement of current accounts payable, or cash is received at maturity. Banker's acceptance drafts sold at a discount or transferred in settlement of current accounts payable during the nine months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 were $6.8 million and $10.1 million , respectively. See Note 5 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for more information on banker's acceptance drafts.

Other General Income:

Other General Income in the nine months ended March 31, 2017 included $4.0 million of pre-tax income resulting from a payment received related to a class action lawsuit in which Kimball Electronics was a class member. The lawsuit alleged that certain suppliers to the EMS industry conspired over a number of years to raise and fix the prices of electronic components, resulting in overcharges to purchasers of those components. No Other General Income was recorded in the nine months ended March 31, 2016 .

Non-operating Income (Expense), net:

The Non-operating income (expense), net line item includes the impact of such items as foreign currency rate movements and related derivative gain or loss, fair value adjustments on supplemental employee retirement plan ("SERP") investments, bank charges, and other non-operating income and expense items that are not directly related to operations. The Bargain purchase gain on acquisition relates to the acquisition of Aircom Manufacturing, Inc. during the nine months ended March 31, 2017 and resulted from the estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities recorded being greater than the consideration paid. See Note 2 - Acquisitions of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for more information on the bargain purchase gain. The gain (loss) on SERP investments is offset by a change in the SERP liability that is recognized in Selling and Administrative Expenses.

Components of Non-operating income (expense), net:

Income Taxes:

In determining the quarterly provision for income taxes, we use an estimated annual effective tax rate which is based on expected annual income, statutory tax rates, and available tax planning opportunities in the various jurisdictions in which we operate. Unusual or infrequently occurring items are separately recognized in the quarter in which they occur. During the quarter ended March 31, 2016, we recognized a $1.8 million discrete foreign tax benefit as a result of a favorable tax ruling related to the fiscal year 2015 capitalization of our Romania subsidiary.

The Company entered into a Tax Matters Agreement with Kimball International, Inc. (our "former Parent") that governs the Company's rights and obligations after the spin-off from former Parent on October 31, 2014 with respect to tax liabilities and benefits, tax attributes, tax contests, and other tax sharing regarding income taxes, other tax matters, and related tax returns. The Company will continue to have joint and several liabilities with former Parent with the IRS and certain U.S. state tax authorities for U.S. federal income and state taxes for the taxable periods in which the Company was a part of former Parent's consolidated group. The tax matters agreement specifies the portion, if any, of this liability for which the Company bears responsibility, and former Parent has agreed to indemnify the Company against any amounts for which the Company is not responsible. At March 31, 2017 and June 30, 2016 , the Company has a receivable from Kimball International recorded for $0.6 million and $0.7 million , respectively. As of March 31, 2017 and June 30, 2016 , $0.5 million and $0.6 million , respectively, of the receivable is a long-term receivable, and was recorded in Other Assets on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, relating to benefits from domestic research and development tax credits.

"Emerging Growth Company" Reporting Requirements:

The Company qualifies as an "emerging growth company" as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the "JOBS Act"). For as long as a company is deemed to be an "emerging growth company," it may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other regulatory requirements that are generally unavailable to other public companies. Among other things, we are not required to provide an auditor attestation report on the assessment of the internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the "Sarbanes-Oxley Act").

Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an "emerging growth company" can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of this extended transition period. Our financial statements may therefore not be comparable to those of companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.

In April 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted new rules that included an inflation-adjusted threshold in the definition of an "emerging growth company." Under the new inflation-adjusted threshold, we would cease to be an "emerging growth company" on the last day of the fiscal year in which our annual gross revenues exceed $1.07 billion . This is an increase of $70 million from the previous $1 billion threshold. For further information regarding additional criteria to retain the "emerging growth company" status, refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2016 .

New Accounting Standards:

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued guidance on leases. The new guidance requires lessees to recognize assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for the rights and obligations created by those leases with terms of more than 12 months. Under the current guidance, only capital leases are recognized on the balance sheet. The new guidance requires additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures. The new guidance is effective for our fiscal year 2020 financial statements. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this guidance on our consolidated financial statements.

In November 2015, the FASB issued guidance on the balance sheet classification of deferred taxes. Under the current guidance, deferred tax liabilities and assets must be separated into current and noncurrent amounts in a classified statement of financial position. The new guidance requires deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. The new guidance does not change the requirement that deferred tax liabilities and assets of a tax-paying component of an entity to be offset and presented as a single amount. The guidance is effective for our fiscal year 2019 annual financial statements and interim periods within annual periods for our fiscal year 2020, with earlier application permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. The guidance offers two acceptable adoption methods: (i) retrospective adoption to all periods presented; or (ii) prospective adoption to all deferred tax liabilities and assets. We do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

In July 2015, the FASB issued guidance on simplifying the measurement of inventory. The guidance amends the subsequent measurement of inventory from the lower of cost or market to the lower of cost and net realizable value. Under the current guidance, market value could be replacement cost, net realizable value, or net realizable value less an approximately normal profit margin. Within the scope of the new guidance, an entity should measure inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. The guidance is effective for our fiscal year 2018 financial statements. We do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance on the recognition of revenue from contracts with customers. The core principle of the guidance is that a company should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration which the company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve this core principle, the guidance provides a five-step analysis of transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized. The guidance addresses several areas including transfer of control, contracts with multiple performance obligations, and costs to obtain and fulfill contracts. The guidance also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. In August 2015, the FASB issued additional guidance deferring the effective date for one year while allowing entities the option to adopt one year early. The guidance is effective for our fiscal year 2020 financial statements using either of two acceptable adoption methods: (i) retrospective adoption to each prior reporting period presented with the option to elect certain practical expedients; or (ii) adoption with the cumulative effect of initially applying the guidance recognized at the date of initial application and providing certain additional disclosures. We are currently assessing the impact, including changes required in our business processes and information technology systems, to adopt this guidance. We have not yet selected a transition method nor determined the effect of this guidance on our consolidated financial statements.

Note 2. Acquisitions

On July 18, 2016 , the Company acquired certain assets and assumed certain liabilities of Aircom Manufacturing, Inc. ("Aircom"), located in Indianapolis, Indiana, for consideration of $3.5 million , which consisted of $2.5 million in cash payments and the settlement of a $1.0 million receivable. This acquisition was accounted for as a business combination and includes assets acquired of $6.4 million and liabilities assumed of $1.4 million based on their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date. Operating results are included in the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements beginning on July 18, 2016 and had an immaterial effect on the Company's financial results for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2017 . Direct costs of the acquisition were not material.

Consideration paid for Aircom was less than the estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, which resulted in a bargain purchase gain of $0.9 million and was recorded in the Non-operating income (expense), net line item on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. For tax purposes, the bargain purchase gain resulted in the reduction of the tax basis in Property and Equipment, resulting in a deferred tax liability of $0.6 million recorded on the opening balance sheet. This deferred tax liability reduced the bargain purchase gain, and the bargain purchase gain is not taxable.

The Company reassessed the recognition and measurement of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed and concluded that all assets and liabilities were recognized and the valuation procedures and resulting estimates of fair values were appropriate. The bargain purchase gain resulted from the financial distress of Aircom as they were unable to secure sufficient capital to continue operations and service their existing debt.

Aircom was the former parent of Medivative Technologies, LLC, from which the Company acquired certain assets and assumed certain liabilities on May 2, 2016 (the "Medivative acquisition"). Aircom provided component parts and services to the Company subsequent to the Medivative acquisition. The Aircom acquisition is expected to add expertise in the manufacturing of precision metals and plastics to the Company's package of value. For further information regarding the Medivative acquisition, refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2016.

Note 3. Inventories

Inventories are valued using the lower of first-in, first-out (FIFO) cost or market value. Inventory components were as follows:

Note 4. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The following reclassifications were made from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) to the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income:

Amounts in parentheses indicate reductions to income.

(1) See Note 7 - Derivative Instruments of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on derivative instruments.

(2) See Note 9 - Postemployment Benefits of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on postemployment benefit plans.

Note 5. Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

Standby letters of credit are issued to third-party suppliers, lessors, and insurance institutions and can only be drawn upon in the event of the Company's failure to pay its obligations to a beneficiary. As of March 31, 2017 , we had a maximum financial exposure from unused standby letters of credit totaling $0.4 million . We don't expect circumstances to arise that would require us to perform under any of these arrangements and believe that the resolution of any claims that might arise in the future, either individually or in the aggregate, would not materially affect our condensed consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, no liability has been recorded as of March 31, 2017 with respect to the standby letters of credit. The Company also may enter into commercial letters of credit to facilitate payments to vendors and from customers.

The Company's China operation, in limited circumstances, receives banker's acceptance drafts from customers as settlement for their trade accounts receivable. We in turn may transfer the acceptance drafts to a supplier of ours in settlement of current accounts payable. These drafts contain certain recourse provisions afforded to the transferee under laws of The People's Republic

of China. If a transferee were to exercise its available recourse rights, our China operation would be required to satisfy the obligation with the transferee and the draft would revert back to our China operation. At March 31, 2017 , the drafts transferred and outstanding totaled $3.3 million . No transferee has exercised their recourse rights against us. For additional information on banker's acceptance drafts, see Note 1 – Business Description and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

We maintain a provision for limited warranty repair or replacement of products manufactured and sold, which has been established in specific manufacturing contract agreements. We estimate product warranty liability at the time of sale based on historical repair or replacement cost trends in conjunction with the length of the warranty offered. Management refines the warranty liability periodically based on changes in historical cost trends and in certain cases where specific warranty issues become known.

Changes in the product warranty accrual for the nine months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 were as follows:

Note 6. Fair Value

The Company categorizes assets and liabilities measured at fair value into three levels based upon the assumptions (inputs) used to price the assets or liabilities. Level 1 provides the most reliable measure of fair value, whereas level 3 generally requires significant management judgment. The three levels are defined as follows:

Our policy is to recognize transfers between these levels as of the end of each quarterly reporting period. There were no transfers between these levels during the nine months ended March 31, 2017 . There were also no changes in the inputs or valuation techniques used to measure fair values during the nine months ended March 31, 2017 . For more information on inputs and fair valuation techniques used, refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2016 .

Recurring Fair Value Measurements:

We had no level 3 assets or liabilities measured at fair value during the nine months ended March 31, 2017 .

Nonqualified supplemental employee retirement plan (SERP) assets consist primarily of equity funds, balanced funds, a bond fund, and a money market fund. The SERP investment assets are offset by a SERP liability which represents Kimball Electronics' obligation to distribute SERP funds to participants. See Note 8 - Investments of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information regarding the SERP.

Financial Instruments Not Carried At Fair Value:

Financial instruments that are not reflected in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value that have carrying amounts which approximate fair value include notes receivable and borrowings under credit facilities. There were no changes to the inputs and valuation techniques used to assess the fair value of these financial instruments during the nine months ended March 31, 2017 . For more information on inputs and fair valuation techniques used, refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2016 .

The carrying value of our cash deposit accounts, trade accounts receivable, and trade accounts payable approximates fair value due to the relatively short maturity and immaterial non-performance risk.

Note 7. Derivative Instruments

Foreign Exchange Contracts:

We operate internationally and are therefore exposed to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations in the normal course of business. Our primary means of managing this exposure is to utilize natural hedges, such as aligning currencies used in the supply chain with the sale currency. To the extent natural hedging techniques do not fully offset currency risk, we use derivative instruments with the objective of reducing the residual exposure to certain foreign currency rate movements. Factors considered in the decision to hedge an underlying market exposure include the materiality of the risk, the volatility of the market, the duration of the hedge, the degree to which the underlying exposure is committed to, and the availability, effectiveness, and cost of derivative instruments. Derivative instruments are only utilized for risk management purposes and are not used for speculative or trading purposes.

We use forward contracts designated as cash flow hedges to protect against foreign currency exchange rate risks inherent in forecasted transactions denominated in a foreign currency. Foreign exchange contracts are also used to hedge against foreign currency exchange rate risks related to intercompany balances denominated in currencies other than the functional currencies. As of March 31, 2017 , we had outstanding foreign exchange contracts to hedge currencies against the U.S. dollar in the aggregate notional amount of $26.2 million and to hedge currencies against the Euro in the aggregate notional amount of 81.0 million Euro. The notional amounts are indicators of the volume of derivative activities but may not be indicators of the potential gain or loss on the derivatives.

In limited cases due to unexpected changes in forecasted transactions, cash flow hedges may cease to meet the criteria to be designated as cash flow hedges. Depending on the type of exposure hedged, we may either purchase a derivative contract in the opposite position of the undesignated hedge or may retain the hedge until it matures if the hedge continues to provide an adequate offset in earnings against the currency revaluation impact of foreign currency denominated liabilities.

The fair value of outstanding derivative instruments is recognized on the balance sheet as a derivative asset or liability. When derivatives are settled with the counterparty, the derivative asset or liability is relieved and cash flow is impacted for the net settlement. For derivative instruments that meet the criteria of hedging instruments under FASB guidance, the effective portions of the gain or loss on the derivative instrument are initially recorded net of related tax effect in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), a component of Share Owners' Equity, and are subsequently reclassified into earnings in the period or periods during which the hedged transaction is recognized in earnings. The ineffective portion of the derivative gain or loss is reported in the Non-operating income (expense), net line item on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income immediately. The gain or loss associated with derivative instruments that are not designated as hedging instruments or that cease to meet the criteria for hedging under FASB guidance is also reported in the Non-operating income (expense), net line item on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income immediately.

Based on fair values as of March 31, 2017 , we estimate a $1.7 million pre-tax derivative gain deferred in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss will be reclassified into earnings, along with the earnings effects of related forecasted transactions, within the next 12 months. Gains on foreign exchange contracts are generally offset by losses in operating income in the income statement when the underlying hedged transaction is recognized in earnings. Because gains or losses on foreign exchange contracts fluctuate partially based on currency spot rates, the future effect on earnings of the cash flow hedges alone is not determinable, but in conjunction with the underlying hedged transactions, the result is expected to be a decline in currency risk. The maximum length of time we had hedged our exposure to the variability in future cash flows was 12 months as of both March 31, 2017 and June 30, 2016 .

See Note 6 - Fair Value of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information regarding the fair value of derivative assets and liabilities and the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the changes in deferred derivative gains and losses. Information on the location and amounts of derivative fair values in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and derivative gains and losses in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income are presented below.

Fair Value of Derivative Instruments on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

The Effect of Derivative Instruments on Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The Effect of Derivative Instruments on Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income

Note 8. Investments

The Company established and maintains a self-directed supplemental employee retirement plan ("SERP") for executive and other key employees. The Company SERP utilizes a rabbi trust, and therefore assets in the SERP portfolio are subject to creditor claims in the event of bankruptcy. The Company recognizes SERP investment assets on the balance sheet at current fair value. A SERP liability of the same amount is recorded on the balance sheet representing an obligation to distribute SERP funds to participants. The SERP investment assets are classified as trading, and accordingly, realized and unrealized gains and losses are recognized in income in the other income (expense) category. Adjustments made to revalue the SERP liability are also recognized in income as selling and administrative expenses and offset valuation adjustments on SERP investment assets. The change in net unrealized holding gains (losses) for the nine months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 was, in thousands, $414 and $19 , respectively.

SERP asset and liability balances applicable to Kimball Electronics participants were as follows:

Note 9. Postemployment Benefits

The Company maintains severance plans for all domestic employees. These plans cover domestic employees and provide severance benefits to eligible employees meeting the plans' qualifications, primarily involuntary termination without cause. There are no statutory requirements for us to contribute to the plans, nor do employees contribute to the plans. The plans hold no assets. Benefits are paid using available cash on hand when eligible employees meet plan qualifications for payment. Benefits are based upon an employee's years of service and accumulate up to certain limits specified in the plans and include both salary and an allowance for medical benefits. The net periodic postemployment benefit costs were not material for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 . Unusual or non-recurring severance actions are not estimable using actuarial methods and are expensed in accordance with the applicable U.S. GAAP.

Note 10. Stock Compensation Plans

The Company maintains a stock compensation plan, the Kimball Electronics, Inc. 2014 Stock Option and Incentive Plan (the "Plan"), which allows for the issuance of up to 4.5 million shares and may be awarded in the form of incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted shares, unrestricted shares, restricted share units, or performance shares and performance units. The Plan is a ten-year plan with no further awards allowed to be made under the Plan after October 1, 2024. For more information on our Plan, refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2016 . On October 20, 2016, the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board") approved a nonqualified deferred compensation plan, the Kimball Electronics, Inc. Non-Employee Directors Stock Compensation Deferral Plan (the "Deferral Plan"), which allows Non-Employee Directors to elect to defer all, or a portion of, their retainer fees in stock until retirement or termination from the Board or death. The Deferral Plan allows for issuance of up to 1.0 million shares of the Company's common stock.

During the first nine months of fiscal year 2017 , the following stock compensation was awarded under the Plan and the Deferral Plan to non-employee members of the Board.

(1) Unrestricted shares were awarded to non-employee members of the Board as compensation for the portion of Director's annual retainer fees as a result of the Directors' elections to be paid in unrestricted shares in lieu of cash payment or deferred share units. Director's fees are expensed over the period that Directors earn the compensation. Unrestricted shares do not have vesting periods, holding periods, restrictions on sales, or other restrictions.

(2) Deferred share units were awarded to non-employee members of the Board as compensation for the portion of Director's annual retainer fees as a result of Directors' elections to receive deferred share units in lieu of cash payment or unrestricted shares. Director's fees are expensed over the period that Directors earn the compensation. Deferred share units are participating securities and are payable in common stock upon a Director's retirement or termination from the Board or death.

Note 11. Share Owners' Equity

On October 21, 2015 , the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board") authorized an 18-month stock repurchase plan (the "Plan") allowing a repurchase of up to $20 million worth of common stock. On September 29, 2016, the Board extended the Plan to allow the repurchase of up to an additional $20 million worth of common stock with no expiration date. Purchases may be made under various programs, including in open-market transactions, block transactions on or off an exchange, or in privately negotiated transactions, all in accordance with applicable securities laws and regulations. The Plan may be suspended or discontinued at any time. During the nine months ended March 31, 2017 , the Company repurchased $16.8 million of common stock at an average price of $13.66 which was recorded as Treasury stock, at cost in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Since the inception of the Plan, the Company has repurchased $29.9 million of common stock under the Plan at an average cost of $12.43 per share.

Note 12. Earnings Per Share

Basic and diluted earnings per share were calculated as follows under the two-class method:

Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Emerging Growth Company Status

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") and reflect the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of Kimball Electronics. Kimball Electronics qualifies as an "emerging growth company" as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the "JOBS Act"). For as long as a company is deemed to be an "emerging growth company," it may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other regulatory requirements that are generally unavailable to other public companies. The JOBS Act also provides that an "emerging growth company" can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of this extended transition period. Our financial statements may therefore not be comparable to those of companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.

Business Overview

We are a global contract electronic manufacturing services ("EMS") company that specializes in producing durable electronics for the automotive, medical, industrial, and public safety end markets. Our engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain services utilize common production and support capabilities globally. We are well recognized by our customers and the EMS industry for our excellent quality, reliability, and innovative service, and we were recently named the 2016 EMS Company of the Year by CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY, the leading brand and technical publication for electronics manufacturers worldwide.

A significant business challenge that we face as an independent publicly traded company is maintaining our profit margins while we look to accelerate revenue growth. The EMS industry has become increasingly competitive. As a mid-sized player in the EMS market, we can expect to be challenged by the agility and flexibility of the smaller, regional players and we can expect to be challenged by the scale and price competitiveness of the larger, global players.

We enjoy a unique market position between these extremes which allows us to compete with the larger scale players for high-volume projects, but also maintain our competitive position in the generally lower volume durable electronics market space.  We expect to continue to effectively operate in this market space.  Price increases are uncommon in the market as production efficiencies and material pricing advantages for most projects drive costs and prices down over the life of the projects.  This characteristic of the contract electronics marketplace is expected to continue.

Key economic indicators currently point toward continued strengthening in the overall economy. However, uncertainties still exist and may pose a threat to our future growth as they have the tendency to cause disruption in business strategy, execution, and timing in many of the markets in which we compete.

The 2016 edition of The Worldwide Electronics Manufacturing Services Market, a comprehensive study on the worldwide EMS market published by New Venture Research ("NVR"), provided worldwide forecast trends for 2015 to 2020. NVR projects worldwide electronics assembly value to grow at a compound annual growth rate ("CAGR") of 4.0% over the next five years, with the automotive, medical, and industrial markets projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.3%, 3.9%, and 3.3%, respectively. The March 2017 edition of the Manufacturing Market Insider published by NVR indicated the group of leading EMS companies that comprise its annual list of the 50 largest EMS providers for 2016, of which we are a member, experienced a decrease of revenue of 1.0% in calendar year 2016. Excluding the two largest EMS providers, there was growth of 1.5% in calendar year 2016. During calendar year 2016, we experienced growth of 9%.

Our focus is on the four key vertical markets of automotive, medical, industrial, and public safety. Our overall expectation for the EMS market is that of moderate growth, but with mixed demand.

The automotive end market has benefited from overall strength in each of the regional markets we serve, and it also benefits from the trend of increased electronic content that is placed on automobiles. The industrial market is showing improvement with growing end market demand for climate control products, smart metering, and energy efficient lighting. We saw improved overall demand in the public safety market compared to last year. Demand in the medical market remains stable. We continue to monitor the current economic environment and its potential impact on our customers.

We invest in capital expenditures prudently for projects in support of both organic growth and potential acquisitions that would enhance our capabilities and diversification while providing an opportunity for growth and improved profitability. For example, the recent acquisitions of Medivative and Aircom provide capabilities that will enhance our medical end market as well as support our mechanical assembly needs in all four key vertical markets. We have a strong focus on cost control and closely monitor market changes and our liquidity in order to proactively adjust our operating costs and discretionary capital spending as needed. Managing working capital in conjunction with fluctuating demand levels is likewise key. In addition, a long-standing component

of our profit sharing incentive bonus plan is that it is linked to our financial performance which results in varying amounts of compensation expense as profits change.

We continue to maintain a strong balance sheet, which included no long-term debt and Share Owners' equity of $334 million at March 31, 2017 . Our short-term liquidity available, represented as cash and cash equivalents plus the unused amount of our credit facilities, totaled $93.3 million at March 31, 2017 .

In addition to the above discussion related to the current market conditions, management currently considers the following events, trends, and uncertainties to be most important to understanding our financial condition and operating performance:

Certain preceding statements could be considered forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, successful integration of acquisitions and new operations, adverse changes in the global economic conditions, geopolitical environment, loss of key customers or suppliers, or similar unforeseen events. Additional information on risks is contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2016 .

Financial Overview