Kimball Electronics (KE) SEC Quarterly Report (10-Q) for Q4 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 December 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

KIMBALL ELECTRONICS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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 January 26, 2018 was 26,694,649 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 December 31, 2017 and June 30, 2017 , results of operations for the three and six months ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 , and cash flows for the six months ended December 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, 2017 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 six months ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 , we sold, without recourse, $81.2 million and $72.2 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 $4.3 million at December 31, 2017 and $5.3 million at June 30, 2017 , are reflected in Receivables 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 six months ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 were $1.9 million and $4.2 million , respectively. See Note 4 - 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 six months ended December 31, 2016 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 six months ended December 31, 2017 .

Non-operating Income (Expense), net:

Non-operating income (expense), net 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 miscellaneous 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 six months ended December 31, 2016 and resulted from the estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities recorded being greater than the consideration paid. For more information on the bargain purchase gain, refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2017 . 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.

The U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ("Tax Reform") was enacted into law on December 22, 2017. Tax Reform makes broad and complex changes to the U.S. tax code, for which complete guidance has not yet been issued. Tax Reform will affect our current fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, including, but not limited to, (i) reducing the U.S. corporate statutory tax rate, (ii) requiring a one-time transition tax on certain unremitted earnings of foreign subsidiaries that is payable over an eight-year period, (iii) eliminating U.S. federal income taxes on dividends from foreign subsidiaries, and (iv) bonus depreciation that will allow for full expensing of qualifying property. Tax Reform reduces the U.S. corporate statutory tax rate from 35% to 21% . For our fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, we will have a blended corporate tax rate of 28.1% , which is based on the applicable tax rates before and after Tax Reform and the number of days in the year.

The Company was able to make reasonable estimates of certain effects and, therefore, recorded provisional adjustments including the revaluation of its net deferred tax assets at the new applicable rates as of December 31, 2017, and the one-time deemed repatriation tax on accumulated unremitted foreign earnings. Approximately $3.8 million of additional tax expense was recorded for the revaluation of the net deferred tax assets. The Company recorded approximately $12.8 million of tax expense for the deemed repatriation tax, of which $11.8 million of the tax payable was recorded in Long-term income taxes payable on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. The one-time deemed repatriation tax is based on 15.5% of the accumulated unremitted foreign earnings held in foreign cash and other liquid assets and 8.0% of the residual accumulated unremitted foreign earnings. Both the revaluation of the net deferred tax assets and the deemed repatriation tax were treated as discrete items and were recognized in Provision for Income Taxes on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for the three and six months ended December 31, 2017. The Company considers these provisional recorded amounts to be reasonable estimates as of December 31, 2017, and these amounts could be affected by additional information and other analysis related to Tax Reform. As a result, these amounts could be adjusted during the measurement period ending December 2018.

Tax Reform also subjects U.S. corporations to tax on Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income ("GILTI"), which imposes tax on foreign earnings in excess of a deemed return on tangible assets. Due to the complexity of the new GILTI tax rules, the Company is continuing to evaluate this provision for which no provisional amounts have been recorded in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. An accounting policy election can be made to either record deferred taxes related to GILTI or to record the related taxes in the period in which they occur. The Company has not yet elected an accounting policy related to GILTI and will only do so after completion of further evaluation and analysis. The provisions related to GILTI are subject to adjustment during the measurement period ending December 2018.

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. As of both December 31, 2017 and June 30, 2017 , the Company has a receivable from Kimball International recorded for $0.6 million , of which $0.5 million 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.

We would cease to be an "emerging growth company" upon the earliest of:

We continue to monitor our status as an "emerging growth company" and are currently preparing, and expect to be ready, to comply with the additional reporting and regulatory requirements that will be applicable to us when we cease to qualify as an "emerging growth company."

New Accounting Standards:

In August 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued guidance on accounting for derivatives and hedging activities. The objective of this guidance is to better align a company's risk management activities and financial reporting for hedging relationships, simplify the hedge accounting requirements, and improve the disclosures of hedging arrangements. For public companies, the guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. For as long as we remain an "emerging growth company" the new guidance will be effective for our fiscal year 2020 annual financial statements and for interim statements beginning in fiscal year 2021. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this guidance on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance on accounting for share-based payment transactions. The objective of this guidance is to simplify certain aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the treatment of excess income tax benefits and deficiencies, allowing an election to account for forfeitures as they occur, and classification of excess tax benefits on the statement of cash flows. For public companies, the guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted in any interim or annual period. The Company adopted this guidance effective July 1, 2017. There was no impact on the Company's financial statements upon the initial adoption as there were no tax benefits that were not previously recognized because the related tax deduction had not reduced taxes payable, and therefore no cumulative-effect adjustment to the Company's beginning retained earnings was required. The Company has elected to reverse the compensation cost of any forfeited awards when they occur and will classify the cash flows related to excess tax benefits for share-based payment arrangements as cash flows from operating activities on a prospective basis. The new guidance requires prospective application of the tax effects of differences recognized on or after the effective date between the deduction for an award for tax purposes and the compensation costs of that award recognized for financial reporting purposes. As a result, during the six months ended December 31, 2017 , the Company recorded a discrete income tax adjustment related to the excess tax benefit on performance shares granted of $0.6 million in Provision for Income Taxes on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income, or $0.02 per diluted share. Due to including the income tax effects from excess tax benefits in the provision for income taxes, the effects of the excess tax benefits are no longer included in the calculation of diluted shares outstanding, which generally will result in an increase in the number of diluted shares outstanding. The Company adopted this change in the method of calculating diluted shares outstanding on a prospective basis.

In February 2016, the 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. For public companies, the guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. For as long as we remain an "emerging growth company" the new guidance will be effective for our fiscal year 2020 annual financial statements and for interim statements beginning in fiscal year 2021. Early application is permitted. 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. For public companies, the guidance is effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those annual periods. For as long as we remain an "emerging growth company" the guidance is effective for our fiscal year 2019 annual financial statements and interim periods within our fiscal year 2020 financial statements, 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. For public companies, the guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. For as long as we remain an "emerging growth company" the guidance is effective for our fiscal year 2018 annual financial statements and for interim statements beginning in fiscal year 2019. Early application is permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. 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. For public companies, the guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that annual reporting period. For as long as we remain an "emerging growth company" the guidance will be effective for our fiscal year 2020 annual financial statements and for interim periods beginning in fiscal year 2021. The Company continues to evaluate the impact the adoption of this new standard will have on its consolidated financial statements; however, it anticipates, for the majority of its contracts for manufacturing services, it will change from a point-in-time recognition method upon transfer of title to an over-time model based on the progress of completing customer orders. We believe the adoption of the standard will have a material effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements primarily from the recognition of contract assets for unbilled receivables and a corresponding reduction in inventories. Under the guidance there are 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 have not yet finalized our selection of a transition method for adoption.

Note 2. Inventories

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

Note 3. 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 6 - Derivative Instruments of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on derivative instruments.

(2) See Note 8 - Postemployment Benefits of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on postemployment benefit plans.

Note 4. Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

Standby letters of credit may be issued to third-party suppliers 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 December 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 December 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 December 31, 2017 , the drafts transferred and outstanding totaled $1.4 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 six months ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 were as follows:

Note 5. 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 six months ended December 31, 2017 . There were also no changes in the inputs or valuation techniques used to measure fair values during the six months ended December 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, 2017 .

Recurring Fair Value Measurements:

We had no level 3 assets or liabilities measured at fair value during the six months ended December 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 7 - 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 six months ended December 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, 2017 .

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 6. 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 December 31, 2017 , we had outstanding foreign exchange contracts to hedge currencies against the U.S. dollar in the aggregate notional amount of $29.7 million and to hedge currencies against the Euro in the aggregate notional amount of 78.0 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 Non-operating income (expense), net 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 Non-operating income (expense), net on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income immediately.

Based on fair values as of December 31, 2017 , we estimate that approximately $1.7 million of pre-tax derivative loss 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. Losses on foreign exchange contracts are generally offset by gains 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 December 31, 2017 and June 30, 2017 .

See Note 5 - 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 7. Investments

The Company 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 six months ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 was, in thousands, $480 and $(186) , respectively.

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

Note 8. Postemployment Benefits

The Company maintains severance plans for all domestic employees. These plans 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 six months ended December 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 9. 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. The Company also maintains a nonqualified deferred compensation plan, the Kimball Electronics, Inc. Non-Employee Directors Stock Compensation Deferral Plan (the "Deferral Plan"), which allows Non-Employee Directors of the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board") 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. For more information on the Plan and the Deferral Plan, refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2017 .

During the first six months of fiscal year 2018 , the following stock compensation was awarded under the Plan and the Deferral Plan.

(1) Long-term performance shares were awarded to officers and other key employees. Payouts will be based upon a combination of a bonus percentage attainment component calculated under the Company's profit sharing incentive bonus plan, adjusted to a three-year average bonus percentage, and a growth attainment component, which is the Company's growth in sales revenue based on comparison of its three-year compounded annual growth rate ("CAGR") with the Electronics Manufacturing Services Industry's three-year CAGR. The long-term performance shares awarded are based on three successive annual performance measurement periods, with each annual tranche having a grant date when economic profit tiers are established and approved by the Compensation and Governance Committee of the Board near the beginning of the applicable fiscal year and a vesting date shortly after the end of each annual period. The number of shares issued will be less than the maximum shares issuable if one or both of the above-mentioned incentive metric maximum thresholds are not obtained.

(2) The grant date fair value is based on the stock price at the date of the award and for long-term performance shares is applicable to the first tranche only.

(3) Unrestricted shares which were awarded to non-employee members of the Company's Board of Directors as compensation for the portion of director's annual retainer fees as a result of the directors' election 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.

(4) Deferred share units were awarded to non-employee members of the Company's Board of Directors 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 10. 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. On August 23, 2017, the Board increased the Plan to allow the repurchase of up to an additional $20 million worth of common stock with no expiration date. This latest increase brings the total authorized stock repurchases under the Plan to $60 million . 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 six months ended December 31, 2017 , the Company repurchased $6.3 million of common stock at an average price of $19.45 which was recorded as Treasury stock, at cost in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Since the inception of the Plan, the Company has repurchased $41.4 million of common stock under the Plan at an average cost of $13.65 per share.

Note 11. Earnings Per Share

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

For the three months ended December 31, 2017 , all outstanding stock compensation awards were antidilutive, as a result of the net loss recognized for the period, and were excluded from the dilutive calculation, including 290,000 average outstanding performance shares and 15,000 average outstanding unvested deferred stock units. The net loss in the three months ended December 31, 2017 was not allocated to participating securities as the holders have no requirements to fund losses. For the six months ended December 31, 2017 and for the three and six months ended December 31, 2016 , all outstanding stock compensation awards were dilutive and were included in the dilutive calculation.

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. See Note 1 - Business Description and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for more information on "emerging growth company" reduced reporting requirements and when we would cease to be an "emerging growth company." We continue to monitor our status as an "emerging growth company" and are currently preparing, and expect to be ready, to comply with the additional reporting and regulatory requirements that will be applicable to us when we cease to qualify as an "emerging growth company."

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 markets. Our manufacturing services, including engineering and supply chain support, 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 named the 2016 EMS Company of the Year by CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY, a 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 is very 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 2017 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 through 2021. NVR projects worldwide electronics assembly value to grow at a compound annual growth rate ("CAGR") of 4.2% over the next five years, with the automotive, medical, and industrial markets projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.7%, 4.3%, and 4.5%, respectively.

Our overall expectation for the EMS market is that of moderate growth, but with mixed demand. Over the last three fiscal years, our CAGR was approximately 7.9%, and our goal is to grow at a CAGR of 8% over the three-year period ending June 30, 2020. Our focus is on the four key vertical markets of automotive, medical, industrial, and public safety.

The automotive end market has improved from both new product introductions and increased demand on existing products, and it continues to benefit from the trend of increasing electronic content that is placed in automobiles.  The industrial market is showing improvement with increased end market demand for smart metering and climate control products.  We saw a decline in the public safety market in the current quarter compared to the same quarter in fiscal year 2017 as improvement from new product introductions only partially offset a decline in demand of existing products.  In the medical market, demonstrated growth across our customer base was largely the result of new program launches as overall market demand 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 acquisitions of Medivative Technologies, LLC ("Medivative") and Aircom Manufacturing, Inc. ("Aircom") within the last two fiscal years 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 $341 million at December 31, 2017 . Our short-term liquidity available, represented as cash and cash equivalents plus the unused amount of our credit facilities, totaled $95.5 million at December 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, the 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, 2017 .

Financial Overview