Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

v3.20.2
Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)
12 Months Ended
Aug. 31, 2020
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit  
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]  
Changes in Projected Benefit Obligations, Fair Value of Plan Assets The following table provides detail of changes in the projected benefit obligations, the fair value of plan assets and the funded status of the Company’s U.S. defined benefit pension plans as of the respective August 31 measurement date (in thousands):
2020 2019
Reconciliation of benefit obligations:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year $ 47,400  $ 43,280 
Interest cost 1,331  1,694 
Actuarial loss 4,131  5,339 
Benefits paid (3,222) (2,913)
Benefit obligation at end of year $ 49,640  $ 47,400 
Reconciliation of plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year $ 40,412  $ 40,244 
Actual return on plan assets 2,562  2,972 
Company contributions 183  108 
Benefits paid from plan assets (3,222) (2,912)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year 39,935  40,412 
Funded status of the plans (underfunded) $ (9,705) $ (6,988)
Net Periodic Benefit Costs
The following table provides detail on the Company’s domestic net periodic benefit expense (in thousands):
  Year ended August 31,
  2020 2019 2018
Interest cost $ 1,331  $ 1,694  $ 1,633 
Expected return on assets (1,770) (2,208) (2,668)
Amortization of actuarial loss 1,212  990  1,127 
Net periodic benefit expense $ 773  $ 476  $ 92 
Weighted Average Assumption used to Determine Benefit Obligations and Net Periodic Benefit Cost
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine U.S. pension plan obligations as of August 31 and weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost for the years ended August 31 are as follows:
2020 2019 2018
Assumptions for benefit obligations:
Discount rate 2.40  % 2.90  % 4.05  %
Assumptions for net periodic benefit cost:
Discount rate 2.90  % 4.05  % 3.60  %
Expected return on plan assets 4.60  % 5.75  % 7.00  %
U.S. Pension Plan Investment Allocations by Asset Category
The U.S. pension plan investment allocations by asset category were as follows (in thousands):
  Year Ended August 31,
  2020 % 2019 %
Cash and cash equivalents $ —  —  % $ 304  0.8  %
Income receivable 55  0.1  —  — 
Fixed income securities:
U.S. Treasury Securities 5,206  13.0  —  — 
Corporate Bonds —  —  5,127  12.7 
Mutual funds 23,091  57.9  23,206  57.4 
28,297  70.9  28,333  70.1 
Equity securities:
Mutual funds 11,583  29.0  11,775  29.1 
Total plan assets $ 39,935  100.0  % $ 40,412  100.0  %
Other Pension Plans, Defined Benefit  
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]  
Changes in Projected Benefit Obligations, Fair Value of Plan Assets The following table provides detail of changes in the projected benefit obligations, the fair value of plan assets and the funded status of the Company’s foreign defined benefit pension plans as of the respective August 31 measurement date (in thousands):
2020 2019
Reconciliation of benefit obligations:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year $ 15,103  $ 13,056 
Employer service costs 284  450 
Interest cost 171  257 
Actuarial (gain)/loss (495) 2,594 
Benefits paid (300) (421)
Plan amendments —  89 
Curtailments (1,687) (107)
Currency impact 1,221  (815)
Benefit obligation at end of year $ 14,297  $ 15,103 
Reconciliation of plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year $ 8,118  $ 7,902 
Actual return on plan assets 69  752 
Company contributions 323  374 
Benefits paid from plan assets (300) (421)
Currency impact 770  (489)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year 8,980  8,118 
Funded status of the plans (underfunded) $ (5,317) $ (6,985)
The following table provides detail on the Company’s foreign net periodic benefit expense (in thousands):
  Year ended August 31,
  2020 2019 2018
Employer service costs $ 284  $ 450  $ 440 
Interest cost 171  257  278 
Expected return on assets (357) (345) (366)
Amortization of net prior service credit (18) (65) (69)
Amortization of net loss 205  263  306 
(Income) or cost of special events (728) (56) 18 
Net periodic benefit (income) expense $ (443) $ 504  $ 607