Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

v3.21.2
Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)
12 Months Ended
Aug. 31, 2021
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):
2021 2020
Reconciliation of benefit obligations:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year $ 49,640  $ 47,400 
Interest cost 1,156  1,331 
Actuarial (gain) loss (729) 4,131 
Benefits paid (2,920) (3,222)
Benefit obligation at end of year $ 47,147  $ 49,640 
Reconciliation of plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year $ 39,935  $ 40,412 
Actual return on plan assets 1,990  2,562 
Company contributions 691  183 
Benefits paid from plan assets (2,920) (3,222)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year 39,696  39,935 
Funded status of the plans (underfunded) $ (7,451) $ (9,705)
Net Periodic Benefit Costs
The following table provides detail on the Company’s domestic net periodic benefit expense (in thousands):
  Year ended August 31,
  2021 2020 2019
Interest cost $ 1,156  $ 1,331  $ 1,694 
Expected return on assets (1,610) (1,770) (2,208)
Amortization of actuarial loss 1,322  1,212  990 
Net periodic benefit expense $ 868  $ 773  $ 476 
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:
2021 2020 2019
Assumptions for benefit obligations:
Discount rate 2.55  % 2.40  % 2.90  %
Assumptions for net periodic benefit cost:
Discount rate 2.40  % 2.90  % 4.05  %
Expected return on plan assets 4.20  % 4.60  % 5.75  %
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,
  2021 % 2020 %
Cash and cash equivalents $ —  —  % $ —  —  %
Income receivable 49  0.1  55  0.1 
Fixed income securities:
U.S. Treasury Securities 4,825  12.2  5,206  13.0 
Corporate Bonds —  —  —  — 
Mutual funds 23,564  59.3  23,091  57.9 
28,389  71.5  28,297  70.9 
Equity securities:
Mutual funds 11,258  28.4  11,583  29.0 
Total plan assets $ 39,696  100.0  % $ 39,935  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 significant foreign defined benefit pension plans as of the respective August 31 measurement date (in thousands):
2021 2020
Reconciliation of benefit obligations:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year $ 14,297  $ 15,103 
Employer service costs 116  284 
Interest cost 198  171 
Actuarial loss/(gain) 51  (495)
Benefits paid (293) (300)
Plan amendments —  — 
Curtailments —  (1,687)
Currency impact 52  1,221 
Benefit obligation at end of year $ 14,421  $ 14,297 
Reconciliation of plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year $ 8,980  $ 8,118 
Actual return on plan assets 532  69 
Company contributions 56  323 
Benefits paid from plan assets (293) (300)
Currency impact 121  770 
Fair value of plan assets at end of year 9,396  8,980 
Funded status of the plans (underfunded) $ (5,025) $ (5,317)
The following table provides detail on the Company’s foreign net periodic benefit expense (in thousands):
  Year ended August 31,
  2021 2020 2019
Employer service costs $ 116  $ 284  $ 450 
Interest cost 198  171  257 
Expected return on assets (347) (357) (345)
Amortization of net prior service credit (18) (65)
Amortization of net loss 139  205  263 
Income of special events —  (728) (56)
Net periodic benefit expense (income) $ 110  $ (443) $ 504