Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

At various times, we use derivative financial instruments to limit exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates. Because derivative instruments are used solely as hedges and not for speculative trading purposes, fluctuations in the market values of such derivative instruments are generally offset by reciprocal changes in the underlying economic exposures that the instruments are intended to hedge. For further discussion of derivative financial instruments, see Note 9, “Derivatives.”

Currency exchange rate risk

We are exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risks inherent in our sales commitments, anticipated sales, expenses, assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of our subsidiaries. We hedge future cash flows denominated in currencies other than the functional currency using sales and expense forecasts on a rolling period of up to twelve months. Our exposure to exchange rate risks is managed on an enterprise-wide basis. This strategy utilizes derivative financial instruments, primarily forward contracts, to hedge certain foreign currency exposures with the intent of offsetting gains and losses that occur on the underlying exposures with gains and losses on the derivative contracts hedging them. We do not currently and do not intend to utilize derivative financial instruments for speculative trading purposes. To the extent that we are required to pay for all, or portions, of an acquisition price in foreign currencies, we may enter into foreign exchange contracts to reduce the risk that currency movements will impact the cost of the transaction.

Our operations generate non-functional currency cash flows such as revenue, third-party vendor payments, and inter-company payments. In anticipation of these foreign currency cash flows and in view of the volatility of the currency market, we enter into foreign exchange contracts as described above to substantially mitigate our currency risk. In 2024, 2023 and 2022, approximately 71 percent, 75 percent, and 77 percent, respectively, of our revenues were generated in U.S. dollars.

The unfavorable effects of changes in foreign currency exchange rates, principally as a result of the strength of the U.S. dollar, had an immaterial impact on our revenue in the year ended October 31, 2024. We calculate the impact of foreign currency exchange rates movements by applying the actual foreign currency exchange rates in effect during the last month of each fiscal quarter of the current fiscal year to both the applicable current and prior year periods. We also performed a sensitivity analysis assuming a hypothetical 10 percent adverse movement in foreign exchange rates to the hedging contracts and the underlying exposures described above. As of October 31, 2024 and 2023, the analysis indicated that these hypothetical market movements would not have a material effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

Interest rate risk

A change in interest rates on long-term debt impacts the fair value of the company’s fixed-rate long-term debt but not the company’s earnings or cash flow because the interest on such debt is fixed. Generally, the fair market value of fixed-rate debt will increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise.

As of October 31, 2024, a hypothetical 10 percent increase in interest rates would have decreased the fair value of the company’s fixed-rate debt by approximately $41 million. However, since the company currently has no plans to repurchase its outstanding fixed-rate instruments before their maturity, nor do the investors in our fixed-rate debt obligations have the right to demand we pay off these obligations prior to maturity, the impact of market interest rate fluctuations on the company’s fixed-rate long-term debt does not affect the company’s results of operations or stockholders’ equity.

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