Derivative Instruments

3 Months Ended

May 31, 2023

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments

8. Derivative Instruments

Interest Rate Swap Derivative

As a policy, the Company does not hold, issue or trade derivative instruments for speculative purposes. The Company may periodically enter into forward sale contracts to purchase a specified volume of zinc at fixed prices. These contracts are not accounted for as derivatives because they meet the criteria for the normal purchases and normal sales scope exception in ASC 815.

We manage our exposure to fluctuations in interest rates using a mix of fixed and variable-rate debt. We utilize fixed-rate interest rate swap agreements to change the variable interest rate to a fixed rate on a portion of our variable-rate debt.

On September 27, 2022, the Company entered into a fixed-rate interest rate swap agreement with banks that are parties to the 2022 Credit Agreement. On October 7, 2022, the agreement was amended to change the SOFR-based component of the interest rate on a portion of our variable-rate debt to a fixed rate of 4.277%, resulting in a total fixed rate of 8.627% (the "2022 Swap"). The 2022 Swap had an initial notional amount of $550.0 million and a maturity date of September 30, 2025. The notional amount of the interest rate swap decreases by a pro-rata portion of any quarterly principal payments made on the Term Loan B, and the current notional amount is $545.9 million. The objective of the 2022 Swap is to eliminate the variability of cash flows in interest payments attributable to changes in benchmark one-month SOFR interest rates, for approximately one-half of the total amount of our variable-rate debt. The hedged risk is the interest rate risk exposure to changes in interest payments, attributable to changes in benchmark one-month SOFR interest rates over the interest rate swap term. The changes in cash flows of the interest rate swap are expected to exactly offset changes in cash flows of the variable-rate debt. We designated the 2022 Swap as a cash flow hedge at inception. Cash settlements, in the form of cash payments or cash receipts, of the 2022 Swap are recognized in interest expense.

At May 31, 2023, changes in fair value attributable to the effective portion of the 2022 Swap were included on the condensed consolidated balance sheets in accumulated other comprehensive income. For derivative instruments that qualify for hedge accounting treatment, the fair value is recognized on our condensed consolidated balance sheets as derivative assets or liabilities with offsetting changes in fair value, to the extent effective, recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income until reclassified into earnings when the interest expense on the underlying debt is reflected in earnings. The portion of a cash flow hedge that does not offset the change in the fair value of the transaction being hedged, which is commonly referred to as

the ineffective portion, is immediately recognized in earnings. During the three months ended May 31, 2023, we reclassified $0.7 million from other comprehensive income to earnings.