ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (Management’s Discussion and Analysis) is intended to provide a summary of the principal factors affecting the results of operations, liquidity and capital resources, and the critical accounting estimates of Franklin Covey Co. (also referred to as we, us, our, the Company, FranklinCovey, and Franklin Covey) and subsidiaries. This discussion and analysis should be read together with the accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes contained in Item 8 and the Risk Factors discussed in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Forward-looking statements in this discussion are qualified by
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the cautionary statement under the heading “Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act Of 1995” contained later in Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Non-GAAP Measures
This Management’s Discussion and Analysis includes the concepts of adjusted earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation, and amortization (Adjusted EBITDA) and “constant currency,” which are non-GAAP measures. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income excluding the impact of interest, income taxes, intangible asset amortization, depreciation, stock-based compensation expense, and certain other items such as restructuring charges and building exit costs. Constant currency is a non-GAAP financial measure that removes the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and is calculated by translating the current period’s financial results at the same average exchange rates in effect during the prior year and then comparing this amount to the prior year.
We reference these non-GAAP financial measures in our decision making because they provide supplemental information that facilitates consistent internal comparisons to the historical operating performance of prior periods, and we believe it provides investors with greater transparency to evaluate operational activities and financial results. For a reconciliation of our segment Adjusted EBITDA to income before income taxes, a related GAAP measure, refer to Note 17 Segment Information to our consolidated financial statements as presented in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
General Overview
Franklin Covey Co. is a global company focused on individual and organizational performance improvement. Our mission is to “enable greatness in people and organizations everywhere,” and our worldwide resources are organized to help individuals and organizations achieve sustained superior performance at scale through changes in human behavior. We believe that our content and services create the connection between capabilities and results. In the training and consulting marketplace, we believe there are three important characteristics that distinguish us from our competitors.
1.World Class Content – Our content is based on timeless principles of human effectiveness and is designed to help people change both their mindset and behavior. When our content is applied consistently in an organization, we believe the culture of that organization will change and improve to enable the organization to get desired results and achieve its own great purposes.
2.Breadth and Scalability of Delivery Options – We have a wide range of content delivery options, including: the All Access Pass and Leader in Me membership subscriptions, coaching and consulting, organization-wide transformational processes, intellectual property licenses, digital online learning, on-site training, training led through certified facilitators, and blended learning. We believe our expert delivery consultants combined with investments in digital delivery modalities have enabled us to deliver our content to clients in a high-quality learning environment whether those clients are working remotely or in a centralized location.
3.Global Capability– We have sales professionals in the United States and Canada who serve clients in the private sector, in government, and in educational institutions; wholly owned subsidiaries that serve clients in Australia, Austria, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom; and we contract with independent licensee partners who deliver our content and provide services in approximately 150 countries and territories around the world. Our capabilities allow us to serve a wide range of clients from small locally owned entities to large multinational enterprises.
We have some of the best-known offerings in the training industry, including a suite of individual-effectiveness and leadership-development training content based on the best-selling books, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Speed of Trust, Multipliers, The 4 Disciplines of Execution, and Trust & Inspire, and proprietary content in the areas of Execution, Sales Performance, Productivity, Customer Loyalty, Leadership, and Education. We believe that our offerings help individuals, teams, and entire organizations transform their results through achieving systematic, sustainable, and
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measurable changes in human behavior. Our offerings are described in further detail at www.franklincovey.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website does not constitute a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and the descriptions found therein should not be viewed as a warranty or guarantee of results.
Our fiscal year ends on August 31, and unless otherwise indicated, fiscal 2025, fiscal 2024, and fiscal 2023 refer to the twelve-month periods ended August 31, 2025, 2024, 2023, and so forth.
Key Strategic Objectives
The theme of our fiscal 2026 Company kickoff was, “Deep Roots, Bold Future.” Building on our enduring areas of competitive strength and the significant growth investments we made in fiscal 2025, we plan to focus on the following four strategic objectives that we intend to execute with discipline in fiscal 2026 to help us achieve our vision of helping our clients achieve their missions and strategic objectives.
Clarify our position in the market. FranklinCovey is not just a training company. We believe we are a trusted leadership and performance partner and that our comprehensive solutions can help drive breakthroughs in performance as our clients engage leaders and teams across their organizations to move their strategies forward. In fiscal 2026, our message to potential and current clients is designed to firmly position us in this more strategic, outcomes-oriented place in the market.
Focus and declare who we serve. In fiscal 2026 we intend to significantly increase the precision and impact of our outcome-oriented messaging to our target buyers, namely, senior executive leaders who own the responsibility for achieving strategic outcomes and who can make the spending decisions to do what it takes to achieve them. Our messaging target also includes senior, performance-oriented talent and human resource leaders who serve as internal partners to these executives inside of their organizations. As we increase the effectiveness of our messaging, we expect that we will engage with more significant clients in more strategic ways, driving better results for our clients and for FranklinCovey.
Build and sell like a “solutions leadership” company. A solutions leadership company is differentiated by the strength of its products and services. We intend to increasingly position and package our solutions as integrated offerings that drive collective action and deliver breakthrough results for clients. Our trusted content and frameworks will be more frequently combined with consulting and technology to help clients achieve measurable outcomes at scale—enabling lasting client impact and durable growth for FranklinCovey.
Model what we teach, internally and visibly. As we pursue our growth strategy, we will heavily use and model our own methodologies and frameworks. This process includes further investments in our already strong culture to increase our ability to execute with even higher trust and accountability as we engage our own leaders and teams in achieving our own breakthrough results.
We believe the pursuit of these strategic priorities will enable us to make more progress toward our mission of enabling greatness in both people and organizations and our vision to impact billions. In addition, we believe that successful implementation of these objectives will provide our associates with additional resources and opportunities for growth and impact in the future and will drive results that are expected to provide return to our shareholders.
Other key factors that influence our operating results include: the number of organizations that are active customers; the scale and duration of our engagements with them; the number of people engaged in our solution implementations within those organizations; the continuation or renewal of existing services contracts, especially subscription renewals; the availability of budgeted spending in our solution areas among our clients and prospective clients, which, in certain content categories, can be significantly influenced by general economic conditions; client satisfaction with our offerings and services; the number and productivity of our international licensee operations; and our ability to manage operating costs necessary to develop and provide meaningful offerings and related products to our clients.
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Fiscal 2025 Financial Overview
Fiscal 2025 was a challenging year as our operations and financial results were adversely impacted by various macroeconomic factors, including threatened or enacted tariffs that have created significant business environment uncertainty, specific actions to reduce U.S. federal government spending, a general weakening of economic conditions both domestically and internationally, and ongoing geopolitical tensions which continue to produce instability in certain regions of the world. While threatened or enacted tariffs have not directly impacted our operations, the uncertainty created by the threatened tariffs have adversely impacted our clients both domestically and internationally. In response to the economic uncertainty, many of our clients and prospective clients have sought to reduce their spending to maintain profitability, which led to delayed decision making, decreased contract expansion, and lower client retention. Despite these challenging macroeconomic issues, we are pleased that the majority of our clients are renewing their All Access Pass subscriptions and Leader in Me memberships. Our solutions are designed to help clients improve their key metrics and manage through difficult and uncertain times. During fiscal 2025, we implemented a new go-to-market strategy in North America, and these initiatives are designed to enable us to systematically drive growth in both the breadth and depth of our client relationships at scale. We believe these initiatives will provide strong growth in amounts invoiced during fiscal 2026, which will then translate into meaningful growth in reported revenue toward the back half of fiscal 2026 and increasing in future periods.
Our consolidated revenue for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2025, totaled $267.1 million, compared with record-high revenues of $287.2 million in fiscal 2024 and reflected the impact of business conditions and macroeconomic challenges previously described. In constant currency, our consolidated revenue was $267.3 million for fiscal 2025. The Company’s revenue performance during fiscal 2025 included the following key metrics:
Enterprise Division revenue in fiscal 2025 totaled $188.1 million compared with $208.1 million in the prior year. Enterprise Division revenue performance was primarily impacted by a $15.8 million decrease in North America segment revenues and a $4.0 million decrease in International Direct Office revenues, which were each adversely impacted by macroeconomic uncertainties, decreased U.S. government spending, and trade tensions from threatened or enacted tariffs. These challenging economic and business conditions adversely impacted new logo sales, expansion activity, and client retention throughout the fiscal year.
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2025, Education Division revenue increased to $74.6 million compared with $74.2 million in the prior year. Fiscal 2025 revenue growth was primarily attributable to increased coaching and consulting revenue and increased membership subscription revenue, which were partially offset by decreased sales of classroom and training materials, primarily due to a new state-wide initiative and district contracts that included large training materials orders in fiscal 2024. Delivery of training and coaching days remained strong during fiscal 2025 as the Education Division delivered a similar number of training and coaching days when compared with fiscal 2024. Education subscription and subscription services revenues in fiscal 2025 increased 4% compared with the prior year and Education deferred subscription revenue at August 31, 2025, increased 13% over the balance at August 31, 2024.
Consolidated subscription and subscription services revenues for fiscal 2025 totaled $225.9 million compared with $231.8 million in fiscal 2024. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2025, subscription revenue invoiced was $151.7 million compared with $156.8 million in the prior year.
At August 31, 2025, we had $111.7 million of deferred subscription revenue compared with $107.9 million at August 31, 2024. Our deferred subscription revenue at August 31, 2025 and 2024 includes $5.1 million and $6.7 million, respectively, of deferred subscription revenue that was classified as long-term based on expected recognition. Our unbilled deferred revenue at August 31, 2025 was $72.8 million compared with $75.2 million at the end of fiscal 2024. Unbilled deferred revenue represents business that is contracted, but unbilled and therefore excluded from our balance sheet.
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The following table sets forth our consolidated revenue by division and by reportable segment for the fiscal years indicated (in thousands):
YEAR ENDED % %
Enterprise Division:
Gross profit consists of net revenue less the cost of services provided or the cost of goods sold. Our cost of revenue includes the direct costs of delivering content onsite at client locations, including presenter costs; content royalties; materials used in the production of training products and related assessments; amortization of previously capitalized curriculum development costs; and freight. Gross profit may be affected by, among other things, the mix of services sold to clients, prices of materials, travel, labor rates, changes in product discount levels, and freight costs. Our consolidated cost of revenue in fiscal 2025 totaled $63.5 million compared with $66.2 million in fiscal 2024. Consolidated gross profit for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2025 was $203.6 million compared with $221.1 million in the prior year and decreased primarily due to lower revenue as described above. Our gross margin for fiscal 2025 decreased slightly to 76.2% compared with 77.0% in fiscal 2024 primarily due to changes in the mix of services and products sold during the year.
Our operating expenses in fiscal 2025 totaled $197.9 million, an increase of $9.8 million, compared with $188.0 million in the prior year. The increase was primarily due to a $6.7 million increase in selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses and a $3.7 million increase in restructuring costs. The increase in SG&A expenses was primarily due to a $5.5 million increase in associate expenses primarily related to new personnel, including new sales and sales support personnel hired in connection with the implementation of our new go-to-market strategy in North America; $2.1 million of costs related to the exit from our previous corporate campus, including relocation and litigation expenses; and $1.6 million of increased software subscription costs for new software programs being used in the normal course of business. These increases were partially offset by a $4.3 million decrease in share-based compensation expense resulting from less awards outstanding during the year and the determination that certain performance tranches of long-term incentive awards would not vest. During fiscal 2025, we continued to restructure our sales force in North America and to reduce costs in certain areas of our operations. We incurred $6.7 million of expenses for these restructuring activities in fiscal 2025, which primarily consisted of severance and related costs, compared with $3.0 million in fiscal 2024.
Our effective income tax rate for fiscal 2025 was approximately 49% compared with an effective income tax rate of approximately 29% in fiscal 2024. Our effective tax rate for fiscal 2025 was higher than the statutory tax rate primarily due to an increase in the valuation allowance against our deferred income tax assets in some foreign jurisdictions and non-deductible executive compensation, which were partially offset by the tax differential on foreign income. Our effective rate in fiscal 2024 was higher than statutory rates primarily due to non-deductible executive compensation and an increase in the valuation allowance against our deferred income tax assets in some foreign jurisdictions, which were partially offset by benefits for share-based compensation deductions in excess of the corresponding book expense and the tax differential on income subject to both U.S. and foreign taxes.
Net income for the year ended August 31, 2025 was $3.1 million, or $0.24 per diluted share, compared with $23.4 million, or $1.74 per diluted share, in fiscal 2024. Our Adjusted EBITDA in fiscal 2025 was $28.8 million compared with $55.3 million in fiscal 2024, reflecting the above-noted factors. In constant currency, our fiscal 2025 Adjusted EBITDA was $29.0 million. Adjusted EBITDA and constant currency Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures. For additional information regarding our use of non-GAAP financial measures, see the discussion under the heading Non-GAAP Measures above.
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Further details regarding these items can be found in the comparative analysis of fiscal 2025 with fiscal 2024 as discussed within this Management’s Discussion and Analysis.
Our liquidity, financial position, and capital resources remained strong throughout fiscal 2025. At August 31, 2025, we had $31.7 million of cash, with no borrowings on our $62.5 million revolving credit facility, even after spending $26.4 million on purchases of our common stock and $15.8 million on capital assets during fiscal 2025. At August 31, 2024 we had $48.7 million of cash, and no borrowings on our revolving credit facility. For further information regarding our liquidity and cash flows, refer to the Liquidity and Capital Resources discussion found within this Management’s Discussion and Analysis.
For a discussion of the results of operations and changes in financial condition for fiscal 2024 compared with fiscal 2023, refer to Part II, Item 7 Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our fiscal 2024 Form 10-K, which was filed with the SEC on November 12, 2024.
Results of Operations
The following table sets forth, for the fiscal years indicated, the percentage of total sales represented by the line items through income before income taxes in our consolidated income statements. This table should be read in conjunction with the accompanying discussion and analysis, the consolidated financial statements, and the related notes to the consolidated financial statements.
YEAR ENDED
Amounts shown as a percent of total revenue
Selling, general, and administrative 68.4 61.3 63.4
Restructuring costs 2.5 1.0 0.2
Impaired asset - 0.3 -
Interest expense (0.2) (0.4) (0.6)
Income before income taxes 2.3 11.5 9.2
FISCAL 2025 COMPARED WITH FISCAL 2024 RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Enterprise Division
North America Segment
The North America segment includes our personnel that serve clients in the United States and Canada. The following comparative information is for our North America segment in the periods indicated (in thousands):
Fiscal Year Ended Fiscal Year Ended
August 31, % of August 31, % of
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Revenue. In fiscal 2025, our North America segment revenue was $147.6 million compared with $163.4 million in the prior year. North America segment revenues in fiscal 2025 were adversely impacted by the uncertain macroeconomic environment and by canceled or postponed government contracting. During fiscal 2025, North America subscription and subscription service revenues were $131.1 million compared with $138.9 million in fiscal 2024. While we remain optimistic about the future impact of our new North America go-to-market strategy and sales force restructuring, continued economic uncertainty, including threatened or enacted tariffs and continued decreases in governmental spending, including due to the U.S. federal government shutdown, may prevent us from achieving expected sales goals until these conditions stabilize or are resolved. Foreign exchange rates had a $0.2 million adverse impact on North America segment revenues and a $0.1 million adverse impact on operating results during fiscal 2025.
Gross Profit. Gross profit was impacted by lower revenue as described above. North America gross margin remained strong during fiscal 2025 and was 83.1% of revenue compared with 83.5% in the prior year.
SG&A Expense. North America SG&A expenses increased primarily due to associate costs resulting from new sales and sales support personnel primarily related to our new go-to-market strategy and the reorganization of our North America sales force in fiscal 2025.
International Direct Offices
Our directly owned international offices serve clients in Australia, Austria, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The following comparative information is for our International Direct Office segment in the periods indicated (in thousands):
Fiscal Year Ended Fiscal Year Ended
August 31, % of August 31, % of
Revenue. International Direct Office revenues for fiscal 2025 were adversely affected by ongoing economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions as previously discussed. Revenues decreased in Japan by 23%, in China by 21%, and in the United Kingdom by 15%, and were reflective of the macroeconomic conditions and their impact on existing and potential clients. Decreases in these offices were partially offset by increased revenue recognized through our new France office and a slight increase in Australia. The fluctuation of foreign exchange rates had a $0.4 million favorable impact on our International Direct Office revenue and a $0.1 million favorable impact on operating results in fiscal 2025. We believe the resolution of multiple international trade issues and improving economic conditions will lead to improved sales performance in future periods. However, the successful resolution of these macroeconomic issues is not within our control and may not generate expected revenue growth at our International Direct Offices in future periods.
Gross Profit. Gross profit in the International Direct Office segment decreased primarily due to reduced revenue as described above. Gross margin for the third quarter of fiscal 2025 was 73.6% of sales compared with 76.6% in the prior year and decreased primarily due to a shift in the mix of services delivered and products sold during fiscal 2025 when compared with fiscal 2024.
SG&A Expenses. International Direct Office SG&A expenses decreased $0.1 million primarily due to cost reduction initiatives enacted to offset the impact of decreased revenue.
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International Licensees Segment
In foreign locations where we do not have a directly owned office, our training and consulting services are delivered through independent licensees. The following comparative information is for our international licensee operations in the periods indicated (in thousands):
Fiscal Year Ended Fiscal Year Ended
August 31, % of August 31, % of
Revenue. International licensee revenue is primarily comprised of royalties on sales of our content by the licensees. In fiscal 2025, our International Licensees’ revenue decreased primarily due to decreases in our share of AAP revenue and a 2% decrease in royalty revenue. Throughout fiscal 2025, our foreign licensees have encountered ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty and geopolitical instability in the regions where they operate, which have adversely impacted their operations. Foreign exchange rates had an immaterial impact on International Licensee revenues and operating results during fiscal 2025.
Gross Profit. Gross profit decreased primarily due to decreased revenue as previously described. Gross margin remained strong at 87.2% compared with 88.2% in the prior year and declined due to decreased royalty revenue compared with the prior year.
SG&A Expense. International licensee SG&A expenses decreased by $0.1 million compared with the prior year primarily due to cost cutting efforts implemented during fiscal 2025 in response to decreased revenue.
Education Division
Our Education Division is comprised of our domestic and international Education practice operations (focused on sales to educational institutions) and includes our widely acclaimed Leader in Me program. The following comparative information is for our Education Division in the periods indicated (in thousands):
Fiscal Year Ended Fiscal Year Ended
August 31, % of August 31, % of
Revenue. Education Division revenue for fiscal 2025 increased to $74.6 million compared with $74.2 million in fiscal 2024. Fiscal 2025 revenue growth was primarily attributable to increased coaching and consulting revenue and increased membership subscription revenue, which were partially offset by decreased sales of classroom and training materials, primarily due to a new state-wide initiative and district contracts that included large training materials orders in fiscal 2024. These materials orders did not repeat at the same levels in fiscal 2025. Delivery of training and coaching days remained strong during fiscal 2025 as the Education Division delivered a similar number of training and coaching days when compared with fiscal 2024. Education subscription and subscription services revenues in fiscal 2025 increased 4% compared with the prior year and Education deferred subscription revenue at August 31, 2025, increased 13% over the balance at August 31, 2024. Education Division growth during fiscal 2025 was partially offset by changes in foreign exchange rates, which adversely impacted revenue and operating results by $0.4 million. We continue to be pleased with the strength and momentum of our Education Division, which added 624 new The Leader in Me schools in a very challenging funding environment during fiscal 2025. We believe the momentum generated in fiscal 2025 will continue into fiscal 2026, but our expectations may be impacted by a number of factors outside of our control, including available
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funding from governmental agencies in the midst of spending reductions. At August 31, 2025, over 8,000 schools around the world were using The Leader in Me program.
Gross Profit. Education Division gross profit increased primarily due to increased revenue as previously described. Education segment gross margin remained strong and was 64.0% in each of fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024.
SG&A Expenses. Education SG&A expenses increased primarily due to increased associate expenses from new personnel, changes to compensation plans, and increased commissions on higher revenue.
Other Operating Expense Items
Depreciation – Depreciation expense increased $0.2 million to $4.1 million compared with $3.9 million in the prior year. The increase was primarily due to new capital assets purchased in fiscal 2025. We currently expect depreciation expense will total approximately $4.5 million in fiscal 2026.
Amortization – Amortization expense increased to $4.4 million compared with $4.2 million in fiscal 2024. The increase was primarily due to the reacquisition of license rights for our France operations, which occurred in the first quarter of fiscal 2025. We currently expect definite-lived intangible asset amortization expense will total approximately $3 million during fiscal 2026.
Interest Expense – Our interest expense, which totaled $0.6 million in fiscal 2025, decreased $0.5 million primarily due to reduced term loan debt and a reduced principal balance on our financing obligation (long-term lease on our corporate campus) compared with the prior year.
Income Taxes
Our income tax provision fiscal 2025 totaled $3.0 million on pre-tax income of $6.1 million for an effective income tax rate of 49% compared with income tax expense of $9.6 million on pre-tax income of $33.0 million for an effective tax rate of approximately 29% for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2024. Our effective income tax rate for fiscal 2025 was higher than the statutory tax rate primarily due to tax expense of $1.5 million for increases to the valuation allowance against deferred tax assets in some foreign jurisdictions and $0.9 million related to non-deductible executive compensation, which were partially offset by a $0.5 million benefit in tax differential on foreign income. Our effective income tax rate for fiscal 2024 was higher than the statutory tax rate primarily due to tax expense of $3.2 million for non-deductible executive compensation and a $1.2 million increase in the valuation allowance against our deferred income tax assets, which were partially offset by a $2.6 million benefit for share-based compensation deductions in excess of the corresponding book expense and a $0.5 million benefit in tax differential on income subject to both U.S. and foreign taxes.
On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was enacted, introducing significant amendments to U.S. tax law with varying effective dates. Key provisions relevant to Franklin Covey include the expansion of bonus depreciation, the permanent reinstatement of immediate expensing for research and development costs, and revisions to international tax rules. The legislation did not have a material impact on income tax expense or effective tax rate for fiscal 2025. Franklin Covey will continue to monitor future regulatory guidance and assess any potential impacts in subsequent periods.
We paid $7.7 million in cash for income taxes during fiscal 2025. We anticipate our total cash paid for income taxes over the coming years to approximate our total income tax provision.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Introduction
Our cash at August 31, 2025 totaled $31.7 million, with no borrowings on our $62.5 million revolving credit facility. Of our $31.7 million of cash at August 31, 2025, $12.2 million was held outside the U.S. by our foreign subsidiaries. We routinely repatriate cash from our foreign subsidiaries and consider cash generated from foreign activities a key
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component of our overall liquidity position. Our primary sources of liquidity are cash flows from the sale of services and products in the normal course of business and available proceeds from our credit facility. Our primary uses of liquidity include payments for operating activities, purchases of our common stock, capital expenditures (including curriculum development), working capital expansion, debt payments, and potential business acquisitions.
The following table summarizes our cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities for the past three years (in thousands):
YEAR ENDED
Total cash provided by (used for):
Effect of exchange rates on cash (273) 141 (296)
Increase (decrease) in cash and
Our Current Credit Agreement
On March 27, 2023, we entered into a credit agreement with KeyBank National Association (KeyBank) leading a group of financial institutions (collectively, the Lenders), which replaced our previous credit agreement. The 2023 Credit Agreement provides up to $70.0 million in total credit, of which $7.5 million was used to replace the outstanding term loan balance from the previous credit agreement. The remaining $62.5 million is available as a revolving line of credit or for future term loans. We believe the 2023 Credit Agreement provides significant flexibility and financial resources to allow us to grow the business in future periods.
The 2023 Credit Agreement matures on March 27, 2028, and interest rate for borrowings on the 2023 Credit Agreement is based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) and is a tiered structure that varies according to the Leverage Ratio as defined 2023 Credit Agreement (refer to Note 5, Secured Credit Agreement to our consolidated financial statements for the interest rate structure).
As defined in the 2023 Credit Agreement, we are (i) required to maintain a Leverage Ratio of less than 3.00 to 1.00 and a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio greater than 1.15 to 1.00; and (ii) we are restricted from making certain distributions to stockholders, including repurchases of common stock. However, we are permitted to make distributions, including through purchases of outstanding common stock, provided that we are in compliance with the Leverage Ratio and Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio financial covenants before and after such distribution. At August 31, 2025, we believe that we were in compliance with the terms and covenants contained in the 2023 Credit Agreement.
At August 31, 2025 our debt structure was relatively simple and consisted of notes payable to the former owners of Strive Talent, Inc., and obligations for leased office and warehousing space. For further information on our notes payable and leasing obligations, refer to the notes to our consolidated financial statements as presented in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The following discussion is a description of the primary factors affecting our cash flows and their effects upon our liquidity and capital resources during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2025.
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Our primary source of cash from operating activities was the sale of services and products to our customers in the normal course of business. Our primary uses of cash for operating activities were payments for SG&A expenses, direct costs necessary to conduct training programs, to fund working capital changes, and to suppliers for materials used in training manuals sold. Our cash provided by operating activities during fiscal 2025 was $29.0 million compared with $60.3 million in fiscal 2024. The decrease in cash flows from operating activities was primarily attributable to lower operating
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income in fiscal 2025 as previously discussed, and changes in working capital, including a $5.9 million decrease in taxes payable as we no longer benefit from the utilization of our net operating loss position compared with the prior year. While we expect our cash flows from operating activities to improve in future periods, certain conditions are beyond our control or influence such as general macroeconomic conditions, general business environment uncertainty, further reductions in government spending, and conditions in international locations which impact our financial results at our international direct offices and international licensees.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities and Capital Expenditures
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2025, our cash used for investing activities totaled $16.9 million. Our primary uses of cash for investing activities consisted of purchases of property and equipment in the normal course of business and additional investments in the development of our content and offerings.
Cash used for purchases of property and equipment during fiscal 2025 totaled $8.3 million and consisted primarily of computer software and hardware, and leasehold improvements at our new headquarters office, which we moved into during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025. We expect to continue to use cash to pay for the leasehold improvements and furniture during the first half of fiscal 2026. Including the payments for these leasehold improvements, we currently anticipate that our purchases of property and equipment in fiscal 2026 will total between approximately $5 million and $7 million.
During fiscal 2025, we spent $7.6 million on the development of our various offerings and related content. During the first half of fiscal 2025, we launched a significantly refurbished The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People offering and expect to release new and refurbished content in fiscal 2026 and in future years. We believe continued investment in our offerings and content is key to future growth and the development of our business. We currently expect that our capital spending for curriculum development will total between approximately $8 million and $10 million in fiscal 2026.
In the first quarter of fiscal 2025, we reacquired the license rights to sell our content in France for $0.3 million in cash and $0.2 million of forgiven receivables from the former licensee. The operations of the newly opened direct office in France are included in the International Direct Office segment. We look forward to expanding our business and operations in France over the coming years.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Our net cash used for financing activities during fiscal 2025 totaled $28.8 million. Our primary uses of financing cash were $26.4 million used to purchase shares of our common stock, which consisted of shares purchased on the open market and shares withheld for income taxes on stock-based compensation awards, and $3.9 million used for principal payments on our financing obligation and notes payable. Partially offsetting these uses of cash for financing activities were $1.5 million of proceeds received from ESPP participants to purchase shares of our common stock during the fiscal year.
On April 18, 2024, our Board of Directors approved a plan to purchase up to $50.0 million of our outstanding common stock. Through May 31, 2025, we purchased $22.1 million of our common stock on this Board authorized plan. On August 11, 2025, the Board of Directors approved a replenishment of the plan to purchase up to $50.0 million of common stock. On August 14, 2025 we initiated a 10b5-1 plan to purchase up to $10.0 million of our common stock through daily transactions. This 10b5-1 plan was completed in the first quarter of fiscal 2026.
Our uses of financing cash during fiscal 2026 will include purchases of our common stock. However, the timing and amount of common stock purchases is dependent on a number of factors, including available resources, and we are not obligated to make purchases of our common stock during any future period.
Sources of Cash and Liquidity
We expect to meet the obligations on our notes payable, pay for projected capital expenditures, and meet other obligations in fiscal 2026 and beyond, from current cash balances, future cash flows from operating activities, and proceeds from our
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available line of credit if necessary. Going forward, we will also continue to incur costs necessary for the day-to-day operation of the business and may use additional credit and other financing alternatives, if necessary, for these expenditures. During fiscal 2023 we entered into a five-year credit agreement which we expect to renew and amend on a regular basis to maintain the long-term borrowing capacity of this credit facility. Additional potential sources of liquidity available to us include factoring receivables, issuance of additional equity, or issuance of debt to public or private sources. If necessary, we will evaluate all of these options and select one or more of them depending on overall capital needs and the associated cost of capital.
We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents, cash generated by operating activities, and the availability of external funds as described above, will be sufficient for us to maintain our operations for the next 12 months and into the future. However, our ability to maintain adequate capital for our operations in the future is dependent upon a number of factors, including sales trends, macroeconomic activity and uncertainty, our ability to contain costs, levels of capital expenditures, collection of accounts receivable, and other factors. Some of the factors that influence our operations are not within our control, such as general economic conditions and the introduction of new offerings or technology by our competitors. We will continue to monitor our liquidity position and may pursue additional financing alternatives, as described above, to maintain sufficient resources for future growth and capital requirements. However, there can be no assurance such financing alternatives will be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all.
Material Cash Requirements
We do not operate any manufacturing, mining, or other capital-intensive facilities, and we have not structured any special purpose entities, or participated in any commodity trading activities, which would expose us to potential undisclosed liabilities or create adverse consequences to our liquidity. However, we have cash expenditures and are subject to various contractual obligations that are required to run our business. Our material cash requirements include the following:
Associate and Consultant Compensation – Associate and consultant compensation is our largest expense and most significant recurring use of cash. Our compensation plans for associates and delivery consultants include fixed (salaried) and variable elements as well as the cost of benefits, and may fluctuate with sales, financial results, and hiring/retention activity. During fiscal 2025, we expensed approximately $172 million for associate and delivery consultant cash compensation. Associate compensation expense is included in SG&A expense and consultant compensation is included in our cost of revenue. Our associate costs include variable compensation such as commissions, incentives, and bonuses, and may fluctuate from year-to-year.
Information Technology – Our business is reliant on computer software and hardware. Our subscription service portals require ongoing development, recurring maintenance, security upgrades, and utilize various software applications. In addition, we utilize various software programs to run our business, including applications for customer resource management, general ledger, cybersecurity, spreadsheets, word processing, e-mail, etc. Including capitalized hardware and software, we spent approximately $16 million for information technology software and hardware during fiscal 2025.
Content Development – We believe that ongoing investment in our content and offerings is key to our future success. Our innovations group is responsible for the development of new content as well as refreshing and maintaining our existing content. Including capitalized development, we spent approximately $8 million (excluding innovation associate compensation discussed above) for the development and maintenance of our offerings and content in fiscal 2025.
Income Taxes – We are required to pay income taxes in the various jurisdictions where we operate. During fiscal 2025, we paid $7.7 million in cash for income taxes. We believe our use of cash for income taxes in future periods will more closely resemble our income tax provision and will fluctuate based on profitability as we have previously utilized most of our deferred tax assets.
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Contractual Obligations – In addition to the expenses described above, which we believe are required to successfully run our business, we have other longer-term contractual obligations, which require additional cash payments. We have summarized our significant contractual obligations at August 31, 2025 in the following table (in thousands):
Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal
Minimum operating lease
Strive contingent
Strive note payable 835 - - - - - 835
Purchase obligations 4,488 - - - - - 4,488
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
Our consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The significant accounting policies that we used to prepare our consolidated financial statements are outlined primarily in Note 1 and in Note 2 (revenue recognition policies) to the consolidated financial statements, which are presented in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Some of those accounting policies require us to make assumptions and use judgments that may affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements. Management regularly evaluates its estimates and assumptions and bases those estimates and assumptions on historical experience, factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, and requirements under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions, including changes in economic and political conditions and other circumstances that are not within our control, but which may have an impact on these estimates and our actual financial results.
The following items require the most significant judgment and often involve complex estimates:
Revenue Recognition
We account for revenue in accordance with Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). For the All Access Pass, judgment is required to determine whether the intellectual property and web-based functionality and content are considered distinct and accounted for separately, or not distinct and accounted for together.
We have determined to account for the AAP as a single performance obligation and recognize the associated transaction price ratably over the term of the underlying contract beginning on the commencement date of each contract, which is the date the Company’s platforms and resources are made available to the customer. This determination was reached after considering that our web-based functionality and content, in combination with our intellectual property, each represent inputs that transform into a combined output that represents the intended outcome of the AAP, which is to provide a continuously accessible, customized, and dynamic learning and development solution only accessible through the AAP platform.
Judgment is required to determine the stand-alone selling price (SSP) for each distinct performance obligation in a revenue contract. Where we have more than one distinct performance obligation, we must allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation based on its relative SSP. The SSP is the price which we would sell a promised product or service separately to a customer. In determining the SSP, we consider the size and volume of transactions, price lists, historical sales, and contract prices. We may modify our pricing from time-to-time in the future, which could result in changes to the SSP.
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Stock-Based Compensation
Our shareholders have approved a performance-based long-term incentive plan that provides for grants of stock-based performance awards to certain managerial personnel and executive management as directed by the Organization and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Under the terms of some equity awards, the number of common shares that are vested and issued to participants is variable and is based upon the achievement of specified performance objectives during defined service periods. Due to the variable number of common shares that may be issued under some of our equity awards, we reevaluate our performance-award grants on a quarterly basis and adjust the number of shares expected to be awarded based upon actual and estimated financial results of the Company compared with the performance goals set for the award. Adjustments to the number of shares expected to vest, and to the corresponding compensation expense, are made on a cumulative basis at the adjustment date based upon the new estimated probable number of common shares to be awarded.
The analysis of our performance awards contains uncertainties because we are required to make assumptions and judgments about the timing and/or the eventual number of shares that will vest in each grant. The assumptions and judgments that are essential to the analysis include forecasted sales and operating income levels during the service periods. These forecasted amounts may be difficult to predict over the life of the awards due to changes in our business, such as from the introduction of subscription-based services, or other external factors, such as the recent pandemic, and their impact on our financial results. Events such as these may leave some previously approved performance measures obsolete or unattainable. The evaluation of performance awards and the corresponding use of estimated amounts may produce additional volatility in our consolidated financial statements as we record cumulative adjustments to the estimated service periods and/or number of common shares expected to vest as described above. For example, uncertainties related to macroeconomic factors and prevailing business conditions resulted in a significant reversal of previously recognized performance award stock-based compensation expense in fiscal 2025.
Accounts Receivable Valuation
Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. Our allowance for credit losses calculation contains uncertainties because the calculation requires us to make assumptions and judgments regarding the collectability of customer accounts, which may be influenced by a number of factors that are not within our control, such as the financial health of each customer. We regularly review the collectability assumptions of our allowance for credit losses calculation and compare them against historical collections. Adjustments to the assumptions may either increase or decrease our total allowance for credit losses and may adversely impact our financial results. For example, a 10% increase to our allowance for credit losses at August 31, 2025 would decrease our reported income from operations by approximately $0.3 million.
For further information regarding the calculation of our allowance for credit losses, refer to the notes to our financial statements as presented in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Valuation of Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets and Goodwill
Intangible assets that are deemed to have an indefinite life and goodwill balances are not amortized, but rather are tested for impairment on an annual basis, or more often if events or circumstances indicate that a potential impairment exists. The Covey trade name intangible asset originated from the merger with the Covey Leadership Center in 1997 and has been deemed to have an indefinite life. This intangible asset is quantitatively tested for impairment using the present value of estimated royalties on trade name related revenues, which consist primarily of training seminars and related products, and international licensee royalties.
Goodwill is recorded when the purchase price for a business acquisition exceeds the estimated fair value of the net tangible and identified intangible assets acquired. Under current accounting guidance, an annual or interim goodwill impairment test is performed by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, and an impairment charge is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value.
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We tested goodwill for impairment at August 31, 2025 at the reporting unit level using a quantitative approach. Based on the results of this analysis, we determined that it was more likely than not that the fair value of each of our reporting units was more than their carrying values. This determination and the underlying valuation model required judgment to estimate future cash flows and operating results and considered current operating results, expected future operating results, and various other factors such as macroeconomic conditions. Some of these factors are not within our control.
On an interim basis, we consider whether events or circumstances are present that may lead to the determination that goodwill may be impaired. These circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following:
significant underperformance relative to historical or projected future operating results;
significant change in the manner of our use of acquired assets or the strategy for the overall business;
significant change in prevailing interest rates;
significant negative industry or economic trends;
significant change in market capitalization relative to book value; and/or
significant negative change in market multiples of the comparable company set.
If, based on events or changing circumstances, we determine it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit does not exceed its carrying value, then we would be required to test goodwill for impairment.
Determining the fair value of a reporting unit is judgmental in nature and involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions include revenue growth rates and operating margins used to calculate projected future cash flows, risk-adjusted discount rates, future economic and market conditions, and determination of appropriate market comparables. We base our fair value estimates on assumptions we believe to be reasonable, but that are unpredictable and inherently uncertain. Actual future results may differ from those estimates. In addition, we make certain judgments and assumptions in allocating shared assets and liabilities to determine the carrying values for each of our reporting units. The timing and frequency of our goodwill impairment tests are based on an ongoing assessment of events and circumstances that would indicate a possible impairment. Based on the results of our goodwill impairment analysis during fiscal 2025, we determined that no impairment existed at August 31, 2025, as we determined that it was more likely than not that each reportable operating segment’s estimated fair value exceeded its carrying value.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived tangible assets and finite-lived intangible assets are reviewed for possible impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. We use an estimate of undiscounted future net cash flows of the assets over their remaining useful lives in determining whether the carrying value of the assets is recoverable. If the carrying values of the assets exceed the anticipated future cash flows of the assets, we calculate an impairment loss. The impairment loss calculation compares the carrying value of the asset to the asset’s estimated fair value, which may be based upon discounted cash flows over the estimated remaining useful life of the asset. If we recognize an impairment loss, the adjusted carrying amount of the asset becomes its new cost basis, which is then depreciated or amortized over the remaining useful life of the asset. Impairment of long-lived assets is assessed at the lowest levels for which there are identifiable cash flows that are independent from other groups of assets.
Our impairment evaluation calculations contain uncertainties because they require us to make assumptions and apply judgment in order to estimate future cash flows, forecast the useful lives of the assets, and select a discount rate that reflects the risk inherent in future cash flows. Although we have not made any recent material changes to our long-lived assets impairment assessment methodology, if forecasts and assumptions used to support the carrying value of our long-lived tangible and finite-lived intangible assets change in the future, significant impairment charges could result that would adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
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Acquisitions and Contingent Consideration Liabilities
We record acquisitions resulting in the consolidation of an enterprise using the purchase method of accounting. Under this method, the acquiring company records the assets acquired, including intangible assets that can be identified and named, and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. The purchase price in excess of the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recorded as goodwill. If the assets acquired, net of liabilities assumed, are greater than the purchase price paid, then a bargain purchase has occurred and the Company will recognize the gain immediately in earnings. Among other sources of relevant information, we use independent appraisals or other valuations to assist in determining the estimated fair values of the assets and liabilities. Various assumptions are used in the determination of these estimated fair values including discount rates, market and volume growth rates, product or service selling prices, cost structures, royalty rates, and other prospective financial information.
Additionally, we are required to reassess the fair value of contingent consideration liabilities resulting from business acquisitions at each reporting period. Although subsequent changes to the contingent consideration liabilities do not affect the goodwill generated from the acquisition transaction, the valuation of expected contingent consideration often requires us to estimate future sales and/or profitability. These estimates require the use of numerous assumptions, many of which may change frequently and lead to increased or decreased operating income in future periods. We did not have any adjustments to the fair value of a contingent liability from a previous business acquisition in fiscal 2025. Business acquisitions in future periods may increase the volatility and amount of these charges. Changes to the fair value of contingent consideration liabilities are recorded as a component of SG&A expenses.
Income Taxes
We regularly evaluate our United States federal and various state and foreign jurisdiction income tax exposures. We account for certain aspects of our income tax provision using the provisions of ASC 740-10-05, which addresses the determination of whether tax benefits claimed or expected to be claimed on a tax return should be recorded in the financial statements. We may recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon final settlement. The provisions of ASC 740-10-05 also provide guidance on de-recognition, classification, interest, and penalties on income taxes, accounting for income taxes in interim periods, and require increased disclosure of various income tax items. Taxes and penalties are components of our overall income tax provision.
We record previously unrecognized tax benefits in the financial statements when it becomes more likely than not (greater than a 50% likelihood) that the tax position will be sustained. To assess the probability of sustaining a tax position, we consider all available evidence. In many instances, sufficient positive evidence may not be available until the expiration of the statute of limitations for audits by taxing jurisdictions, at which time the entire benefit will be recognized as a discrete item in the applicable period.
Our unrecognized tax benefits result from uncertain tax positions about which we are required to make assumptions and apply judgment to estimate the exposures associated with our various tax filing positions. The calculation of our income tax provision or benefit, as applicable, requires estimates of future taxable income or losses. During the course of the fiscal year, these estimates are compared to actual financial results and adjustments may be made to our tax provision or benefit to reflect these revised estimates. Our effective income tax rate is also affected by changes in tax law and the results of tax audits by various jurisdictions. Although we believe that our judgments and estimates discussed herein are reasonable, actual results could differ, and we could be exposed to losses or gains that could be material.
We establish valuation allowances for deferred tax assets when we estimate it is more likely than not that the tax assets will not be realized. The determination of whether valuation allowances are needed on our deferred income tax assets contains uncertainties because we must project future income, including the use of tax-planning strategies, by individual tax jurisdictions. Changes in industry and economic conditions and the competitive environment may impact the accuracy of our projections. We regularly assess the likelihood that our deferred tax assets will be realized and determine if
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adjustments to our valuation allowance are necessary. These evaluations may produce additional volatility in our tax provision or benefit, net income or loss, and earnings or loss per share.
RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
Refer to Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for information on recent accounting pronouncements.
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
We are registered in states in which we do business that have a sales tax and we collect and remit sales or use tax on sales made in these jurisdictions. Compliance with environmental laws and regulations (including new laws and regulations relating to climate change) has not had a material effect on our operations. We believe we are in compliance with applicable governmental regulations in the United States and the countries in which we operate.
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
Certain statements made by the Company in this report are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended (the Exchange Act). Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate, or imply future results, performance, or achievements, and may contain words such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” or words or phrases of similar meaning. In our reports and filings we may make forward-looking statements regarding, among other things, our expectations about future sales levels and financial results, future training and consulting sales activity, expected benefits from restructuring plans and growth initiatives, anticipated renewals of subscription offerings, the impact of new accounting standards on our financial condition and results of operations, the amount and timing of capital expenditures, anticipated expenses, including SG&A expenses, depreciation, and amortization, future gross margins, the release of new services or products, the adequacy of existing capital resources, our ability to renew or extend our line of credit facility, the amount of cash expected to be paid for income taxes, our ability to maintain adequate capital for our operations for at least the upcoming 12 months, the seasonality of future sales, future compliance with the terms and conditions of our line of credit, the ability to borrow on our line of credit, expected collections of accounts receivable, estimated capital expenditures, and cash flow estimates used to determine the fair value of long-lived assets. These, and other forward-looking statements, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are disclosed from time to time in reports filed by us with the SEC, including reports on Forms 8-K, 10-Q, and 10-K. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the matters discussed in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2025, entitled “Risk Factors.” In addition, such risks and uncertainties may include unanticipated developments in any one or more of the following areas: cybersecurity risks; unanticipated costs or capital expenditures; delays or unanticipated outcomes relating to our strategic plans and initiatives; dependence on existing products or services; the rate and consumer acceptance of new product introductions, including the All Access Pass and Impact Platform; competition; the impact of foreign exchange rates; the number and nature of customers and their product orders, including changes in the timing or mix of product or training orders; pricing of our products and services and those of competitors; adverse publicity; and other factors which may negatively affect our business.
The risks included here are not exhaustive. Other sections of this report may include additional factors that could adversely affect our business and financial performance. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risk factors may emerge and it is not possible for our management to predict all such risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any single factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not rely on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results.
The market price of our common stock has been and may remain volatile. Factors such as quarter-to-quarter variations in revenues and earnings or losses and our failure to meet expectations could have a significant impact on the market price of our common stock. In addition, the price of our common stock can change for reasons unrelated to our performance. Due
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to our relatively low market capitalization, the price of our common stock may also be affected by conditions such as a lack of analyst coverage and fewer potential investors.
Forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations as of the date made, and the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update any of these statements in the future except as required by law. Actual future performance and results will differ and may differ materially from that contained in or suggested by forward-looking statements as a result of the factors set forth in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis and elsewhere in our filings with the SEC.
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Market Risk of Financial Instruments
We are exposed to financial instrument market risk primarily through fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates. To manage risks associated with foreign currency exchange and interest rates, we may make limited use of derivative financial instruments. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive their value from one or more underlying financial instruments. As a matter of policy, our derivative instruments are entered into for periods consistent with the related underlying exposures and do not constitute positions that are independent of those exposures. In addition, we do not enter into derivative contracts for trading or speculative purposes, nor are we party to any leveraged derivative instrument. During the fiscal years ended August 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, we were not party to any foreign exchange contracts, interest rate swap agreements, or similar derivative instruments.
Foreign Exchange Sensitivity
Due to the global nature of our operations, we are subject to risks associated with transactions that are denominated in currencies other than the United States dollar, as well as the effects of translating amounts denominated in foreign currencies to United States dollars as a normal part of the reporting process. The objective of our foreign currency risk management activities is to reduce foreign currency risk in the consolidated financial statements. In order to manage foreign currency risks, we may make limited use of foreign currency forward contracts and other foreign currency related derivative instruments.
Interest Rate Sensitivity
At August 31, 2025, our long-term obligations primarily consisted of fixed-rate notes payable from the purchase of Strive Talent, Inc., and potential contingent consideration resulting from previous business acquisitions. Since our long-term obligations have a fixed interest rate, our overall interest rate sensitivity is primarily influenced by any amounts borrowed on our 2023 Credit Agreement. The effective interest rate on our line of credit facility is variable and was 6.0% at August 31, 2025. We did not have any borrowings against our 2023 Credit Agreement at August 31, 2025. However, if interest rates increase, and we borrow amounts on our 2023 Credit Agreement, we will incur additional interest expense on these variable-rate loans in future periods.
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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of Franklin Covey Co.
Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Franklin Covey Co. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of August 31, 2025, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of August 31, 2025, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended August 31, 2025, of the Company and our report dated November 12, 2025, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Salt Lake City, Utah
November 12, 2025
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of Franklin Covey Co.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Franklin Covey Co. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of August 31, 2025 and 2024, the related consolidated income statements and statements of comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended August 31, 2025, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of August 31, 2025 and 2024, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended August 31, 2025, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of August 31, 2025, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated November 12, 2025, expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Revenue Recognition – Refer to Note 2 to the Financial Statements
Critical Audit Matter Description
The Company recognizes revenue upon the transfer of control of promised products and services to customers in an amount equal to the consideration expected to be received in exchange for those products and services. The contracts for the Company’s Leader in Me subscription offering often include promises to transfer multiple products or services to a customer which are considered distinct performance obligations and should be accounted for separately. The transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation on a relative standalone selling price (SSP) basis. The SSP is the price which the Company would sell a promised product or service separately to a customer. In determining the SSP, the Company considers the size and volume of transactions, price lists, historical sales, and contract prices.
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Given the increased extent of audit effort in evaluating management’s judgments in determining SSP, we identified the determination of SSP for the Leader in Me subscription offering as a critical audit matter.
How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit
Our audit procedures related to the Company’s determination of SSP for these performance obligations, included the following, among others:
We tested the effectiveness of internal controls over the determination of SSP.
We selected a sample of customer agreements and performed the following:
oObtained and read customer contracts and invoices for each selection to evaluate if relevant contractual terms have been appropriately considered by management.
oAssessed the terms in the customer agreement and evaluated the appropriateness of management’s application of their accounting policies, along with their use of estimates, in the determination of revenue recognition conclusions.
oAssessed the reasonableness of management’s estimates of SSP for products and services and the allocation of the transaction price to identified performance obligations determined on a relative stand-alone selling basis.
oTested the mathematical accuracy of management’s calculations of revenue and the associated timing of revenue recognized in the financial statements.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Salt Lake City, Utah
November 12, 2025
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2016.
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FRANKLIN COVEY CO.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
In thousands, except per-share data
ASSETS
Current assets:
Deferred income tax assets 231 870
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable $ 823 $ 835
Current portion of financing obligation - 3,112
Notes payable, less current portion - 775
Financing obligation, less current portion - 1,312
Deferred income tax liabilities 3,991 3,132
Commitments and contingencies (Note 9)
Shareholders’ equity:
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (1,032) (768)
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
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FRANKLIN COVEY CO.
CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENTS AND STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
In thousands, except per-share amounts
Impaired asset - 928 -
Net income per share:
Weighted average number of common shares:
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME:
Foreign currency translation adjustments, net of income
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
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FRANKLIN COVEY CO.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
In thousands
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided
by operating activities:
Amortization of capitalized curriculum development costs 4,440 3,172 3,084
Impaired asset - 928 -
Change in the fair value of contingent consideration liabilities - - 7
Amortization of right-of-use operating lease assets 610 760 834
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Decrease (increase) in accounts receivable, net 17,464 (3,759) (9,452)
Decrease (increase) in inventories (1,161) 228 (692)
Increase in prepaid expenses and other assets (1,447) (1,414) (88)
Increase in deferred revenue and customer deposits 3,151 13,458 8,806
Increase (decrease) in income taxes payable/receivable (5,942) 3,453 (195)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capitalized curriculum development costs (7,561) (6,866) (9,035)
Acquisition of license/content rights (1,074) (750) -
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from term notes payable financing - - 7,500
Principal payments on financing obligation (3,112) (3,538) (3,199)
Payment of contingent consideration liabilities - - (736)
Cash paid for new secured credit agreement - - (393)
Proceeds from sales of common stock held in treasury 1,540 1,467 1,539
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (16,965) 10,433 (22,287)
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Acquisition of property and equipment and capitalized
Consideration for reacquired license rights from liabilities of seller 168 - -
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
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FRANKLIN COVEY CO.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Accumulated
Other
Common Common Additional Retained Comprehensive Treasury Treasury
In thousands
Issuance of common stock from
Purchase of treasury shares (885) (35,555)
Stock-based compensation 12,520
Cumulative translation
adjustments (445)
Issuance of common stock from
Purchase of treasury shares (776) (30,749)
Stock-based compensation 10,142
Cumulative translation
Issuance of common stock from
Purchase of treasury shares (939) (26,374)
Stock-based compensation 5,805
Cumulative translation
adjustments (264)
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
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FRANKLIN COVEY CO.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Franklin Covey Co. (hereafter referred to as we, us, our, or the Company) is a global company specializing in organizational performance improvement. We help individuals and organizations achieve results that require a change in human behavior and our mission is to “enable greatness in people and organizations everywhere.” We have some of the best-known offerings in the training industry, including a suite of individual-effectiveness and leadership-development training and products based on the best-selling books, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Speed of Trust, The Leader In Me, The Four Disciplines of Execution, and Multipliers, and proprietary content in the areas of Leadership, Execution, Productivity, Sales Performance, and Educational improvement. Our offerings are described in further detail at www.franklincovey.com and elsewhere in this report. Through our organizational research and curriculum development efforts, we seek to consistently create, develop, and introduce new services and products that help individuals and organizations achieve their own great purposes.
Fiscal Year
Our fiscal year ends on August 31 of each year and our fiscal quarters end on the last day of November, February, and May. Unless otherwise noted, references to fiscal years apply to the 12 months ended August 31 of the specified year.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and our wholly owned subsidiaries, which consist of Franklin Development Corp., and our offices that serve clients in Japan, China, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Austria. Intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, shareholders’ equity, revenues, and expenses. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Our cash is deposited with financial institutions located throughout the United States of America and at banks in foreign countries where we operate subsidiary offices, and at times these deposits may exceed insured limits. We consider all highly liquid debt instruments with an original maturity date of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Of our $31.7 million of cash at August 31, 2025, $12.2 million was held outside the U.S. by our foreign subsidiaries. We routinely repatriate cash from our foreign subsidiaries and consider cash generated from foreign activities a key component of our overall liquidity position.
Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, cost being determined using the first-in, first-out method. Cash flows from the sale of inventory are included in cash flows provided by operating activities in our consolidated statements of cash flows. At each of August 31, 2025 and 2024, our inventories were comprised primarily of training materials, books, training-related accessories, and consisted of finished goods.
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Provision is made to reduce excess and obsolete inventories to their estimated net realizable value. In assessing the valuation of our inventories, we make judgments regarding future demand requirements and compare these estimates with current and committed inventory levels. Inventory requirements may change based on projected customer demand, training curriculum life-cycle changes, and other factors that could affect the valuation of our inventories.
Other Current Assets
Significant components of our other current assets were as follows (in thousands):
We defer commission expense on subscription-based sales and recognize the commission expense with the recognition of the corresponding revenue.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are recorded at cost. Depreciation expense, which includes depreciation on our previous corporate headquarters location that was accounted for as a financing obligation (Note 7), is calculated using the straight-line method over the lesser of the expected useful life of the asset or the contracted lease period. We generally use the following depreciable lives for our major classifications of property and equipment:
Description Useful Lives
Buildings 20 years
Machinery and equipment 5–7 years
Computer hardware and software 3–5 years
Furniture, fixtures, and leasehold improvements 5–7 years
At the end of the master lease on our previous headquarters corporate campus, we relocated our corporate headquarters and wrote off the property and equipment associated with the previous headquarters location. Our property and equipment were comprised of the following (in thousands):
Land and improvements $ - $ 1,312
Machinery and equipment - 401
Furniture, fixtures, and leasehold
We expense costs for repairs and maintenance as incurred. Gains and losses resulting from the sale of property and equipment are recorded in income from operations. Depreciation of capitalized subscription portal costs is included in depreciation expense in the accompanying consolidated income statements and statements of comprehensive income.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived tangible assets and finite-lived intangible assets are reviewed for possible impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. We use an estimate of undiscounted future net cash flows of the assets over the remaining useful lives in determining whether the carrying value of the assets is recoverable. If the carrying values of the assets exceed the anticipated future cash flows of the assets, we
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recognize an impairment loss equal to the difference between the carrying values of the assets and their estimated fair values. Impairment of long-lived assets is assessed at the lowest levels for which there are identifiable cash flows that are independent from other groups of assets. The evaluation of long-lived assets requires us to use estimates of future cash flows. If forecasts and assumptions used to support the realizability of our long-lived tangible and finite-lived intangible assets change in the future, significant impairment charges could result that would adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
In a prior period, we initiated the development of a student leadership assessment. However, due to societal changes in perception regarding the collection of student information and potential legal challenges, during fiscal 2024 we determined that it was in the best interest of the Company to suspend further development of the student leadership assessment and impair the associated asset. Approximately $0.6 million of the capitalized costs were for software and were previously included in property and equipment, and $0.3 million was included in capitalized development, which is included in our other long-term assets. The student leadership assessment was being developed for use in our Education Division.
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets and Goodwill Impairment Testing
Intangible assets that are deemed to have an indefinite life and acquired goodwill are not amortized, but rather are tested for impairment on an annual basis or more often if events or circumstances indicate that a potential impairment exists. The Covey trade name intangible asset has been deemed to have an indefinite life. This intangible asset is tested for impairment using qualitative factors or the present value of estimated royalties on trade name related revenues, which consist primarily of training seminars and work sessions, international licensee sales, and related products. Based on the fiscal 2025 evaluation of the Covey trade name, we believe the fair value of the Covey trade name substantially exceeds its carrying value. No impairment charges were recorded against the Covey trade name during the periods presented in this report.
Goodwill is recorded when the purchase price for a business acquisition exceeds the estimated fair value of the net tangible and identified intangible assets acquired. We test goodwill for impairment each year on August 31 or upon the occurrence of events or changes in circumstances which indicate that goodwill may be impaired. Goodwill is assigned to our reporting units, which are our operating segments, where discrete financial information is available that is regularly reviewed by management to evaluate segment performance.
During the annual impairment testing process, we have the option to first perform a qualitative assessment (commonly referred to as Step Zero) over relative events and circumstances to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value or to perform a quantitative assessment where we estimate the fair value of each reporting unit using both an income and market approach. At August 31, 2025, we completed a quantitative assessment of our goodwill and concluded there were no impairments. Refer to Note 4, Intangible Assets and Goodwill for further information on our goodwill, including the allocation of our goodwill to our reportable segments.
When we perform a quantitative analysis to assess the recoverability of our goodwill, we determine the estimated fair value of each reporting unit and compare it to the carrying value of the reporting unit, including goodwill. If the fair value is less than the carrying value of the net assets and related goodwill, an impairment charge is recognized for the difference. The estimated fair value of each reporting unit is calculated using a combination of the income approach (discounted cash flows) and the market approach (using market multiples derived from a set of companies with comparable market characteristics). The value estimated using a discounted cash flow model is weighted against the estimated value derived from the guideline company market approach method. The market approach method estimates the price reasonably expected to be realized from the sale of the reporting unit based on comparable companies. In developing the discounted cash flow analysis, our assumptions about future revenues and expenses, capital expenditures, and changes in working capital are based on our internal plan and assume a terminal growth rate thereafter. The discounted cash flow analysis is derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs are not observable and constitute Level 3 fair value measures.
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The determination of the fair value of a reporting unit is judgmental in nature and involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions include revenue growth rates and operating margins used to calculate projected future cash flows, risk-adjusted discount rates, future economic and market conditions, and determination of appropriate market comparables. We base our fair value estimates on assumptions we believe to be reasonable, but that are unpredictable and inherently uncertain. Actual future results may differ from those estimates.
Capitalized Curriculum Development Costs
During the normal course of business, we develop training courses and related materials that we sell to our clients. Capitalized curriculum development costs include certain expenditures to develop course materials such as video segments, course manuals, and other related materials. Our capitalized curriculum development spending in fiscal 2025, which totaled $7.6 million, was primarily to create new and refreshed offerings and content for the AAP and new offerings for our Education practice. Curriculum costs are capitalized when there is a major revision to an existing course that requires a significant re-write of the course materials, or a significant investment in new curriculum. Costs incurred to maintain existing offerings are expensed when incurred. In addition, development costs incurred in the research and development of new offerings and software products to be sold, leased, or otherwise marketed are expensed as incurred until economic and technological feasibility have been established.
Capitalized development costs are amortized over three-to-five year useful lives, which are based on numerous factors, including expected cycles of major changes to the content. Capitalized curriculum development costs are reported as a component of other long-term assets in our consolidated balance sheets and totaled $18.0 million and $15.3 million at August 31, 2025 and 2024. Amortization of capitalized curriculum development costs is reported as a component of cost of revenue in the accompanying consolidated income statements and statements of comprehensive income.
Accrued Liabilities
Significant components of our accrued liabilities were as follows (in thousands):
Contingent Consideration Payments from Business Acquisitions
Business acquisitions may include contingent consideration payments based on various future financial measures related to the acquired entity. Contingent consideration is required to be recognized at fair value as of the acquisition date. We estimate the fair value of these liabilities based on financial projections of the acquired company and estimated probabilities of achievement. Based on updated estimates and projections, the contingent consideration liabilities are adjusted at each reporting date to their estimated fair value. Changes in fair value subsequent to the acquisition date are reported in selling, general, and administrative expense in our consolidated income statements and statements of comprehensive income and may have a material impact on our operating results. Variations in the fair value of contingent consideration liabilities may result from changes in discount periods or rates, changes in the timing and amount of earnings estimates, and changes in probability assumptions with respect to the likelihood of achieving various payment criteria.
Foreign Currency Translation and Transactions
The functional currencies of our foreign operations are the reported local currencies. Translation adjustments result from translating our foreign subsidiaries’ financial statements into United States dollars. The balance sheet accounts of our foreign subsidiaries are translated into United States dollars using the exchange rate in effect at the balance sheet dates. Revenues and expenses are translated using average exchange rates for each month during the fiscal year. The resulting translation differences are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in shareholders’ equity. We
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recognized net foreign currency transaction gains of $0.1 million in fiscal 2025, and net foreign currency transaction losses of $0.1 million in each of fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2023. Foreign exchange transaction gains and losses and are included as a component of selling, general, and administrative expenses in our consolidated income statements and statements of comprehensive income.
Revenue Recognition
We account for revenue in accordance with Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). For further information on our revenue, refer to Note 2, Revenue.
Revenue is recognized as the net amount to be received after deducting estimated amounts for discounts and product returns.
Shipping and Handling Fees and Costs
All shipping and handling fees billed to customers are recorded as a component of revenue. All costs incurred related to the shipping and handling of products are recorded in cost of revenue.
Advertising Costs
Costs for advertising are expensed as incurred. Advertising costs included in selling, general, and administrative expenses totaled $5.5 million, $5.2 million, and $4.5 million for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
Stock-Based Compensation
We record the compensation expense for all stock-based payments, including grants of stock awards and the compensatory elements of our employee stock purchase plan, in our consolidated income statements and statements of comprehensive income based upon their fair values over the requisite service period. For more information on our stock-based compensation plans, refer to Note 12.
Income Taxes
Our income tax provision has been determined using the asset and liability approach of accounting for income taxes. Under this approach, deferred income taxes represent the future tax consequences expected to occur when the reported amounts of assets and liabilities are recovered or paid. The income tax provision represents income taxes paid or payable for the current year plus the change in deferred taxes during the year. Deferred income taxes result from differences between the financial and tax bases of our assets and liabilities and are adjusted for tax rates and tax laws when changes are enacted. A valuation allowance is provided against deferred income tax assets when it is more likely than not that all or some portion of the deferred income tax assets will not be realized. Interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions are recognized as components of income tax benefit or expense in our consolidated income statements and statements of comprehensive income.
We may recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement.
We provide for income taxes, net of applicable foreign tax credits, on temporary differences in our investment in foreign subsidiaries, which consist primarily of unrepatriated earnings.
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Comprehensive Income
Comprehensive income includes changes to equity accounts that were not the result of transactions with shareholders. Comprehensive income is comprised of net income and other comprehensive income and loss items. Our other comprehensive income and losses generally consist of changes in the cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax.
Accounting Pronouncement Issued and Adopted
In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued ASU No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. This ASU is intended to improve the reportable segment disclosure primarily by requiring entities to provide more disaggregated expense information about their reportable segments. The new guidance also improves interim disclosure requirements, clarifies circumstances in which an entity can disclose multiple segment measures of profit or loss, provides new segment disclosure requirements for entities with a single reportable segment, and contains other disclosure requirements. We adopted this ASU for fiscal 2025 and the related disclosures are included in Note 17, Segment Information. The amendments were effective for the Company's annual periods beginning September 1, 2024, and interim periods beginning September 1, 2025 and have been applied retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements.
Accounting Pronouncements Issued Not Yet Adopted
On December 14, 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. ASU 2023-09 provides guidance to enhance transparency about income tax information through improvements to income tax disclosures primarily related to the effective income tax rate reconciliation and income taxes paid. This new guidance also includes certain other amendments to improve the effectiveness of income tax disclosures. We are currently assessing the anticipated impact of this standard on our consolidated financial statements. The amendments are effective for our annual periods beginning September 1, 2025, with early adoption permitted, and should be applied either prospectively or retrospectively. The Company is currently evaluating the ASU to determine its impact on our disclosures.
In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses, which requires a public entity to disclose certain operating expenses disaggregated into categories, such as purchases of inventory, employee compensation, depreciation, and intangible asset amortization on an annual and interim basis. The guidance in ASU 2024-03 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2027, with early adoption permitted. The provisions within the update may be applied retrospectively for all periods presented in the financial statements. While we are still evaluating the specific impacts and adoption method, we anticipate this guidance will have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statement disclosures.
On September 18, 2025, the FASB issuedASU 2025-06, Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Internal-Use Software, which amends certain aspects of the accounting for and disclosure of software costs under ASC 350-40. This ASU makes targeted improvements to the accounting for software costs. ASU 2025-06 also supersedes the guidance for website development costs along with the recognition requirements for development costs specific to websites. This guidance is effective for all entities for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027, and interim reporting periods within those annual reporting periods. Early adoption is permitted in an interim or annual reporting period in which financial statements have not yet been issued or made available for issuance. The Company is currently evaluating the ASU to determine its impact on our financial statements.
2. REVENUE
We earn revenue from contracts with customers primarily through the delivery of our All Access Pass (AAP) and the Leader in Me membership subscription offerings, through the delivery of training days and training course materials (whether digitally or in person), and through the licensing of rights to sell our content into geographic locations where the
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Company does not maintain a direct office. We also earn revenues from leasing arrangements that are not accounted for under Topic 606. Returns and refunds are generally immaterial, and we do not have any significant warranty obligations.
We recognize revenue upon the transfer of control of promised products and services to customers in an amount equal to the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for those products or services. Although rare, if the consideration promised in a contract includes variable amounts, we evaluate the estimate of variable consideration to determine whether the estimate needs to be constrained. We include the variable consideration in the transaction price only to the extent that it is probable a significant reversal of the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur.
The Company determines the amount of revenue to be recognized through application of the following steps:
Identification of the contract with a customer
Identification of the performance obligations in the contract
Determination of the transaction price
Allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract
Recognition of revenue when the Company satisfies the performance obligations
Taxes assessed by a government authority that are collected from a customer are excluded from revenue.
Subscription Revenues
Subscription revenues primarily relate to the Company’s AAP and the Leader in Me membership offerings. We have determined that it is most appropriate to account for the AAP as a single performance obligation and recognize the associated transaction price ratably over the term of the underlying contract beginning on the commencement date of each contract, which is the date the Company’s platforms and resources are made available to the customer. This determination was reached after considering that our web-based functionality and content, in combination with our intellectual property, each represent inputs that transform into a combined output that represents the intended outcome of the AAP, which is to provide a continuously accessible, customized, and dynamic learning and development solution only accessible through the AAP platform.
We typically invoice our customers annually upon execution of the contract or subsequent renewals. Amounts that have been invoiced are recorded in accounts receivable and in deferred subscription revenue until the transfer of control has occurred and the amount is recognized in revenue.
Our Leader in Me membership offering is bifurcated into a portal membership obligation and a coaching delivery obligation. We have determined that it is appropriate to recognize revenue related to the portal membership over the term of the underlying contract and to recognize revenue from coaching as those services are performed. The combined contract amount is recorded in deferred subscription revenue until the performance obligations are satisfied. Any additional coaching or training days which are contracted independent of a Leader in Me membership are recorded as revenue in accordance with our general policy for services and products as described below.
Services and Products
We deliver Company-led training days from our offerings, such as The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, at a customer’s location or live-online based upon a daily consultant rate and a set price for training materials. These revenues are recognized as the training days occur and the services are performed. Customers also have the option to purchase training materials and present our offerings through internal facilitators and not through the use of a Franklin Covey consultant. Revenue is recognized from these product sales when the materials are shipped. Shipping revenues associated with product sales are recorded in revenue with the corresponding shipping cost being recorded as a component of cost of revenue.
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Royalties
Our international strategy includes the use of licensees in countries where we do not have a wholly-owned direct office. Licensee companies are unrelated entities that have been granted a license to translate our content and offerings, adapt the content to the local culture, and sell our content in a specific country or region. We recognize revenue on the upfront fees from the sale of a territory to a licensee over the term of the initial contract. Licensees are then required to pay us royalties based upon a percentage of their sales to clients. We recognize royalty income each reporting period based upon sales information reported to us from the licensees. Refer to the disaggregated revenue information presented in Note 17, Segment Information, for our royalty revenues in the fiscal years presented in this report.
Contracts with Multiple Performance Obligations
We periodically enter into contracts that include multiple performance obligations. A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer products or services that are distinct, or that are distinct within the context of the contract. A contract’s transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation and recognized as revenue when the performance obligation is satisfied. Determining whether products and services meet the distinct criteria that should be accounted for separately or combined as one unit of accounting requires significant judgment.
When determining whether goods and services meet the distinct criteria, we consider various factors for each agreement including the availability of the services and the nature of the offerings and services. We allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation on a relative standalone selling price (SSP) basis. Judgment is required to determine the SSP for each distinct performance obligation. The SSP is the price which the Company would sell a promised product or service separately to a customer. In determining the SSP, we consider the size and volume of transactions, price lists, historical sales, and contract prices. We may modify our pricing from time-to-time in the future, which could result in changes to the SSP.
Contract Balances
As described above, our subscription revenue is recognized ratably over the term of the underlying contract beginning on the commencement date of each agreement. The timing of when these contracts are invoiced, cash is collected, and revenue is recognized impacts our accounts receivable and deferred subscription revenue accounts. We generally bill our clients in advance for subscription offerings or within the month that the training and products are delivered. As such, consideration due to the Company for work performed is included in accounts receivable and we do not have a significant amount of contract assets. Our receivables are generally collected within 30 to 150 days but typically no longer than 12 months. Deferred subscription revenue primarily consists of billings or payments received in advance of revenue being recognized from our subscription offerings. Furthermore, our clients, to expend funds in a particular budget cycle, may prepay for services or products which are recorded as customer deposits until the amount is applied to a subscription contract. Our deferred subscription revenue totaled $111.7 million at August 31, 2025 and $107.9 million at August 31, 2024, of which $5.1 million and $6.7 million were classified as components of other long-term liabilities at August 31, 2025 and August 31, 2024, respectively. We recognized $147.9 million of previously deferred subscription revenue during each of the fiscal years ended August 31, 2025 and 2024.
Remaining Performance Obligations
When possible, we enter into multi-year non-cancellable contracts which are invoiced either upon execution of the contract or at the beginning of each annual contract period. Our remaining performance obligation represents contracted revenue that has not yet been recognized, including unearned subscription revenue and unbilled amounts that will be recognized as revenue in future periods. Transaction price is influenced by factors such as seasonality, the average length of the contract term, and the ability of the Company to continue to enter multi-year non-cancellable contracts. At August 31, 2025 we had $184.4 million of remaining performance obligations, including $111.7 million of deferred revenue related to our subscription offerings. The remaining performance obligation does not include customer deposits as those amounts are generally refundable at the client’s request prior to the satisfaction of the obligation.
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Costs Capitalized to Obtain Contracts
We capitalize the incremental costs of obtaining non-cancellable subscription revenue, primarily from the All Access Pass and the Leader in Me membership offerings. These incremental costs consist of sales commissions paid to our sales force and include the associated payroll taxes and fringe benefits. As the same commission rates are paid annually when the customer renews their contract, the capitalized commission costs are generally amortized ratably on an annual basis consistent with the recognition of the corresponding subscription revenue. At August 31, 2025, we have $17.6 million of capitalized direct commissions, of which $15.3 million is included in other current assets and $2.3 million is in other long-term assets based on the expected recognition of the commission expense. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2025, we capitalized $23.9 million of commission costs to obtain revenue contracts and amortized $22.7 million of deferred commissions to selling, general, and administrative expense. At August 31, 2024, we had $16.4 million of capitalized direct commissions, of which $14.8 million was included in other current assets and $1.6 million was in other long-term assets.
Refer to Note 17, Segment Information, to these consolidated financial statements for our disaggregated revenue information.
3. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
Our trade accounts receivable are recorded at cost less an allowance for estimated credit losses, which is the net amount we expect to collect.
We make ongoing estimates relating to the collectability of our accounts receivable and maintain an allowance for credit losses resulting from the inability or unwillingness of our customers to make required payments. We estimate the allowance based upon consideration of numerous factors, including historical bad debts, the age of customer receivable balances, industry trends, macroeconomic factors in the markets which we operate, and judgments about the creditworthiness of our customers based on ongoing credit evaluations. The allowance is adjusted as necessary to reflect differences in current conditions as well as changes in forecasted macroeconomic conditions. Receivables that do not share the same risk characteristics as other trade receivables are evaluated on an individual basis, including those associated with customers that have a higher probability of default. We do not have a significant amount of notes or other receivables.
The following schedule provides a reconciliation of the activity in our allowance for estimated credit losses during the periods indicated (in thousands):
YEAR ENDED
Charged to costs and expenses 2,042 (64) (66)
The deductions on the foregoing table represent the write-off of amounts deemed uncollectible during the fiscal year presented. Our write-offs increased in fiscal 2025 due to activity in Japan and the United Kingdom which reflected business environment uncertainties and difficulties in these countries. During each of fiscal 2024 and 2023, we received payment from customers whose accounts we had previously reserved against because of potential pandemic-related uncertainties. Accordingly, we reversed a portion of the allowance during each of these fiscal years to reflect the payments. At August 31, 2024, we had no remaining reserve for pandemic-related credit losses. Recoveries of amounts previously written off were insignificant for the periods presented. No customer accounted for more than 10% of our sales or accounts receivable in any year presented.
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4. INTANGIBLE ASSETS AND GOODWILL
Intangible Assets
Our intangible assets were comprised of the following (in thousands):
Gross Carrying Accumulated Net Carrying
AUGUST 31, 2025 Amount Amortization Amount
Finite-lived intangible assets:
Non-compete agreements and other 930 (905) 25
Indefinite-lived intangible asset:
Finite-lived intangible assets:
Non-compete agreements and other 930 (890) 40
Indefinite-lived intangible asset:
During fiscal 2024, we purchased the content rights for The Teacher Believed in Me (TBIM) for $1.5 million in cash. We believe the content in TBIM is compelling and fits well within our Leader in Me offering. While the author retains the copyright to TBIM, the agreement grants us broad rights for the development and use of TBIM content. The content license does not have an expiration date and the purchase price is payable in two installments of $0.8 million. We are amortizing the content license over a 10-year useful life, which is similar to other licenses, and the final payment was made in January 2025.
Our intangible assets are amortized over the estimated useful life of the asset. The range of remaining estimated useful lives and weighted-average amortization period over which we are amortizing the major categories of finite-lived intangible assets at August 31, 2025 were as follows:
Acquired content 1 to 7 years 30 years
License rights 2 to 8 years 30 years
Customer lists 2 years 12 years
Acquired technology 4 years 7 years
Trade names 1 years 5 years
Non-compete agreements and other 2 to 4 years 3 years
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Our aggregate amortization expense from finite-lived intangible assets totaled $4.4 million, $4.2 million, and $4.3 million for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023. Amortization expense from our intangible assets over the next five years is expected to be as follows (in thousands):
YEAR ENDING
Goodwill
We performed our annual testing of goodwill in accordance with the accounting policies described in Note 1, Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies. We completed a quantitative assessment of our goodwill as of August 31, 2025 and concluded there were no impairments. We do not have any accumulated impairment charges against the carrying value of our goodwill. In connection with the new reporting structure as described in Note 17, Segment Information, we performed a quantitative analysis of the fair value of each segment and allocated goodwill from the historical Direct Office segment to the newly created North America and International Direct Office segments based on their relative fair values. At August 31, 2025 and 2024, goodwill was allocated to our segments as shown below (in thousands):
International direct offices - 3,837 3,837
5. SECURED CREDIT AGREEMENT
On March 27, 2023, we entered into a credit agreement (the 2023 Credit Agreement) with KeyBank National Association (KeyBank) leading a group of financial institutions (collectively, the Lenders). KeyBank acts as the sole administrative and collateral agent under the 2023 Credit Agreement. The 2023 Credit Agreement provides up to $70.0 million in total credit, of which $7.5 million was used to replace a previously outstanding term loan, which was fully repaid in June 2024. The remaining $62.5 million is available as a revolving line of credit or for future term loans.
The 2023 Credit Agreement matures on March 27, 2028, and interest on term loan borrowings under the 2023 Credit Agreement was due and payable on the principal payment dates. Interest on all other borrowings is due the last day of each month. The interest rate for all borrowings on the 2023 Credit Agreement is based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) and is a tiered structure that varies according to the Leverage Ratio calculated at the end of each fiscal quarter. At August 31, 2025 and 2024, we did not have any outstanding term loan or line of credit debt, and the interest rate on the 2023 Credit Agreement was 6.0% at August 31, 2025 and 6.9% at August 31, 2024. We are also charged an unused credit commitment fee of 0.2% per annum, which is paid quarterly.
The Leverage Ratio as defined by the 2023 Credit Agreement is funded debt to adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (Adjusted EBITDA) and determines the applicable interest rate as shown below:
Leverage Ratio Interest Rate
Greater than 2.51 SOFR plus 2.75%
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The 2023 Credit Agreement also contains representations, warranties, and certain covenants. When any amounts are outstanding under the 2023 Credit Agreement, we are subject to a number of affirmative and negative covenants, including covenants regarding dispositions of property, investments, forming or acquiring subsidiaries, and business combinations or acquisitions, among other customary covenants, subject to certain exceptions. As defined in the 2023 Credit Agreement, we are (i) required to maintain a Leverage Ratio of less than 3.00 to 1.00 and a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio greater than 1.15 to 1.00; and (ii) we are restricted from making certain distributions to stockholders, including repurchases of common stock. However, we are permitted to make distributions, including through purchases of outstanding common stock, provided that we are in compliance with the Leverage Ratio and Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio financial covenants before and after such distribution. In the event of noncompliance with these financial covenants and other defined events of default, the Lenders are entitled to certain remedies, including acceleration of the repayment of amounts outstanding under the 2023 Credit Agreement. At August 31, 2025, we believe that we were in compliance with the covenants and conditions of the 2023 Credit Agreement.
The 2023 Credit Agreement is secured by substantially all of our assets and certain of our subsidiaries, and provides for standard events of default, such as for non-payment and failure to perform or observe covenants, and contains standard indemnifications benefitting the Lenders. In connection with the 2023 Credit Agreement, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries, as applicable, also entered into a Security Agreement, Intellectual Property Security Agreement, and Guaranty of Payment.
6. NOTES PAYABLE
At August 31, 2025 and 2024, our notes payable consisted of an obligation to the former owners of Strive Talent, Inc., which was acquired in fiscal 2021. The note payable to the former owners of Strive is recorded at net present value and accrues interest at 3.6% until the obligation is paid in full. The final $0.8 million payment on the Strive note payable is due in April 2026. The previously outstanding term loan payable to the bank under the 2023 Credit Agreement was repaid in full, as scheduled, in June 2024.
7. FINANCING OBLIGATION
We previously sold our corporate headquarters campus located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and entered into a 20-year master lease agreement with the purchaser, an unrelated private investment group. The 20-year master lease agreement expired in June 2025, and we elected to not renew the contract. Although the corporate headquarters facility was sold and we had no legal ownership of the property, the applicable accounting guidance prohibited us from recording the transaction as a sale since we subleased a significant portion of the property that was sold. We accounted for the corporate campus lease as a financing obligation on our consolidated balance sheet through its maturity in June 2025.
At August 31, 2025, we were involved in litigation against the former landlord as described in Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies.
The financing obligation on our corporate campus was comprised of the following (in thousands):
Financing obligation payable in
monthly installments of $341 at
principal and interest, with 2%
annual increases (imputed
interest at 7.7%), through
Less current portion - (3,112)
Total financing obligation,
less current portion $ - $ 1,312
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The $1.3 million difference between the carrying value of the financing obligation and the present value of the future minimum financing obligation payments represented the carrying value of the land sold in the financing transaction, which is not depreciated. At the conclusion of the master lease agreement, the remaining financing obligation and carrying value of the land were offset and eliminated from our consolidated financial statements.
8. LEASES
Lessee Obligations
In the normal course of business, we lease office space, primarily for our corporate administration and international sales administration offices, in commercial office complexes that are conducive to these functions. During fiscal 2025, we entered into a new lease agreement for leased headquarters space following the termination of our previous campus lease, which was accounted for as a financing obligation (Note 7). We also rent warehousing and distribution facilities that are designed to provide secure storage and efficient distribution of our training products, books, and accessories, and certain office equipment. These leases are classified as operating leases. Operating lease assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date based on the present value of the lease payments over the lease term. Since most of our leases do not provide an implicit rate, we use our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet and we do not have significant amounts of variable lease payments.
Some of our operating leases contain renewal options that may be exercised at our discretion after the completion of the base rental term. At August 31, 2025, we had operating leases with remaining terms ranging from less than one year to approximately 11 years. The amounts of assets and liabilities (in thousands) and other information related to our operating leases follows:
Assets:
Operating lease right of use assets Other long-term assets $ 6,933 $ 1,140
Liabilities:
Current:
Operating lease liabilities Accrued liabilities $ 657 $ 509
Long-Term:
Operating lease liabilities Other long-term liabilities 6,339 631
Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term:
Operating leases (years) 9.9 2.4
Weighted Average Discount Rate:
Operating leases 6.9 % 6.7 %
We obtained $6.3 million, $1.1 million, and $0.6 million of right-of-use operating lease assets in exchange for operating lease liabilities during the fiscal years ended August 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023. During fiscal 2025, we paid $0.5 million of cash for amounts included in lease liabilities as reported in cash flows from operating activities. Amounts paid for lease liabilities in prior years were immaterial.
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Future minimum lease payments under our operating leases at August 31, 2025, are as follows (in thousands):
YEAR ENDING
Total operating lease payments 9,993
Less imputed interest (2,997)
Present value of operating lease liabilities $ 6,996
We recognize lease expense on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease agreement. Total lease expense, which consisted entirely of fixed payments, totaled $1.3 million, $1.1 million, and $1.2 million for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023.
Lessor Accounting
During the lease on our previous headquarters campus which expired in June 2025, we subleased the majority of the campus space to multiple tenants. These sublease agreements were accounted for as operating leases and we recognized sublease income on a straight-line basis over the life of the agreement. Sublease revenue totaled $1.5 million, $1.9 million, and $2.4 million during the fiscal years ended August 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023. We do not expect to recognize sublease revenues in the foreseeable future.
9. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Warehouse Outsourcing Contract
We have a warehousing services agreement with an independent warehouse and distribution company to provide product kitting, warehousing, and order fulfillment services at a facility in Des Moines, Iowa. Under the terms of this contract, we pay a fixed charge of approximately $106,000 per year for account management services and variable charges for other warehousing services based on specified activities, including shipping charges. The current warehousing contract expired on October 31, 2025. We are in the process of renewing the warehousing contract.
During the fiscal years ended August 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, we expensed $2.0 million, $2.2 million, and $2.7 million for services provided under the terms of our warehouse and distribution outsourcing contract. The total amount expensed each year includes freight charges, which are billed to us based upon activity. Freight charges included in the warehouse and distribution outsourcing costs totaled $1.4 million, $1.5 million, and $1.9 million during the fiscal years ended August 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively. Because of the variable component of the agreement, our payments for warehouse and distribution services may fluctuate in the future due to changes in revenue and levels of specified activities.
Purchase Commitments
During the normal course of business, we issue purchase orders to various vendors for products and services. At August 31, 2025, we had open purchase commitments totaling $4.5 million for products and services to be delivered primarily in fiscal 2026.
Self-Insurance Liabilities
We self-insure for certain associate medical benefits. The recorded liabilities for self-insured risks are calculated using actuarial methods and are not discounted. These liabilities include amounts for actual claims and claims incurred but not
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reported. Actual experience, including claim frequency and severity as well as health care inflation, could result in actual liabilities being more or less than amounts currently recorded. We have accrued $1.1 million and $1.0 million for associate medical claims at August 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, which are included as components of accrued liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets. We maintain stop-loss coverage for our self-insurance plan which is capped at $0.2 million per individual.
Letter of Credit
At August 31, 2025 and 2024, we had a standby letter of credit for $10,000. Nothing was drawn on this letter of credit at either August 31, 2025 or August 31, 2024.
Legal Matters and Loss Contingencies
Franklin Saltlake LLC, the landlord (the Landlord) for leased premises which housed the Company’s corporate offices previously located at 2200 West Parkway Blvd, Salt Lake City, Utah, filed suit on December 20, 2024, in Third District Court, Salt Lake County, Utah, alleging that we have breached the lease by failing to make certain repairs and replacements to equipment on the premises. The Landlord originally sought approximately $2.3 million in damages and a right to enter the premises to make the alleged repairs. The Landlord filed an amended complaint on February 11, 2025, and the Company filed a motion to dismiss on February 25, 2025, which was subsequently denied by the court. In April 2025, the Landlord increased its damage claim to $3.8 million. The Company vacated the premises on June 30, 2025; however, the Landlord contends that the Company is in holdover. The Landlord filed a supplemental complaint on September 18, 2025, alleging approximately $5 million in damages as well as claims for declaratory relief. The Company denies all material allegations; contends that the premises and associated equipment remain in sound operating condition and use, that no such repairs are warranted or needed, and that the Landlord’s demands are contrary to the language of the Lease and reasonable commercial practice. The Company answered the most recent complaint and filed a counterclaim on October 2, 2025, asserting claims for breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing and declaratory relief. The case is currently in discovery. While we intend to vigorously defend, given the early stages of litigation, any outcome remains uncertain.
10. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Preferred Stock
We have 14.0 million shares of preferred stock authorized for issuance. At August 31, 2025 and 2024, no shares of preferred stock were issued or outstanding.
Purchases of Treasury Stock
On April 18, 2024, our Board of Directors approved a plan to purchase up to $50.0 million of our outstanding common stock. Through May 31, 2025, we purchased $22.1 million of our common stock on this Board authorized plan. On August 11, 2025, the Board of Directors approved a replenishment of the plan to purchase up to $50.0 million of common stock. On August 14, 2025 we initiated a 10b5-1 plan to purchase $10.0 million of our common stock on daily basis, which we expect to be completed in the first quarter of fiscal 2026. We purchased 167,753 shares for $3.3 million in August 2025 under the terms of the replenished purchase plan.
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Purchases of common stock for treasury as presented in our consolidated statements of cash flows include both shares purchased on the open market and shares withheld for statutory taxes on our stock-based compensation awards (Note 12) and include the applicable 1% excise tax. Shares withheld for income taxes are valued at the market price on the date the stock-based plan shares were distributed to participants. The composition of shares purchased by us were as follows for the periods presented (cost in thousands):
Shares Cost Shares Cost Shares Cost
11. FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The accounting standards related to fair value measurements include a hierarchy for information and valuations used in measuring fair value that is broken down into the following three levels based on reliability:
Level 1 valuations are based on quoted prices in active markets for identical instruments that we can access at the measurement date.