NOTE 10 – Derivative Financial Instruments

We use derivative instruments to manage risks related to foreign currencies, interest rates, and the net investment risk in our foreign subsidiaries. Our objectives for holding derivatives include reducing, eliminating, and efficiently managing the economic impact of these exposures as effectively as possible. Our derivative programs include strategies that both qualify and do not qualify for hedge accounting treatment.

Hedges of Foreign Currency Risk. We are exposed to fluctuations in various foreign currencies against our different functional currencies. We use foreign currency forward agreements to manage this exposure. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, we had $255.8 million and $380.9 million, respectively, of outstanding foreign currency forward agreements that are intended to preserve the economic value of foreign currency denominated monetary assets and liabilities; these instruments are not designated for hedge accounting treatment in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) No. 815.

Hedges of Interest Rate and Net Investment Risk. The Company’s objectives in using interest rate derivatives are to add stability to interest expense and to manage its exposure to interest rate movements. To accomplish these objectives, the Company primarily uses interest rate swaps, including interest rate collars, as part of its interest rate risk management strategy. Interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges involve the receipt of variable amounts from a counterparty in exchange for the Company making fixed-rate payments over the life of the agreements without exchange of the underlying notional amount. The Company makes use of cross-currency swaps and foreign-currency forward contracts to decrease the foreign exchange risk inherent in the Company’s investment in some of its foreign subsidiaries.