v3.26.1
Share-Based Payments
12 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2026
Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]  
Share-Based Payments
Note 13: Share-Based Payments

We provide for equity-based incentives to be awarded to key employees and non-employee directors. Currently, these incentives consist of restricted shares, restricted stock units (which may also be referred to as deferred stock units), and performance units. During 2026, 2025, and 2024, these awards were administered through the 2020 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan (the “2020 Plan”), which was approved by our shareholders in August 2020. Awards under the 2020 Plan may be in the form of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted shares, restricted stock units, performance shares, performance units, incentive awards, and other share-based awards, and they may be granted to our non-employee directors, consultants, officers, and other employees. Deferred stock units granted to non-employee directors vest immediately and, along with dividends credited on those deferred stock units, are paid out in the form of common shares upon termination of service as a non-employee director. At April 30, 2026, there were 3,095,104 shares available for future issuance under the 2020 Plan.
Under the 2020 Plan, we have the option to settle share-based awards by issuing common shares from treasury, issuing new Company common shares, or issuing a combination of common shares from treasury and new Company common shares.
Stock Options: Under the 2020 Plan, we granted 84,568 stock options during 2024. No stock options were granted in 2026 and 2025. Stock options granted in 2024 vest ratably over a period of three years. The exercise price of all stock options granted was equal to the market value of the shares on the date of grant, and all stock options granted and outstanding have a contractual term of 10 years.
The fair value of each stock option is estimated on the date of grant using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions for stock options granted:
2024
Expected volatility25.0 %
Dividend yield2.7 %
Risk-free interest rate3.9 %
Expected life of stock options (years)6.0
Expected volatility was calculated in accordance with the provisions of FASB ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation, based on consideration of both historical and implied volatilities. The expected life of a stock option represents the period from the grant date through the expected exercise date of the option. This was calculated using a simplified method whereby the midpoint between the vesting date and the end of the contractual term is utilized to compute the expected term.
The following table is a summary of our stock option activity.
Number of 
Stock Options
Weighted-Average
Exercise Price
Outstanding at May 1, 2025
637,539 $125.72 
Exercised— — 
Cancelled(32,209)128.79 
Outstanding at April 30, 2026
605,330 $125.56 
Exercisable at April 30, 2026
585,033 $124.60 
The intrinsic value of a stock option is the amount by which the market value of the underlying stock exceeds the exercise price of the stock option. As the Company’s stock price was below the exercise price for these options, there was no intrinsic value associated with the stock options outstanding or exercisable at April 30, 2026, with an average remaining contractual term of 4.1 years and 4.0 years, respectively. The total intrinsic value of stock options exercised during both 2025 and 2024 was $0.1, and during 2026, there were no stock options exercised. The closing market price of our common stock on the last trading day of 2026 was $98.03 per share.
Compensation cost related to stock options is recognized ratably over the service period from the grant date through the end of the requisite service period. During 2026, 2025, and 2024, we recognized compensation cost of $1.0, $1.9, and $2.8, respectively. The annual tax benefit related to the stock option expense was $0.2, $0.4, and $0.7 for 2026, 2025, and 2024, respectively. As of April 30, 2026, we had unrecognized compensation cost of $0.1 related to the stock options that were granted in 2024.
We did not receive cash from stock option exercises for the years ended April 30, 2026. Cash received from stock option exercises was $1.9 and $3.2 for the years ended April 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Other Equity Awards: The following table is a summary of our restricted shares, deferred stock units, and performance units.
Restricted Shares
and Deferred
Stock Units
Weighted-Average
Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
Performance
Units
Weighted-Average
Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
Outstanding at May 1, 2025
324,421 $124.16 354,106 $132.51 
Granted289,730 102.68 172,132 96.91 
Vested(168,687)123.23 (84,665)133.01 
Forfeited(69,955)112.34 (48,099)118.47 
Outstanding at April 30, 2026
375,509 $110.21 393,474 $118.62 
The weighted-average grant date fair value of equity awards other than stock options that vested in 2026, 2025, and 2024 was $34.3, $27.7, and $36.5, respectively. The weighted-average grant date fair value of restricted shares, deferred stock units, and performance units is the average of the high and the low share price on the date of grant. The vesting date fair value of equity awards other than stock options that vested in 2026, 2025, and 2024 was $27.4, $25.7, and $46.9, respectively.
The following table summarizes the weighted-average fair values of the equity awards granted.
Year Ended April 30,Restricted Shares
and Deferred
Stock Units
Weighted-Average
Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
Performance
Units
Weighted-Average
Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
2026289,730 $102.68 172,132 $96.91 
2025186,895 111.44 157,329 117.74 
2024155,354 143.60 117,312 153.20 
The restricted shares and deferred stock units granted in 2026, 2025, and 2024 under our long-term incentive compensation program vest ratably over three years from the date of grant. The performance units granted in 2026, 2025, and 2024 vest three years from the date of grant and are converted to common shares upon vesting based on the performance achieved during the service period. The performance goals for the performance units granted in 2026 and 2025 are based on adjusted earnings per share and average net sales growth. The performance goals for the performance units granted in 2024 are based on adjusted earnings per share and return on invested capital targets. Dividend equivalents are accumulated on the performance units from the date of grant, but participants only receive payment if the awards vest.