Property, Plant and Equipment
As of October 31,
(in thousands)20252024
Land
$85,134 $19,974 
Buildings and improvements
255,776 217,554 
Machinery, equipment and tooling
476,735 422,500 
Construction in progress
21,812 35,432 
839,457 695,460 
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization(407,747)(356,426)
Property, plant and equipment, net$431,710 $339,034 

About PP&E Disclosures

The PP&E disclosure details a company's physical asset base — land, buildings, machinery, and equipment — along with the depreciation methods and useful life assumptions that determine how these costs flow through the income statement. Capitalization policy thresholds reveal management's judgment on the boundary between expense and asset, directly affecting both reported earnings and asset values.

Key signals: changes in estimated useful lives or depreciation methods can materially shift reported earnings without any operational change. Compare capital expenditures against depreciation expense — when capex consistently trails depreciation, the asset base may be aging and underinvested. Watch for large asset impairments or write-downs that signal overvalued carrying amounts. Asset retirement obligations reveal future environmental or decommissioning costs that are often underappreciated. Compare PP&E intensity (PP&E-to-revenue) against industry peers to assess capital efficiency and competitive positioning.