in 2019 , the performance coatings group opened 3 new branches and closed 4 locations decreasing the total from 282 to 281 branches open in the united states , canada , mexico , south america , europe and asia at 22 year-end . in 2020 , the performance coatings group plans to continue expanding its worldwide presence and improving its customer base . net sales in the administrative segment , which primarily consists of external leasing revenue of excess headquarters space and leasing of facilities no longer used by the company in its primary business , decreased by an insignificant amount in 2019 . consolidated gross profit increased $ 617.5 million in 2019 compared to the same period in 2018. consolidated gross profit as a percent to consolidated net sales increased to 44.9 % in 2019 from 42.3 % in 2018 . consolidated gross profit dollars and percent improved as a result of higher paint sales volume in north american stores , selling price increases , improved supply chain efficiencies , moderating raw material costs , and lower acquisition-related amortization expense , partially offset by unfavorable currency translation rate changes . the americas group 's gross profit for 2019 increased $ 384.2 million compared to the same period in 2018 . the americas group 's gross profit dollars and margin improved as a result of higher paint sales volume , selling price increases and moderating raw material costs . the consumer brands group 's gross profit increased $ 125.5 million in 2019 compared to the same period in 2018 . the consumer brands group 's gross profit dollars and margin improved due primarily to improved supply chain efficiencies , synergies , moderating raw material costs , and lower acquisition-related depreciation expense , partially offset by lower paint sales volume . the performance coatings group 's gross profit for 2019 increased $ 51.3 million compared to the same period in 2018 . the performance coatings group 's gross profit dollars and margin improved due primarily to selling price increases and moderating raw material costs , partially offset by unfavorable currency translation rate changes . consolidated sg & a increased by $ 241.1 million due primarily to increased expenses to support higher sales levels and net new store openings , partially offset by good cost control . sg & a increased as a percent of sales to 29.5 % in 2019 from 28.7 % in 2018 as a result of softer sales outside of north america . the americas group 's sg & a increased $ 196.7 million for the year due primarily to increased spending due to the number of new store openings and general comparable store expenses to support higher sales levels . the consumer brands group 's sg & a increased by $ 12.7 million for the year primarily due to increased expenses to support new customer programs . the performance coatings group 's sg & a decreased by $ 0.9 million for the year related to softer sales outside of north america . the administrative segment 's sg & a increased $ 32.6 million primarily due to increased investments in information systems and increased compensation , including stock-based compensation . other general expense - net decreased $ 150.0 million in 2019 compared to 2018 . the decrease was mainly caused by a decrease of $ 147.6 million in the administrative segment , which was primarily attributable to a decrease in expense recognized related to provisions for environmental matters . the expense recognized related to environmental provisions decreased $ 153.3 million from the prior year . this decrease was the result of the company reaching a series of agreements in 2018 with the environmental protection agency for remediation plans with cost estimates at one of the company 's four major sites which required significant environmental provisions to be recorded . see notes 10 and 18 to the consolidated financial statements in item 8 for additional information concerning environmental matters and other general expense - net , respectively . as required by the goodwill and other intangibles topic of the asc , management performed an annual impairment test of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets as of october 1 , 2019 . during the fourth quarter of 2019 , the company recognized non-cash pre-tax impairment charges totaling $ 122.1 million related to recently acquired trademarks . these charges included impairments totaling $ 117.0 million in the performance coatings group and $ 5.1 million in the consumer brands group . in the performance coatings group , $ 75.6 million related to trademarks in north america directly associated with strategic decisions made to rebrand industrial products to the sherwin-williams® brand name , $ 25.7 million related to trademarks in the asia pacific region as a direct result of recent performance which reduced the long-term forecasted net sales and $ 15.7 million related to other recently acquired trademarks in various regions . the impairment tests in 2018 did not result in any impairment . see note 6 to the consolidated financial statements in item 8 for additional information . interest expense decreased $ 17.4 million in 2019 primarily due to lower average debt levels . interest and net investment income increased $ 20.7 million in 2019 including an $ 18.8 million gain recognized during the fourth quarter of 2019 after the company received a favorable court decision in brazil related to the recovery of certain indirect taxes previously paid over gross sales . see note 18 to the consolidated financial statements in item 8 for additional information on the brazil indirect tax matter . during 2019 , the company recognized a $ 34.7 million benefit from the resolution of the california public nuisance litigation as a result of the final court approved agreement issued during the third quarter of 2019. during the third quarter of 2018 , the company recognized expense of $ 136.3 million related to the california litigation . story_separator_special_tag see note 19 to the consolidated financial statements in item 8 for more information on deferred taxes . other long-term liabilities other long-term liabilities increased $ 187.4 million during 2019 due primarily to the final court approved agreement to resolve the california public nuisance litigation , which impacted the timing and amount of expected payments , and an increase related to the reversal of net tax benefits recognized in previous tax years from federal renewable energy tax credit funds . see notes 10 and 11 , and 19 to the consolidated financial statements in item 8 for additional information on litigation and income tax matters , respectively . environmental-related liabilities the operations of the company , like those of other companies in the same industry , are subject to various federal , state and local environmental laws and regulations . these laws and regulations not only govern current operations and products , but also impose potential liability on the company for past operations . management expects environmental laws and regulations to impose increasingly stringent requirements upon the company and the industry in the future . management believes that the company conducts its operations in compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations and has implemented various programs designed to protect the environment and promote continued compliance . depreciation of capital expenditures and other expenses related to ongoing environmental compliance measures were included in the normal operating expenses of conducting business . the company 's capital expenditures , depreciation and other expenses related to ongoing environmental compliance measures were not material to the company 's financial condition , liquidity , cash flow or results of operations during 2019 . management does not expect that such capital expenditures , depreciation and other expenses will be material to the company 's financial condition , liquidity , cash flow or results of operations in 2020 . see note 10 to the consolidated financial statements in item 8 for further information on environmental-related long-term liabilities . contractual obligations and commercial commitments the company has certain obligations and commitments to make future payments under contractual obligations and commercial commitments . the following tables summarize such obligations and commitments as of december 31 , 2019 . 27 replace_table_token_16_th ( 1 ) relate to open purchase orders for raw materials at december 31 , 2019 . ( 2 ) relate primarily to estimated future capital contributions to investments in the u.s. affordable housing and historic renovation real estate partnerships and various other contractual obligations . replace_table_token_17_th warranties the company offers product warranties for certain products . the specific terms and conditions of such warranties vary depending on the product or customer contract requirements . management estimated the costs of unsettled product warranty claims based on historical results and experience and included an amount in other accruals . management periodically assesses the adequacy of the accrual for product warranty claims and adjusts the accrual as necessary . changes in the company 's accrual for product warranty claims during 2019 , 2018 and 2017 , including customer satisfaction settlements during the year , were as follows : replace_table_token_18_th warranty accruals acquired in connection with the valspar acquisition in 2017 include warranties for certain products under extended furniture protection plans . the decrease in the accrual in 2018 was primarily due to the divestiture of the furniture protection plan business during the third quarter of 2018 for an immaterial amount that approximated net book value . shareholders ' equity shareholders ' equity increased $ 392.6 million to $ 4.123 billion at december 31 , 2019 from $ 3.731 billion last year primarily due to an increase in retained earnings of $ 1.120 billion and an increase in other capital of $ 256.6 million , partially offset by purchases of treasury stock and treasury stock received from stock option exercises totaling $ 935.8 million and an increase in accumulated other comprehensive loss of $ 49.6 million . retained earnings increased $ 1.120 billion during 2019 due to net income of $ 1.541 billion , partially offset by $ 420.8 million in cash dividends paid . the increase in other capital of $ 256.6 million was due primarily to the recognition of stock-based compensation expense and stock option exercises . the increase in accumulated other comprehensive loss of $ 49.6 million was due primarily to unfavorable foreign currency translation effects of $ 49.8 million . see the statements of consolidated shareholders equity and statements of consolidated comprehensive income in item 8 for additional information . 28 the company purchased 1.675 million shares of its common stock for treasury during 2019 . the company acquires its common stock for general corporate purposes , and depending on its cash position and market conditions , it may acquire shares in the future . the company had remaining authorization from its board of directors at december 31 , 2019 to purchase 8.45 million shares of its common stock . the company 's 2019 annual cash dividend of $ 4.52 per share represented 38.7 % of 2018 diluted net income per share . the 2019 annual dividend represented the 41 st consecutive year of increased dividend payments since the dividend was suspended in 1978. at a meeting held on february 19 , 2020 , the board of directors increased the quarterly cash dividend to $ 1.34 per share . this quarterly dividend , if approved in each of the remaining quarters of 2020 , would result in an annual dividend for 2020 of $ 5.36 per share or a 32.5 % payout of 2019 diluted net income per share . see the statements of consolidated shareholders ' equity in item 8 for more information concerning shareholders ' equity . cash flow net operating cash increased $ 377.6 million in 2019 to a cash source of $ 2.321 billion from a cash source of $ 1.944 billion in 2018 due primarily to an increase in net income and favorable changes in non-cash items , partially offset by changes in working

debt total debt including short-term borrowings decreased by $ 658.5 million to $ 8.685 billion in 2019 . this was primarily attributable to the company repurchasing $ 1.071 billion of its 2.25 % senior notes due may 2020 and $ 490.0 million of its 2.75 % senior notes due june 2022 , partially offset by the company issuing $ 800.0 million of 2.95 % senior notes due 2029 and $ 550.0 million of 3.80 % senior notes due 2049 ( collectively the `` new notes '' ) in a public offering during the third quarter of 2019. the net proceeds from the issuance of the new notes will be used for general corporate purposes . the repurchases of senior notes above resulted in a loss of $ 14.8 million recorded in other expense ( income ) - net . see note 18 to the consolidated financial statements in item 8 for additional information . on may 9 , 2019 , the company entered into a u.s. dollar to euro cross currency swap contract with a total notional amount of $ 400.0 million to hedge the company 's net investment in its european operations . this contract has been designated as a net investment hedge and will mature on january 15 , 2022. during the term of the contract , the company will pay fixed-rate interest in euros and receive fixed-rate interest in u.s. dollars , thereby effectively converting a portion of the company's u.s. dollar denominated fixed-rate debt to euro denominated fixed-rate debt .


 Write a concise suspicious activity report of the following text delimited by triple backquotes. Return your response as a formal report which covers the key points highlighting the location,dates,entity names and account holder information in chronological order of the text.
     ```debt total debt including short-term borrowings decreased by $ 658.5 million to $ 8.685 billion in 2019 . this was primarily attributable to the company repurchasing $ 1.071 billion of its 2.25 % senior notes due may 2020 and $ 490.0 million of its 2.75 % senior notes due june 2022 , partially offset by the company issuing $ 800.0 million of 2.95 % senior notes due 2029 and $ 550.0 million of 3.80 % senior notes due 2049 ( collectively the `` new notes '' ) in a public offering during the third quarter of 2019. the net proceeds from the issuance of the new notes will be used for general corporate purposes . the repurchases of senior notes above resulted in a loss of $ 14.8 million recorded in other expense ( income ) - net . see note 18 to the consolidated financial statements in item 8 for additional information . on may 9 , 2019 , the company entered into a u.s. dollar to euro cross currency swap contract with a total notional amount of $ 400.0 million to hedge the company 's net investment in its european operations . this contract has been designated as a net investment hedge and will mature on january 15 , 2022. during the term of the contract , the company will pay fixed-rate interest in euros and receive fixed-rate interest in u.s. dollars , thereby effectively converting a portion of the company's u.s. dollar denominated fixed-rate debt to euro denominated fixed-rate debt .
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 Suspicious Activity Report : in 2019 , the performance coatings group opened 3 new branches and closed 4 locations decreasing the total from 282 to 281 branches open in the united states , canada , mexico , south america , europe and asia at 22 year-end . in 2020 , the performance coatings group plans to continue expanding its worldwide presence and improving its customer base . net sales in the administrative segment , which primarily consists of external leasing revenue of excess headquarters space and leasing of facilities no longer used by the company in its primary business , decreased by an insignificant amount in 2019 . consolidated gross profit increased $ 617.5 million in 2019 compared to the same period in 2018. consolidated gross profit as a percent to consolidated net sales increased to 44.9 % in 2019 from 42.3 % in 2018 . consolidated gross profit dollars and percent improved as a result of higher paint sales volume in north american stores , selling price increases , improved supply chain efficiencies , moderating raw material costs , and lower acquisition-related amortization expense , partially offset by unfavorable currency translation rate changes . the americas group 's gross profit for 2019 increased $ 384.2 million compared to the same period in 2018 . the americas group 's gross profit dollars and margin improved as a result of higher paint sales volume , selling price increases and moderating raw material costs . the consumer brands group 's gross profit increased $ 125.5 million in 2019 compared to the same period in 2018 . the consumer brands group 's gross profit dollars and margin improved due primarily to improved supply chain efficiencies , synergies , moderating raw material costs , and lower acquisition-related depreciation expense , partially offset by lower paint sales volume . the performance coatings group 's gross profit for 2019 increased $ 51.3 million compared to the same period in 2018 . the performance coatings group 's gross profit dollars and margin improved due primarily to selling price increases and moderating raw material costs , partially offset by unfavorable currency translation rate changes . consolidated sg & a increased by $ 241.1 million due primarily to increased expenses to support higher sales levels and net new store openings , partially offset by good cost control . sg & a increased as a percent of sales to 29.5 % in 2019 from 28.7 % in 2018 as a result of softer sales outside of north america . the americas group 's sg & a increased $ 196.7 million for the year due primarily to increased spending due to the number of new store openings and general comparable store expenses to support higher sales levels . the consumer brands group 's sg & a increased by $ 12.7 million for the year primarily due to increased expenses to support new customer programs . the performance coatings group 's sg & a decreased by $ 0.9 million for the year related to softer sales outside of north america . the administrative segment 's sg & a increased $ 32.6 million primarily due to increased investments in information systems and increased compensation , including stock-based compensation . other general expense - net decreased $ 150.0 million in 2019 compared to 2018 . the decrease was mainly caused by a decrease of $ 147.6 million in the administrative segment , which was primarily attributable to a decrease in expense recognized related to provisions for environmental matters . the expense recognized related to environmental provisions decreased $ 153.3 million from the prior year . this decrease was the result of the company reaching a series of agreements in 2018 with the environmental protection agency for remediation plans with cost estimates at one of the company 's four major sites which required significant environmental provisions to be recorded . see notes 10 and 18 to the consolidated financial statements in item 8 for additional information concerning environmental matters and other general expense - net , respectively . as required by the goodwill and other intangibles topic of the asc , management performed an annual impairment test of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets as of october 1 , 2019 . during the fourth quarter of 2019 , the company recognized non-cash pre-tax impairment charges totaling $ 122.1 million related to recently acquired trademarks . these charges included impairments totaling $ 117.0 million in the performance coatings group and $ 5.1 million in the consumer brands group . in the performance coatings group , $ 75.6 million related to trademarks in north america directly associated with strategic decisions made to rebrand industrial products to the sherwin-williams® brand name , $ 25.7 million related to trademarks in the asia pacific region as a direct result of recent performance which reduced the long-term forecasted net sales and $ 15.7 million related to other recently acquired trademarks in various regions . the impairment tests in 2018 did not result in any impairment . see note 6 to the consolidated financial statements in item 8 for additional information . interest expense decreased $ 17.4 million in 2019 primarily due to lower average debt levels . interest and net investment income increased $ 20.7 million in 2019 including an $ 18.8 million gain recognized during the fourth quarter of 2019 after the company received a favorable court decision in brazil related to the recovery of certain indirect taxes previously paid over gross sales . see note 18 to the consolidated financial statements in item 8 for additional information on the brazil indirect tax matter . during 2019 , the company recognized a $ 34.7 million benefit from the resolution of the california public nuisance litigation as a result of the final court approved agreement issued during the third quarter of 2019. during the third quarter of 2018 , the company recognized expense of $ 136.3 million related to the california litigation . story_separator_special_tag see note 19 to the consolidated financial statements in item 8 for more information on deferred taxes . other long-term liabilities other long-term liabilities increased $ 187.4 million during 2019 due primarily to the final court approved agreement to resolve the california public nuisance litigation , which impacted the timing and amount of expected payments , and an increase related to the reversal of net tax benefits recognized in previous tax years from federal renewable energy tax credit funds . see notes 10 and 11 , and 19 to the consolidated financial statements in item 8 for additional information on litigation and income tax matters , respectively . environmental-related liabilities the operations of the company , like those of other companies in the same industry , are subject to various federal , state and local environmental laws and regulations . these laws and regulations not only govern current operations and products , but also impose potential liability on the company for past operations . management expects environmental laws and regulations to impose increasingly stringent requirements upon the company and the industry in the future . management believes that the company conducts its operations in compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations and has implemented various programs designed to protect the environment and promote continued compliance . depreciation of capital expenditures and other expenses related to ongoing environmental compliance measures were included in the normal operating expenses of conducting business . the company 's capital expenditures , depreciation and other expenses related to ongoing environmental compliance measures were not material to the company 's financial condition , liquidity , cash flow or results of operations during 2019 . management does not expect that such capital expenditures , depreciation and other expenses will be material to the company 's financial condition , liquidity , cash flow or results of operations in 2020 . see note 10 to the consolidated financial statements in item 8 for further information on environmental-related long-term liabilities . contractual obligations and commercial commitments the company has certain obligations and commitments to make future payments under contractual obligations and commercial commitments . the following tables summarize such obligations and commitments as of december 31 , 2019 . 27 replace_table_token_16_th ( 1 ) relate to open purchase orders for raw materials at december 31 , 2019 . ( 2 ) relate primarily to estimated future capital contributions to investments in the u.s. affordable housing and historic renovation real estate partnerships and various other contractual obligations . replace_table_token_17_th warranties the company offers product warranties for certain products . the specific terms and conditions of such warranties vary depending on the product or customer contract requirements . management estimated the costs of unsettled product warranty claims based on historical results and experience and included an amount in other accruals . management periodically assesses the adequacy of the accrual for product warranty claims and adjusts the accrual as necessary . changes in the company 's accrual for product warranty claims during 2019 , 2018 and 2017 , including customer satisfaction settlements during the year , were as follows : replace_table_token_18_th warranty accruals acquired in connection with the valspar acquisition in 2017 include warranties for certain products under extended furniture protection plans . the decrease in the accrual in 2018 was primarily due to the divestiture of the furniture protection plan business during the third quarter of 2018 for an immaterial amount that approximated net book value . shareholders ' equity shareholders ' equity increased $ 392.6 million to $ 4.123 billion at december 31 , 2019 from $ 3.731 billion last year primarily due to an increase in retained earnings of $ 1.120 billion and an increase in other capital of $ 256.6 million , partially offset by purchases of treasury stock and treasury stock received from stock option exercises totaling $ 935.8 million and an increase in accumulated other comprehensive loss of $ 49.6 million . retained earnings increased $ 1.120 billion during 2019 due to net income of $ 1.541 billion , partially offset by $ 420.8 million in cash dividends paid . the increase in other capital of $ 256.6 million was due primarily to the recognition of stock-based compensation expense and stock option exercises . the increase in accumulated other comprehensive loss of $ 49.6 million was due primarily to unfavorable foreign currency translation effects of $ 49.8 million . see the statements of consolidated shareholders equity and statements of consolidated comprehensive income in item 8 for additional information . 28 the company purchased 1.675 million shares of its common stock for treasury during 2019 . the company acquires its common stock for general corporate purposes , and depending on its cash position and market conditions , it may acquire shares in the future . the company had remaining authorization from its board of directors at december 31 , 2019 to purchase 8.45 million shares of its common stock . the company 's 2019 annual cash dividend of $ 4.52 per share represented 38.7 % of 2018 diluted net income per share . the 2019 annual dividend represented the 41 st consecutive year of increased dividend payments since the dividend was suspended in 1978. at a meeting held on february 19 , 2020 , the board of directors increased the quarterly cash dividend to $ 1.34 per share . this quarterly dividend , if approved in each of the remaining quarters of 2020 , would result in an annual dividend for 2020 of $ 5.36 per share or a 32.5 % payout of 2019 diluted net income per share . see the statements of consolidated shareholders ' equity in item 8 for more information concerning shareholders ' equity . cash flow net operating cash increased $ 377.6 million in 2019 to a cash source of $ 2.321 billion from a cash source of $ 1.944 billion in 2018 due primarily to an increase in net income and favorable changes in non-cash items , partially offset by changes in working

