Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
[Operator Instructions] Our first question or comment comes from the line of Mr. Romit Shah of Lehman Brothers. Your line is open.
Romit Shah - Lehman Brothers
Yes, thanks a lot. Did you guys buy back any stock in the quarter?
Donald Colvin - Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
No.
Romit Shah - Lehman Brothers
Don, could you just elaborate on that? I noticed the cash balance jumped up to $327 million. Why didn't you guys buy back any stock and if you could just prioritize what are the future uses of cash going forward?
Donald Colvin - Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Sure. I think as a company, we have stated with cash, we have three uses of our cash. One, we can pay down debt, which we've done in the past; buy back stock, which we've also done; or invest in the business. And I think what we have been stating when we attended various conferences is that our priority has been to kick the tires on some strategic opportunities where cash would help us facilitate some acquisitions. So that's why we are not currently prioritizing stock buybacks or debt pay-downs. This activity is very much a hit or miss activity and we have announced nothing because we have completed nothing. So, our optionality still remains, but we have been saying that we were extrapolating [ph] examination of strategic opportunities rather than pursuing stock buy backs or debt payoffs at the end of the third quarter.
Romit Shah - Lehman Brothers
Okay. And as a follow-up, could you just elaborate on the product booking trends you have seen in the last four weeks and why you guys are guiding to, I guess, accelerating growth here in Q4?
Keith Jackson - President and Chief Executive Officer
Okay. This is Keith Jackson. I'll cover that one. We tend to remain on the conservative side when we go into fourth quarter's relative returns. The December quarter typically shows us a customer base that wants to have lean inventories going out of their calendar years. And so what we normally do is just be conservative on the turn side for December, Romit. So I think that's what you're seeing reflected in the guidance.
Romit Shah - Lehman Brothers
Okay, great thank you.
Operator
Our next or comment comes from the line of Chris Danely from J.P Morgan. Your line is open.
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