SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies) | 12 Months Ended |
Jun. 30, 2014 |
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | ' |
Principles of Consolidation | ' |
Principles of Consolidation |
|
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”). All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. |
|
Certain amounts in the consolidated financial statements of prior years have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation. |
Management Estimates | ' |
Management Estimates |
|
The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses reported in those financial statements. Certain significant accounting policies that contain subjective management estimates and assumptions include those related to revenue recognition, inventory, pension and other post-retirement benefit costs, goodwill, other intangible assets and long-lived assets, and income taxes. Management evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors, including the current economic environment, and makes adjustments when facts and circumstances dictate. As future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ significantly from those estimates and assumptions. Significant changes, if any, in those estimates and assumptions resulting from continuing changes in the economic environment will be reflected in the consolidated financial statements in future periods. |
Currency Translation and Transactions | ' |
Currency Translation and Transactions |
|
All assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries and affiliates are translated at year-end rates of exchange, while revenue and expenses are translated at weighted-average rates of exchange for the period. Unrealized translation gains (losses) reported as cumulative translation adjustments through other comprehensive income (loss) (“OCI”) attributable to The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. amounted to $95.1 million, $(25.6) million and $(154.2) million, net of tax, in fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. |
|
For the Company’s Venezuelan subsidiary operating in a highly inflationary economy, the U.S. dollar is the functional currency. Remeasurement adjustments in financial statements in a highly inflationary economy and other transactional gains and losses are reflected in Selling, general and administrative expenses in the Company’s consolidated statements of earnings. During the third quarter of fiscal 2014, the Venezuelan government enacted changes to the foreign exchange controls that expanded the use of its existing exchange mechanisms and created another exchange control mechanism (“SICAD II”), which allows companies to apply for the purchase of foreign currency and foreign currency denominated securities for any legal use or purpose. As a result, the Company considered its specific facts and circumstances in determining the appropriate remeasurment rate, principally assessing its legal eligibility to access the available foreign exchange mechanisms, the transactions that would be eligible, the Company’s past and expected future ability to transact through those mechanisms, and the Company’s intent to utilize a particular mechanism for particular purposes. Although the SICAD II mechanism and its level and frequency of exchange continue to be regulated by the Venezuelan government, it offers the possibility of foreign exchange in a theoretically open market without restricted uses and in management’s opinion is the only mechanism legally available at this time for the Company’s highest priority transactions, which are the import of goods. Therefore, the Company believes the SICAD II rate was, and continues to be, the most appropriate rate that reflects the economics of its Venezuelan subsidiary’s business as of March 24, 2014, when the SICAD II mechanism became operational. As a result, the Company changed the exchange rate used to remeasure the monetary assets and liabilities of its Venezuelan subsidiary from 6.3 to the SICAD II rate, which was 49.98 as of June 30, 2014. Accordingly, a remeasurement charge of $38.3 million, on a before and after tax basis, was reflected in Selling, general and administrative expenses in the Company’s consolidated statement of earnings for the year ended June 30, 2014. |
|
The Company enters into foreign currency forward contracts and may enter into option contracts to hedge foreign currency transactions for periods consistent with its identified exposures. Accordingly, the Company categorizes these instruments as entered into for purposes other than trading. |
|
The accompanying consolidated statements of earnings include net exchange losses on foreign currency transactions, including the effect of the Venezuela remeasurement charge, of $46.7 million, $3.5 million and $0.5 million in fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. |
Cash and Cash Equivalents | ' |
Cash and Cash Equivalents |
|
Cash and cash equivalents include $971.9 million and $843.5 million of short-term time deposits at June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. As of June 30, 2014, approximately 17% and 16% of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents are held by two financial institutions. |
Accounts Receivable | ' |
Accounts Receivable |
|
Accounts receivable is stated net of the allowance for doubtful accounts and customer deductions totaling $23.9 million and $22.7 million as of June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. This reserve is based upon the evaluation of accounts receivable aging, specific exposures and historical trends. |
Inventory and Promotional Merchandise | ' |
Inventory and Promotional Merchandise |
|
Inventory and promotional merchandise only includes inventory considered saleable or usable in future periods, and is stated at the lower of cost or fair-market value, with cost being based on standard cost which approximates actual cost on the first-in, first-out method. Cost components include raw materials, componentry, direct labor and overhead (e.g., indirect labor, utilities, depreciation, purchasing, receiving, inspection and warehousing) as well as inbound freight. Manufacturing overhead is allocated to the cost of inventory based on the normal production capacity. Unallocated overhead during periods of abnormally low production levels are recognized as cost of sales in the period in which they are incurred. Promotional merchandise is charged to expense at the time the merchandise is shipped to the Company’s customers. Included in inventory and promotional merchandise is an inventory obsolescence reserve, which represents the difference between the cost of the inventory and its estimated realizable value, based on various product sales projections. This reserve is calculated using an estimated obsolescence percentage applied to the inventory based on age, historical trends and requirements to support forecasted sales. In addition, and as necessary, specific reserves for future known or anticipated events may be established. |
Derivative Financial Instruments | ' |
Derivative Financial Instruments |
|
The Company’s derivative financial instruments are recorded as either assets or liabilities on the balance sheet and measured at fair value. All derivatives are (i) designated as a hedge of the fair value of a recognized asset or liability or of an unrecognized firm commitment (“fair-value” hedge), (ii) designated as a hedge of a forecasted transaction or of the variability of cash flows to be received or paid related to a recognized asset or liability (“foreign currency cash-flow” hedge), or (iii) not designated as a hedging instrument. Changes in the fair value of a derivative that is designated and qualifies as a fair-value hedge that is highly effective are recorded in current-period earnings, along with the loss or gain on the hedged asset or liability that is attributable to the hedged risk (including losses or gains on unrecognized firm commitments). Changes in the fair value of a derivative that is designated and qualifies as a foreign currency cash-flow hedge of a foreign-currency-denominated forecasted transaction that is highly effective are recorded in OCI. Gains and losses deferred in OCI are then recognized in current-period earnings when earnings are affected by the variability of cash flows of the hedged foreign-currency-denominated forecasted transaction (e.g., when periodic settlements on a variable-rate asset or liability are recorded in earnings). Changes in the fair value of derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments are reported in current-period earnings. |
Property, Plant and Equipment | ' |
Property, Plant and Equipment |
|
Property, plant and equipment, including leasehold and other improvements that extend an asset’s useful life or productive capabilities, are carried at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Costs incurred for computer software developed or obtained for internal use are capitalized during the application development stage and expensed as incurred during the preliminary project and post-implementation stages. For financial statement purposes, depreciation is provided principally on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets ranging from 3 to 40 years. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the lives of the respective leases or the expected useful lives of those improvements. |
Goodwill and Other Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets | ' |
Goodwill and Other Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets |
|
Goodwill is calculated as the excess of the cost of purchased businesses over the fair value of their underlying net assets. Other indefinite-lived intangible assets principally consist of trademarks. Goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized. |
|
The Company assesses goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets at least annually for impairment as of the beginning of the fiscal fourth quarter, or more frequently if certain events or circumstances exist. The Company tests goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level, which is one level below the Company’s operating segments. The Company identifies its reporting units by assessing whether the components of its operating segments constitute businesses for which discrete financial information is available and management of each reporting unit regularly reviews the operating results of those components. The Company makes certain judgments and assumptions in allocating assets and liabilities to determine carrying values for its reporting units. Impairment testing is performed in two steps: (i) the Company determines impairment by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying value, and (ii) if there is an impairment, the Company measures the amount of impairment loss by comparing the implied fair value of goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. The impairment test for indefinite-lived intangible assets encompasses calculating a fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset and comparing the fair value to its carrying value. If the carrying value exceeds the fair value, an impairment charge is recorded. |
|
Testing goodwill for impairment requires the Company to estimate fair values of reporting units using significant estimates and assumptions. The assumptions made will impact the outcome and ultimate results of the testing. The Company uses industry accepted valuation models and set criteria that are reviewed and approved by various levels of management and, in certain instances, the Company engages third-party valuation specialists for advice. To determine fair value of the reporting units, the Company generally uses an equal weighting of the income and market approaches. In certain circumstances, equal weighting will not be applied if one of these methods may be less applicable (e.g., only the income approach would be used for reporting units with existing negative margins). The Company believes both approaches are equally relevant and the most reliable indications of fair value because the fair value of product or service companies is more dependent on the ability to generate earnings than on the value of the assets used in the production process. |
|
Under the income approach, the Company determines fair value using a discounted cash flow method, projecting future cash flows of each reporting unit, as well as a terminal value, and discounting such cash flows at a rate of return that reflects the relative risk of the cash flows. Under the market approach, the Company utilizes information from comparable publicly traded companies with similar operating and investment characteristics as the reporting units, which creates valuation multiples that are applied to the operating performance of the reporting unit being tested, to value the reporting unit. The key estimates and factors used in these two approaches include, but are not limited to, revenue growth rates and profit margins based on internal forecasts, terminal value, the weighted-average cost of capital used to discount future cash flows and comparable market multiples. |
|
To determine fair value of other indefinite-lived intangible assets, the Company uses an income approach, the relief-from-royalty method. This method assumes that, in lieu of ownership, a third party would be willing to pay a royalty in order to obtain the rights to use the comparable asset. Other indefinite-lived intangible assets’ fair values require significant judgments in determining both the assets’ estimated cash flows as well as the appropriate discount and royalty rates applied to those cash flows to determine fair value. Changes in such estimates or the application of alternative assumptions could produce significantly different results. |
Long-Lived Assets | ' |
Long-Lived Assets |
|
The Company reviews long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. When such events or changes in circumstances occur, a recoverability test is performed comparing projected undiscounted cash flows from the use and eventual disposition of an asset or asset group to its carrying value. If the projected undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying value, then an impairment charge would be recorded for the excess of the carrying value over the fair value, which is determined by discounting future cash flows. |
Concentration of Credit Risk | ' |
Concentration of Credit Risk |
|
The Company is a worldwide manufacturer, marketer and distributor of skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. Domestic and international sales are made primarily to department stores, perfumeries, specialty multi-brand retailers and retailers in its travel retail business. The Company grants credit to all qualified customers and does not believe it is exposed significantly to any undue concentration of credit risk. |
|
The Company’s largest customer sells products primarily within the United States and accounted for $1,142.7 million, or 10%, $1,078.8 million, or 11%, and $1,048.1 million, or 11%, of the Company’s consolidated net sales in fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. This customer accounted for $158.5 million, or 11%, and $113.7 million, or 10%, of the Company’s accounts receivable at June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. |
Revenue Recognition | ' |
Revenue Recognition |
|
Revenues from product sales are recognized upon transfer of ownership, including passage of title to the customer and transfer of the risk of loss related to those goods. In the Americas region, sales are generally recognized at the time the product is shipped to the customer and in the Europe, the Middle East & Africa and Asia/Pacific regions, sales are generally recognized based upon the customer’s receipt. In certain circumstances, transfer of title takes place at the point of sale, for example, at the Company’s retail stores. The Company records revenues generated from purchase with purchase promotions in Net Sales and costs of its purchase with purchase and gift with purchase promotions in Cost of Sales. |
|
Revenues are reported on a net sales basis, which is computed by deducting from gross sales the amount of actual product returns received, discounts, incentive arrangements with retailers and an amount established for anticipated product returns. The Company’s practice is to accept product returns from retailers only if properly requested, authorized and approved. In accepting returns, the Company typically provides a credit to the retailer against accounts receivable from that retailer. As a percentage of gross sales, returns were 3.4% in fiscal 2014, 3.3% in fiscal 2013 and 3.5% in fiscal 2012. |
Payments to Customers | ' |
Payments to Customers |
|
Certain incentive arrangements require the payment of a fee to customers based on their attainment of pre-established sales levels. These fees have been recorded as a reduction of Net Sales in the accompanying consolidated statements of earnings and were not material to the results of operations in any period presented. |
|
The Company enters into transactions related to demonstrations, advertising and counter construction, some of which involve cooperative relationships with customers. These activities may be arranged either with unrelated third parties or in conjunction with the customer. The Company’s share of the cost of these transactions (regardless of to whom they were paid) are reflected in Selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of earnings and were approximately $1,410 million, $1,412 million and $1,343 million in fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. |
Advertising and Promotion | ' |
Advertising and Promotion |
|
Global net expenses for advertising, merchandising, sampling, promotion and product development costs were $2,840.0 million, $2,754.8 million and $2,614.5 million in fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and are expensed as incurred. Excluding the impact of purchase with purchase and gift with purchase promotions, costs for advertising, merchandising, sampling, promotion and product development included in Selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of earnings were $2,618.1 million, $2,541.0 million and $2,417.6 million in fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. |
Research and Development | ' |
Research and Development |
|
During fiscal 2014, the Company conducted a review of the activities and elements of costs associated with its research and development process. As a result of its review, the Company identified certain activities, such as product innovation and packaging design and development, and their related costs that should be categorized as research and development costs, which continue to be recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of earnings. As a result, research and development costs totaled $157.9 million, $146.8 million and $137.8 million in fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and are expensed as incurred. |
Shipping and Handling | ' |
Shipping and Handling |
|
Shipping and handling expenses of $373.6 million, $337.9 million and $312.4 million in fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, are recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of earnings and include distribution center costs, third-party logistics costs and outbound freight. |
Operating Leases | ' |
Operating Leases |
|
The Company recognizes rent expense from operating leases with periods of free and scheduled rent increases on a straight-line basis over the applicable lease term. The Company considers lease renewals when such renewals are reasonably assured. From time to time, the Company may receive capital improvement funding from its lessors. These amounts are recorded as deferred liabilities and amortized over the remaining lease term as a reduction of rent expense. |
License Arrangements | ' |
License Arrangements |
|
The Company’s license agreements provide the Company with worldwide rights to manufacture, market and sell beauty and beauty-related products (or particular categories thereof) using the licensors’ trademarks. The licenses typically have an initial term of approximately 5 years to 11 years, and are renewable subject to the Company’s compliance with the license agreement provisions. The remaining terms, including the potential renewal periods, range from approximately 6 years to 27 years. Under each license, the Company is required to pay royalties to the licensor, at least annually, based on net sales to third parties. |
|
Most of the Company’s licenses were entered into to create new business. In some cases, the Company acquired, or entered into, a license where the licensor or another licensee was operating a pre-existing beauty products business. In those cases, other intangible assets are capitalized and amortized over their useful lives. |
|
Certain license agreements may require minimum royalty payments, incremental royalties based on net sales levels and minimum spending on advertising and promotional activities. Royalty expenses are accrued in the period in which net sales are recognized while advertising and promotional expenses are accrued at the time these costs are incurred. |
Stock-Based Compensation | ' |
Stock-Based Compensation |
|
The Company records stock-based compensation, measured at the fair value of the awards that are ultimately expected to vest, as an expense in the consolidated financial statements. Upon the exercise of stock options or the vesting of restricted stock units, performance share units, performance share units based on total stockholder return and market share units, the resulting excess tax benefits, if any, are credited to additional paid-in capital. Any resulting tax deficiencies will first be offset against those cumulative credits to additional paid-in capital. If the cumulative credits to additional paid-in capital are exhausted, tax deficiencies will be recorded to the provision for income taxes. |
Income Taxes | ' |
Income Taxes |
|
The Company accounts for income taxes using an asset and liability approach that requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in its consolidated financial statements or tax returns. The net deferred tax assets assume sufficient future earnings for their realization, as well as the continued application of currently anticipated tax rates. Included in net deferred tax assets is a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets, where management believes it is not more-likely-than-not that the deferred tax assets will be realized in the relevant jurisdiction. Based on the Company’s assessments, no additional valuation allowance is required. If the Company determines that a deferred tax asset will not be realizable, an adjustment to the deferred tax asset will result in a reduction of net earnings at that time while the reduction of a valuation allowance will result in an increase of net earnings at that time. |
|
The Company provides tax reserves for U.S. federal, state, local and foreign exposures relating to periods subject to audit. The development of reserves for these exposures requires judgments about tax issues, potential outcomes and timing, and is a subjective critical estimate. The Company assesses its tax positions and records tax benefits for all years subject to examination based upon management’s evaluation of the facts, circumstances, and information available at the reporting dates. For those tax positions where it is more-likely-than-not that a tax benefit will be sustained, the Company has recorded the largest amount of tax benefit with a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement with a tax authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. For those tax positions where it is more-likely-than-not that a tax benefit will not be sustained, no tax benefit has been recognized in the consolidated financial statements. The Company classifies applicable interest and penalties as a component of the provision for income taxes. Although the outcome relating to these exposures is uncertain, in management’s opinion adequate provisions for income taxes have been made for estimable potential liabilities emanating from these exposures. If actual outcomes differ materially from these estimates, they could have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations. |
Recently Adopted and Issued Accounting Standards | ' |
Recently Adopted Accounting Standards |
|
In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued authoritative guidance requiring an entity to present, in a single location either parenthetically on the face of the financial statements or in a separate note, significant amounts reclassified from each component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (“AOCI”) and the income statement line items affected by the reclassification. An entity is not permitted to provide this information parenthetically on the face of the income statement if it has items that are not required to be reclassified in their entirety to net income. Instead of disclosing the income statement line affected, a cross reference to other disclosures that provide additional details on these items is required. This guidance became effective prospectively for the Company’s fiscal 2014 first quarter and the adoption of this disclosure-only guidance did not have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. |
|
In July 2012, the FASB amended its authoritative guidance related to testing indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment. Under the revised guidance, entities testing their indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment have the option of performing a qualitative assessment before performing further impairment testing. If entities determine, on the basis of qualitative factors, that it is more-likely-than-not that the asset is impaired, a quantitative test is required. This guidance became effective in the beginning of the Company’s fiscal 2014 first quarter and the adoption of this guidance did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. |
|
In December 2011, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that creates new disclosure requirements about the nature of an entity’s rights of offset and related arrangements associated with its financial instruments and derivative instruments. This revised guidance helps reconcile differences in the offsetting requirements under U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). These requirements mandate that entities disclose both gross and net information about instruments and transactions eligible for offset in the statement of financial position as well as instruments and transactions subject to an agreement similar to a master netting arrangement. In January 2013, the FASB issued an update that limits the scope of these disclosures to recognized derivative instruments, repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements, and securities borrowing and lending transactions to the extent they are offset in the balance sheet or subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement. This disclosure-only guidance became effective for the Company’s fiscal 2014 first quarter, with retrospective application required. The Company currently does not hold any financial or derivative instruments within the scope of this guidance that are offset in its consolidated balance sheets or are subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement. The adoption of this guidance did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. |
|
Recently Issued Accounting Standards |
|
In June 2014, the FASB amended its authoritative guidance on accounting for certain share-based payment awards. The amended guidance requires that share-based compensation awards with terms of a performance target that affects vesting, and that could be achieved after the requisite service period, be treated as a performance condition. As such, the performance target should not be reflected in estimating the grant-date fair value of the award and compensation cost should be recognized in the period in which it becomes probable that the performance target will be achieved. This guidance becomes effective for the Company’s fiscal 2017 first quarter, with early adoption permitted. The guidance will permit an entity to apply the amendments in the update either (a) prospectively to all awards granted or modified after the effective date or (b) retrospectively to all awards with performance targets that are outstanding as of the beginning of the earliest annual period presented in the consolidated financial statements and to all new or modified awards thereafter. The Company will apply this new guidance when it becomes effective, and is currently evaluating the impact of adoption on its consolidated financial statements. |
|
In May 2014, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that defines how companies should report revenues from contracts with customers. The standard requires an entity to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. It provides companies with a single comprehensive five-step principles-based model to use in accounting for revenue and supersedes current revenue recognition requirements, including most industry-specific and transaction-specific revenue guidance. This guidance becomes effective for the Company’s fiscal 2018 first quarter and early adoption is not permitted. The guidance permits an entity to apply the standard retrospectively to all prior periods presented, with certain practical expedients, or apply the requirements in the year of adoption, through a cumulative adjustment. The Company will apply this new guidance when it becomes effective and has not yet selected a transition method. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adoption on its consolidated financial statements. |
|
In April 2014, the FASB issued authoritative guidance which changes the criteria for a disposal to qualify as a discontinued operation. This revised standard defines a discontinued operation as (i) a component of an entity or group of components that has been disposed of or is classified as held for sale that represents a strategic shift that has or will have a major effect on an entity’s operations and financial results or (ii) an acquired business or nonprofit activity that is classified as held for sale on the date of acquisition. The standard also requires expanded disclosures related to discontinued operations and added disclosure requirements for individually material disposal transactions that do not meet the discontinued operations criteria. This guidance becomes effective prospectively for the Company’s fiscal 2016 first quarter, with early adoption permitted, but only for disposals (or classifications as held for sale) that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued or available to be issued. The Company will apply this new guidance when it becomes effective and the adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements. |
|
In July 2013, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that requires an entity to present an unrecognized tax benefit, or a portion of an unrecognized tax benefit, in the financial statements as a reduction to a deferred tax asset for a net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward. If either (i) an NOL carryforward, a similar tax loss, or tax credit carryforward is not available as of the reporting date under the governing tax law to settle taxes that would result from the disallowance of the tax position or (ii) the entity does not intend to use the deferred tax asset for this purpose (provided that the tax law permits a choice), an entity should present an unrecognized tax benefit in the financial statements as a liability and should not net the unrecognized tax benefit with a deferred tax asset. This guidance becomes effective prospectively for unrecognized tax benefits that exist as of the Company’s fiscal 2015 first quarter, with retrospective application and early adoption permitted. The Company will apply this new guidance prospectively when it becomes effective, and the adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements. |
|
In March 2013, the FASB issued authoritative guidance to resolve the diversity in practice concerning the release of the cumulative translation adjustment (“CTA”) into net income (i) when a parent sells a part or all of its investment in a foreign entity or no longer holds a controlling financial interest in a subsidiary or group of assets within a foreign entity, and (ii) in connection with a step acquisition of a foreign entity. This amended guidance requires that CTA be released in net income only if the sale or transfer results in the complete or substantially complete liquidation of the foreign entity in which the subsidiary or group of assets had resided, and that a pro rata portion of the CTA be released into net income upon a partial sale of an equity method investment in a foreign entity only. In addition, the amended guidance clarifies the definition of a sale of an investment in a foreign entity to include both, events that result in the loss of a controlling financial interest in a foreign entity and events that result in an acquirer obtaining control of an acquiree in which it held an equity interest immediately prior to the date of acquisition. The CTA should be released into net income upon the occurrence of such events. This guidance becomes effective prospectively for the Company’s fiscal 2015 first quarter with early adoption permitted. The Company will apply this new guidance when it becomes effective and the adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements. |
|
In February 2013, the FASB issued authoritative guidance for the recognition, measurement, and disclosure of obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements for which the total amount of the obligations within the scope of this guidance is fixed at the reporting date. It does not apply to certain obligations that are addressed within existing guidance in U.S. GAAP. This guidance requires an entity to measure in-scope obligations with joint and several liability (e.g., debt arrangements, other contractual obligations, settled litigations, judicial rulings) as the sum of the amount the reporting entity agreed to pay on the basis of its arrangement among its co-obligors and any additional amount it expects to pay on behalf of its co-obligors. In addition, an entity is required to disclose the nature and amount of the obligation. This guidance should be applied retrospectively to all prior periods for those obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements within the scope of this guidance that exist at the beginning of the Company’s fiscal 2015 first quarter, with early adoption permitted. The Company will apply this guidance when it becomes effective, and the adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements. |