| Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies | Note 2. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Supplier Risk
The Company relies on a limited number of suppliers, including single or sole source suppliers for certain of its raw materials, packaging, product components and other necessary supplies. Where possible and where it makes business sense, the Company works with secondary or multiple suppliers to qualify additional supply sources. To date, the Company has been able to obtain adequate supplies of these materials which are used in the production of its maintenance products and homecare and cleaning products in a timely manner from existing sources.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash equivalents are highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less.
Short-term Investments
The Company's short-term investments consist of term deposits and callable time deposits. These short-term investments had a carrying value of $0.2 million and $ 80.2 million at August 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The decrease in short-term investments during fiscal year 2018 was due to the maturity of the Company’s callable time deposits held by its U.K. subsidiary. These deposits matured in April 2018 and were not reinvested. As of August 31, 2018, the Company’s short-term investment balance consisted of term deposits that are subject to penalty for early redemption before their maturity.
Trade Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. The allowance for doubtful accounts is the Company’s best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in existing accounts receivable. The Company determines the allowance for doubtful accounts based on historical write-off experience and the identification of specific balances deemed uncollectible. Trade accounts receivable are charged against the allowance when the Company believes it is probable that the trade accounts receivable will not be recovered. The Company does not have any off-balance sheet credit exposure related to its customers. Allowance for doubtful accounts related to the Company’s trade accounts receivable were not significant at August 31, 2018 and 2017.
Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. C ost is determined based on a first-in, first-out method or, for a portion of raw materials inventory, the average cost method. When necessary, the Company adjusts the carrying value of its inventory to the lower of cost or net realizable value , including any costs to sell or dispose of such inventory. Appropriate consideration is given by the Company to obsolescence, excessive inventory levels, product deterioration and other factors when evaluating net realizable value for the purposes of determining the lower of cost or net realizable value .
Included in inventories are amounts for certain raw materials and components that the Company has provided to its third-party contract manufacturers but that remain unpaid to the Company as of the balance sheet date. The Company’s contract manufacturers package products to the Company’s specifications and, upon order from the Company, ship ready-to-sell inventory to either the Company’s third-party distribution centers or directly to its customers. The Company transfers certain raw materials and components to these contract manufacturers for use in the manufacturing process. Contract manufacturers are obligated to pay the Company for these raw materials and components upon receipt. Amounts receivable from the contract manufacturers as of the balance sheet date related to transfers of these raw materials and components by the Company to its contract manufacturers are considered product held at third-party contract manufacturers and are included in inventories in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment is stated at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method based upon estimated useful lives of ten to forty years for buildings and improvements, three to fifteen years for machinery and equipment, three to five years for vehicles, three to ten years for furniture and fixtures and three to five years for software and computer equipment. Depreciation expense totaled $4.8 million, $3.9 million and $3. 5 million for fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. These amounts include factory depreciation expense which is recognized as cost of products sold and totaled $1.1 million for each of the fiscal years 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $0.8 million for fiscal year 2016.
Software
The Company capitalizes costs related to computer software obtained or developed for internal use. Software obtained for internal use has generally been enterprise-level business and finance software that the Company customizes to meet its specific operational needs. Costs incurred in the application development phase are capitalized and amortized over their useful lives, which are generally three to five years.
Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of tangible and intangible assets acquired. The carrying value of goodwill is reviewed for possible impairment in accordance with the authoritative guidance on goodwill, intangibles and other. The Company assesses possible impairments to goodwill at least annually during its second fiscal quarter and otherwise when events or changes in circumstances indicate that an impairment condition may exist. In performing the annual impairment test of its goodwill, the Company considers the fair value concepts of a market participant and the highest and best use for its intangible assets. In addition to the annual impairment test, goodwill is evaluated each reporting period to determine whether events and circumstances would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value.
When testing goodwill for impairment, the Company first assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test. If, after assessing qualitative factors, the Company determines it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then performing a quantitative test is unnecessary. Otherwise, a quantitative test is performed to identify the potential impairment and to measure the amount of goodwill impairment, if any. Any required impairment losses are recorded as a reduction in the carrying amount of the related asset and charged to results of operations. No goodwill impairments were identified by the Company during fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016.
Long-lived Assets
The Company’s long-lived assets consist of property and equipment and definite-lived intangible assets. Long-lived assets are depreciated or amortized, as applicable, on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives. The Company assesses potential impairments to its long-lived assets when there is evidence that events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable and/or its remaining useful life may no longer be appropriate. Any required impairment loss would be measured as the amount by which the asset’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value, which is the amount at which the asset could be bought or sold in a current transaction between willing market participants and would be recorded as a reduction in the carrying amount of the related asset and a charge to results of operations. An impairment loss would be recognized when the sum of the expected future undiscounted net cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the asset. No impairments to its long-lived assets were identified by the Company during fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820, “ Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” , defines fair value as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Company categorizes its financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value into a hierarchy that categorizes fair value measurements into the following three levels based on the types of inputs used in measuring their fair value:
Level 1: Observable inputs such as quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
Level 2: Observable market-based inputs or observable inputs that are corroborated by market data; and
Level 3: Unobservable inputs reflecting the Company’s own assumptions.
Under fair value accounting, assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. As of August 31, 2018, the Company had no assets or liabilities that are measured at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis, with the exception of the foreign currency forward contracts, which are classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. The carrying values of cash equivalents, short-term investments and short-term borrowings are recorded at cost, which approximates their fair values primarily due to their short-term maturities and are classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. In addition, the carrying value of borrowings held under the Company’s revolving credit facility approximates fair value due to the variable nature of underlying interest rates, which generally reflect market conditions and such borrowings are classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. The Company’s fixed rate long-term borrowings consist of senior notes which are also classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy and are recorded at carrying value. The Company estimates that the fair value of its senior notes was approximately $18.8 million as of August 31, 2018, which was determined based on a discounted cash flow analysis using current market interest rates for instruments with similar terms, compared to its carrying value of $19.6 million. During the fiscal years ended August 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, the Company did not record any significant nonrecurring fair value measurements for assets or liabilities in periods subsequent to their initial recognition.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments, which potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk, consist principally of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and trade accounts receivable. The Company’s policy is to place its cash in high credit quality financial institutions, in investments that include demand deposits, term deposits and callable time deposits. The Company’s trade accounts receivable are derived from customers located in North America, South America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India. The Company limits its credit exposure from trade accounts receivable by performing on-going credit evaluations of customers, as well as insuring its trade accounts receivable in selected markets.
Insurance Coverage
The Company carries insurance policies to cover insurable risks such as property damage, business interruption, product liability, workers’ compensation and other risks, with coverage and other terms that it believes to be adequate and appropriate. These policies may be subject to applicable deductible or retention amounts, coverage limitations and exclusions. The Company does not maintain self-insurance with respect to its material risks; therefore, the Company has not provided for self-insurance reserves as of August 31, 2018 and 2017.
Revenue Recognition and Sales Incentives
Sales are recognized as revenue at the time of delivery to the customer when risks of loss and title have passed. Sales are recorded net of allowances for damaged goods and other sales returns, sales incentives, trade promotions and cash discounts.
The Company records the costs of promotional activities such as sales incentives, trade promotions, coupon offers and cash discounts that are given to its customers as a reduction of sales in its consolidated statements of operations. The Company offers on-going trade promotion programs with customers and consumer coupon programs that require the Company to estimate and accrue the expected costs for such programs. Programs include cooperative marketing programs, shelf price reductions, coupons, rebates, consideration and allowances given to retailers for shelf space and/or favorable display positions in their stores and other promotional activities. Costs related to rebates, cooperative advertising and other promotional activities are recorded as a reduction to sales upon delivery of the Company’s products to its customers. Coupon costs are based upon historical redemption rates and are recorded as a reduction to sales as incurred, which is when the coupons are circulated.
Cost of Products Sold
Cost of products sold primarily includes the cost of products manufactured on the Company’s behalf by its third-party contract manufacturers, net of volume and other rebates. Cost of products sold also includes the costs to manufacture WD-40 concentrate, which is done at the Company’s own facilities or at third-party contract manufacturers. When the concentrate is manufactured by the Company, cost of products sold includes direct labor, direct materials and supplies; in-bound freight costs related to purchased raw materials and finished product; and depreciation of machinery and equipment used in the manufacturing process.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses include costs related to selling the Company’s products, such as the cost of the sales force and related sales and broker commissions; shipping and handling costs paid to third-party companies to distribute finished goods from the Company’s third-party contract manufacturers and distribution centers to its customers; other general and administrative costs related to the Company’s business such as general overhead, legal and accounting fees, insurance, and depreciation; and other employee-related costs to support marketing, human resources, finance, supply chain, information technology and research and development activities.
Shipping and Handling Costs
Shipping and handling costs associated with in-bound freight and movement of product from third-party contract manufacturers to the Company’s third-party warehouses are capitalized in the cost of inventory and subsequently included in cost of sales when recognized in the statement of operations. Shipping and handling costs associated with out-bound transportation are included in selling, general and administrative expenses and are recorded at the time of shipment of product to the Company’s customers. Out-bound shipping and handling costs were $17.7 million, $16.4 million and $16.1 million for fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Advertising and Sales Promotion Expenses
Advertising and sales promotion expenses are expensed as incurred. Advertising and sales promotion expenses include costs associated with promotional activities that the Company pays to third parties, which include costs for advertising (television, print media and internet), administration of coupon programs, consumer promotions, product demonstrations, public relations, agency costs, package design expenses and market research costs. Total advertising and sales promotion expenses were $22.3 million, $20.5 million and $22.3 million for fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Research and Development
The Company is involved in research and development efforts that include the ongoing development or innovation of new products and the improvement, extension or renovation of existing products or product lines. All research and development costs are expensed as incurred and are included in selling, general and administrative expenses. Research and development expenses were $7.0 million, $8.4 million and $7.7 million in fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. These expenses include costs associated with general research and development activities, as well as those associated with internal staff, overhead, design testing, market research and consultants.
Income Taxes
Current income tax expense is the amount of income taxes expected to be payable for the current year. A deferred income tax liability or asset is established for the expected future tax consequences resulting from the differences in financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities. A valuation allowance is provided if it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. In addition to valuation allowances, the Company provides for uncertain tax positions when such tax positions do not meet the recognition thresholds or measurement standards prescribed by the authoritative guidance on income taxes. Amounts for uncertain tax positions are adjusted in periods when new information becomes available or when positions are effectively settled. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as a component of income tax expense.
As a result of the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (the “Tax Act”) which became effective beginning January 1, 2018, the U.S. has transitioned from a worldwide tax system to a modified territorial tax system, under which corporations are primarily taxed on income earned within the country’s borders, rather than on a worldwide basis. The Company is still required to make assertions on whether its foreign subsidiaries will invest their undistributed earnings indefinitely and these assertions are based on the capital needs of the foreign subsidiaries. Due to the passage of the Tax Act, the Company began reevaluating the indefinite reinvestment assertion for its foreign subsidiaries. In May 2018, the Company completed this reevaluation and changed its indefinite reinvestment assertion for certain of its foreign subsidiaries. As a result, the Company no longer considers unremitted earnings of any of its foreign subsidiaries to be indefinitely reinvested. For additional information on the Tax Act, see Note 12 — Income Taxes, included in this report.
Foreign Currency
The Company translates the assets and liabilities of its foreign subsidiaries into U.S. dollars at current rates of exchange in effect at the end of the reporting period. Income and expense items are translated at rates that approximate the rates in effect at the transaction date. Gains and losses from translation are included in accumulated other comprehensive income or loss. Gains or losses resulting from foreign currency transactions (transactions denominated in a currency other than the entity’s functional currency) are included as other income in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. The Company had $0.1 million, $0.4 million and $2 .4 million of net gains in foreign currency transactions in fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
In the normal course of business, the Company employs established policies and procedures to manage its exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. The Company’s U.K. subsidiary, whose functional currency is Pound Sterling, utilizes foreign currency forward contracts to limit its exposure to net asset balances held in non-functional currencies, specifically the Euro. The Company regularly monitors its foreign currency exchange rate exposures to ensure the overall effectiveness of its foreign currency hedge positions. While the Company engages in foreign currency hedging activity to reduce its risk, for accounting purposes, none of its foreign currency forward contracts are designated as hedges.
Foreign currency forward contracts are carried at fair value, with net realized and unrealized gains and losses recognized currently in other income (expense) in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Cash flows from settlements of foreign currency forward contracts are included in operating activities in the consolidated statements of cash flows. Foreign currency forward contracts in an asset position at the end of the reporting period are included in other current assets, while foreign currency forward contracts in a liability position at the end of the reporting period are included in accrued liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. At August 31, 2018, the Company had a notional amount of $ 23 .1 million outstanding in foreign currency forward contracts, which matured in September 2018 . Unrealized net gains related to foreign currency forward contracts were not significant at August 31, 2018, while unrealized net losses were $0.6 million at August 31, 2017. Realized net losses related to foreign currency forward contracts were not significant for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018, while realized net losses were $0.5 million for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017. Both unrealized and realized net gains and losses are recorded in other income on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
Earnings per Common Share
Unvested share-based payment awards that contain nonforfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents, whether paid or unpaid, are participating securities that are required to be included in the computation of earnings per common share pursuant to the two-class method. Accordingly, the Company’s outstanding unvested, if any, and outstanding vested stock-based equity awards that provide such nonforfeitable rights to dividend equivalents are included as participating securities in the calculation of earnings per common share (“EPS”) pursuant to the two-class method.
The Company calculates EPS using the two-class method, which provides for an allocation of net income between common stock and other participating securities based on their respective participation rights to share in dividends. Basic EPS is calculated by dividing net income available to common shareholders for the period by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Net income available to common shareholders for the period includes dividends paid to common shareholders during the period plus a proportionate share of undistributed net income allocable to common shareholders for the period; the proportionate share of undistributed net income allocable to common shareholders for the period is based on the proportionate share of total weighted-average common shares and participating securities outstanding during the period.
Diluted EPS is calculated by dividing net income available to common shareholders for the period by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period increased by the weighted-average number of potentially dilutive common shares (dilutive securities) that were outstanding during the period if the effect is dilutive. Dilutive securities are comprised of various types of stock-based equity awards granted under the Company’s prior and current equity incentive plans.
Stock-based Compensation
The Company accounts for stock-based equity awards exchanged for employee and non-employee director services in accordance with the authoritative guidance for share-based payments. Stock-based equity awards are measured at the grant date, based on the estimated fair value of the award, and are recognized as stock-based compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the entire award, net of the impacts of award forfeitures as they occur. The requisite service period is generally the maximum vesting period of the award. Compensation expense related to the Company’s stock-based equity awards is recorded as selling, general and administrative expenses in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
The fair value of stock options is determined using a Black-Scholes option pricing model. The fair values of restricted stock unit awards and deferred performance unit awards are based on the fair value of the Company’s common stock on the date that such awards are granted. The fair value of market share unit awards is determined using a Monte Carlo simulation model. For the deferred performance unit awards, the Company adjusts the compensation expense over the service period based upon the expected achievement level of the applicable performance condition. As the grant date fair value of market share unit awards reflects the probabilities of the actual number of such awards expected to vest, compensation expense for such awards is not adjusted based on the expected achievement level of the applicable performance condition. The Company records any excess tax benefits or deficiencies from settlements of its stock-based equity awards within the provision for income taxes on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations in the reporting periods in which the settlement of the equity awards occur.
Segment Information
The Company discloses certain information about its business segments, which are determined consistent with the way the Company’s Chief Operating Decision Maker organizes and evaluates financial information internally for making operating decisions and assessing performance. In addition, the Chief Operating Decision Maker assesses and measures revenue based on product groups.
Recently Adopted Accounting Standards
In March 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2018-05, “Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118” , to add various SEC paragraphs pursuant to the issuance of SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB 118”), to ASC 740 “Income Taxes” . SAB 118 was issued by the SEC in December 2018 to provide immediate guidance for accounting implications of U.S. tax reform under the “ Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ” (the “Tax Act”), which became effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. The Company has evaluated the potential impacts of SAB 118 and has applied this guidance to its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures beginning in the second quarter of its fiscal year 2018. For additional information on SAB 118 and the impacts of the Tax Act on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures, see Note 12 — Income Taxes, included in this report .
In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, “ Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment ”. The amendments in this updated guidance simplify how an entity is required to test goodwill for impairment due to concerns that were raised about the cost and complexity of annual impairment tests under the existing standard. This updated guidance eliminates Step 2 of the previous two-step quantitative model for goodwill impairment tests. Step 2 required an entity to calculate an implied fair value, which includes a hypothetical purchase price allocation requirement, for reporting units that failed Step 1. Per this updated guidance, a goodwill impairment will instead be measured as the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying value exceeds its fair value as identified in Step 1. Step 1 will be referred to simply as a “quantitative goodwill impairment test” subsequent to the Company’s adoption of this updated guidance, since Step 2 has been eliminated and “steps” are no longer referred to within the updated guidance. However, the updated guidance still permits the Company to first conduct a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is necessary to perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. The Company early adopted this guidance in its fiscal year 2018 during the second quarter, the period in which the Company performs its annual goodwill impairment test. The guidance was adopted on a prospective basis and is applicable to all of the Company’s future annual goodwill impairment tests. T he adoption of this guidance did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. See Note 5 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for additional information on the Company’s goodwill.
In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, “ Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting”. The amendments in this updated guidance include changes to simplify the Codification for several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including those related to the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, accounting for forfeitures, minimum statutory withholding requirements and classification of certain items on the statement of cash flows. Certain of these changes are required to be applied retrospectively while other changes are required to be applied prospectively. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early adoption was permitted. The Company did not adopt this updated guidance early and therefore this guidance became effective for the Company during the first quarter of its fiscal year 2018. The impacts of the adoption by the Company of ASU No. 2016-09 in fiscal year 2018 were as follows:
·
The Company recorded excess tax benefits of $0.7 million within the provision for income taxes for fiscal year 2018 from settlements of stock-based equity awards. Prior to the adoption of this new guidance, these amounts would have been recorded as an increase to additional paid-in capital.
·
The Company elected to change its policy related to forfeitures of stock-based equity awards upon adoption of this new guidance such that it will now recognize the impacts of forfeitures as they occur rather than recognizing them based on an estimated forfeiture rate. As a result, the Company recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings. This adjustment to retained earnings and the impact of this change in policy for forfeitures on the Company’s consolidated financial statements was not material.
·
The Company elected to apply the presentation requirements for the statement of cash flows related to excess tax benefits from settlements of stock-based equity awards retrospectively for all periods presented which resulted in an increase of $1.5 million and $2.1 million, respectively, to both net cash provided by operating activities and net cash used in financing activities for fiscal years 2017 and 2016, respectively.
·
The Company’s presentation in the statement of cash flows of employee taxes paid upon settlement of certain stock-based equity awards via shares withheld by the Company for tax-withholding purposes also changed as a result of the adoption of this new guidance since the Company previously reported such activity as an operating activity rather than a financing activity. As required, the Company applied this change in presentation for the statement of cash flows retrospectively for all periods presented which resulted in an increase of $1.7 million and $2.6 million, respectively, to both net cash provided by operating activities and net cash used in financing activities for fiscal years 2017 and 2016, respectively.
·
The Company excluded the excess tax benefits from the assumed proceeds available to repurchase shares in the computation of its diluted earnings per share for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018. The resulting increase in the Company’s diluted weighted average common shares outstanding was not material.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, “ Customer’s Accounting |
