| Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES A. Use of Estimates. The preparation of these financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes thereto. These estimates are based on management’s best knowledge of current events, historical experience, actions that the Company may undertake in the future and on various other assumptions and judgment that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Accordingly, actual results could differ from those estimates. The use of estimates in specific accounting policies is described further in the notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, as appropriate. B. Revenue Recognition. ASU No. 2014-09 outlines a single comprehensive model to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. The core principle is that an entity recognizes revenue to reflect 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. The Company’s revenues from clients are primarily generated from fees for providing investor communications and technology-enabled services and solutions. Revenues are recognized for the two reportable segments as follows: • Investor Communication Solutions —Revenues are generated primarily from processing and distributing investor communications and other related services as well as vote processing and tabulation. The Company typically enters into agreements with clients to provide services on a fee for service basis. Fees received for processing and distributing investor communications are generally variably priced and recognized as revenue over time as the Company provides the services to clients based on the number of units processed, which coincides with the pattern of value transfer to the client. Broadridge works directly with corporate issuers (“Issuers”) and mutual funds to ensure that the account holders of the Company’s bank and broker clients, who are also the shareholders of Issuers and mutual funds, receive the appropriate investor communications materials and that the services are fulfilled in accordance with each Issuer’s and mutual fund’s requirements. Broadridge works directly with the Issuers and mutual funds to resolve any issues that may arise. As such, Issuers and mutual funds are viewed as the customer of the Company’s services. As a result, revenues for distribution services as well as proxy materials fulfillment services are recorded in Revenue on a gross basis with corresponding costs including amounts remitted to the broker-dealers and banks (referred to as “Nominees”) recorded in Cost of revenues. Fees for the Company’s investor communications services arrangements are typically billed and paid on a monthly basis following the delivery of the services. The Company also offers certain hosted service arrangements that can be priced on a fixed and/or variable basis for which revenue is recognized over time as the Company satisfies its performance obligation by delivering services to the client on a monthly basis based on the number of transactions processed or units delivered, in the case of variable priced arrangements, or a fixed monthly fee in the case of fixed price arrangements, in each case which coincides with the pattern of value transfer to the client. These services may be billed in a variety of payment frequencies depending on the specific arrangement. • Global Technology and Operations —Revenues are generated primarily from fees for trade processing and related services. Revenue is recognized over time as the Company satisfies its performance obligation by delivering services to the client. The Company’s arrangements for processing and related services typically consist of an obligation to provide specific services to its clients on a when and if needed basis (a stand ready obligation) with revenue recognized from the satisfaction of the performance obligations on a monthly basis generally in the amount billable to the client. These services are generally provided under variable priced arrangements based on volume of service and can include minimum monthly usage fees. Client service agreements often include up-front consideration in addition to the recurring fee for trade processing. Up-front implementation fees, as well as certain enhancements to existing technology platforms, are deferred and recognized on a straight-line basis over the service term of the contract which corresponds to the timing of transfer of value to the client that commences after client acceptance when the processing term begins. In addition, revenue is also generated from the fulfillment of professional services engagements which are generally priced on a time and materials or fixed price basis, and are recognized as the services are provided to the client which corresponds to the timing of transfer of value to the client. Finally, the Company recognizes license revenues from software term licenses installed on clients’ premises upon delivery and acceptance of the software license, assuming a contract is deemed to exist. Software term license revenue is not a significant portion of the Company’s revenues. The Company uses the following methods, inputs, and assumptions in determining amounts of revenue to recognize: Identification of Performance Obligations For revenue arrangements containing multiple goods or services, the Company accounts for the individual goods or services as a separate performance obligation if they are distinct, the good or service is separately identifiable from other items in the arrangement, and if a client can benefit from it on its own or with other resources that are readily available to the client. If these criteria are not met, the promised goods or services are accounted for as a combined performance obligation. Transaction Price Once separate performance obligations are determined, the transaction price is allocated to the individual performance obligations within a contract. If the contracted prices reflect the relative standalone selling prices for the individual performance obligations, no allocations are made. Otherwise, the Company uses the relative selling price method to allocate the transaction price, obtained from sources such as the observable price of a good or service when the Company sells that good or service separately in similar circumstances and to similar clients. If such evidence is unavailable, the Company uses the best estimate of the selling price, which includes various internal factors such as pricing strategy and market factors. A significant portion of the Company’s performance obligations are generated from transactions with volume based fees and includes services that are delivered at the same time. The Company recognizes revenue related to these arrangements over time as the services are provided to the client. While many of the Company’s contracts contain some component of variable consideration, the Company only recognizes variable consideration that is not expected to reverse. The Company allocates variable payments to distinct services in an overall contract when the variable payment relates specifically to that particular service and for which the variable payment reflects what the Company expects to receive in exchange for that particular service. As a result, the Company generally allocates and recognizes variable consideration in the period it has the contractual right to invoice the client. As described above, our most significant performance obligations involve variable consideration which constitutes the majority of our revenue streams. The Company’s variable consideration components meet the criteria in ASU No. 2014-09 for exclusion from disclosure of the remaining transaction price allocated to unsatisfied performance obligations as does any contracts with clients with an original duration of one year or less. The Company has contracts with clients that vary in length depending on the nature of the services and contractual terms negotiated with the client, and they generally extend over a multi-year period. Taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are both imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction, that are collected by the Company from a client, are excluded from revenue. Distribution revenues associated with shipping and handling activities are accounted for as a fulfillment activity and recognized as the related services or products are transferred to the client. As a practical expedient, the Company does not adjust the transaction price for the effects of a significant financing component if, at contract inception, the period between client payment and the transfer of goods or services is expected to be one year or less. C. Cash and Cash Equivalents. Investment securities with an original maturity of 90 days or less are considered cash equivalents. The fair value of the Company’s Cash and cash equivalents approximates carrying value due to their short term nature. D. Financial Instruments. Substantially all of the financial instruments of the Company other than Long-term debt are carried at fair values, or at carrying amounts that approximate fair values because of the short maturity of the instruments. The carrying value of the Company’s long-term fixed-rate senior notes represent the face value of the long-term fixed-rate senior notes net of the unamortized discount and net of the associated unamortized debt issuance cost. The fair value of the Company’s long-term fixed-rate senior notes is based on quoted market prices. Refer to Note 13, “Borrowings,” for a further description of the Company’s long-term fixed-rate senior notes. E. Property, Plant and Equipment. Property, plant and equipment is initially recorded at cost and depreciated over the estimated useful lives of the assets using the straight-line method. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the term of the lease or the estimated useful lives of the improvements. The estimated useful lives of assets are as follows: Equipment 3 to 7 years Buildings and Building Improvements 5 to 20 years Furniture and fixtures 4 to 7 years Refer to Note 9, “Property, Plant and Equipment, Net”, for a further description of the Company’s Property, plant and equipment, net. F. Securities. Securities are non-derivatives that are reflected in Other non-current assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, unless management intends to dispose of the investment within twelve months of the end of the reporting period, in which case they are reflected in Other current assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. These investments are in entities over which the Company does not have control, joint control, or significant influence. Securities that have a readily determinable fair value are carried at fair value. Securities without a readily determinable fair value are initially recognized at cost and subsequently carried at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in transactions for an identical or similar investment of the same issuer, such as subsequent capital raising transactions. Changes in the value of securities with or without a readily determinable fair value are recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings. In determining whether a security without a readily determinable fair value is impaired, management considers qualitative factors to identify an impairment including the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer. G. Inventories. Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (determined on a first-in, first-out basis) or market. Inventory balances of $21.5 million and $21.1 million, consisting of forms and envelopes used in the mailing of proxy and other materials to our customers, are reflected in Other current assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets at June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. H. Deferred Client Conversion and Start-Up Costs. Direct costs incurred to set up or convert a client’s systems to function with the Company’s technology, that are expected to be recovered, are generally deferred and recognized on a straight-line basis over the service term of the arrangement to which the costs relate, which commences after client acceptance when the processing term begins. The Company evaluates the carrying value of deferred client conversion and start-up costs for impairment on the basis of whether these costs are fully recoverable from the expected future undiscounted net operating cash flows of the client to which the deferred costs relate. These deferred costs are reflected in Other non-current assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets at June 30, 2020 and June 30, 2019, respectively. Refer to Note 11, “Other Non-Current Assets” for a further description of the Company’s Deferred client conversion and start-up costs. I. Deferred Sales Commission Costs. The Company defers incremental costs to obtain a client contract that it expects to recover, which consists of sales commissions incurred, only if the contract is executed. Deferred sales commission costs are amortized on a straight-line basis using a portfolio approach consistent with the pattern of transfer of the goods or services to which the asset relates, which also considers expected customer lives. As a practical expedient, the Company recognizes the sales commissions as an expense when incurred if the amortization period of the sales commission asset that the entity otherwise would have recognized is one year or less. The Company evaluates the carrying value of deferred sales commission costs for impairment on the basis of whether these costs are fully recoverable from the expected future undiscounted net operating cash flows of the portfolio of clients to which the deferred sales commission costs relate. Refer to Note 11, “Other Non-Current Assets” for a further description of the Company’s Deferred sales commission costs. J. Deferred Data Center Costs. Data center costs relate to conversion costs associated with our principal data center systems and applications. Costs directly related to the activities necessary to make the data center usable for its intended purpose are deferred and amortized over the life of the contract on a straight-line basis commencing on the date the data center has achieved full functionality. These deferred costs are reflected in Other non-current assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets at June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Refer to Note 11, “Other Non-Current Assets” for a further description of the Company’s Deferred data center costs. K. Goodwill. The Company does not amortize goodwill but instead tests goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level at least annually or more frequently if circumstances indicate possible impairment. The Company tests for goodwill impairment annually in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, using the March 31 financial statement balances. The Company’s evaluation of goodwill for impairment involves the comparison of the fair value of each reporting unit to its carrying value. The Company determines the fair value of its reporting units using the income approach, which considers a discounted future cash flow analysis using various assumptions, including projections of revenues based on assumed long-term growth rates, estimated costs and appropriate discount rates based on the particular reporting unit’s weighted-average cost of capital. The principal factors used in the discounted cash flow analysis requiring judgment are the projected future operating cash flows based on forecasted earnings before interest and taxes, and the selection of the terminal value growth rate and discount rate assumptions. The weighted-average cost of capital takes into account the relative weight of each component of our consolidated capital structure (equity and long-term debt). The estimates of long-term growth and costs are based on historical data, various internal estimates and a variety of external sources, and are developed as part of the Company’s routine, long-range planning process. If the carrying amount of reporting unit goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill, an impairment loss shall be recognized in an amount equal to that excess. The implied fair value of goodwill is determined in the same manner as the amount of goodwill recognized in a business combination is determined. Refer to Note 10, “Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Net” for a further description on the Company’s accounting for goodwill. L. Impairment of Long-Lived Assets. Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset (or asset group) may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset (or asset group) to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset (or asset group). If the carrying amount of an asset (or asset group) exceeds its expected estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset (or asset group) exceeds its fair value. Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized primarily on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives and are also reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Refer to Note 9, “Property, Plant and Equipment, Net” for a further description of the Company’s Property, plant and equipment, net. Refer to Note 6, “Acquisitions” and Note 10, “Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Net” for a further description of the Company’s Intangible assets, net. M. Equity Method Investments . The Company’s investments resulting in a 20% to 50% ownership interest are accounted for using the equity method of accounting when the ability to exercise significant influence is maintained by the Company. The Company’s share of net income or losses of equity method investments is included in Other non-operating income (expenses), net. Equity method investments are included in Other non-current assets. Equity method investments are reviewed for impairment by assessing if a decline in market value of the investment below the carrying value is other than temporary, which considers the intent and ability to retain the investment, the length of time and extent that the market value has been less than cost, and the financial condition of the investee. N. Foreign Currency Translation and Transactions. The assets and liabilities of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars based on exchange rates in effect at the end of each period. Revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates during the periods. Currency transaction gains or losses are included in Non-operating income (expenses), net. Gains or losses from balance sheet translation are included in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). O. Distribution Cost of Revenues. Distribution cost of revenues consists primarily of postage related expenses incurred in connection with the Company’s Investor Communication Solutions segment, as well as Matrix Financial Solutions, Inc. administrative services expenses. These costs are reflected in Cost of revenues in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings. P. Stock-Based Compensation. The Company accounts for stock-based compensation by recognizing the measurement of stock-based compensation expense in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings based on the fair value of the award on the date of grant. For stock options issued, the fair value of each stock option was estimated on the date of grant using a binomial option-pricing model. The binomial model considers a range of assumptions related to volatility, dividend yield, risk-free interest rate, and employee exercise behavior. Expected volatilities utilized in the binomial model are based on a combination of implied market volatilities, historical volatility of the Company’s stock price, and other factors. Similarly, the dividend yield is based on historical experience and expected future changes. The risk-free rate is derived from the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant. The binomial model also incorporates exercise and forfeiture assumptions based on an analysis of historical data. The expected life of the stock option grants is derived from the output of the binomial model and represents the period of time that options granted are expected to be outstanding. For restricted stock units, the fair value of the award is based on the current fair value of the Company’s stock on the date of grant less the present value of future expected dividends discounted at the risk-free-rate derived from the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant. Refer to Note 15, “Stock-Based Compensation” for a further description of the Company’s stock-based compensation. Q. Internal Use Software. Expenditures for major software purchases and software developed or obtained for internal use are capitalized and amortized generally over a three five R. Income Taxes. The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which establishes financial accounting and reporting standards for the effect of income taxes. The objectives of accounting for income taxes are to recognize the amount of taxes payable or refundable for the current year and deferred tax liabilities and assets for the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements or tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized based on temporary differences between the consolidated financial statement carrying amounts and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect in the years in which the temporary differences are expected to reverse. Judgment is required in addressing the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our Consolidated Financial Statements or tax returns (e.g., realization of deferred tax assets, changes in tax laws or interpretations thereof). Valuation allowances are recognized to reduce deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that the Company will not be able to utilize the deferred tax assets attributable to net operating and capital loss carryforwards of certain subsidiaries to offset future taxable earnings. The determination as to whether a deferred tax asset will be recognized is made on a jurisdictional basis and is based on the evaluation of historical taxable income or loss, projected future taxable income, carryforward periods, scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities and tax planning strategies. Projected future taxable income is based on expected results and assumptions as to the jurisdiction in which the income will be earned. The assumptions used to project future taxable income requires significant judgment and are consistent with the plans and estimates used to manage the underlying businesses. Refer to Note 17, “Income Taxes” for a further description of the Company’s income taxes. S . Advertising Costs. Advertising cos ts are expensed at the time the advertising takes place. Total advertising costs were $6.8 million, $4.1 million and $6.3 million for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. T. Concentration of Risk. The majority of our clients operate in the financial services industry. In the fiscal years ended June 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018, we derived approximately 20% , 22% and 21% of our consolidated revenues from our five largest clients in that particular fiscal year, respectively. Our largest single client in each of our fiscal years 2020, 2019 and 2018 accounted for approximately 6% of our consolidated revenues. U. New Accounting Pronouncements. Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, as subsequently amended by ASU No. 2018-10, “Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases,” ASU No. 2018-11, “Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements,” and ASU No. 2018-20, “Leases (Topic 842): Narrow Scope Improvements for Lessors" (collectively referred to herein as “ASU No. 2016-02, as amended”). Under ASU No. 2016-02, as amended, all lease arrangements, with certain limited exceptions, exceeding a twelve-month term must now be recognized as assets and liabilities on the balance sheet of the lessee by recording a ROU asset and corresponding lease obligation generally equal to the present value of the future lease payments over the lease term. Further, the income statement will reflect lease expense for leases classified as operating and amortization/interest expense for leases classified as financing, determined using classification criteria substantially similar to the current lease guidance for distinguishing between an operating and capital lease. ASU No. 2016-02, as amended, also contains certain additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures to supplement the amounts recorded in the financial statements so that users can understand more about the nature of an entity’s leasing activities, including significant judgments and changes in judgments. ASU No. 2016-02, as amended, was effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal year 2020 and could have been adopted using either a modified retrospective basis which required adjustment to all comparative periods presented in the consolidated financial statements, or by recognizing a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings at the date of initial application. Accordingly, in the first quarter of fiscal year 2020, the Company adopted ASU No. 2016-02, as amended, by recognizing a ROU asset and corresponding lease liability, along with a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings, in the period of adoption. Under this method of adoption, the Company has not restated the prior period Consolidated Financial Statements presented to the current period presentation. The Company elected the transition package of three practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance in ASU No. 2016-02, as amended, to not reassess prior conclusions related to whether (i) a contract contains a lease, (ii) the classification of an existing lease, and (iii) the accounting for initial direct costs. The Company also elected accounting policies to (i) not separate the non-lease components of a contract from the lease component to which they relate, and (ii) not recognize assets or liabilities for leases with a term of twelve months or less and no purchase option that the Company is reasonably certain of exercising. On the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of July 1, 2019, the adoption of ASU No. 2016-02, as amended, resulted in the recognition of lease liabilities of $252.0 million and ROU assets of $235.4 million, which include the impact of existing deferred rents and tenant improvement allowances for operating leases, as well as a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings of $0.2 million. The adoption of ASU No. 2016-02, as amended, did not have a material impact on the Consolidated Statements of Earnings, the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, or the Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity. Effective July 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASU No. 2014-09. ASU No. 2014-09 outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most prior revenue recognition guidance, including industry specific requirements. It also includes guidance on accounting for the incremental costs of obtaining and costs incurred to fulfill a contract with a customer. The core principle of the revenue model is to recognize revenues when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU No. 2014-09 also requires certain enhanced disclosures, including disclosures on the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenues and cash flows from contracts with customers. The Company identified certain impacts of ASU No. 2014-09 on its Consolidated Financial Statements. Specifically, under ASU No. 2014-09, the Company now capitalizes certain sales commissions, and it capitalizes certain additional costs that are part of setting up or converting a client’s systems to function with the Company’s technology, both of which were previously expensed. Additionally, the Company now recognizes proxy revenue primarily at the time of proxy materials distribution to the client’s shareholders rather than on the date of the client’s shareholder meeting, which is typically 30 days after the proxy materials distribution. Other changes to the timing of revenue recognition include deferral of revenue from certain transaction processing platform enhancements as well as acceleration of revenue from certain multi-year software license arrangements that was previously recognized over the term of the software subscription. The Company adopted ASU No. 2014-09 effective July 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective transition method applied to all contracts, which resulted in a cumulative-effect increase in the opening balance of retained earnings of $101.3 million, most notably related to the deferral of incremental sales commissions incurred in obtaining contracts in prior periods. Under this transition approach, the Company did not restate the prior period Consolidated Financial Statements presented. See Note 3, “Revenue Recognition” for additional information about the Company’s revenue recognition policies. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software: Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract” (“ASU No. 2018-15”), which aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a cloud computing hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements under GAAP for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. ASU No. 2018-15 will be effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021. Entities are permitted to apply either a retrospective or prospective transition approach to adopt the guidance. The pending adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses” (“ASU No. 2016-13”), which prescribes an impairment model for most financial instruments based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. Under this model, an estimate of expected credit losses over the contractual life of the instrument is to be recorded as of the end of a reporting period as an allowance to offset the amortized cost basis, resulting in a net presentation of the amount expected to be collected on the financial instrument. ASU No. 2016-13 is effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021. For most instruments, entities must apply the standard using a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The pending adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements. |
