| Significant Accounting Policies | Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Consolidation. The Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company include the accounts of the Company, its subsidiaries and investments in which the Company has control. Intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. The Company recognizes in the income statement any gains or losses related to investments accounted for under the equity method. Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash. Cash and cash equivalents include primarily time and demand deposits in the Company’s operating bank accounts. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of 90 days or less at the time of purchase to be cash equivalents. Restricted cash consists of amounts not immediately available. Property, plant and equipment. Buildings, machinery and equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated over their estimated useful lives to their salvage values using the straight-line method. Leasehold improvements are recorded at cost and amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the term of the lease or the estimated useful life of the improvement. See Note 14. Computer software. Direct costs incurred in the development of the Company’s internal-use computer software are capitalized. Costs are capitalized from completion of the preliminary project stage and when it is considered probable that the software will be used to perform its intended function, up until the time the software is placed into service. Once placed into service, the software is amortized generally over a period of three to fifteen years. The Company periodically reviews the unamortized capitalized costs of its computer software to assess for any potential impairment. The Company recognizes immediately any impairment losses on software as a result of its review. Research and development costs are expensed in the periods in which they are incurred. Business combinations. Business combinations are accounted for using the acquisition method, and accordingly, the identifiable assets acquired, the liabilities assumed, and any non-controlling interest in the acquiree are recorded at their estimated fair values on the date of acquisition. Acquisition-related costs are expensed as incurred and recorded in selling and administrative expense, exclusive of depreciation and amortization. The Consolidated Financial Statements include the results of the acquisitions subsequent to each of their closings. Goodwill. Goodwill represents the excess purchase price over the fair value of identifiable net assets of businesses acquired, and is not amortized. The Company reviews the recoverability of goodwill annually (or based on any triggering event). To analyze goodwill for impairment, the Company must assign its goodwill to individual reporting units. Identification of reporting units, considers, among other things, the manner in which the Company operates its business and the availability of discrete financial information. For its impairment test as of October 1, 2015, the Company utilized a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value which includes, but is not limited to, consideration of the results of its most recent quantitative impairment test, consideration of macroeconomic conditions, industry and market conditions, cost factors, cash flows, changes in key Company personnel and its share price. For its impairment tests as of October 1, 2014 and 2013, the Company utilized a quantitative goodwill impairment test, which requires estimating fair value of a reporting unit based on a discounted cash flow analysis. A discounted cash flow analysis requires the Company to make various judgmental assumptions, including assumptions about the timing and amount of future cash flows, growth rates and discount rates. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the goodwill impairment loss is measured as the excess of the carrying value of goodwill over its fair value. Based on its annual impairment tests in 2015, 2014 and 2013, no goodwill impairment charges were recorded. See Note 4. Other long-lived assets. The Company reviews the recoverability of its long-lived assets and identifiable intangibles held and used whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. In general, the assessment of possible impairment is based on the Company’s ability to recover the carrying value of the asset from the undiscounted expected future cash flows of the asset. If the future cash flows are less than the carrying value of such asset, an impairment charge is recognized for the difference between the estimated fair value and the carrying value. In addition, the Company also reviews its indefinite-lived intangible assets on an annual basis. Revenue recognition. The Company recognizes revenue when the following criteria have been met: 1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; 2) delivery has occurred or services have been rendered; 3) the seller’s price to the buyer is fixed or determinable; and 4) collectibility is reasonably assured. The Company offers various information offerings developed to meet its clients’ needs by using data secured from a worldwide network of suppliers. The Company’s revenue arrangements may include multiple elements. A typical information offerings arrangement (primarily under fixed-price contracts) may include an ongoing subscription-based deliverable for which revenue is recognized ratably as earned over the contract period, and/or a one-time delivery of data offerings for which revenue is recognized upon delivery, assuming all other criteria are met. The Company’s subscription arrangements typically have terms ranging from one to three years and are generally non-cancelable and do not contain refund-type provisions. The Company also offers technology services offerings that enable its clients to make informed business decisions. Technology services offerings consist of a mix of small and large-scale services and consulting projects, multi-year outsourcing contracts and Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) licenses. These arrangements typically have terms ranging from several weeks to three years, with a majority having terms of one year or less. Revenues for services engagements where deliverables occur ratably over time are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the arrangement. Revenues from time and material contracts are recognized as the services are provided. Revenues from fixed price ad hoc services and consulting contracts are recognized either over the contract term based on the ratio of the number of hours incurred for services provided during the period compared to the total estimated hours to be incurred over the entire arrangement (efforts based), or upon delivery (completed contract). The deliverables in multi-element arrangements qualify as separate units of accounting as each has value on a standalone basis to the client, objective and reliable evidence of fair value for any undelivered item(s) exists, and where the arrangement includes a general right of return relative to the delivered item(s), delivery of the undelivered item(s) is probable and within the Company’s control. The Company allocates revenue to each element within its arrangements based upon their respective relative selling price. Fair values for these elements are based upon the normal pricing practices for these offerings when sold separately. The Company defers revenue for any undelivered elements, and recognizes revenue when the product is delivered or over the term of the agreement, in accordance with its revenue recognition policy for such element as noted above. The Company presents its revenues net of taxes assessed by government authorities. Payment terms vary by client, but are typically stipulated in the contract and are generally invoiced with 30 day payment terms. The Company generally does not offer extended payment terms. Advance payments from clients are credited to Deferred revenues and reflected in Revenue as earned over the contract term. Unbilled receivables are included in Accounts receivable, net in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position and represent revenues for products delivered or services performed that have not yet been invoiced to the client. Unbilled receivables are generally invoiced within the following month. Operating costs of information. Operating costs of information includes costs attributable to personnel involved in production, data management and delivery, and the costs of acquiring and processing data for the Company’s information offerings. One of the Company’s major expenditures is the cost for the data it receives from suppliers. After receipt of the raw data and prior to the data being available for use in any part of the business, the Company is required to transform the raw data into useful information through a series of comprehensive processes. These processes involve significant employee costs and data processing costs. Costs associated with purchases are deferred within work-in-process inventory and recognized as expense as the corresponding data product revenue is recognized, generally over a thirty to sixty day period. Direct and incremental costs of technology services. Direct and incremental costs of technology services include costs of staff directly involved with delivering technology-related, consulting and services generating offerings and engagements, related accommodations and the costs of data purchased specifically for technology services engagements. Direct and incremental costs of technology services do not include an allocation of direct costs of data that are included in operating costs of information. Although the Company’s data, the costs of which are included in Operating costs of information, is used in multiple client solutions across different offerings within both information and technology services, the Company does not have a meaningful way to allocate the direct cost of the data between information and technology services. As such, the direct and incremental costs of technology services do not reflect the total costs incurred to deliver technology services engagements. Restructuring activities. The Company records a liability for significant costs associated with restructuring activities, including employee severance and related benefits, lease termination costs, asset impairments and other qualifying exit costs, when such costs are deemed probable and estimable. Employee severance benefits are calculated pursuant to the terms of established employee protection plans, in accordance with local statutory minimum requirements or individual employee contracts, as applicable. These charges are included in Severance, impairment and other charges, a component of operating income, on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss). Pensions and other postretirement benefits. The Company provides a number of retirement benefits to its employees, including defined benefit pension plans and postretirement medical plans. The determination of benefit obligations and expense is based on actuarial models. In order to measure benefit costs and obligations using these models, critical assumptions are made with regard to the discount rate, expected return on plan assets, cash balance crediting rate, lump sum conversion rate and the assumed rate of compensation increases. In addition, retiree medical care cost trend rates are a key assumption used exclusively in determining costs for the Company’s postretirement health care and life insurance benefit plans. Management reviews these critical assumptions at least annually. Other assumptions involve demographic factors such as the turnover, retirement and mortality rates. Management reviews these assumptions periodically and updates them when its experience deems it appropriate to do so. The discount rate is the rate at which the benefit obligations could be effectively settled and is determined annually by management. For U.S. plans, the discount rate is based on results of a modeling process in which the plans’ expected cash flow (determined on a projected benefit obligation basis) is matched with spot rates developed from a yield curve comprised of high-grade (Moody’s Aa and above, or Standard and Poor’s AA and above) non-callable corporate bonds to develop the present value of the expected cash flow, and, prior to December 31, 2015, then determining the single rate (discount rate) which when applied to the expected cash flow derives that same present value. In the U.K. specifically, the discount rate is set based on the yields on a universe of approximately 120 high quality (Aa rated) non-callable corporate bonds denominated in U.K. Sterling, appropriate to the duration of Plan liabilities. For the other non-U.S. plans, the discount rate is based on the current yield of an index of high quality corporate bonds. At December 31, 2015, the discount rate ranged from 3.00% to 4.57% compared to 2.60% to 3.90% at December 31, 2014 for its U.S. pension plans and postretirement benefit plan. The discount rate for its U.K. pension plan increased to 3.89% at December 31, 2015 from 3.80% at December 31, 2014. The U.S. and U.K. plans represent approximately 90% of the consolidated benefit obligation as of December 31, 2015. The discount rates in other non-U.S. countries increased, as the range of applicable discount rates was 0.60% to 5.00% at December 31, 2015, compared to 0.50% to 4.60% at December 31, 2014. In 2016, the Company will change its approach of how it estimates the service and interest cost components of net periodic benefit cost for its U.S. and U.K. pension benefit plans. Previously, the Company estimated the service and interest cost components utilizing a single weighted-average discount rate derived from the yield curve used to measure the benefit obligation. The new estimate utilizes a full yield curve approach in the estimation of these components by applying the specific spot rates along the yield curve used in the determination of the benefit obligation to each of the underlying projected cash flows based on time until payment. The new estimate provides a more precise measurement of service and interest costs by improving the correlation between projected benefit cash flows and their corresponding spot rates. The change does not affect the measurement of the Company’s U.S. and U.K. pension benefit obligations and it is accounted for as a change in accounting estimate, which is applied prospectively. Under the U.S. qualified retirement plan, participants have a notional retirement account that increases with pay and investment credits. The rate used to determine the investment credit (cash balance crediting rate) varies monthly and is equal to 1/12th of the yield on 30-year U.S. Government Treasury Bonds, with a minimum of 0.25%. At retirement, the account is converted to a monthly retirement benefit. In selecting an expected return on plan asset assumption, the Company considers the returns being earned by each plan investment category in the fund, the rates of return expected to be available for reinvestment and long-term economic forecasts for the type of investments held by the plan. The expected return on plan assets for the U.S. pension plans was 8.0% at January 1, 2016 and January 1, 2015. Outside the U.S., the range of applicable expected rates of return was 1.0% to 5.5% as of January 1, 2016 compared to 1.0% to 6.0% as of January 1, 2015. The actual return on plan assets will vary from year to year versus this assumption. The Company believes it is appropriate to use long-term expected forecasts in selecting the expected return on plan assets. As such, there can be no assurance that the Company’s actual return on plan assets will approximate the long-term expected forecasts. While the Company believes that the assumptions used are reasonable, differences in actual experience or changes in assumptions may materially affect its pension and postretirement obligations and future expense. The Company’s estimated long-term rate of return on plan assets is based on the principles of capital market theory which maintain that over the long run, prudent investment risk taking is rewarded with incremental returns and that combining non-correlated assets can maximize risk adjusted portfolio returns. Long-term return estimates are developed by asset category based on actual class return data, historical relationships between asset classes and risk factors and peer plan data. Long-term return estimates for the Company’s U.K. pension plan are developed by asset category based on actual class return data, historical relationships between asset classes and risk factors. The Company utilizes a corridor approach to amortizing unrecognized gains and losses in the pension and postretirement plans. Amortization occurs when the accumulated unrecognized net gain or loss balance exceeds the criterion of 10% of the larger of the beginning balances of the projected benefit obligation or the market-related value of the plan assets. The excess unrecognized gain or loss balance is then amortized using the straight-line method over the average remaining service-life of active employees expected to receive benefits. At December 31, 2015, the weighted-average remaining service-life of active employees was approximately 25 years. Additional information on pension and other postretirement benefit plans is contained in Note 8. Debt fees . Costs incurred to issue debt are generally deferred and amortized as a component of interest expense over the estimated term of the related debt using the effective interest rate method. Foreign currency. The Company has significant investments in non-U.S. countries. Therefore, changes in the value of foreign currencies affect the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements when translated into U.S. Dollars. For all operations outside the U.S. where the Company has designated the local currency as the functional currency, assets and liabilities are translated using end-of-period exchange rates; revenues, expenses and cash flows are translated using average rates of exchange prevailing during the period the transactions occurred. Translation gains and losses are included as an adjustment to the accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (“AOCI”) component of Shareholders’ Equity. In addition, gains and losses from foreign currency transactions, such as those resulting from the settlement and revaluation of third-party and intercompany foreign receivables and payables, are included in the determination of net income (loss). For operations in countries that are considered to be highly inflationary or where the U.S. Dollar is designated as the functional currency, monetary assets and liabilities are remeasured using end-of-period exchange rates, whereas non-monetary accounts are remeasured using historical exchange rates, and all remeasurement and transaction adjustments are recognized in Other income (loss), net. Income taxes. The Company operates in more than 100 countries around the world and its earnings are taxed at the applicable income tax rate in each of those countries. The Company provides for income taxes utilizing the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred income taxes are recorded to reflect the tax consequences in future years of differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their financial reporting amounts at each balance sheet date, based on enacted tax laws and statutory tax rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. If it is determined that it is more likely than not that future tax benefits associated with a deferred tax asset will not be realized, a valuation allowance is provided. In the event the Company was to determine that it would be able to realize its deferred tax assets in the future in excess of its net recorded amount, an adjustment to the deferred tax asset would increase income in the period such determination was made. Likewise, should the Company determine that it would not be able to realize all or part of its net deferred tax asset in the future, an adjustment to the deferred tax asset would be charged to income in the period such determination was made. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in the tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense. See Note 11 for additional information. Stock-based compensation. The Company maintains an equity incentive plan, which provides for the grant of stock options (including incentive stock options), stock appreciation rights, restricted and deferred stock (including restricted stock units), dividend equivalents, other stock-based awards and performance awards, including annual incentive awards. The Company is required to estimate the fair value of share-based payment awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model. For performance-based awards, stock-based compensation expense is adjusted over time based on the Company’s assessment of the probability of achieving the financial targets. The value of the portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized as expense either on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award or on a graded vesting basis (performance-based awards) in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss). As the stock-based compensation is based on awards ultimately expected to vest, it has been reduced for estimated forfeitures. The Company is required to estimate the forfeitures at the time of grant and revise, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. See Note 10 for additional information. Computation of earnings (loss) per share. Basic earnings (loss) per share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings (loss) per share is computed, when the result is dilutive, using the weighted-average number of common shares and dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period. Dilutive potential common shares primarily consist of employee stock options and restricted stock units. Employee equity share options, restricted stock units, performance shares and similar equity instruments granted by the Company are treated as potential common shares outstanding in computing diluted earnings per share. Diluted shares outstanding include restricted stock units and the dilutive effect of in-the-money options which is calculated based on the average share price for each fiscal period using the treasury stock method. Under the treasury stock method, the amount the employee must pay for exercising stock options, the amount of compensation cost for future service that the Company has not yet recognized, and the amount of benefits that would be recorded in additional paid-in capital when the award becomes deductible for tax purposes are assumed to be used to repurchase shares. In periods of net loss, basic loss per share and diluted loss per share are the same since the effect of potential common shares is anti-dilutive and therefore excluded. See Note 17 for additional information. Treasury stock . The Company records treasury stock purchases under the cost method. Upon reissuance of treasury stock, amounts in excess of the acquisition cost are credited to additional paid in capital. If the Company reissues treasury stock at an amount below its acquisition cost and additional paid in capital associated with prior treasury stock transactions is insufficient to cover the difference between the acquisition cost and the reissue price, this difference is recorded against retained earnings. See Note 9 for additional information. Legal costs. Legal costs are expensed as incurred. Reportable segments. The Company’s operations consist of one reportable segment, which represents management’s view of the Company’s operations based on its management and internal reporting structure. See Note 16 for additional information. Use of estimates. The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses and the related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates. The most significant estimates relate to allowances, depreciation of fixed assets including salvage values, carrying value of goodwill and intangible assets, provision for income taxes and tax assets and liabilities, reserves for severance, pensions and reserves for employee benefits, stock-based compensation, contingencies and litigation. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The accounting estimates used in the preparation of the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements will change as new events occur, as more experience is acquired, as additional information is obtained and as the Company’s operating environment changes. Actual results could vary from the estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements. Recently Issued Accounting Standards In November 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance on the balance sheet classification of deferred taxes. The guidance requires deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities be presented as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position, instead of separately presenting deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities as current and noncurrent. The Company early-adopted the guidance effective December 31, 2015 on a prospective basis, and as such, prior periods were not restated on adoption. In September 2015, the FASB issued guidance that eliminates the requirement to restate prior period financial statements for measurement period adjustments and requires the cumulative impact of a measurement period adjustment to be recognized in the reporting period in which the adjustment is identified. The guidance will be applied prospectively and is effective for the Company’s interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company early-adopted the guidance during the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2015 with no material effect on the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss). See Note 3 for more information regarding measurement period adjustments recorded during the three months ended December 31, 2015. In May 2014, the FASB issued revised guidance on the recognition of revenue from contracts with customers. The guidance provides that revenue should be recognized for 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 guidance also requires enhanced disclosures. In August 2015, the FASB delayed the effective date of the guidance to interim and annual periods beginning January 1, 2018. Earlier adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this new standard on its Consolidated Financial Statements, as well as the method of transition that it will use in adopting the new standard. In May 2015, the FASB updated the accounting standards related to fair value measurement for investments that are measured at net asset value. The update eliminates the requirement to categorize within the fair value hierarchy all investments for which fair value is measured using the net asset value per share as a practical expedient. In addition, the update limits disclosures to investments for which the entity elected to measure the fair value using the practical expedient rather than all eligible investments. The update is effective beginning in the first quarter of 2016, with early adoption permitted, and will be applied retrospectively. The standard will only impact disclosures related to certain assets held by its pension plans and will not impact the Company’s consolidated financial results. In April 2015, the FASB issued guidance to help entities evaluate the accounting for fees paid by a customer in a cloud computing arrangement. Under the new guidance, if a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, then the customer should account for the software license element of the arrangement consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If a cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. The guidance is effective for the Company’s interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not believe the adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on its financial results. Also in April 2015, the FASB issued guidance on the presentation of debt issuance costs. The guidance requires the presentation of debt issuance costs as a direct deduction from the related debt liability rather than as an asset. In August 2015, the FASB clarified the guidance that debt issuance costs related to line-of-credit arrangements could continue to be presented as an asset and be subsequently amortized over the term of the line-of-credit arrangement, regardless of whether there are any outstanding borrowings on the arrangement. The guidance is effective for the Company’s interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and requires retrospective application to all prior periods presented. The Company adopted the guidance effective December 31, 2015 and presented $51 million and $54 million, respectively, of debt issuance costs as a direct deduction to the debt liability as of December 31, 2015 and 2014. The Company continues to present the unamortized debt issuance costs for its revolving credit facility in Other assets. This change in accounting principle did not have an impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows or stockholders’ equity. In April 2014, the FASB issued guidance which changed the criteria for reporting discontinued operations and modifies the related disclosure requirements. Additionally, the new guidance requires that a business which qualifies as held for sale upon acquisition should be reported as discontinued operations. Adoption of this guidance, which was applied prospectively, on January 1, 2015 did not have a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements. |
