Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Our Company

Our Company

Broadcom Corporation (including our subsidiaries, referred to collectively in this Report as “Broadcom,” “we,” “our” and “us”) is a global leader and innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom^® products seamlessly deliver voice, video, data and multimedia connectivity in the home, office and mobile environments. We provide the industry’s broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip solutions, or SoCs.

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or GAAP, for interim financial information and with the instructions to Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, Form 10-Q and Article 10 of SEC Regulation S-X. They do not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. Therefore, these financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2013, included in our 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on January 30, 2014, referred to as our 2013 Annual Report.

The interim condensed consolidated financial statements included herein are unaudited; however, they contain all normal recurring accruals and adjustments that, in the opinion of management, are necessary to present fairly our results of operations and financial position for the interim periods. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for future quarters or the full year. Additionally, certain amounts previously reported as licensing revenue have been reclassified to product revenue to conform to the current period presentation. Such reclassifications had an impact of $8 million in the three months ended March 31, 2013, but did not affect total net revenue, net income, shareholders' equity or cash flows.

For a complete summary of our significant accounting policies, please refer to Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” in Part IV, Item 15 of our 2013 Annual Report. There have been no material changes to our significant accounting policies during the three months ended March 31, 2014.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and the reported amounts of total net revenue and expenses in the reporting periods. We regularly evaluate estimates and assumptions related to revenue recognition, rebates, allowances for doubtful accounts, sales returns and allowances, warranty obligations, inventory valuation, stock-based compensation expense, goodwill and purchased intangible asset valuations, strategic investments, deferred income tax asset valuation allowances, uncertain tax positions, tax contingencies, self-insurance, restructuring costs or reversals, litigation and other loss contingencies. These estimates and assumptions are based on current facts, historical experience and various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities and the recording of revenue, costs and expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. The actual results we experience may differ materially and adversely from our estimates. To the extent there are material differences between the estimates and actual results, our future results of operations will be affected.

Segment Reporting, Policy

Reportable Segments

Broadcom has three reportable segments consistent with our target markets. Our three reportable segments are: Broadband Communications (Home), Mobile and Wireless (Hand), and Infrastructure and Networking (Infrastructure). Our Chief Executive Officer, who is our chief operating decision maker, or CODM, regularly reviews financial information at the reportable segment level.

Our net revenue is generated principally from sales of integrated circuit products. While we derive some revenue from other sources, that revenue is not material as it represents less than 1% of our total net revenue. Such revenue is classified under product revenue for reporting purposes. We group our net revenue consistent with our three target markets which comprise our reportable segments, as discussed above.

With respect to the sales of integrated circuit products, we have approximately 550 products that are grouped into approximately 70 product lines. We have concluded that these products constitute a group of similar products within each reportable segment in each of the following respects:

• the integrated circuits marketed by each of our reportable segments are sold to one type of customer: manufacturers of wired and wireless communications equipment, which incorporate our integrated circuits into their electronic products;

• the integrated circuits sold by each of our reportable segments use the same standard CMOS manufacturing processes; and

• all of our integrated circuits are sold through a centralized sales force and common wholesale distributors.

We also report an “All Other” category, which included income from the Qualcomm Agreement in prior periods, since it was principally the result of corporate efforts, and also includes operating expenses that we do not allocate to our reportable segments as these expenses are not included in the segment operating performance measures evaluated by our CODM. Operating costs and expenses that are not allocated include stock-based compensation, amortization of purchased intangible assets, amortization of acquired inventory valuation step-up, impairment of goodwill and other long-lived assets, net settlement costs (gains), net restructuring costs, charitable contributions, non-recurring legal fees, change in contingent earnout liability, gain (loss) on sale of assets, employer payroll tax on certain stock option exercises, and other miscellaneous expenses related to corporate allocations that were either over or under the original projections at the beginning of the year. We include stock-based compensation and acquisition-related items in the “All Other” category as decisions regarding equity compensation are made at the corporate level and our CODM reviews reportable segment performance exclusive of these charges. Our CODM does not review information regarding total assets, interest income or income taxes on a segment basis. The accounting policies for segment reporting are the same as for Broadcom as a whole.

Earnings Per Share

Computation of Net Income Per Share

Net income per share (basic) is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year. Net income per share (diluted) is calculated by adjusting outstanding shares, assuming any dilutive effects of stock options, stock purchase rights and restricted stock units calculated using the treasury stock method. Under the treasury stock method, an increase in the fair market value of our Class A common stock results in a greater dilutive effect from outstanding stock options, stock purchase rights and restricted stock units. Additionally, the exercise of employee stock options and stock purchase rights and the vesting of restricted stock units results in a further dilutive effect on net income per share.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements

Our financial instruments consist principally of cash and cash equivalents, short- and long-term marketable securities, accounts receivable, accounts payable and long-term debt. The fair value of a financial instrument is the amount that would be received in an asset sale or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between unaffiliated market participants. Assets and liabilities measured at fair value are categorized based on whether or not the inputs are observable in the market and the degree that the inputs are observable. The categorization of financial instruments within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The hierarchy is prioritized into three levels (with Level 3 being the lowest) defined as follows:

Level 1: Inputs are based on quoted market prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets at the measurement date.

Level 2:Inputs include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets and/or quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active near the measurement date.

Level 3:Inputs include management’s best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. The inputs are unobservable in the market and significant to the instrument’s valuation.

The fair value of the majority of our cash equivalents and marketable securities was determined based on “Level 1” inputs. The fair value of certain marketable securities and our long-term debt were determined based on “Level 2” inputs. The valuation techniques used to measure the fair value of our “Level 2” instruments were valued based on quoted market prices or model driven valuations using significant inputs derived from or corroborated by observable market data. We do not have any marketable securities in the “Level 3” category. We believe that the recorded values of all our other financial instruments approximate their current fair values because of their nature and respective relatively short maturity dates or durations.