BlackBerry Limited (the “Company”) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The Company secures more than 500 million endpoints, including 150 million cars. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the Company leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security management, encryption, and embedded systems. The Company’s common shares trade under the ticker symbol “BB” on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange.

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of all subsidiaries of the Company with intercompany transactions and balances eliminated on consolidation. All of the Company’s subsidiaries are wholly owned. These consolidated financial statements have been prepared by management in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) on a basis consistent for all periods presented, except as described in Note 2.

Under ASC 606, a receivable is recorded when it is unconditional; that is, the only thing required for its collection is the passage of time. If a receivable is not unconditional, the amount is treated as a contract asset and netted against any contract liabilities, such as deferred revenue, associated with the same contract. Most of the Company’s contracts for its IoT software and services contain customer termination provisions, but do not have refund rights for the unused portion of any contract.

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions with respect to the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Significant areas requiring the use of management estimates relate to revenue-related estimates including variable consideration, standalone selling price (“SSP”), estimated customer life, if control of the license has transferred, value of non-cash consideration, right of return and customer incentive commitments, fair value of reporting units in relation to potential goodwill impairment, fair value of the Debentures, fair value of long-lived assets in relation to potential impairment, useful lives of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations, provision for income taxes, realization of deferred income tax assets and the related components of the valuation allowance, allowance for doubtful accounts, incremental borrowing rate in determining the present value of lease liabilities and the determination of reserves for various litigation claims. Actual results could differ from these estimates, which were based upon circumstances that existed as of the date of the consolidated financial statements, February 29, 2020. Subsequent to this date, there have been significant changes to the global economic situation and to public securities markets as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is reasonably possible that this could cause changes to estimates as a result of the financial circumstances of the markets in which the Company operates, the price of the Company’s publicly traded equity in comparison to the Company’s carrying value, and the health of the global economy. Such changes to estimates could potentially result in impacts that would be material to the consolidated financial statements, particularly with respect to the fair value of the Company’s reporting units in relation to potential goodwill impairment and the fair value of long-lived assets in relation to potential impairment.

Foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities of the Company and its U.S. dollar functional currency subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars. Accordingly, monetary assets and liabilities are translated using the exchange rates in effect as at the consolidated balance sheet dates, and revenue and expenses are translated at the rates of exchange prevailing when the transactions occurred. Remeasurement adjustments are included in income. Non-monetary assets and liabilities are translated at historical exchange rates.

Foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities of the Company’s non-U.S. dollar functional currency subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates in effect as at the consolidated balance sheet dates. Revenue and expenses are translated using daily exchange rates. Exchange gains or losses arising from translation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities are included as a currency translation adjustment within accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (“AOCI”).

The accounts receivable balance reflects invoiced and accrued revenue and is presented net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. The allowance for doubtful accounts reflects estimates of probable losses in the accounts receivable balance. The Company expects the majority of its accounts receivable balances to continue to come from large customers as it sells the majority of its software products and services through resellers and network carriers rather than directly.

The Company evaluates the collectability of its accounts receivable balance based upon a combination of factors on a periodic basis such as specific credit risk of its customers, historical trends and economic circumstances. The Company, in the normal course of business, monitors the financial condition of its customers and reviews the credit history of each new customer. When the Company becomes aware of a specific customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations to the Company (such as in the case of bankruptcy filings or material deterioration in the customer’s operating results or financial position, and payment experiences), the Company records a specific bad debt provision to reduce the customer’s related accounts receivable to its estimated net realizable value. If circumstances related to specific customers change, the Company’s estimates of the recoverability of accounts receivable balances could be further adjusted.

The Company’s cash equivalents and investments, other than publicly issued equity securities and private equity investments without readily determinable fair value, consist of money market and other debt securities, which are classified as available-for-sale for accounting purposes and are carried at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses, net of related income taxes, are recorded in AOCI until such investments mature or are sold. The Company uses the specific identification method of determining the cost basis in computing realized gains or losses on available-for-sale investments, which are recorded in investment income. In the event of a decline in value that is other-than-temporary, the investment is written down to fair value with a charge to income. The Company does not exercise significant influence with respect to any of these investments. Publicly issued equity securities are recorded at fair value and revalued at each reporting period with changes in fair value recorded through investment income. The Company elects to record private equity investments without readily determinable fair value at cost minus impairment, and adjusted for any changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for identical or similar investments of the same issuer. The Company reassesses each reporting period that its private equity investments without readily determinable fair value continue to qualify for this treatment.

Investments with maturities at the time of purchase of three months or less are classified as cash equivalents. Investments with maturities of one year or less (but which are not cash equivalents), public equity investments and any investments that the Company intends to hold for less than one year are classified as short-term investments. Investments with maturities in excess of one year or investments that the Company does not intend to sell are classified as long-term investments.

The Company assesses individual investments that are in an unrealized loss position to determine whether the unrealized loss is other-than-temporary. The Company makes this assessment by considering available evidence, including changes in general market conditions, specific industry and individual company data, the length of time and the extent to which the fair value has been less than cost, the financial condition, the near-term prospects of the individual investment and the Company’s intent and ability to hold the investment. In the event that a decline in the fair value of an investment occurs and that decline in value is considered to be other-than-temporary, an impairment charge is recorded in investment income equal to the difference between the cost basis and the fair value of the individual investment as at the consolidated balance sheet date of the reporting period for which the assessment was made. The fair value of the investment then becomes the new cost basis of the investment.

If a debt security’s market value is below its amortized cost and either the Company intends to sell the security or it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell the security before its anticipated recovery, the Company records an other-than-temporary impairment charge to investment income for the entire amount of the impairment. For other-than-temporary impairments on debt securities that the Company does not intend to sell and it is not more likely than not that the entity will be required to sell the security before its anticipated recovery, the Company would separate the other-than-temporary impairment into the amount representing the credit loss and the amount related to all other factors. The Company would record the other-than-temporary impairment related to the credit loss as a charge to investment income, and the remaining other-than-temporary impairment would be recorded as a component of AOCI.

The Company records all derivative instruments at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets. The fair value of these instruments is calculated based on notional and exercise values, transaction rates, market quoted currency spot rates, forward points, volatilities and interest rate yield curves. The accounting for changes in the fair value of a derivative depends on the intended use of the derivative instrument and the resulting designation.

For derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges, the effective portion of the derivative’s gain or loss is initially reported as a component of AOCI, net of tax, and subsequently reclassified into income in the same period or periods in which the hedged item affects income. The ineffective portion of the derivative’s gain or loss is recognized in current income. In order for the Company to receive hedge accounting treatment, the cash flow hedge must be highly effective in offsetting changes in the fair value of the hedged item and the relationship between the hedging instrument and the associated hedged item must be formally documented at the inception of the hedge relationship. Hedge effectiveness is formally assessed, both at hedge inception and on an ongoing basis, to determine whether the derivatives used in hedging

The Company formally documents relationships between hedging instruments and associated hedged items. This documentation includes: identification of the specific foreign currency asset, liability or forecasted transaction being hedged; the nature of the risk being hedged; the hedge objective; and the method of assessing hedge effectiveness. If an anticipated transaction is deemed no longer likely to occur, the corresponding derivative instrument is de-designated as a hedge and any associated unrealized gains and losses in AOCI are recognized in income at that time. Any future changes in the fair value of the instrument are recognized in current income.

Goodwill represents the excess of the acquisition price in a business combination over the fair value of identifiable net assets acquired. Goodwill is allocated at the date of the business combination. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment annually on December 31 or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate the asset may be impaired. These events and circumstances may include a significant change in legal factors or in the business climate, a significant decline in the Company’s share price, an adverse action or assessment by a regulator, unanticipated competition, a loss of key personnel, significant disposal activity and the testing of recoverability for a significant asset group.

The Company’s annual impairment test was carried out in two steps. In the first step, the carrying amount of the reporting unit, including goodwill, was compared with its fair value. The estimated fair value was determined utilizing multiple approaches based on the nature of the reporting units being valued. In its analysis, the Company utilized multiple valuation techniques, including the income approach, discounted future cash flows, the market-based approach, and the asset value approach. The analysis requires significant judgment, including estimation of future cash flows, which is dependent on internal forecasts, estimation of the long-term rate of revenue growth for our reporting units, estimation of the useful life over which cash flows will occur, terminal growth rate, profitability measures, and determination of the discount rates for the reporting units. The carrying amount of the Company’s assets was assigned to reporting units using reasonable methodologies based on the asset type. When the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, goodwill of the reporting unit is considered to be impaired and the second step is necessary. Different judgments could yield different results. In fiscal 2020, the Company disaggregated one reporting unit and goodwill was assigned to the disaggregated reporting units based upon the relative fair value allocation approach.

Acquired technology consists of intangible assets acquired through business acquisitions. Intellectual property consists of patents (both purchased and internally generated) and agreements with third parties for the use of intellectual property. Other acquired intangibles include items such as customer relationships and brand. The useful lives of intangible assets are evaluated at least annually to determine if events or circumstances warrant a revision to their remaining period of amortization. Legal, regulatory and contractual factors, the effects of obsolescence, demand, competition and other economic factors are potential indicators that the useful life of an intangible asset may be revised.

The Company reviews long-lived assets (“LLA”) such as property, plant and equipment and intangible assets with finite useful lives for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset or asset group may not be recoverable. These events and circumstances may include significant decreases in the market price of an asset or asset group, significant changes in the extent or manner in which an asset or asset group is being used by the Company or in its physical condition, a significant change in legal factors or in the business climate, a history or forecast of future operating or cash flow losses, significant disposal activity, a significant decline in the Company’s share price, a significant decline in revenue or adverse changes in the economic environment.

The LLA impairment test requires the Company to identify its asset groups and test impairment of each asset group separately. Determining the Company’s asset groups and related primary assets requires significant judgment by management. Different judgments could yield different results. The Company’s determination of its asset groups, its primary asset and its remaining useful life, and estimated cash flows are significant factors in assessing the recoverability of the Company’s assets for the purposes of LLA impairment testing. The Company’s share price can be affected by, among other things, changes in industry or market conditions, including the effect of competition, changes in the Company’s results of operations, changes in the Company’s forecasts or market expectations relating to future results, and the Company’s strategic initiatives and the market’s assessment of any such factors.

When indicators of impairment exist, LLA impairment is tested using a two-step process. The Company performs a cash flow recoverability test as the first step, which involves comparing the asset group’s estimated undiscounted future cash flows to the carrying amount of its net assets. If the net cash flows of the asset group exceed the carrying amount of its net assets, LLA are not considered to be impaired. If the carrying amount exceeds the net cash flows, there is an indication of potential impairment and the second step of the LLA impairment test is performed to measure the impairment amount. The second step involves determining the fair value of the asset group. Fair values are determined using valuation techniques that are in accordance with U.S. GAAP, including the market approach, income approach and cost approach. If the carrying amount of the asset group’s net assets exceeds the fair value of the Company, then the excess represents the maximum amount of potential impairment that will be allocated to the asset group, with the limitation that the carrying value of each separable asset cannot be reduced to a value lower than its individual fair value. The total impairment amount allocated is recognized as a non-cash impairment loss.

The Company accounts for its acquisitions using the acquisition method whereby identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed are measured at their fair values as of the date of acquisition. The excess of the acquisition price over such fair value, if any, is recorded as goodwill, which is not expected to be deductible for tax purposes. The Company includes the operating results of each acquired business in the consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition.

The Company recognizes its liability for royalties in accordance with the terms of existing license agreements. Where license agreements are not yet finalized, the Company recognizes its current estimates of the obligation in accrued liabilities in the consolidated financial statements. When the license agreements are subsequently finalized, the estimate is revised accordingly. Management’s estimates of royalty rates are based on the Company’s historical licensing activities, royalty payment experience, and forward-looking expectations.

The Company elected to measure its outstanding convertible debentures (collectively, the “Debentures” as defined in Note 7) at fair value in accordance with the fair value option. Each period, the fair value of the Debentures is recalculated and resulting gains and losses from the change in fair value of the Debentures associated with non-credit components are recognized in income, while the change in fair value associated with credit components is recognized in AOCI. The fair value of the Debentures has been determined using the significant inputs of principal value, interest rate spreads and curves, embedded call option prices, observable trades of the Debentures, the market price and volatility of the Company’s listed common shares and the Company’s implicit credit spread.

On March 1, 2019, the Company adopted the new standard on leases, Accounting Standards Codification 842 (“ASC 842”). Operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at the commencement date. As most of the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit discount rate, the Company primarily uses its incremental borrowing rate, based on the information available at the commencement date of the lease, in determining the present value of future payments. The Company’s incremental borrowing rate requires significant judgment and is determined based on the rate of interest that the Company would have to pay to borrow an amount equal to the lease payments on a collateralized basis over a similar term in a similar economic environment. The operating lease ROU asset includes any lease payments made, lease incentives and initial direct costs incurred. The lease terms include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. Lease expense for minimum lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. In some cases, the Company has index-based variable lease payments for which an estimated rate is applied to the initial lease payment to determine future lease payment amounts.

On March 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASC 606 and all related amendments using the modified retrospective method. The Company recognizes revenue, when control of the promised products or services are transferred to customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration that the Company expects to receive in exchange for those products and services. Revenue is recognized through the application of the following steps: (i) identification of the contract, or contracts, with a customer; (ii) identification of the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determination of the transaction price; (iv) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognition of revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies a performance obligation.

Performance obligations promised in a contract are identified based on the goods and services that will be transferred to the customer that are both capable of being distinct, whereby the customer can benefit from the good or service either on its own or together with other available resources, and are distinct in the context of the contract, whereby the transfer of the good or service is separately identifiable from other promises in the contract. If these criteria are not met, the promised goods and services are accounted for as a combined performance obligation.

The transaction price is determined based on the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for transferring promised goods and services to the customer, excluding amounts collected on behalf of third parties such as sales taxes. Determining the transaction price requires significant judgment. To the extent the transaction price includes variable consideration, the Company estimates the amount of variable consideration that should be included in the transaction price utilizing either the expected value method or the most likely amount method depending on the nature of the variable consideration. Non-cash consideration received is measured at fair value at contract inception. The estimated fair value is determined utilizing multiple valuation techniques, including the discounted future cash flows and the market-based approach.

IoT includes revenue from the Company’s suite of security software products and services designed to secure endpoint communications for the IoT, including BlackBerry Unified Endpoint Manager (“UEM”) and BlackBerry Dynamics, among other products and applications, as well as revenue from the sale of the Company’s AtHoc Alert secure networked crisis communications solution, its SecuSUITE secure voice and text solution, and the technologies offered by BlackBerry QNX.

If the licensed software in a contract requires access to the Company’s proprietary secure network infrastructure in order to function, revenue from term subscription contracts is recognized over time, ratably over the term, and revenue from perpetual license contracts is recognized over time, ratably over the expected customer life, which in most cases the Company has estimated to be four years. If access to the Company’s proprietary network infrastructure is not required for the software to function, revenue associated with both term subscription and perpetual licenses contracts is recognized at a point in time upon delivery of the software. Generally, most of the Company’s enterprise software products sold require access to the Company’s proprietary secure network infrastructure in order to function, and therefore the associated revenue is recognized over time, ratably over either the subscription term or expected customer life as described above.

BlackBerry QNX software license revenue from both term subscription and perpetual contracts is recognized at a point in time when the software is made available to the customer for use, as the software has standalone functionality and the license is distinct in the context of the contract. The licenses for certain software embedded into hardware such as automotive infotainment systems and advanced driver-assistance systems are sold as a sales-based royalty where intellectual property is the predominant item to which the royalty relates, and are recognized based on actual volumes and underlying sales by the customer of the hardware with the embedded software except in cases where the customer makes a non-refundable prepayment related to its future royalties, in which case consideration is fixed and recognized immediately.

Revenue from technical support is recognized over the support period. Revenue from professional services is recognized as the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits provided by the Company’s performance as the services are provided. This can be on a proportional performance basis, or over the term of the contract. Revenue from software maintenance services is recognized over the length of the maintenance period, with an average term of one year.

BlackBerry Cylance includes revenue from the Company’s artificial intelligence and machine learning-based platform consisting of CylancePROTECT, CylanceOPTICS, CylanceGUARD professional services and other cybersecurity applications. The Company generates software license revenue from term subscription products, which includes technical support, and any updates and upgrades. Professional services are provided through hourly rate and fixed fee arrangements.

The Company recognizes the license revenue over the term of the contract beginning on the commencement date of each contract, the date that services are made available to customers. The Company’s software license and updates, to the extent made available, are not distinct in the context of the contract as they are critical to the ongoing usability of the solution and so fulfill a single promise to the customer in the contract. The typical subscription term is one to three years. The technical support is recognized over the support period, which will normally be the same term as the software license.

Revenue for hourly rate professional services arrangements is recognized as services are performed and revenue for fixed fee professional services is recognized on a proportional performance basis as the services are performed. This also now includes BlackBerry cybersecurity services, which was previously included within IoT; it has been reclassified into BlackBerry Cylance for the years ended February 28, 2019 and February 28, 2018 in order to conform to the current year presentation.

The Company’s outbound patent licensing agreements provide for license fees that may be a single upfront payment or multiple payments representing all or a majority of the licensing revenue that will be payable to the Company. These agreements may be perpetual or term in nature and grant (i) a limited non-exclusive, non-transferable license to certain of the Company’s patents, (ii) a covenant not to enforce patent rights against the licensee, and (iii) the release of the licensee from certain claims.

The Company examines intellectual property agreements on a case-by-case basis to determine whether the intellectual property has standalone functionality and whether the Company is the principal or agent in the transaction. Revenue from patent licensing agreements is often recognized for the transaction price either when the license has been transferred to the customer or based upon subsequent sales by the customer in the case of sales-based royalty licenses where the license of intellectual property is the predominant item to which the royalty relates. The transaction price may include non-monetary consideration in the form of patents transferred to the Company, which is recorded at fair value as determined by a combination of market and income-based valuation approaches.

As part of the Company’s business strategy and operations is to monetize its IP, the Company recognizes revenue related to consideration that may result from a negotiated agreement with a licensee that utilized the Company’s IP prior to signing a patent license agreement with the Company or from the resolution of a disagreement or arbitration with a licensee over the specific terms of an existing license agreement. The Company may also recognize revenue related to consideration for past patent royalties in connection with the settlement of patent litigation where there was no prior patent license agreement.

The Company’s BBM Consumer licensing arrangement is a multi-year agreement where the license was not previously separately identifiable from the requirement to maintain interoperability between the licensed BBM Consumer product and the BBM Enterprise product sold by the Company. During fiscal 2020, the licensed BBM Consumer product was shut down by the licensee, removing any requirement for the Company to maintain interoperability and thus all performance obligations were completed. As a result, the Company estimated the amount for which it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur and recognized that amount as revenue during fiscal 2020.

In fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2018, the Company entered into multiple multi-year license agreements under which the Company licensed its security software and services suite and, in many cases, related brand assets to third parties who design, manufacture, sell and provide customer support for BlackBerry-branded and white-label handsets. Mobility license revenue for licensees whose sales exceed contractual sales minimums is recognized when licensed products are sold as reported by the Company’s licensees. For licensees whose sales do not exceed contractual sales minimums, revenue is recognized over time, ratably over the license term based on contractual minimum amounts due to the promise to provide engineering services to the licensees.

Other includes revenue associated with the Company’s legacy service access fees (“SAF”) business, relating to subscribers utilizing the Company’s legacy BlackBerry 7 and prior operating systems, as well as revenue relating to unspecified future software upgrade rights for devices previously sold by the Company and legacy handheld revenue associated with the release of previously accrued amounts when the Company determines it has no further performance

Variable consideration is included in the transaction price if, in the Company’s judgment, it is probable that a significant future reversal of cumulative revenue recognized under the contract will not occur. Any estimates, including any constraints on variable consideration, are evaluated at each reporting period. Judgment is required to determine the fair value of non-cash consideration at contract inception. The Company uses an independent third-party valuator for the fair value of non-cash consideration.

Judgment is required to determine the SSP for each distinct performance obligation. The Company’s products and services often have observable SSP when the Company sells a promised product or service separately to similar customers. A contractually stated price or list price for a good or service may be the SSP of that good or service. However, in instances where SSP is not directly observable, the Company determines the SSP by maximizing observable inputs and using an adjusted market assessment approach using information that may include market conditions and other observable inputs from the Company’s pricing team, including historical SSP.

Certain sales commissions are considered incremental and recoverable costs of obtaining a contract with a customer. The Company’s capitalized commissions are recorded as other current assets and other long-term assets and are recognized immediately or amortized proportionally, based on the satisfaction of the related performance obligations, and are included in selling, marketing and administration expenses. See Note 13 for further information on the Company’s contract balances.

Payment terms and conditions vary by contract type although standard billing terms are that payment is due upon receipt of invoice, payable within 30 to 60 days. In instances where the timing of revenue recognition differs from the timing of invoicing, the Company has determined that contracts generally do not include a significant financing component if the period between when the payment is received and when the Company transfers the promised goods or services to the customer will be one year or less.

The Company uses the liability method of income tax allocation to account for income taxes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are recognized based upon temporary differences between the financial reporting and income tax bases of assets and liabilities and measured using enacted income tax rates and tax laws that will be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. The Company records a valuation allowance to reduce deferred income tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. The Company considers both positive evidence and negative evidence, to determine whether, based upon the weight of that evidence, a valuation allowance is required. Judgment is required in considering the relative impact of negative and positive evidence.

to evaluate whether an income tax position has met the recognition threshold by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination. The second step is to measure the income tax position that has met the recognition threshold as the largest amount that is more than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement. The Company continually assesses the likelihood and amount of potential adjustments and adjusts the income tax provisions, income taxes payable and deferred income taxes in the period in which the facts that give rise to a revision become known. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain income tax positions as interest expense, which is then netted and reported within investment income.

Research costs are expensed as incurred. Development costs for licensed software to be sold, leased or otherwise marketed are subject to capitalization beginning when a product’s technological feasibility has been established and ending when a product is available for general release to customers. The Company’s products are generally released soon after technological feasibility has been established and therefore costs incurred subsequent to achievement of technological feasibility are not significant and have been expensed as incurred. The Company does not currently have any capitalized research and development costs other than those identified through business combinations as in-process research and development included within intangible assets, net, which were recorded at their fair values and began amortizing when the related technology became available for general release to customers.

Comprehensive income (loss) is defined as the change in net assets of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources and includes all changes in equity during a period, except those resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners. The Company’s reportable items of comprehensive income (loss) are the cumulative translation adjustment resulting from non-U.S. dollar functional currency subsidiaries as described under the foreign currency translation policy above, cash flow hedges as described above in derivative financial instruments, changes in the fair value of available-for-sale investments as described in Note 3, changes in fair value from instrument-specific credit risk on Debentures as described in Notes 7 and 10, and actuarial gains or losses associated with certain other post-employment benefit obligations. Realized gains or losses on available-for-sale investments are reclassified into investment income using the specific identification basis.

The Equity Incentive Plan (the “Equity Plan”) was adopted during fiscal 2014. The Equity Plan provides for grants of incentive stock options and restricted share units (“RSUs”) to officers and employees of the Company or its subsidiaries. RSUs may be either time-based (“TBRSUs”) or time- and performance-based (“PBRSUs”). The number of common shares authorized for awards under the Equity Plan is 33,875,000 common shares. Any shares that are subject to options granted under the Equity Plan are counted against this limit as 0.625 shares for every one option granted, any shares that are subject to TBRSUs granted under the Equity Plan are counted against this limit as one share for every TBRSU, and any shares that are subject to PBRSUs granted under the Equity Plan are counted against this limit at the maximum performance attainment (which is generally 1.5 shares for every PBRSU). Awards previously granted under the Equity Plan that expire or are forfeited, or settled in cash, are added to the shares available under the Equity Plan. Options forfeited will be counted as 0.625 shares to the shares available under the Equity Plan. Shares issued as awards other than options that expire or are forfeited (i.e, RSUs), settled in cash or sold to cover withholding tax requirements are counted as one share added to the shares available under the Equity Plan. There are approximately 4 million shares in the equity pool available for future grants under the Equity Plan as at February 29, 2020.

The Company measures stock-based compensation expense for options at the grant date based on the award’s fair value as calculated by the Black-Scholes-Merton (“BSM”) option pricing model for stock options, and the expense is recognized ratably over the vesting period. Options granted under the Equity Plan generally vest over a four-year period with 25% vesting on the first anniversary date, and the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments. The BSM model requires various judgmental assumptions including volatility and expected option life. In addition, judgment is also applied in estimating the number of stock-based awards that are expected to be forfeited, and if actual results differ significantly from these estimates, stock-based compensation expense and the Company’s results of operations would be impacted.

RSUs are redeemed for common shares issued by the Company or the cash equivalent on the vesting dates established by the Board or the Compensation, Nomination and Governance Committee of the Board. The RSUs granted under the Equity Plan generally vest over a three-year period, either in equal annual installments or on the third anniversary date. For PBRSUs, the Company estimates its achievement against the performance goals, which are based on the Company’s business plan approved by the Board. The estimated achievement is updated for the Company’s outlook for the fiscal year as at the end of each fiscal quarter. Compensation cost will only be recognized to the extent that performance goals are achieved. The Company classifies RSUs as equity instruments as the Company has the ability and intent to settle the awards in common shares. The compensation expense for standard RSUs is calculated based on the fair value of each RSU as determined by the closing value of the Company’s common shares on the business day of the grant date. The Company recognizes compensation expense over the vesting period of the RSU.

The Company has a Deferred Share Unit Plan (the “DSU Plan”), originally approved by the Board on December 20, 2007, under which each independent director is credited with Deferred Share Units (“DSUs”) in satisfaction of all or a portion of the cash fees otherwise payable to them for serving as a director of the Company. Each independent director’s annual retainer will be entirely satisfied in the form of DSUs. Within a specified period after a director ceases to be a member of the Board, DSUs will be redeemed for cash with the redemption value of each DSU equal to the weighted average trading price of the Company’s shares over the five trading days preceding the redemption date. Alternatively, the Company may elect to redeem DSUs by way of shares purchased on the open market or issued by the Company.