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Accounting Policies (Policies)
3 Months Ended
Aug. 31, 2013
Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In December 2011, new accounting guidance was issued that establishes certain additional disclosure requirements about financial instruments and derivatives instruments that are subject to netting arrangements. The new disclosures are required for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those periods. We adopted this new guidance on June 1, 2013, and have provided the required disclosures in “NOTE N – Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities.”

In June 2011, new accounting guidance was issued regarding the presentation of comprehensive income in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. This new guidance requires entities to present reclassification adjustments included in other comprehensive income on the face of the financial statements and allows entities to present total comprehensive income, the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. It also eliminates the option for entities to present the components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of equity. For public companies, this accounting guidance was effective for fiscal years (and interim periods within those fiscal years) beginning after December 15, 2011, with early adoption permitted. Retrospective application to prior periods is required. We adopted the effective provisions of this new accounting guidance on June 1, 2012 and have provided the required statements of comprehensive income for the three months ended August 31, 2013 and 2012. In December 2011, certain provisions of this new guidance related to the presentation of reclassification adjustments out of accumulated other comprehensive income were temporarily deferred. In February 2013, an effective date was established for the provisions that had been deferred. These provisions are effective prospectively for annual reporting periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2012. We adopted the deferred provisions, which relate to presentation only, on June 1, 2013 and have provided the required disclosures in “NOTE G – Comprehensive Income.” There was no impact on our financial position or results of operations.

In July 2012, amended accounting guidance was issued that simplifies how an entity tests indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment. The amended guidance allows an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform a quantitative impairment test. An entity will no longer be required to calculate the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset and perform the quantitative test unless the entity determines, based on a qualitative assessment, that it is more likely than not that its fair value is less than its carrying amount. The amended guidance is effective for interim and annual indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of this amended accounting guidance on June 1, 2013, did not have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.

In March 2013, amended accounting guidance was issued regarding the accounting for cumulative translation adjustment. The amended guidance specifies that a cumulative translation adjustment should be released from earnings when an entity ceases to have a controlling financial interest in a subsidiary or a group of assets within a consolidated foreign entity and the sale or transfer results in the complete or substantially complete liquidation of the foreign entity. For sales of an equity method investment that is a foreign entity, a pro rata portion of the cumulative translation adjustment attributable to the investment would be recognized in earnings upon sale of the investment. The amended guidance is effective prospectively for annual reporting periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2013. Early adoption is permitted. We do not expect the adoption of this amended accounting guidance to have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.

Cash Flow Hedges

Cash Flow Hedges

We enter into derivative instruments to hedge our exposure to changes in cash flows attributable to interest rate and commodity price fluctuations associated with certain forecasted transactions. These derivative instruments are designated and qualify as cash flow hedges. Accordingly, the effective portion of the gain or loss on the derivative instrument is reported as a component of other comprehensive income (“OCI”) and reclassified into earnings in the same financial statement caption associated with the forecasted transaction and in the same period during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. The ineffective portion of the gain or loss on the derivative instrument is recognized in earnings immediately.

Economic (Non-designated) Hedges

Economic (Non-designated) Hedges

We enter into foreign currency contracts to manage our foreign exchange exposure related to inter-company and financing transactions that do not meet the requirements for hedge accounting treatment. We also enter into certain commodity contracts that do not qualify for hedge accounting treatment. Accordingly, these derivative instruments are adjusted to current market value at the end of each period through earnings.