
1.	OVERVIEW, BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Overview. Agilent Technologies, Inc. (“we”, “Agilent” or the “company”), incorporated in Delaware in May 1999, is a measurement company, providing core bio-analytical and electronic measurement solutions to the life sciences, chemical analysis, diagnostics and genomics, communications and electronics industries.

Our fiscal year-end is October 31, and our fiscal quarters end on January 31, April 30 and July 31. Unless otherwise stated, all dates refer to our fiscal year and fiscal quarters.

Acquisition of Dako A/S. On June 21, 2012, we completed the acquisition of Dako A/S through the acquisition of 100% of the share capital of Dako A/S, a limited liability company incorporated under the laws of Denmark (“Dako”), under the share purchase agreement dated May 16, 2012. As a result of the acquisition, Dako has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Agilent. The consideration paid was approximately $2,143 million, of which $1,400 million was paid directly to the seller and $743 million was paid to satisfy the outstanding debt of Dako. Agilent funded the acquisition using existing cash. The results of Dako are included in Agilent's condensed consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition. For additional details related to the acquisition of Dako, see Note 3, "Acquisition of Dako".

Basis of Presentation. We have prepared the accompanying financial data for the three and six months ended April 30, 2013 and 2012 pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the U.S. have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. The accompanying financial data and information should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K.

In the opinion of management, the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements contain all normal and recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly our condensed consolidated balance sheet as of April 30, 2013 and October 31, 2012, condensed consolidated statement of comprehensive income for the three and six months ended April 30, 2013 and 2012, condensed consolidated statement of operations for the three and six months ended April 30, 2013 and 2012, and condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the six months ended April 30, 2013 and 2012.

The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP in the U.S. requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions believed to be reasonable. Although these estimates are based on management’s best knowledge of current events and actions that may impact the company in the future, actual results may be different from the estimates. Our critical accounting policies are those that affect our financial statements materially and involve difficult, subjective or complex judgments by management. Those policies are revenue recognition, inventory valuation, restructuring, share-based compensation, retirement and post-retirement benefit plan assumptions, goodwill and purchased intangible assets and accounting for income taxes.

In the third quarter of 2012, we formed a new operating segment. The new diagnostics and genomics segment was formed from a portion of our pre-existing life sciences business plus the business of the recent acquisition of Dako. Following this reorganization, Agilent has four business segments comprised of the life sciences business, the chemical analysis business, the diagnostics and genomics business and the electronic measurement business. The historical segment numbers for both life sciences and diagnostics and genomics segments have been recast to conform to this new reporting structure in our financial statements.

Revision. The statement of cash flows for the six months ended April 30, 2012 has been revised to correct the presentation of the purchase of non-controlling interest from investing to financing activities and is not considered material. There was no impact on previously reported net income or the change in net cash for the six months ended April 30, 2012.

Update to Significant Accounting Policies. During the second fiscal quarter of 2013 typical standard warranty arrangements within our electronic measurement business were extended from one year to three years from the date of delivery. Prior to the change in standard warranty terms, we sold extended warranties of more than one year and less than three years which were deferred. Those existing warranties greater than one year and less than three years and previously classified as extended warranties will be amortized over the original period of the warranty. We will continue to sell extended warranties for terms beyond three years within the electronic measurement business. The impact will not be material to the segment or consolidated revenue of Agilent and the anticipated increase to the warranty accrual as a result of the new arrangements will not be material to the condensed consolidated balance sheet of Agilent. No changes were made to the standard and extended warranty terms within our other businesses. There have been no other material changes to our significant accounting policies, as compared to the significant accounting policies described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2012.

In the first quarter of 2013, we adopted the updated authoritative guidance that increases the prominence of items reported in other comprehensive income. For additional details related to the updated authoritative guidance, see Note 2, "New Accounting Pronouncements".

Fair Value of Financial Instruments. The carrying values of certain of our financial instruments including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued compensation and other accrued liabilities approximate fair value because of their short maturities. The fair value of long-term equity investments is determined using quoted market prices for those securities when available and are Level 1 inputs under the accounting guidance fair value hierarchy. For those long-term equity investments accounted for under the cost method, their carrying value approximates their estimated fair value. The fair value of our short-term and long-term debt, calculated from quoted prices which are primarily Level 1 inputs under the accounting guidance fair value hierarchy, exceeds their carrying value by approximately $1 million and $187 million, respectively as of April 30, 2013. The fair value of foreign currency contracts used for hedging purposes is estimated internally by using inputs tied to active markets. These inputs, for example, interest rate yield curves, foreign exchange rates, and forward and spot prices for currencies are observable in the market or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. See also Note 9, "Fair Value Measurements" for additional information on the fair value of financial instruments.

Goodwill and Purchased Intangible Assets. In September 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") approved changes to the goodwill impairment guidance which are intended to reduce the cost and complexity of the annual impairment test. The changes provide entities an option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether further impairment testing is necessary. The revised standard gives an entity the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether performing the two-step test is necessary. If an entity believes, as a result of its qualitative assessment, that it is more-likely-than-not (i.e. greater than 50% chance) that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the quantitative impairment test will be required. Otherwise, no further testing will be required.

The revised guidance includes examples of events and circumstances that might indicate that a reporting unit's fair value is less than its carrying amount. These include macro-economic conditions such as deterioration in the entity's operating environment or industry or market considerations; entity-specific events such as increasing costs, declining financial performance, or loss of key personnel; or other events such as an expectation that a reporting unit will be sold or a sustained decrease in the stock price on either an absolute basis or relative to peers.

If it is determined, as a result of the qualitative assessment, that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the provisions of authoritative guidance require that we perform a two-step impairment test on goodwill. In the first step, we compare the fair value of each reporting unit to its carrying value. The second step (if necessary) measures the amount of impairment by applying fair-value-based tests to the individual assets and liabilities within each reporting unit. As defined in the authoritative guidance, a reporting unit is an operating segment, or one level below an operating segment. We aggregate components of an operating segment that have similar economic characteristics into our reporting units. During the third quarter of fiscal year 2012, we formed a fourth segment, diagnostics and genomics, from a portion of our life sciences segment. As a result, Agilent now has four segments, life sciences, chemical analysis, diagnostics and genomics and electronic measurement, which are the same as our reporting units. In fiscal year 2012, we assessed goodwill impairment for our reporting units; life sciences, chemical analysis, diagnostics and genomics, and electronic measurement. Based on the results of our qualitative test for goodwill impairment by reporting unit, as of September 30, 2012, we believe that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of each of our reporting units, life sciences, chemical analysis, diagnostics and genomics and electronic measurement is greater than their respective carrying values. There was no impairment of goodwill during the three and six months ended April 30, 2013 and 2012.

Purchased intangible assets consist primarily of acquired developed technologies, proprietary know-how, trademarks, and customer relationships and are amortized over estimated useful lives ranging from 6 months to 15 years. In-process research and development ("IPR&D") is initially capitalized at fair value as an intangible asset with an indefinite life and assessed for impairment thereafter. When the IPR&D project is complete, it is reclassified as an amortizable purchased intangible asset and is amortized over its estimated useful life. If an IPR&D project is abandoned, Agilent will record a charge for the value of the related intangible asset to Agilent's consolidated statement of operations in the period it is abandoned.

In July 2012, the FASB simplified the guidance for testing for impairment of indefinite-lived intangible assets other than goodwill. The changes are intended to reduce compliance costs. Agilent's indefinite-lived intangible assets are IPR&D intangible assets. The revised guidance allows a qualitative approach for testing indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment, similar to the recently issued impairment testing guidance for goodwill and allows the option to first assess qualitative factors (events and circumstances) that could have affected the significant inputs used in determining the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset to determine whether it is more-likely-than-not (i.e. greater than 50% chance) that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. An organization may choose to bypass the qualitative assessment for any indefinite-lived intangible asset in any period and proceed directly to calculating its fair value. The amendments are effective for annual and interim impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012. Early adoption is permitted. Agilent adopted this guidance for the year ended October 31, 2012. We recorded an impairment of $1 million for the three and six months ended April 30, 2013 due to the cancellation of an IPR&D project within our electronic measurement business. There was no impairment related to an IPR&D project during the three and six months ended April 30, 2012.