BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Principles of Consolidation and Reporting

These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements (the “financial statements”) include the accounts of Northrop Grumman Corporation and its subsidiaries and joint ventures or other investments for which we consolidate the financial results (herein referred to as “Northrop Grumman,” the “company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). Material intercompany accounts, transactions and profits are eliminated in consolidation. Investments in equity securities and joint ventures where the company has significant influence, but not control, are accounted for using the equity method.

On June 6, 2018 (the “Merger date”), the company completed its previously announced acquisition of Orbital ATK, Inc. (“Orbital ATK”) (the “Merger”). On the Merger date, Orbital ATK became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company and its name was changed to Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, Inc., which we established as a new, fourth business sector (“Innovation Systems”). The operating results of Innovation Systems subsequent to the Merger date have been included in the company's unaudited condensed consolidated results of operations. See Note 2 for further information regarding the Merger.

These financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP” or “FAS”) and in accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for interim reporting. The financial statements include adjustments of a normal recurring nature considered necessary by management for a fair presentation of the company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

The results reported in these financial statements are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the information contained in the company’s 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The quarterly information is labeled using a calendar convention; that is, first quarter is consistently labeled as ending on March 31, second quarter as ending on June 30 and third quarter as ending on September 30. It is legacy Northrop Grumman’s long-standing practice to establish actual interim closing dates using a “fiscal” calendar, in which we close our books on a Friday near these quarter-end dates in order to normalize the potentially disruptive effects of quarterly closings on business processes. Similarly, Innovation Systems uses a “fiscal” calendar by closing its books on a Sunday near these quarter-end dates and will continue this practice until its business processes are aligned with legacy Northrop Grumman’s. This practice is only used at interim periods within a reporting year.

As previously announced, effective January 1, 2019, we adopted Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 842, Leases, using the optional transition method to apply the standard through a cumulative effect adjustment in the period of adoption. The adoption of this standard is reflected in the amounts and disclosures set forth in this Form 10-Q.

Accounting Estimates

Preparation of the financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingencies at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of sales and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates have been prepared using the most current and best available information; however, actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

The majority of our sales are derived from long-term contracts with the U.S. government for the production of goods, the provision of services, or a combination of both. The company classifies sales as product or service based on the predominant attributes of each contract.

The company recognizes revenue for each separately identifiable performance obligation in a contract representing a promise to transfer a distinct good or service to a customer. In most cases, goods and services provided under the company’s contracts are accounted for as single performance obligations due to the complex and integrated nature of our products and services. These contracts generally require significant integration of a group of goods and/or services to deliver a combined output. In some contracts, the company provides multiple distinct goods or services to a customer, most commonly when a contract covers multiple phases of the product lifecycle (e.g., development, production, sustainment, etc.). In those cases, the company accounts for the distinct contract deliverables as separate performance obligations and allocates the transaction price to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price, which is generally estimated using a cost plus a reasonable margin approach. Warranties are provided on certain contracts, but do not typically provide for services beyond standard assurances and are therefore not considered to be separate performance obligations. Our accounting for costs to obtain or fulfill a contract are not material.

Contracts are often modified for changes in contract specifications or requirements, which may result in scope and/or price changes. Most of the company’s contract modifications are for goods or services that are not distinct in the context of the contract and are therefore accounted for as part of the original performance obligation through a cumulative estimate-at-completion (EAC) adjustment.

The company recognizes revenue as control is transferred to the customer, either over time or at a point in time. In general, our U.S. government contracts contain termination for convenience and/or other clauses that generally provide the customer rights to goods produced and/or in-process. Similarly, our non-U.S. government contracts generally contain contractual termination clauses or entitle the company to payment for work performed to date for goods and services that do not have an alternative use. As control is effectively transferred while we perform on our contracts, we generally recognize revenue over time using the cost-to-cost method (cost incurred relative to total cost estimated at completion) as the company believes this represents the most appropriate measurement towards satisfaction of its performance obligations. Revenue for contracts in which the control of goods produced does not transfer until delivery to the customer is recognized at a point in time (i.e., typically upon delivery).

Contract Estimates

Use of the cost-to-cost method requires us to make reasonably dependable estimates regarding the revenue and cost associated with the design, manufacture and delivery of our products and services. The company estimates profit on these contracts as the difference between total estimated sales and total estimated cost at completion and recognizes that profit as costs are incurred. Significant judgment is used to estimate total revenue and cost at completion.

Contract sales may include estimates of variable consideration, including cost or performance incentives (such as award and incentive fees), contract claims and requests for equitable adjustment (REAs). Variable consideration is included in total estimated sales to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved. We estimate variable consideration as the most likely amount to which we expect to be entitled.

We recognize changes in estimated contract sales or costs and the resulting changes in contract profit on a cumulative basis. Cumulative EAC adjustments represent the cumulative effect of the changes on current and prior periods; sales and operating margins in future periods are recognized as if the revised estimates had been used since contract inception. If it is determined that a loss is expected to result on an individual performance obligation, the entire amount of the estimable future loss, including an allocation of general and administrative (G&A) costs, is charged against income in the period the loss is identified. Each loss provision is first offset against costs included in Unbilled receivables or Inventoried costs; remaining amounts are reflected in Other current liabilities.

Significant EAC adjustments on a single contract could have a material effect on the company’s financial statements. When such adjustments occur, we generally disclose the nature, underlying conditions and financial impact of the adjustments. No discrete event or adjustments to an individual contract were material to the financial statements during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018.

The following table presents the effect of aggregate net EAC adjustments:



	Three Months Ended March 31
$ in millions, except per share data	2019		2018
Operating income	$	138	$	116
Net earnings⁽¹⁾	109		92
Diluted earnings per share⁽¹⁾	0.64		0.52


⁽¹⁾	Based on a 21 percent statutory tax rate.

Revenue recognized from performance obligations satisfied in previous reporting periods was $166 million and $133 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Backlog

Backlog represents the future sales we expect to recognize on firm orders received by the company and is equivalent to the company’s remaining performance obligations at the end of each period. It comprises both funded backlog (firm orders for which funding is authorized and appropriated) and unfunded backlog. Unexercised contract options and indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts are not included in backlog until the time the option or IDIQ task order is exercised or awarded.

Company backlog as of March 31, 2019 was $57.3 billion. We expect to recognize approximately 50 percent and 75 percent of our March 31, 2019 backlog as revenue over the next 12 and 24 months, respectively, with the remainder to be recognized thereafter.

Contract Assets and Liabilities

For each of the company’s contracts, the timing of revenue recognition, customer billings, and cash collections results in a net contract asset or liability at the end of each reporting period. Fixed-price contracts are typically billed to the customer either using progress payments, whereby amounts are billed monthly as costs are incurred or work is completed, or performance based payments, which are based upon the achievement of specific, measurable events or accomplishments defined and valued at contract inception. Cost-type contracts are typically billed to the customer on a monthly or semi-monthly basis.

Contract assets are equivalent to and reflected as Unbilled receivables in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of financial position and are primarily related to long-term contracts where revenue recognized under the cost-to-cost method exceeds amounts billed to customers. Unbilled receivables are classified as current assets and, in accordance with industry practice, include amounts that may be billed and collected beyond one year due to the long-cycle nature of many of our contracts. Accumulated contract costs in unbilled receivables include costs such as direct production costs, factory and engineering overhead, production tooling costs, and allowable G&A. Unbilled receivables also include certain estimates of variable consideration described above. These contract assets are not considered a significant financing component of the company’s contracts as the payment terms are intended to protect the customer in the event the company does not perform on its obligations under the contract.

Contract liabilities are equivalent to and reflected as Advance payments and billings in excess of costs incurred in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of financial position. Certain customers make advance payments prior to the company’s satisfaction of its obligations on the contract. These amounts are recorded as contract liabilities until such obligations are satisfied, either over time as costs are incurred or at a point in time when deliveries are made. Contract liabilities are not a significant financing component as they are generally utilized to pay for contract costs within a one-year period or are used to ensure the customer meets contractual requirements.

The amount of revenue recognized for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 that was included in the contract liability balances at the beginning of each year was $674 million and $706 million, respectively.

Disaggregation of Revenue

See Note 11 for information regarding the company’s sales by customer type, contract type and geographic region for each of our segments. We believe those categories best depict how the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of our revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

The components of accumulated other comprehensive loss are as follows:



$ in millions	March 31, 2019			December 31, 2018
Unamortized prior service credit, net of tax expense of $28 for 2019 and $32 for 2018	$	87		$	98
Cumulative translation adjustment	(143		)	(144		)
Other, net	(3		)	(6		)
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss	$	(59	)	$	(52	)

Reclassifications from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net earnings related to the amortization of prior service credit were $11 million and $15 million, net of taxes, for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The reclassifications are included in the computation of net periodic pension cost (benefit). See Note 8 for further information.

Reclassifications from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net earnings relating to cumulative translation adjustments and effective cash flow hedges were not material for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018.

Leases

The company leases certain buildings, land and equipment. Under ASC 842, at contract inception we determine whether the contract is or contains a lease and whether the lease should be classified as an operating or a financing lease. Operating leases are included in Operating lease right-of-use (ROU) assets, Other current liabilities, and Operating lease liabilities in our unaudited condensed consolidated statements of financial position.

The company recognizes operating lease ROU assets and operating lease liabilities based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at commencement date. We use our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date to determine the present value of future payments and the appropriate lease classification. Many of our leases include renewal options aligned with our contract terms. We define the initial lease term to include renewal options determined to be reasonably certain. In our adoption of ASC 842, we elected not to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for leases with an initial term of 12 months or less; we recognize lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term. We elected the practical expedient to not separate lease components from nonlease components and applied that practical expedient to all material classes of leased assets.

Many of the company’s real property lease agreements contain incentives for tenant improvements, rent holidays, or rent escalation clauses. For tenant improvement incentives, if the incentive is determined to be a leasehold improvement owned by the lessee, the company generally records a deferred rent liability and amortizes the deferred rent over the term of the lease as a reduction to rent expense. For rent holidays and rent escalation clauses during the lease term, the company records rental expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. For these lease incentives, the company uses the date of initial possession as the commencement date, which is generally when the company is given the right of access to the space and begins to make improvements in preparation for intended use.

Finance leases are not material to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the company is not a lessor in any material arrangements. We do not have any material restrictions or covenants in our lease agreements, sale-leaseback transactions, land easements or residual value guarantees.

Restricted Cash

On occasion, we are required to maintain cash deposits with banks in connection with certain contingent obligations. This restricted cash is included in Prepaid expenses and other current assets in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of financial position. As of March 31, 2019 our restricted cash totaled approximately $93 million. We had no restricted cash as of December 31, 2018.

Related Party Transactions

The company had no material related party transactions in any period presented.

Accounting Standards Updates

On February 25, 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). ASC Topic 842 supersedes existing lease guidance, including ASC 840 - Leases. Among other things, ASU 2016-02 requires recognition of a right-of-use asset and liability for future lease payments for contracts that meet the definition of a lease and requires disclosure of certain information about leasing arrangements. On July 30, 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements, which, among other things, allows companies to elect an optional transition method to apply the new lease standard through a cumulative-effect adjustment in the period of adoption.

We adopted the standard on January 1, 2019 using the optional transition method and, as a result, did not recast prior period unaudited condensed comparative financial statements. All prior period amounts and disclosures are presented under ASC 840. We elected the package of practical expedients, which, among other things, allows us to carry forward our prior lease classifications under ASC 840. We did not elect to adopt the hindsight practical expedient and are therefore maintaining the lease terms we previously determined under ASC 840. Adoption of the new standard resulted in the recording of additional lease assets and lease liabilities on the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of financial position with no cumulative impact to retained earnings and did not have a material impact on our results of operations or cash flows.

Other accounting standards updates adopted and/or issued, but not effective until after March 31, 2019, are not expected to have a material effect on the company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial position, annual results of operations and/or cash flows.