Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

These consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”).

Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated on consolidation and all entities meeting consolidation requirements have been included in the consolidated financial statements. To facilitate comparison of information across periods, certain reclassifications have been made to prior year amounts to conform to the current year's presentation.

Use of estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The significant estimates reflected in the Company’s financial statements include, but are not limited to:


•	The premium estimates for certain reinsurance agreements,


•	Recoverability of deferred acquisition costs,


•	The reserve for outstanding losses and loss expenses,


•	Valuation of ceded reinsurance recoverables,


•	Determination of impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, and


•	Valuation of financial instruments.

Premiums

Premiums are recorded as written on the inception date of the policy. For certain types of business written by the Company, notably assumed reinsurance, the exact premium income may not be known at the policy inception date. In the case of quota share reinsurance treaties assumed by the Company, the underwriter makes an estimate of premium income at inception. The underwriter’s estimate is based on statistical data provided by reinsureds and the underwriter’s judgment and experience. Such estimations are refined over the reporting period of each treaty as actual written premium information is reported by ceding companies and intermediaries. Premiums resulting from changes in the estimate of the premium income are recorded in the period the estimate is changed. Certain insurance and reinsurance contracts may require that the premium be adjusted at the expiry of the contract to reflect the change in exposure or loss experience of the insured or reinsured.

Premiums are recognized as earned over the period of policy coverage in proportion to the risks to which they relate. Reinsurance premiums under a losses-occurring reinsurance contract are earned over the coverage period. Reinsurance premiums under a risks-attaching reinsurance contract are earned over the same period as the underlying policies, or risks, covered by the contract. As a result, the earning pattern of a risks-attaching reinsurance contract may extend up to 24 months, reflecting the inception dates of the underlying policies. Premiums relating to the unexpired periods of coverage are recorded on the consolidated balance sheets as “unearned premiums”.

Acquisition costs

Acquisition costs, comprised of commissions, brokerage fees and insurance taxes, are costs that are directly related to the successful acquisition of new and renewal business and are deferred. Although permitted under U.S. GAAP to defer certain internal costs that are directly related to the successful acquisition of new and renewal business, the Company does not defer such costs. Acquisition costs that are deferred, and carried on the balance sheets as an asset, are expensed as the premiums to which they relate are earned. Expected losses and loss expenses, other costs and anticipated investment income related to these unearned premiums are considered in determining the recoverability or deficiency of deferred acquisition costs. If it is determined that deferred acquisition costs are not recoverable, they are expensed. Further analysis is performed to determine if a liability is required to provide for losses which may exceed the related unearned premiums.

Acquisition costs recorded in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (“consolidated income statements”) includes other acquisition-related costs such as profit commissions that are expensed as incurred and the amortization of insurance-related intangible assets.

Reserve for losses and loss expenses

The reserve for losses and loss expenses is comprised of two main elements: outstanding loss reserves (“OSLR,” also known as case reserves) and reserves for losses incurred but not reported (“IBNR”). OSLR relate to known claims and represent management’s best estimate of the likely loss payment. Reserves for IBNR relates to reserves established by the Company for claims that have occurred but have not yet been reported to us as well as for changes in the values of claims that have been reported to us but are not yet settled. See note 7 for additional information.

Ceded reinsurance

In the ordinary course of business, the Company uses both treaty and facultative reinsurance to minimize its net loss exposure to any one catastrophic loss event or to an accumulation of losses from a number of smaller events. Reinsurance premiums ceded are expensed and any commissions recorded thereon are earned over the period the reinsurance coverage is provided in proportion to the risks to which they relate. For reinsurance treaties that have contractual minimum premium provisions, premiums ceded are recorded at the inception of the treaty based on the minimum premiums. Prepaid reinsurance represents unearned premiums ceded to reinsurance companies. Any unearned ceding commission is included in “net deferred acquisitions costs” on the consolidated balance sheets and is recorded as a reduction to the overall net deferred acquisition cost balance.

Reinsurance recoverable includes the balances due from those reinsurance companies under the terms of the Company’s reinsurance agreements for unpaid losses and loss reserves, including IBNR, and is presented net of a provision for uncollectible reinsurance. Amounts recoverable from reinsurers are estimated in a manner consistent with the estimated claim liability associated with the reinsured policy. The Company determines the portion of the IBNR liability that will be recoverable under its reinsurance contracts by reference to the terms of the reinsurance protection purchased. This determination is necessarily based on the estimate of IBNR and accordingly, is subject to the same uncertainties as the estimate of IBNR.

The Company remains liable to the extent that its reinsurers do not meet their obligations under the reinsurance contracts; therefore, the Company regularly evaluates the financial condition of its reinsurers and monitors concentration of credit risk.

Investments

All fixed maturity investments and equity securities are classified as trading securities as the Company has elected the fair value option permitted under U.S. GAAP for these investments at the time each security was acquired. Trading securities are carried at fair value with any change in unrealized gains or losses recognized in the consolidated income statements and included in “net realized investment gains (losses)”. As a result of this investment classification, the Company does not record any change in unrealized gains or losses on investments as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income on the consolidated balance sheets.

Other invested assets consist primarily of investments in hedge funds and private equity funds, which have been accounted for as trading securities as the Company has elected the fair value option as permitted under U.S. GAAP at the time each investment was acquired. In addition, included in the Company’s other invested assets are various investments which are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Generally, the Company uses the equity method where it does not have a controlling interest and is not the primary beneficiary. Equity method investments are recorded at cost and adjusted for the Company’s proportionate share of earnings or losses on a quarterly lag basis. An other-than-temporary impairment charge related to the equity method investments is assessed when facts and circumstances exists that indicate an impairment may exist. An other-than-temporary impairment charge is recorded when it is determined that the carrying value of the equity method investment is below its fair value and the Company does not have the intent and ability to hold to recovery. See note 4(c) for additional information regarding an other-than-temporary impairment charge recorded in 2015 related to one of the Company's equity method investments. No equity method investment, individually or in the aggregate, was deemed significant to disclose summarized financial data. Other investments are recorded based on valuation techniques depending on the nature of the individual assets.

Investment securities are recorded on a trade date basis. Investment income is recognized when earned and includes the accrual of discount or amortization of premium on fixed maturity investments using the effective yield method and is net of related expenses. Interest income for fixed maturity investments is accrued and recognized based on the contractual terms of the fixed maturity investments and is included in “net investment income” in the consolidated income statements. For mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities and any other holdings for which there is a prepayment risk, prepayment assumptions are evaluated and revised on a regular basis. Revised prepayment assumptions are applied to securities on a retrospective basis to the date of acquisition. The cumulative adjustments to amortized cost required due to these changes in effective yields and maturities are recognized in net investment income in the same period as the revision of the assumptions. The Company’s share of undistributed net income from equity method investments is included in net investment income. The return on investments is managed on a total financial statement portfolio return basis, which includes the undistributed net income from equity method investments, and as such have classified these amounts in net investment income.

Realized gains and losses on the disposition of investments, which are based upon the first-in first-out method of identification, are included in “net realized investment gains (losses)” in the consolidated income statements.

Fair value measurements

At each measurement date, the Company estimates the fair value of the financial instruments using various valuation techniques. The Company utilizes, to the extent available, quoted market prices in active markets or observable market inputs in estimating the fair value of financial instruments. When quoted market prices or observable market inputs are not available, the Company may utilize valuation techniques that rely on unobservable inputs to estimate the fair value of financial instruments, which principally relates to non-binding broker-dealer quotes. The Company bases its determination of whether a market is active or inactive on the spread between what a seller is asking for a security and what a buyer is bidding for that security. Spreads that are significantly above historical spreads are considered inactive markets. The Company also considers the volume of trading activity in the determination of whether a market is active or inactive. See note 6 for additional information regarding the fair value of financial instruments.

The Company utilizes independent pricing sources to obtain market quotations for securities that have quoted prices in active markets. In general, the independent pricing sources use observable market inputs including, but not limited to, investment yields, credit risks and spreads, benchmarking of like securities, reported trades and sector groupings to determine the fair value. For a majority of the portfolio, the Company obtained two or more prices per security as of December 31, 2016. When multiple prices are obtained, a price source hierarchy is utilized to determine which price source is the best estimate of the fair value of the security. The price source hierarchy emphasizes more weighting to significant observable inputs such as index pricing and less weighting towards non-binding broker-dealer quotes. The Company will investigate any material differences, if any, between the multiple sources and determines which price best reflects the fair value of the individual security. There were no material differences between the prices obtained from the independent pricing sources and the prices obtained from the Company’s investment portfolio managers and other sources as of December 31, 2016 and 2015.

Variable interest entities

The Company is involved in the normal course of business with variable interest entities (“VIEs”) as a passive investor in certain asset-backed securities issued by third-party VIEs and affiliated VIEs, as well as certain of its hedge fund and private equity fund investments. The Company performs a qualitative assessment at the date when it becomes initially involved in the VIE, followed by ongoing reassessments related to its involvement in VIEs. The Company’s maximum exposure to loss with respect to these investments is limited to the investment carrying amounts reported in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and any unfunded commitments.

As a result of the adoption of Accounting Standards Update 2015-02, “Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis”, which became effective January 1, 2016, certain limited partnership investments and similar legal entity investments were considered VIEs as there were no substantive kick-out or other participating rights. These VIEs will not be consolidated because the Company has determined it is not considered the primary beneficiary, as it does not have both the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the entity and the obligation to absorb losses of the entity that could be potentially significant to the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the entity that could be potentially significant. As such, the Company continues to record its interests in these entities at fair value, with changes in fair value recorded in the consolidated income statements. The Company's interests in these entities are recorded in “other invested assets” in the consolidated balance sheets.

Translation of foreign currencies

Transactions in currencies other than a foreign operation's functional currency are translated into the functional currency of the foreign operation. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses, including those arising from forward exchange contracts, are included in “foreign exchange (gain) loss” in the consolidated income statements. Functional currency assets and liabilities are translated into the reporting currency, U.S. dollars, using period-end exchange rates, and functional currency income statements are translated using average exchange rates with the related foreign currency translation adjustment recorded as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income or loss.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include amounts held in banks, time deposits, commercial paper, discount notes and U.S. Treasury Bills with maturities of less than three months from the date of purchase. Restricted cash primarily relates to cash held in trust accounts in favor of cedents, other counterparties or government authorities, as well as accounts that are pledged as collateral for the Company's letter of credit facilities.

Income taxes

Allied World Switzerland and certain of its subsidiaries operate in jurisdictions where they are subject to income taxation. Current and deferred income taxes are charged or credited to operations, or to shareholders' equity in certain cases, based upon enacted tax laws and rates applicable in the relevant jurisdiction in the period in which the tax becomes payable. Deferred income taxes are provided for all temporary differences between the bases of assets and liabilities used in the financial statements and those used in the various jurisdictional tax returns.

It is the Company’s policy to recognize interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits in “interest expense” and penalties in “general and administrative expenses” in the consolidated income statements. The Company has not recorded any interest or penalties during the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 and the Company has not accrued any payment of interest and penalties as of December 31, 2016 and 2015.

Employee stock options, restricted stock units and performance-based equity awards

The Company has an employee stock option plan, which is in run-off, in which the amount of Allied World Switzerland's common shares received as compensation through the issuance of stock options is determined by reference to the value of the shares. Compensation expense for stock options granted to employees is recorded on a straight-line basis over the option vesting period and is based on the fair value of the stock options on the grant date. The fair value of each stock option on the grant date is determined by using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model.

The Company has granted restricted stock units (“RSUs”) to certain employees. The compensation expense for the RSUs is based on the market value of Allied World Switzerland’s common shares on the grant date, and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the applicable vesting period.

The Company has also granted cash-equivalent RSUs to certain employees that vest on a straight-line basis over the applicable vesting period. The amount payable per unit awarded will be equal to the price per share of Allied World Switzerland’s common shares and as such the Company measures the value of the award each reporting period based on the period ending share price. The effects of changes in the share price at each period end during the service period are recognized as increases or decreases in compensation expense over the service period.

The Company has granted performance-based equity awards to key employees in order to promote the long-term growth and profitability of the Company. Each award represents the right to receive a number of common shares in the future, based upon the achievement of established performance criteria during the applicable performance period. These performance-based equity awards vest after a three-year performance period. The compensation expense for these awards is based on the market value of Allied World Switzerland’s common shares on the grant date, and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the applicable performance and vesting period. The Company will also adjust the compensation expense, as a cumulative adjustment, to the extent the Company's performance is above or below the targeted performance criteria.

The Company has also granted cash-equivalent, performance-based awards to certain employees that vest based upon the achievement of established performance criteria during the applicable performance period. These cash-equivalent, performance-based awards vest after a three-year performance period. The amount payable per unit awarded will be equal to the price per share of Allied World Switzerland’s common shares, and as such the Company measures the value of the award each reporting period based on the period-ending share price. The effects of changes in the share price at each period end during the service period are recognized as changes in compensation expense over the service period. The Company will also adjust the compensation expense, as a cumulative adjustment, to the extent the Company's performance is above or below the targeted performance criteria.

Goodwill and intangible assets

The Company classifies its intangible assets into three categories: (1) intangible assets with finite lives subject to amortization, (2) intangible assets with indefinite lives not subject to amortization, and (3) goodwill. Intangible assets, other than goodwill, generally consist of customer renewal rights, distribution channels, internally generated software, non-compete covenants, trademarks, and insurance licenses.

For intangible assets with finite lives, the value of the assets is amortized over their expected useful lives and the expense is included in “amortization and impairment of intangible assets” in the consolidated income statements. The Company tests assets for impairment if conditions exist that indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. If, as a result of the evaluation, the Company determines that the value of the intangible assets is impaired, then the value of the assets will be written-down in the period in which the determination of the impairment is made. See note 10 for additional information regarding an impairment recorded for one of the Company's intangible assets with finite lives.

For indefinite lived intangible assets the Company does not amortize the intangible asset but evaluates and compares the fair value of the assets to their carrying values on an annual basis or more frequently if circumstances warrant. If, as a result of the evaluation, the Company determines that the value of the intangible assets is impaired, then the value of the assets will be written-down in the period in which the determination of the impairment is made.

Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of acquisitions over the fair value of net assets acquired and is not amortized. Goodwill is assigned at acquisition to the applicable reporting unit(s) based on the expected benefit to be received by the reporting units from the business combination. The Company determines the expected benefit based on several factors including the purpose of the business combination, the strategy of the Company subsequent to the business combination and structure of the acquired company subsequent to the business combination. A reporting unit is a component of the Company’s business that has discrete financial information that is reviewed by management. In determining the reporting unit, the Company analyzes the inputs, processes, outputs and overall operating performance of the reporting unit. The Company has several reporting units to which the goodwill is allocated to.

For goodwill, the Company performs an annual impairment test, or more frequently if circumstances are warranted. The Company may first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. The results of the qualitative assessment will determine if an entity needs to proceed with the two-step goodwill impairment test. For the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company elected to bypass the qualitative assessment and performed the first step of the goodwill impairment test.

During the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company changed its annual impairment test date from September 30th to October 1st. The Company believes the change in impairment test date is preferable as it aligns to the quarter in which the Company performs the impairment test, which is during the fourth quarter of each year. This change does not result in any delay, acceleration or avoidance of impairment.

The first step of the goodwill impairment test is to compare the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying value, including goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value then the second step of the goodwill impairment test is performed.

The second step of the goodwill impairment test compares the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill in order to determine the amount of impairment to be recognized. The implied fair value of goodwill is determined by deducting the fair value of a reporting unit’s identifiable assets and liabilities from the fair value of the reporting unit as a whole. The excess of the carrying value of goodwill above the implied goodwill, if any, would be recognized as an impairment charge in the consolidated income statements.

We recorded no goodwill impairments during the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

Derivative instruments

The Company utilizes derivative financial instruments as part of its overall risk management strategy. The Company recognizes all derivative financial instruments at fair value as either assets or liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The accounting for gains and losses associated with changes in the fair value of a derivative and the effect on the consolidated financial statements depends on its hedge designation and whether the hedge is highly effective in achieving offsetting changes in the fair value of the asset or liability hedged.

The Company uses currency forward contracts and foreign currency swaps to manage currency exposure. The Company also utilizes various derivative instruments such as interest rate futures, interest rate swaps and index options, for the purpose of managing market exposures, interest rate volatility, portfolio duration, hedging certain investments, or enhancing investment performance. These derivatives are not designated as hedges and accordingly are carried at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets with realized and unrealized gains and losses included in the consolidated income statements. Refer to Note 5 for the Company’s related disclosure.

In addition, the Company’s derivative instruments include insurance or reinsurance contracts that are required to be accounted for as derivatives. This will be the case when the insurance or reinsurance contract provides indemnification to the insured or cedent as a result of a change in a variable versus an identifiable insurable event. The Company considers these insurance and reinsurance contracts to be an extension of its overall insurance operations. The insurance and reinsurance derivative contracts are recorded at fair value, with net premiums received recognized in “Net premiums earned” over the period of policy coverage in proportion to the risk to which it relates, and other changes in the fair value of this contract is recorded in “other income” or “other expense” in the consolidated income statements. To the extent losses are incurred or ceded under these contracts, those net losses would be recorded in “net losses and loss expenses”.

Earnings per share

Basic earnings per share is defined as net income available to common shareholders divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period, giving no effect to dilutive securities. Diluted earnings per share is defined as net income available to common shareholders divided by the weighted average number of common and common share equivalents outstanding calculated using the treasury stock method for all potentially dilutive securities, including employee stock options, employee share repurchase plan awards, RSUs and performance-based awards. When the effect of dilutive securities would be anti-dilutive, these securities are excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share.

Treasury shares

Common shares repurchased by the Company and not subsequently canceled are classified as “treasury shares” on the consolidated balance sheets and are recorded at cost. When shares are reissued from treasury the historical cost, based on the first-in, first-out method, is used to determine the cost of the reissued shares. The difference between the cost of the treasury shares and the par value of the common stock shall be first reflected as additional paid-in capital, but to the extent additional paid-in capital is exhausted the remainder shall reduce retained earnings. The issuance of shares out of treasury have been related to vesting equity-based compensation of the Company's employees and directors.

New accounting pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” (“ASU 2014-09”). ASU 2014-09 provides a framework, through a five-step process, for recognizing revenue from customers, improves comparability and consistency of recognizing revenue across entities, industries, jurisdictions and capital markets, and requires enhanced disclosures. Certain contracts with customers are specifically excluded from the scope of ASU 2014-09, including, among others, insurance contracts accounted for under Accounting Standard Codification 944, Financial Services - Insurance. ASU 2014-09 is effective on January 1, 2017 with retrospective adoption required for the comparative periods. With the issuance of Accounting Standards Update 2015-14, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) - Deferral of the Effective Date”, this standard will be effective on January 1, 2018 with retrospective adoption required for the comparative periods. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2014-09 to have a material impact on future financial statements and related disclosures.

In January 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-01, “Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities” (“ASU 2016-01”). ASU 2016-01 changes current U.S. GAAP for public entities by requiring the following, among others: (1) equity securities, except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting, to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income; (2) the use of the exit price when measuring fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes; (3) an entity to present separately in other comprehensive income the portion of the total change in the fair value of a liability resulting from a change in the instrument-specific credit risk when the entity has elected to measure the liability at fair value; and (4) separate presentation of financial assets and financial liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset on the balance sheet or notes to the financial statements. ASU 2016-01 is effective for annual periods beginning after January 1, 2018, including interim periods. Early application is permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2016-01 to have a material impact on future financial statements and disclosures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-02, “Leases” (“ASU 2016-02”). ASU 2016-02 changes current U.S. GAAP for lessees to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet for those leases classified as operating leases under previous U.S. GAAP. ASU 2016-02 is effective for annual periods beginning after January 1, 2019, including interim periods. Early application is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact the adoption of ASU 2016-02 will have on future financial statements and disclosures. Specifically, the Company is still evaluating its existing leases to determine the appropriate classification under the new standard and whether it will adopt the practical expedients allowed under ASU 2016-02.

In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-09, “Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting” (“ASU 2016-09”). ASU 2016-09 modifies U.S. GAAP by requiring the following, among others: (1) all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies are to be recognized as income tax expense or benefit on the income statement (excess tax benefits are recognized regardless of whether the benefit reduces taxes payable in the current period); (2) excess tax benefits are to be classified along with other income tax cash flows as an operating activity in the statement of cash flows; (3) in the area of forfeitures, an entity can still follow the current U.S. GAAP practice of making an entity-wide accounting policy election to estimate the number of awards that are expected to vest or may instead account for forfeitures when they occur; and (4) classification as a financing activity in the statement of cash flows of cash paid by an employer to the taxing authorities when directly withholding shares for tax withholding purposes. ASU 2016-09 is effective for annual periods beginning after January 1, 2017, including interim periods. Although early adoption is permitted, the Company will not early adopt ASU 2016-09. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2016-09 to have a material impact on future financial statements and disclosures.

In June 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-13, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” (“ASU 2016-13”). ASU 2016-13 modifies U.S. GAAP related to the recognition of credit losses by replacing the incurred loss impairment methodology in current U.S. GAAP with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. ASU 2016-13 would apply to financial assets such as loans, debt securities, trade receivables, off-balance sheet credit exposures, reinsurance receivables, and other financial assets that have the contractual right to receive cash. The measurement of expected credit losses is based on relevant information about past events, including historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectibility of the reported amount. The Company's invested assets are measured at fair value through net income, and therefore those invested assets would not be impacted by the adoption of ASU 2016-13. The Company has other financial assets, such as reinsurance recoverables, that could be impacted by the adoption of ASU 2016-13. ASU 2016-13 is effective for annual periods beginning after January 1, 2020, including interim periods. The Company is currently assessing the impact the adoption of ASU 2016-13 will have on future financial statements and disclosures. Specifically, the Company is developing a credit impairment methodology for its reinsurance recoverables based on the guidance in ASU 2016-13.

In August 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments” (“ASU 2016-15”). ASU 2016-15 clarifies the classification of receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-15 provides guidance related to (1) settlement and payment of zero coupon debt instruments, (2) contingent consideration, (3) proceeds from settlement of insurance claims, (4) proceeds from settlement of corporate and bank owned life insurance policies, (5) distributions from equity method investees, (6) cash receipts from beneficial interests obtained by a transferor, and (7) general guidelines for cash receipts and payments that have more than one aspect of classification. ASU 2016-15 is effective for annual periods beginning after January 1, 2018, including interim periods. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact the adoption of ASU 2016-15 will have on future financial statements and disclosures.

In October 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-16, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory” (“ASU 2016-16”). ASU 2016-16 requires entities to recognize the income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory when the transfers occur; this is a change from the current U.S. GAAP guidance which prohibits the recognition of current and deferred income taxes until the underlying assets have been sold to outside entities. ASU 2016-16 is effective for annual periods beginning after January 1, 2018, including interim periods. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact the adoption of ASU 2016-16 will have on future financial statements and disclosures.

In November 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force ” (“ASU 2016-18”). ASU 2016-18 changes existing U.S. GAAP by requiring the following, among others: (1) amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents are to be included with the totals for cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the period change in cash and cash equivalents on the consolidated statements of cash flow, (2) in addition to the exchange rate impact on cash held in foreign currencies, entities must also include, as a component of this quantified amount, the impact on cash equivalents and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents as a separate component of the reconciliation referenced in (1) above, (3) when cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally deemed as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents are presented in more than one line item within the consolidated balance sheet, such line items must also be presented either on the face of the consolidated statements of cash flow or in the notes to the financial statements, (4) a disclosure of the nature of restrictions on an entity’s cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents, and (5) any applicable change in accounting principle disclosures in the first interim and annual period in which the update is adopted. ASU 2016-18 is effective for annual periods beginning after January 1, 2018, including interim periods, and is to be applied retrospectively to all periods presented. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact the adoption of ASU 2016-18 will have on future financial statements and disclosures.

In January 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2017-04, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment” (“ASU 2017-04”). ASU 2017-04 changes existing U.S. GAAP by requiring the following, among others: (1) the elimination of step 2 of the goodwill impairment test; entities will no longer utilize the implied fair value of their assets and liabilities for purposes of testing goodwill for impairment, (2) the quantitative portion of the goodwill impairment test will be performed by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount; an impairment charge is to be recognized for the excess of carrying amount over fair value, but only to the extent of the amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit, and (3) foreign currency translation adjustments are not to be allocated to a reporting unit from an entity’s accumulated other comprehensive income; the reporting unit’s carrying amount should include only the currently translated balances of the assets and liabilities assigned to the reporting unit. ASU 2017-04 is effective for annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. The Company plans to adopt ASU 2017-04 as of January 1, 2017.