Note 2 - New Accounting Pronouncements

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Text Block]

NOTE 2 — NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

New accounting pronouncements effective in the nine-month period ended September 30, 2015

Service Concession Arrangements

In January 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-05, Service Concession Arrangements, Topic 853. The update provides that an operating entity should not account for a service concession arrangement within the scope of this update as a lease in accordance with Topic 840, Leases. The amendments also specify that the infrastructure used in a service concession arrangement should not be recognized as property, plant, and equipment of the operating entity. A service concession arrangement is an arrangement between a public-sector entity grantor and an operating entity under which the operating entity operates the grantor’s infrastructure and may provide the construction, upgrading, or maintenance services for the grantor’s infrastructure. The amendments apply to an operating entity of a service concession arrangement entered into with a public-sector entity grantor when the arrangement meets both of the following conditions: (1) the grantor controls or has the ability to modify or approve the services that the operating entity must provide for the infrastructure, to whom it must provide them, and at what price and (2) the grantor controls, through ownership, beneficial entitlement, or otherwise, any residual interest in the infrastructure at the end of the term of the arrangement. The guidance was applied on a modified retrospective basis to service concession arrangements in existence at January 1, 2015. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

New accounting pronouncements effective in future periods

Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory, Topic 330. The update contains no amendments to disclosure requirements, but replaces the concept of ‘lower of cost or market’ with that of ‘lower of cost and net realizable value’. The amendments in this update are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those reporting periods. The amendments should be applied prospectively with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact, if any, of the adoption of this update on its consolidated financial statements.

Amendments to Fair Value Measurement

In June 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-10, Amendment to Fair Value Measurement, Subtopic 820-10. The amendment provides that the reporting entity shall disclose for each class of assets and liabilities measured at fair value in the statement of financial position the following information: for recurring fair value measurements, the fair value measurement at the end of the reporting period, and for non-recurring fair vale measurement, the fair value measurement at the relevant measurement date and the reason for the measurement. The amendments in this update are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, including interim periods within those reporting periods. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact, if any, of the adoption of this update on its consolidated financial statements.

Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis

In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-02, Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis, Topic 810. The update provides that all reporting entities that hold a variable interest in other legal entities will need to re-evaluate their consolidation conclusions and potentially revise their disclosures. This amendment affects both variable interest entity (“VIE”) and voting interest entity (“VOE”) consolidation models. The update does not change the general order in which the consolidation models are applied. A reporting entity that holds an economic interest in, or is otherwise involved with, another legal entity (has a variable interest) should first determine if the VIE model applies, and if so, whether it holds a controlling financial interest under that model. If the entity being evaluated for consolidation is not a VIE, then the VOE model should be applied to determine whether the entity should be consolidated by the reporting entity. Since consolidation is only assessed for legal entities, the determination of whether there is a legal entity is important. It is often clear when the entity is incorporated, but unincorporated structures can also be legal entities and judgment may be required to make that determination. The update contains a new example that highlights the judgmental nature of this legal entity determination. The update is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, including interim periods within those reporting periods. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact, if any, of the adoption of this update on its consolidated financial statements.

Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Costs

In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-15, Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line-of-Credit Arrangements, Subtopic 835-30. The update clarifies that given the absence of authoritative guidance within Update 2015-03 for debt issuance costs described below, debt issuance costs related to line-of-credit arrangement can be deferred and presented as assets and subsequently amortized ratably over the term of the line-of-credit arrangement, regardless of whether there are any outstanding borrowings under the line-of-credit arrangement. The amendments in this update are effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact, if any, of the adoption of these amendments on its consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, Interest-Imputation of Interest: Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Costs, Subtopic 835-30. The update provides that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The amendments in this update are effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company plans to adopt this update in its interim period beginning January 1, 2016 and expects the potential impact to be a reclassification of the debt issuance costs totaling $20.3 million as of September 30, 2015.

Revenues from Contracts with Customers

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenues from Contracts with Customers, Topic 606, which was a joint project of the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue and to develop a common revenue standard for U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. The update provides that an entity should recognize revenue in connection with the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Specifically, an entity is required to apply each of the following steps: (1) identify the contract(s) with the customer; (2) identify the performance obligations in the contracts; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligation in the contract; and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The amendments in this update are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those reporting periods. Early adoption is permitted no earlier than 2017 for calander fiscal year entities. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact, if any, of the adoption of these amendments on its consolidated financial statements.