Basis of Presentation (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Revenue From Contract With Customer, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Changes in Accounting Policy

Except for the changes below, the Company has consistently applied its revenue and cost accounting policies to all periods presented in its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. The details of the significant changes are disclosed below.

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Sales Commissions - The Company previously recognized sales commissions related to contracts with clients as selling expenses when incurred. Under ASU No. 2014-09, the Company capitalizes incremental sales commissions as costs of obtaining a contract and, if expected to be recovered, amortizes such costs using a portfolio approach consistent with the pattern of transfer of the good or service to which the asset relates.

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Deferred Client Conversion and Start-Up Costs - The Company previously capitalized direct and incremental client conversion or start-up costs to set up or convert a client’s systems to function with the Company’s technology that are expected to be recovered. Under ASU No. 2014-09, the Company will capitalize certain additional client conversion or start-up costs that are directly related to the client conversion but that are not considered incremental costs to the Company.


•	Proxy Revenues - The Company previously recognized proxy revenues following the client’s shareholder meeting, which is typically 30 days after the proxy materials distribution. Under ASU No. 2014-09, the Company will recognize proxy revenues primarily at the time of proxy materials distribution to the client’s shareholders.

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Software Term License Revenues - The Company previously recognized revenue from software term licenses that are not hosted by the Company ratably over the contract term. Under ASU No. 2014-09, for software license arrangements that are distinct, the Company recognizes software license revenue upon delivery assuming a contract is deemed to exist. For arrangements with clients that include significant customization, modification or production of software such that the software is not distinct from the associated implementation services, revenue is typically recognized over time based upon efforts expended to measure progress towards completion or in certain cases upon completion of the installation. Software term license revenue is not a significant portion of the Company’s revenues.


•	Termination Fees - The Company previously recognized client contract termination fees at a point in time upon deconversion or receipt of a non-refundable cash payment. Under ASU No. 2014-09, a contract termination is considered a contract modification and therefore, the Company recognizes contract termination fees over the remaining modified contract term.

ASU No. 2014-09 outlines a single comprehensive model to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. The core principle is that an entity recognizes revenue to reflect the transfer of promised 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.

The Company’s revenues from clients are primarily generated from fees for providing investor communications and technology-enabled services and solutions. Revenues are recognized for the two reportable segments as follows:

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Investor Communication Solutions—Revenues are generated primarily from processing and distributing investor communications and other related services as well as vote processing and tabulation. The Company typically enters into agreements with clients to provide services on a fee for service basis. Fees received for processing and distributing investor communications are generally variably priced and recognized as revenue over time as the Company provides the services to clients based on the number of units processed, which coincides with the pattern of value transfer to the client. Broadridge works directly with corporate issuers (“Issuers”) and mutual funds to ensure that the account holders of the Company’s bank and broker clients, who are also the shareholders of Issuers and mutual funds, receive the appropriate investor communications materials and that the services are fulfilled in accordance with each Issuer’s and mutual fund’s requirements. Broadridge works directly with the Issuers and mutual funds to resolve any issues that may arise. As such, Issuers and mutual funds are viewed as the customer of the Company’s services. As a result, revenues for distribution services as well as proxy materials fulfillment services are recorded in Revenue on a gross basis with corresponding costs including amounts remitted to the broker-dealers and banks (referred to as “Nominees”) recorded in Cost of revenues. Fees for the Company’s investor communications services arrangements are typically billed and paid on a monthly basis following the delivery of the services. The Company also offers certain hosted service arrangements that can be priced on a fixed and/or variable basis for which revenue is recognized over time as the Company satisfies its performance obligation by delivering services to the client on a monthly basis based on the number of transactions processed or units delivered, in the case of variable priced arrangements, or a fixed monthly fee in the case of fixed price arrangements, in each case which coincides with the pattern of value transfer to the client. These services may be billed in a variety of payment frequencies depending on the specific arrangement.

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Global Technology and Operations—Revenues are generated primarily from fees for transaction processing and related services. Revenue is recognized over time as the Company satisfies its performance obligation by delivering services to the client. The Company’s arrangements for processing and related services typically consist of an obligation to provide specific services to its clients on a when and if needed basis (a stand ready obligation) with revenue recognized from the satisfaction of the performance obligations on a monthly basis generally in the amount billable to the client. These services are generally provided under variable priced arrangements based on volume of service and can include minimum monthly usage fees. Client service agreements often include up-front consideration in addition to the recurring fee for transaction processing. Up-front implementation fees, as well as certain enhancements to existing technology platforms, are deferred and recognized on a straight-line basis over the service term of the contract which corresponds to the timing of transfer of value to the client that commences after client acceptance when the processing term begins. In addition, revenue is also generated from the fulfillment of professional services engagements which are generally priced on a time and materials or fixed price basis, and are recognized as the services are provided to the client which corresponds to the timing of transfer of value to the client.

Consolidation and Basis of Presentation Policy

Consolidation and Basis of Presentation. The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States of America (“U.S.”) and in accordance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) requirements for Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. These financial statements present the condensed consolidated position of the Company and include the entities in which the Company directly or indirectly has a controlling financial interest as well as various entities in which the Company has investments recorded under the equity method of accounting as well as certain marketable and non-marketable securities. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

Use of Estimates Policy

Use of Estimates. The preparation of these financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes thereto. These estimates are based on management’s best knowledge of current events, historical experience, actions that the Company may undertake in the future and on various other assumptions and judgment that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.

Subsequent Events Policy

Subsequent Events. In preparing the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, the Company has reviewed events that have occurred after December 31, 2018 through the date of issuance of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

New Accounting Pronouncements Policy

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, which allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects associated with the change in the U.S. federal corporate tax rate resulting from the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) enacted in December 2017. ASU 2018-02 is effective for fiscal years, including interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company early adopted ASU 2018-02 as of July 1, 2018, and the adoption of this guidance resulted in an increase to retained earnings of $1.5 million.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-01, “Clarifying the Definition of a Business” (“ASU No. 2017-01”). ASU No. 2017-01 narrows the definition of a business, in part by concluding that an integrated set of assets and activities (referred to as a “set”) is not a business when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets. ASU No. 2017-01 became effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of fiscal year 2019, and was applied on a prospective basis. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases” (“ASU No. 2016-02”), as subsequently amended by ASU No. 2018-10 “Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases”, ASU No. 2018-11 “Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements”, and ASU No. 2018-20 “Leases (Topic 842): Narrow Scope Improvements for Lessors” (collectively referred to herein as “ASU No. 2016-02, as amended”). Under ASU No. 2016-02, as amended, all lease arrangements, with certain limited exceptions, exceeding a twelve-month term must now be recognized as assets and liabilities on the balance sheet of the lessee by recording a right-of-use asset and corresponding lease obligation generally equal to the present value of the future lease payments over the lease term. Further, the income statement will reflect lease expense for leases classified as operating and amortization/interest expense for leases classified as financing, determined using classification criteria substantially similar to the current lease guidance for distinguishing between an operating and capital lease. ASU No. 2016-02, as amended, also contains certain additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures to supplement the amounts recorded in the financial statements so that users can understand more about the nature of an entity’s leasing activities, including significant judgments and changes in judgments. ASU No. 2016-02, as amended, is effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal year 2020 and can be adopted using either a modified retrospective basis which requires adjustment to all comparative periods presented in the consolidated financial statements, or by recognizing a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings at the date of initial application. The Company has elected to adopt ASU No. 2016-02, as amended, by recognizing a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings at the date of initial application. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the pending adoption of ASU No. 2016-02, as amended, on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Effective July 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASU No. 2014-09. ASU No. 2014-09 outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most prior revenue recognition guidance, including industry specific requirements. It also includes guidance on accounting for the incremental costs of obtaining and costs incurred to fulfill a contract with a customer. The core principle of the revenue model is to recognize revenues when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. As a result, it is possible more judgment and estimates may be required within the revenue recognition process including identifying performance obligations in the contract, estimating the amount of variable consideration to include in the transaction price and allocating the transaction price to each separate performance obligation. ASU No. 2014-09 also requires certain enhanced disclosures, including disclosures on the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenues and cash flows from contracts with customers.

The Company identified certain impacts of ASU No. 2014-09 on its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Specifically, under ASU No. 2014-09, the Company now capitalizes certain sales commissions, and it capitalizes certain additional costs that are part of setting up or converting a client’s systems to function with the Company’s technology, both of which were previously expensed. Additionally, the Company now recognizes proxy revenue primarily at the time of proxy materials distribution to the client’s shareholders rather than on the date of the client’s shareholder meeting, which is typically 30 days after the proxy materials distribution. Other changes to the timing of revenue recognition include deferral of revenue from certain transaction processing platform enhancements as well as acceleration of revenue from certain multi-year software license arrangements that are currently recognized over the term of the software subscription.

The Company adopted ASU No. 2014-09 using the modified retrospective transition method applied to all contracts, which resulted in a cumulative-effect increase in the opening balance of retained earnings of $101.3 million, most notably related to the deferral of incremental sales commissions incurred in obtaining contracts in prior periods. Under this transition approach, the Company has not restated the prior period Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements presented. However, the Company has provided additional disclosures related to the amount by which each relevant fiscal 2019 financial statement line item was affected by adoption of ASU No. 2014-09 and explanations for significant changes. See Note 3, “Revenue Recognition” for additional information about the Company’s revenue recognition policies and the related impact of the Company’s adoption of ASU No. 2014-09.

Business Combinations Policy

Assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations are recorded on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of the respective acquisition date based upon the estimated fair values at such date. The results of operations of the business acquired by the Company are included in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings since the respective date of acquisition. The excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair values of the underlying assets acquired and liabilities assumed is allocated to Goodwill.