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Financial instruments
12 Months Ended
Aug. 31, 2019
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Financial instruments
Financial instruments

The Company uses derivative instruments to manage its exposure to interest rate and foreign currency exchange risks.

The Company has non-U.S. dollar denominated net investments and uses foreign currency denominated financial instruments, specifically foreign currency derivatives and foreign currency denominated debt, to hedge its foreign currency risk.

The Company utilizes foreign currency forward contracts and other foreign currency derivatives to hedge significant committed and highly probable future transactions and cash flows denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of the Company or its subsidiaries.

The Company uses interest rate swaps from time to time to manage the interest rate exposure associated with some of its fixed-rate debt and designates them as fair value hedges. From time to time, the Company uses forward starting interest rate swaps to hedge its interest rate exposure of some of its anticipated debt issuances.

The notional amount and fair value of derivative instruments outstanding were as follows (in millions):
August 31, 2019
 
Notional
 
Fair value
 
Location in Consolidated Balance Sheets
Derivatives designated as hedges:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cross currency interest rate swap
 
$
800


$
73

 
Other non-current assets
Foreign currency forwards
 
18

 
1

 
Other current assets
Derivatives not designated as hedges:
 
 

 
 

 
 
Foreign currency forwards
 
3,485


87

 
Other current assets
Foreign currency forwards
 
707


6

 
Other current liabilities

August 31, 2018
 
Notional
 
Fair value
 
Location in Consolidated Balance Sheets
Derivatives designated as hedges:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate swaps
 
$
250

 
$
1

 
Other non-current liabilities
Foreign currency forwards
 
$
15

 

 
Other current assets
Derivatives not designated as hedges:
 
 

 
 

 
 
Foreign currency forwards
 
3,273

 
52

 
Other current assets
Foreign currency forwards
 
825

 
4

 
Other current liabilities

                                      
Net investment hedges
The Company uses cross currency interest rate swaps as hedges of net investments in subsidiaries with non-U.S. dollar functional currencies. For qualifying net investment hedges, changes in the fair value of the derivatives are recorded in the currency translation adjustment within accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).

Derivatives not designated as hedges
The Company enters into derivative transactions that are not designated as accounting hedges. These derivative instruments are economic hedges of foreign currency risks. The income and (expense) due to changes in fair value of these derivative instruments were recognized in earnings as follows (in millions):
 
 
Location in Consolidated Statements of Earnings
 
2019
 
2018
 
2017
Foreign currency forwards
 
Selling, general and administrative expense
 
$
139

 
$
17

 
$
11

Foreign currency forwards
 
Other income (expense)
 
(18
)
 
22

 
(48
)


Derivatives credit risk
Counterparties to derivative financial instruments expose the Company to credit-related losses in the event of counterparty nonperformance, and the Company regularly monitors the credit worthiness of each counterparty.

Derivatives offsetting
The Company does not offset the fair value amounts of derivative instruments subject to master netting agreements in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.