Accounting Changes (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]

Accounting Changes

Implemented in 2018

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the new Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB"), and all related amendments under FASB Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, using the modified retrospective method. Comparative financial information has not been restated and continues to be reported under the accounting standards in effect for those periods. The Company did not recognize any adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings upon adoption of ASC Topic 606. The Company expects the impact of adoption of this new standard to be immaterial to the Company’s net income on an ongoing basis.

Compensation - Retirement Benefits

On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the changes required under ASU 2017-07, Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Post-retirement Benefit Cost under FASB ASC Topic 715, Retirement Benefits as issued by the FASB in March 2017. In accordance with the ASU, beginning on January 1, 2018, the Company reports the current service cost component of net periodic benefit cost in Compensation and benefits on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income, and reports the Other components of net periodic benefit recovery as a separate item outside of Operating income on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company has applied these changes in presentation retrospectively, which resulted in a decrease in Operating income of $68 million and $203 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively.

These changes in presentation do not result in any changes to net income or earnings per share. Details of the components of net periodic benefit costs are provided in Note 12 Pensions and other benefits.

The ASU also prospectively restricts capitalization of net periodic benefit costs to the current service cost component when applicable. This restriction has no impact on the Company’s operating income or amounts capitalized because the Company has and continues to only capitalize an appropriate portion of current service cost for self-constructed properties.

Derivatives and Hedging

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities, under FASB ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging. This improves the financial reporting of hedging relationships to better portray the economic results of an entity's risk management activities in its financial statements. These amendments also make targeted improvements to simplify the application of the hedge accounting guidance in GAAP. The amendments require the entire change in the fair value of the hedging instrument to be recorded in Other comprehensive income for effective cash flow hedges. Consequently, any ineffective portion of the change in fair value will no longer be recorded to the Consolidated Statement of Income as it arises. While the amendments are effective for public entities beginning on January 1, 2019, early adoption is permitted and the Company early adopted this ASU effective January 1, 2018. Entities are required to apply the amendments in this update to hedging relationships existing on the date of adoption, reflected as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. Other amendments to presentation and disclosure are applied prospectively. No significant cumulative-effect adjustment was required.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income - Reclassification

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income under FASB ASC Topic 220, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income. The current standard ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes, requires deferred tax liabilities and assets to be adjusted for the effect of a change in tax laws or rates with the effect included in income from continuing operations in the reporting period that includes the enactment date. This includes the tax effects of items in Accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI") that were originally recognized in Other comprehensive income, subsequently creating stranded tax effects. This ASU allows a reclassification from AOCI to Retained earnings for stranded tax effects specifically resulting from the U.S. federal government's recently enacted tax bill, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The amendments are effective for public entities beginning on January 1, 2019 and early adoption is permitted. Entities are required to apply these amendments either in the period of adoption or retrospectively to each period in which the effect of the change in tax rate from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was recognized. The Company early adopted this ASU effective January 1, 2018, electing not to change AOCI, Retained earnings or disclosure in the Company's Interim Consolidated Financial Statements.

Future changes

Leases

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases under FASB ASC Topic 842, Leases which will supersede the lease recognition and measurement requirements in Topic 840, Leases. This new standard requires recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as finance and operating leases with a maximum term exceeding 12 months. For CP this new standard will be effective for interim and annual periods commencing January 1, 2019. CP plans to adopt the new standard with a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings at that date and no restatement of comparative periods’ financial information, as recently allowed by the FASB. The Company has a detailed plan to implement the new standard and, through a cross-functional team, is assessing contractual arrangements that may qualify as leases under the new standard. CP is also working with a vendor to implement a lease management system which will assist in delivering the required accounting changes. Testing and optimization of the lease management system is nearing completion. The Company is also finalizing procedures to validate the completeness of its inventory of arrangements that meet the new definition of operating lease, in parallel to documenting internal policy decisions and permitted elections. The impact of the new standard will be a material increase to right-of-use operating lease assets and operating lease liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet, primarily, as a result of operating leases currently not recognized on the balance sheet. The Company is currently evaluating disclosure requirements, including any prospective change to presentation within its Consolidated Statements of Income.