Financial Information and Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of accounting

In our opinion the condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") applicable to interim period financial statements and reflect all adjustments necessary for a fair statement of results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, changes in equity for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, and our financial positions as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019. All such adjustments included herein are of a normal, recurring nature unless otherwise disclosed in the Notes.

New accounting guidance and regulatory items and recently adopted accounting guidance

New accounting guidance and regulatory items

In March 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. This ASU provides optional guidance for a limited period of time to ease the potential burden in accounting for contracts and hedging relationships affected by reference rate reform. This applies to contracts that reference LIBOR or another rate that is expected to be discontinued as a result of rate reform and have modified terms that affect or have the potential to affect the amount and timing of contractual cash flows resulting from the discontinuance of reference rate. The new standard is effective March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. We are evaluating the impacts this standard will have on accounting for contracts and hedging relationships but do not believe it will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The amendments in this ASU simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions and simplification in several other areas. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020 (i.e., a January 1, 2021 effective date). We are evaluating the effect this guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-14, Defined Benefit Plans - General (Subtopic 715-20): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans. The amendments in this ASU modify the disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension or other postretirement plans. The new standard is effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2020. We are evaluating the disclosure impacts this guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements.

Recently adopted accounting guidance

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. The amendments in this ASU align the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. The new standard

became effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 (i.e. a January 1, 2020 effective date). There was no material impact to our consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. This ASU changes the subsequent measurement of goodwill impairment by eliminating Step 2 from the impairment test. Under the new guidance, an entity will measure impairment using the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of the reporting unit. The new standard became effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 (i.e. a January 1, 2020 effective date), with early adoption permitted for goodwill impairment tests with measurement dates after January 1, 2017. There was no material impact to our consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. ASU 2016-13 replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology with a current expected credit loss ("CECL") model that immediately recognizes an estimate of credit losses that are expected to occur over the life of the financial instrument, including trade receivables. The update is intended to provide financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses on financial instruments and other commitments to extend credit held by a reporting entity at each reporting date. The new standard became effective January 1, 2020. As a result of the adoption, we have refined our allowance for doubtful trade receivables methodology which considers current economic conditions as well as forward-looking expectations about expected credit losses. Our accounting policy, as set forth in detail in Note 1 within the 2019 Form 10-K, follows a consistent methodology and incorporates the additional requirements under the new standard’s CECL framework. The adoption of the new standard did not result in a material impact to our consolidated financial statements.