Basis of Presentation (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Accounting

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and therefore do not include all information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. for complete financial statements. Except as disclosed herein, there has been no material change in the information disclosed in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Genuine Parts Company (the “Company,” "we," "our," "us," or "its") for the year ended December 31, 2017. Accordingly, the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures herein should be read in conjunction with the Company’s 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of interim financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements. Specifically, the Company makes estimates and assumptions in its interim condensed consolidated financial statements for inventory adjustments, the accrual of bad debts, customer sales returns, and volume incentives earned, among others. Inventory adjustments (including adjustments for a majority of inventories that are valued under the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method) are accrued on an interim basis and adjusted in the fourth quarter based on the annual book to physical inventory adjustment and LIFO valuation, which are performed each year-end. Reserves for bad debts and customer sales returns are estimated and accrued on an interim basis based upon historical experience. Volume incentives are estimated based upon cumulative and projected purchasing levels. The estimates and assumptions for interim reporting may change upon final determination at year-end, and such changes may be significant.

Revenue Recognition

The Company applied Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("ASU 2014-09"), using the modified retrospective method effective January 1, 2018. The cumulative effect of initially applying ASU 2014-09 and its amendments resulted in a reduction to the opening retained earnings balance of $8,000, prior to the tax adjustment, at January 1, 2018 and a related adjustment to other current liabilities as of that date. Revenue for periods prior to January 1, 2018 have not been adjusted and continue to be reported under Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC"), Revenue Recognition (Topic 605). Upon adoption of ASU 2014-09, the Company also began classifying its estimate of merchandise returns expected in the next twelve months, which was $217,667 as of September 30, 2018, in prepaid expenses and other current assets. This estimate was historically classified in merchandise inventories, net and the amount was $203,589 as of December 31, 2017.

The Company primarily recognizes revenue at the point the customer obtains control of the products or services and at an amount that reflects the consideration expected to be received for those products or services. Contracts with customers may include multiple performance obligations. For such arrangements, the Company allocates revenue to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price and recognizes revenue upon delivery or as services are rendered.

Revenue is recognized net of allowances for returns, variable consideration and any taxes collected from customers that will be remitted to governmental authorities. Revenue recognized over time is not significant. Payment terms with customers vary by the type and location of the customer and the products or services offered. The Company does not adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of significant financing components based on the expectation that the period between when the Company transfers a promised good or service to a customer and when the customer pays for that good or service will be one year or less. Arrangements with customers that include payment terms extending beyond one year are not significant.

Liabilities for customer incentives, discounts, or rebates are included in other current liabilities in the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Product Distribution Revenues

The Company generates revenue primarily by distributing products through wholesale and retail channels. For wholesale customers, revenue is recognized when title and control of the goods has passed to the customer. Retail revenue is recognized at the point of sale when the goods are transferred to customers and consideration is received. Shipping and handling activities are performed prior to the customer obtaining control of the products. Costs associated with shipping and handling are considered costs to fulfill a contract and are included in selling, administrative and other expenses in the period they are incurred.

Other Revenues

The Company offers software support, product cataloging, marketing, training and other membership program and support services to certain customers. This revenue is recognized as services are performed. Revenue from these services is recognized over a short duration and the impact to our condensed consolidated financial statements is not significant.

Variable Consideration

The Company’s products are generally sold with a right of return and may include variable consideration in the form of incentives, discounts, credits or rebates. The Company estimates variable consideration based on historical experience to determine the expected amount to which the Company will be entitled in exchange for transferring the promised goods or services to a customer. The Company recognizes estimated variable consideration as an adjustment to the transaction price when control of the related product or service is transferred. The realization of variable consideration occurs within a short period of time from product delivery; therefore, the time value of money effect is not significant.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2014-09, which creates a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for recognizing revenue from contracts with customers. The Company adopted ASU 2014-09 and its amendments on January 1, 2018. The core principle of the new standard is that a company should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 defines a five-step process to achieve this core principle and, in doing so, it is possible more judgment and estimates may be required within the revenue recognition process than were required under previously existing guidance, 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, among others. ASU 2014-09 did not result in a significant change in the judgment or timing associated with the recognition of revenue from the sale of the Company’s products or services. See the revenue recognition footnote for additional information.

Leases (Topic 842)

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases ("ASU 2016-02"), which, among other things, requires an entity to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases, including operating leases, with a term greater than twelve months. Expanded disclosures with additional qualitative and quantitative information will also be required. ASU 2016-02 and its amendments are effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and early adoption is permitted.  In July 2018, the FASB issued amendments in ASU 2018-11, which provide a transition election to not restate comparative periods for the effects of applying the new standard. This transition election permits entities to change the date of initial application to the beginning of the year of adoption and to recognize the effects of applying the new standard as a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. The Company expects to elect this transition approach and recognize the cumulative impact of adoption in the opening balance of retained earnings as of January 1, 2019. The Company has established a cross-functional team and it is continuing to evaluate the new standard and prepare for implementation. As disclosed in the leased properties footnote in the 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K, the future minimum payments under noncancelable operating leases are approximately $1,140,000 as of December 31, 2017. The Company believes the adoption of this standard will have a significant impact on the consolidated balance sheets.

Income Tax Reform

As more fully discussed in the income taxes footnote of the Company’s notes to the consolidated financial statements in its 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ("the Act") was enacted December 22, 2017. As of September 30, 2018, the Company has not completed the accounting for the tax effects of the enactment of the Act due to its complexities and the limited guidance available; however, the Company has made a reasonable estimate of the effect of the Act on the existing deferred tax balances and of the one-time transition tax. There was no impact on the tax rate as a result of a change in estimate for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. In all cases, the Company continues to refine the calculations as additional analysis and modeling are completed. Further, the Company's estimates may also be affected as regulations and additional guidance become available.

In addition, the Act subjects a U.S. shareholder to tax on Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income ("GILTI") earned by certain foreign subsidiaries. Given the complexity of the GILTI provisions, the Company is still evaluating its effects and has not yet made an accounting policy election. The provision is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or related disclosures.

Compensation-Retirement Benefits (Topic 715)

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost ("ASU 2017-07"), which requires an entity to report the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost in the same line item as other compensation costs (selling, administrative and other expenses) and the remaining components in non-operating expense in the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income. The Company adopted ASU 2017-07 retrospectively on January 1, 2018 and it did not have a material impact on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements or related disclosures. See the employee benefit plans footnote for additional information. The Company elected to use the amounts disclosed in the employee benefit plans footnote for the prior comparative period as the basis for applying the retrospective presentation.

Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815)

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities ("ASU 2017-12"), which eliminates the requirement to separately measure and report hedge ineffectiveness and requires companies to recognize all elements of hedge accounting that impact earnings in the same line item in the statement of income where the hedged item resides. The amendments also ease the requirements for effectiveness testing, hedge documentation and applying the critical terms match method, among other things. ASU 2017-12 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and early adoption is permitted. The standard must be applied using a modified retrospective transition approach. The Company early adopted ASU 2017-12 as of July 1, 2018 and it did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or related disclosures.

Share-based Compensation

As more fully discussed in the share-based compensation footnote of the Company’s notes to the consolidated financial statements in its 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Company maintains various long-term incentive plans, which provide for the granting of stock options, stock appreciation rights (“SARs”), restricted stock, restricted stock units (“RSUs”), performance awards, dividend equivalents and other share-based awards. SARs represent a right to receive upon exercise an amount, payable in shares of common stock, equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of exercise over the base value of the grant. The terms of such SARs require net settlement in shares of common stock and do not provide for cash settlement. An RSU represents a contingent right to receive one share of the Company’s common stock at a future date. The majority of awards previously granted vest on a pro-rata basis for periods ranging from one to five years and are expensed accordingly on a straight-line basis. The Company issues new shares upon exercise or conversion of awards under these plans. Most awards may be exercised or converted to shares not earlier than twelve months nor later than ten years from the date of grant.

Guarantees

The Company guarantees the borrowings of certain independently controlled automotive parts stores (“independents”) and certain other affiliates in which the Company has a noncontrolling equity ownership interest (“affiliates”). Presently, the independents are generally consolidated by unaffiliated enterprises that have controlling financial interests through ownership of a majority voting interest in the independents. The Company has no voting interest or equity conversion rights in any of the independents. The Company does not control the independents or the affiliates, but receives a fee for the guarantees. The Company has concluded that the independents are variable interest entities, but that the Company is not the primary beneficiary. Specifically, the equity holders of the independents have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entities’ economic performance including, but not limited to, decisions about hiring and terminating personnel, local marketing and promotional initiatives, pricing and selling activities, credit decisions, monitoring and maintaining appropriate inventories, and store hours. Separately, the Company concluded the affiliates are not variable interest entities. The Company’s maximum exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with these independents and affiliates is generally equal to the total borrowings subject to the Company’s guarantees. While such borrowings of the independents and affiliates are outstanding, the Company is required to maintain compliance with certain covenants, including a maximum debt to capitalization ratio and certain limitations on additional borrowings. At September 30, 2018, the Company was in compliance with all such covenants.

In the event that the Company is required to make payments in connection with guaranteed obligations of the independents or the affiliates, the Company would obtain and liquidate certain collateral (e.g., accounts receivable and inventory) to recover all or a portion of the amounts paid under the guarantees. When it is deemed probable that the Company will incur a loss in connection with a guarantee, a liability is recorded equal to this estimated loss.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The carrying amounts reflected in the condensed consolidated balance sheets for cash and cash equivalents, trade accounts receivable, trade accounts payable, and borrowings under the line of credit and term loan approximate their respective fair values based on the short-term nature of these instruments.

The fair value of fixed rate debt is designated as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy (i.e., significant observable inputs) and is based primarily on the discounted value of future cash flows using current market interest rates offered for debt of similar credit risk and maturity.