Basis of Presentation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The interim Consolidated Financial Statements of Howmet Aerospace Inc. (formerly known as Arconic Inc.) and its subsidiaries (“Howmet” or the “Company”) are unaudited. These Consolidated Financial Statements include all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, considered necessary by management to fairly state the Company’s results of operations, financial position, and cash flows. The results reported in these Consolidated Financial Statements are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire year. The 2019 year-end balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). This Form 10-Q report should be read in conjunction with the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, which includes all disclosures required by GAAP. Certain amounts in previously issued financial statements were reclassified to conform to the current period presentation (see Note D).

The separation of Arconic Inc. into two standalone, publicly-traded companies, Howmet Aerospace Inc. and Arconic Corporation, (the “Arconic Inc. Separation Transaction”) became effective on April 1, 2020. The financial results of Arconic Corporation for all periods prior to the Arconic Inc. Separation Transaction have been retrospectively reflected in the Statement of Consolidated Operations as discontinued operations and, as such, have been excluded from continuing operations and segment results for all periods presented. Certain adjustments to equity and reclassifications have been made related to the Arconic Inc. Separation Transaction. In addition, the related assets and liabilities associated with Arconic Corporation in the December 2019 Consolidated Balance Sheet are classified as assets and liabilities of discontinued operations. The cash flows, comprehensive income, and equity related to Arconic Corporation have not been segregated and are included in the Statement of Consolidated Cash Flows, Statement of Consolidated Comprehensive Income (Loss), and Statement of Changes in Consolidated Equity, respectively, for all periods prior to the Arconic Inc. Separation Transaction. See Note B for additional information related to the Arconic Inc. Separation Transaction and discontinued operations.

Year to date, the Company derived approximately 70% of its revenue from products sold to the aerospace end-market. As a result of the global pandemic coronavirus (“COVID-19”) and its impact on the aerospace industry to-date, the possibility exists that there could be a sustained impact to our operations and financial results. Since the start of the pandemic, certain original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) customers have reduced production or suspended manufacturing operations in North America and Europe on a temporary basis. While the pandemic has resulted in the temporary closure of a small number of the Company's manufacturing facilities, all of our manufacturing facilities are currently operating. Since the duration of the pandemic is uncertain, the Company is taking a series of actions to address the financial impact, including announcing certain headcount reductions and reducing certain cash outflows by suspending dividends on common stock and reducing the level of its capital expenditures to preserve cash and maintain liquidity.

The preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain judgments, estimates, and assumptions. These estimates are based on historical experience and, in some cases, assumptions based on current and future market experience, including considerations relating to the impact of COVID-19. The impact of COVID-19 is rapidly changing and of unknown duration and macroeconomic impact and as a result, these considerations remain highly uncertain. We have made our best estimates using all relevant information available at the time, but it is possible that our estimates will differ from our actual results and affect the Consolidated Financial Statements in future periods and potentially require adverse adjustments to the recoverability of goodwill, intangible and long-lived assets, the realizability of deferred tax assets and other judgements and estimations and assumptions that may be impacted by COVID-19.

During the third quarter ended September 30, 2020, the Company identified a misclassification in the presentation of changes in accounts payable and capital expenditures in its previously issued Statement of Consolidated Cash Flows. Although management has determined that such misclassification did not materially misstate such prior financial statements, the Company has revised its Statement of Consolidated Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 resulting in a $117 increase to previously reported capital expenditures and decrease to cash provided from investing activities with a corresponding reduction in (decrease) in accounts payable, trade and increase in cash provided by operations. The Company will also prospectively revise, in connection with future filings, its Statement of Consolidated Cash Flows to increase its previously reported capital expenditures with a corresponding offset in accounts payable, trade of $55, $83 and $83 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019, three months ended March 31, 2020, and six months ended June 30, 2020, respectively.

During the second quarter of 2020, a $16 tax error was identified related to periods prior to 2018. Although management has determined it was not material to any periods, it was corrected as an adjustment to Retained Earnings in the Statement of Changes in Consolidated Equity in the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2020. During the third quarter, the Company determined that such correction to Retained Earnings should have been accounted for as a revision to its prior year's Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) and has made this correction in the current quarter. The Company will prospectively revise, in connection with future filings, its Statement of Changes in Consolidated Equity for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2020 to properly present the correction as a reduction to prior year's Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit). The accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2019 reflects the revision for such tax item.