Accounting policies

Basis of presentation

The unaudited interim financial information of Kellogg Company (the Company) included in this report reflects all adjustments, all of which are of a normal and recurring nature, that management believes are necessary for a fair statement of the results of operations, comprehensive income, financial position, equity and cash flows for the periods presented. This interim information should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and accompanying footnotes within the Company’s 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The condensed balance sheet information at December 30, 2017 was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The results of operations for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for other interim periods or the full year.

Accounts payable

The Company has agreements with certain third parties to provide accounts payable tracking systems which facilitates participating suppliers’ ability to monitor and, if elected, sell payment obligations from the Company to designated third-party financial institutions. Participating suppliers may, at their sole discretion, make offers to sell one or more payment obligations of the Company prior to their scheduled due dates at a discounted price to participating financial institutions. The Company’s goal in entering into these agreements is to capture overall supplier savings, in the form of payment terms or vendor funding, created by facilitating suppliers’ ability to sell payment obligations, while providing them with greater working capital flexibility. We have no economic interest in the sale of these suppliers’ receivables and no direct financial relationship with the financial institutions concerning these services. The Company’s obligations to its suppliers, including amounts due and scheduled payment dates, are not impacted by suppliers’ decisions to sell amounts under these arrangements. However, the Company’s right to offset balances due from suppliers against payment obligations is restricted by this agreement for those payment obligations that have been sold by suppliers. As of March 31, 2018, $724 million of the Company’s outstanding payment obligations had been placed in the accounts payable tracking system, and participating suppliers had sold $547 million of those payment obligations to participating financial institutions. As of December 30, 2017, $850 million of the Company’s outstanding payment obligations had been placed in the accounts payable tracking system, and participating suppliers had sold $674 million of those payment obligations to participating financial institutions.

Revenue

The Company recognizes revenue from the sale of food products which are sold to retailers through direct sales forces, broker and distributor arrangements. The Company also recognizes revenue from the license of our trademarks granted to third parties who uses these trademarks on their merchandise. Revenue from these licenses are not material to the Company. Revenue, which includes shipping and handling charges billed to the customer, is reported net of applicable provisions for discounts, returns, allowances, and various government withholding taxes.

Contract balances where revenue is recognized in the current period that is not a result of current period performance is not material to the Company. The Company also does not incur costs to obtain or fulfill contracts.

Performance obligations

The Company recognizes revenue when (or as) performance obligations are satisfied by transferring control of the goods to customers. Control is transferred upon delivery of the goods to the customer. At the time of delivery, the customer is invoiced with payment terms which are commensurate with the customer’s credit profile. Shipping and/or handling costs that occur before the customer obtains control of the goods are deemed to be fulfillment activities and are accounted for as fulfillment costs.

The Company assesses the goods and services promised in its customers’ purchase orders and identifies a performance obligation for each promise to transfer a good or service (or bundle of goods or services) that is distinct. To identify the performance obligations, the Company considers all the goods or services promised, whether explicitly stated or implied based on customary business practices. For a purchase order that has more than one performance obligation, the Company allocates the total consideration to each distinct performance obligation on a relative standalone selling price basis.

Significant Judgments

The Company offers various forms of trade promotions and the methodologies for determining these provisions are dependent on local customer pricing and promotional practices, which range from contractually fixed percentage price reductions to provisions based on actual occurrence or performance. Where applicable, future provisions are estimated based on a combination of historical patterns and future expectations regarding specific in-market product performance.

Our promotional activities are conducted either through the retail trade or directly with consumers and include activities such as in-store displays and events, feature price discounts, consumer coupons, contests and loyalty programs. The costs of these activities are generally recognized at the time the related revenue is recorded, which normally precedes the actual cash expenditure. The recognition of these costs therefore requires management judgment regarding the volume of promotional offers that will be redeemed by either the retail trade or consumer. These estimates are made using various techniques including historical data on performance of similar promotional programs. Differences between estimated expense and actual redemptions are normally insignificant and recognized as a change in management estimate in a subsequent period.

Practical expedients

For the quarter ended March 30, 2018, the Company elected the following practical expedients in accordance with ASU 2014-09:


•	Significant financing component - The Company elected not to adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component as the Company expects, at contract inception, that the period between the transfer of a promised good or service to a customer and when the customer pays for that good or service will be one year or less.


•	Shipping and handling costs - The Company elected to account for shipping and handling activities that occur before the customer has obtained control of a good as fulfillment activities (i.e., an expense) rather than as a promised service.


•	Measurement of transaction price - The Company has elected to exclude from the measurement of transaction price all taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are both imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction and collected by the Company from a customer for sales taxes.

New accounting standards adopted in the period

Derivatives and Hedging: Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities. In August 2017, the FASB issued an ASU intended to simplify hedge accounting by better aligning an entity’s financial reporting for hedging relationships with its risk management activities. The ASU also simplifies the application of the hedge accounting guidance. The new guidance is effective on January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. For cash flow hedges existing at the adoption date, the standard requires adoption on a modified retrospective basis with a cumulative-effect adjustment to the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of the beginning of the year of adoption. The amendments to presentation guidance and disclosure requirements are required to be adopted prospectively. The Company adopted the ASU in the first quarter of 2018. The impact of adoption was immaterial to the financial statements.

Improving the Presentation of net Periodic Pension Cost and net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost. In March 2017, the FASB issued an ASU to improve the presentation of net periodic pension cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost. The ASU requires that an employer report the service cost component in the same line item or items as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the pertinent employees during the period. The other components of net benefit cost are required to be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of income from operations, if one is presented. The amendments in this ASU should be applied retrospectively for the presentation of the service cost component and the other components of net periodic pension cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost in the income statement and prospectively, on and after the effective date, for the capitalization of the service cost component of net periodic pension cost and net periodic postretirement benefit in assets. The Company adopted the ASU in the first quarter of 2018.

Simplifying the test for goodwill impairment. In January 2017, the FASB issued an ASU to simplify how an entity is required to test goodwill for impairment by eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Step 2 measures a goodwill impairment loss by comparing the implied fair value of a reporting unit's goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. The ASU is effective for an entity's annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. The amendments in this ASU should be applied on a prospective basis. The Company adopted the ASU in the first quarter of 2018 with no impact.

Statement of Cash Flows. In August 2016, the FASB issued an ASU to provide cash flow statement classification guidance for certain cash receipts and payments including (a) debt prepayment or extinguishment costs; (b) contingent consideration payments made after a business combination; (c) insurance settlement proceeds; (d) distributions from equity method investees; (e) beneficial interests in securitization transactions and (f) application of the predominance principle for cash receipts and payments with aspects of more than one class of cash flows. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period, in which case adjustments should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes the interim period. The amendments in this ASU should be applied retrospectively. The Company adopted the new ASU in the first quarter of 2018.

Recognition and measurement of financial assets and liabilities. In January 2016, the FASB issued an ASU which requires equity investments that are not accounted for under the equity method of accounting to be measured at fair value with changes recognized in net income and which updates certain presentation and disclosure requirements. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption can be elected for all financial statements of fiscal years and interim periods that have not yet been issued or that have not yet been made available for issuance. Entities should apply the update by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The Company adopted the updated standard in the first quarter of 2018. The impact of adoption was immaterial to the financial statements.

Revenue from contracts with customers. In May 2014, the FASB issued an ASU, as amended, which provides guidance for accounting for revenue from contracts with customers. The core principle of this ASU is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve that core principle, an entity would be required to apply the following five steps: 1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; 2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; 3) determine the transaction price; 4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and 5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The Company adopted the updated standard in the first quarter of 2018 using the full retrospective method and restated previously reported amounts. In connection with the adoption, the Company made reclassification of certain customer allowances. The adoption effects relate to the timing of recognition and classification of certain promotional allowances. The updated revenue standard also required additional disaggregated revenue disclosures. Refer to Impacts to Previously Reported Results below for the impact of adoption of the standard on our consolidated financial statements.

Impacts to Previously Reported Results

Adoption of the standards related to revenue recognition, pension and cash flow impacted our previously reported results as follows:



	As of December 30, 2017
Consolidated Balance Sheet	Previously Reported		Revenue Recognition ASU			Restated
Other assets	$	1,026	$	1		$	1,027
Other current liabilities	$	1,431	$	43		$	1,474
Deferred income taxes	$	363	$	(8	)	$	355
Retained earnings	$	7,103	$	(34	)	$	7,069



	Quarter ended April 1, 2017
Consolidated Statement of Income	Previously Reported		Revenue Recognition ASU			Pension ASU		Restated
Net sales	$	3,254	$	(6	)	$	—	$	3,248
Cost of goods sold	$	2,050	$	(16	)	$	54	$	2,088
Selling, general and administrative expense	$	844	$	5		$	31	$	880
Other income (expense), net	$	3	$	—		$	85	$	88
Income taxes	$	42	$	1		$	—	$	43
Net income	$	262	$	4		$	—	$	266
Per share amounts:
Basic earnings	$	0.75	$	0.01		$	—	$	0.76
Diluted earnings	$	0.74	$	0.01		$	—	$	0.75



	Quarter ended April 1, 2017
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows	Previously Reported			Revenue Recognition ASU			Cash Flow ASU			Restated
Net income	$	262		$	4		$	—		$	266
Deferred income taxes	$	(67	)	$	1		$	—		$	(66	)
Trade receivables	$	(192	)	$	—		$	(245	)	$	(437	)
Other	$	30		$	—		$	—		$	30
All other current assets and liabilities	$	51		$	(5	)	$	—		$	46
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$	211		$	—		$	(245	)	$	(34	)
Collections of deferred purchase price on securitized trade receivables	$	—		$	—		$	245		$	245
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	$	(131	)	$	—		$	245		$	114

Accounting standards to be adopted in future periods

Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. In February 2018, the FASB issued an ASU permitting a company to reclassify the disproportionate income tax effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 on items within accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI). The reclassification is optional. Regardless of whether or not a company opts to make the reclassification, the new guidance requires all companies to include certain disclosures in their financial statements. The guidance is effective for all fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing whether to adopt the ASU and the impact of adoption.

Leases. In February 2016, the FASB issued an ASU which will require the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for all leases with terms greater than 12 months. The distinction between finance leases and operating leases will remain, with similar classification criteria as current GAAP to distinguish between capital and operating leases. The principal difference from current guidance is that the lease assets and lease liabilities arising from operating leases will be recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Lessor accounting remains substantially similar to current GAAP. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The Company will adopt the ASU in the first quarter of 2019, and is currently evaluating the impact that implementing this ASU will have on its financial statements.