Investment in Australia Joint Venture	9 Months Ended
Oct. 28, 2016
Investment in Australia Joint Venture
Investment in Australia Joint Venture	Note 3: Investment in Australian Joint Venture - In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2015, the Company announced its decision to exit the Australian joint venture investment with Woolworths Limited (Woolworths) and recorded a $530 million impairment of its equity method investment due to a determination that there was a decrease in value that was other than temporary. The Company owns a one-third share in the joint venture, Hydrox Holdings Pty Ltd. (Hydrox), which operated Masters Home Improvement stores and Home Timber and Hardware Group’s retail stores and wholesale distribution in Australia. As a result of this decision to exit, Woolworths is required to purchase the Company’s one-third share at an agreed upon fair value as of January 18, 2016. The determination of this amount due the Company is currently in arbitration. The $530 million non-cash impairment charge recorded in fiscal 2015 was based on the Company’s estimate of the value of its portion of the overall joint venture fair value as of January 18, 2016, and the Company’s estimate of this value has not changed. During the third quarter of fiscal year 2016, Woolworths claimed a unilateral termination of the joint venture agreement, and executed other agreements to initiate the wind down of Hydrox without the Company’s approval as required under the joint venture agreement. Due to this, Lowe’s has concluded that under applicable accounting standards, the investment should be accounted for as a cost method investment going forward. As a result of this determination, accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments of $208 million were reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss into the carrying value of the cost method investment. In addition, due to the unilateral actions of Woolworths to begin the liquidation of Hydrox, a triggering event occurred requiring the Company to evaluate the cost method investment for impairment, and the Company recorded a $290 million impairment charge during the third quarter of fiscal 2016 to reflect its estimated portion of the overall joint venture fair value in wind down. See Note 4 to the consolidated financial statements included herein for additional information regarding this fair value measurement. The Company continues to maintain that amounts due under the joint venture agreement are to be based on fair value as of January 18, 2016 under a going concern basis. The recorded value of the investment is not reflective of this estimated value as the current operations are no longer deemed a going concern. The Company will treat its claims for additional value under the joint venture agreement, above and beyond any amounts expected to be received through the wind down process, as a contingent asset and will recognize these amounts as they are realized.

Note 3: Investment in Australian Joint Venture - In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2015, the Company announced its decision to exit the Australian joint venture investment with Woolworths Limited (Woolworths) and recorded a $530 million impairment of its equity method investment due to a determination that there was a decrease in value that was other than temporary. The Company owns a one-third share in the joint venture, Hydrox Holdings Pty Ltd. (Hydrox), which operated Masters Home Improvement stores and Home Timber and Hardware Group’s retail stores and wholesale distribution in Australia. As a result of this decision to exit, Woolworths is required to purchase the Company’s one-third share at an agreed upon fair value as of January 18, 2016. The determination of this amount due the Company is currently in arbitration. The $530 million non-cash impairment charge recorded in fiscal 2015 was based on the Company’s estimate of the value of its portion of the overall joint venture fair value as of January 18, 2016, and the Company’s estimate of this value has not changed.

During the third quarter of fiscal year 2016, Woolworths claimed a unilateral termination of the joint venture agreement, and executed other agreements to initiate the wind down of Hydrox without the Company’s approval as required under the joint venture agreement. Due to this, Lowe’s has concluded that under applicable accounting standards, the investment should be accounted for as a cost method investment going forward. As a result of this determination, accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments of $208 million were reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss into the carrying value of the cost method investment. In addition, due to the unilateral actions of Woolworths to begin the liquidation of Hydrox, a triggering event occurred requiring the Company to evaluate the cost method investment for impairment, and the Company recorded a $290 million impairment charge during the third quarter of fiscal 2016 to reflect its estimated portion of the overall joint venture fair value in wind down. See Note 4 to the consolidated financial statements included herein for additional information regarding this fair value measurement.

The Company continues to maintain that amounts due under the joint venture agreement are to be based on fair value as of January 18, 2016 under a going concern basis. The recorded value of the investment is not reflective of this estimated value as the current operations are no longer deemed a going concern. The Company will treat its claims for additional value under the joint venture agreement, above and beyond any amounts expected to be received through the wind down process, as a contingent asset and will recognize these amounts as they are realized.