Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

6 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2020

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited) and notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited) are presented in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and do not include all the disclosures normally required in annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). The condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited), in the opinion of management, contain all normal recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position as of July 31, 2020, and August 2, 2019, the results of operations, comprehensive income, and shareholders’ equity for the three and six months ended July 31, 2020, and August 2, 2019, and cash flows for the six months ended July 31, 2020, and August 2, 2019. The January 31, 2020 consolidated balance sheet was derived from the audited financial statements.

These interim condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited) should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (the Company) Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2020 (the Annual Report). The financial results for the interim periods may not be indicative of the financial results for the entire fiscal year.

Impacts of COVID-19

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic and recommended containment and mitigation measures worldwide. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal, state and local governments put in place travel restrictions, quarantines, “shelter-in-place” orders, and various other restrictive measures in an attempt to control the spread of the disease. Such restrictions or orders have resulted in, and continue to result in, business closures, work stoppages, slowdowns and delays, among other effects that impact the Company’s operations, as well as customer demand and the operations of our suppliers.

At the onset of the pandemic, the Company implemented a number of measures to facilitate a safer store environment and to provide support for its associates, customers and community. During the first quarter, the Company expanded associate benefits in response to COVID-19 to provide additional paid time off, special payments to hourly associates, temporary wage increases and other benefits. During the second quarter of 2020, the Company provided additional bonus payments to hourly associates, in addition to continued enhanced cleaning protocols and charitable contributions. These actions resulted in $428 million and $740 million of expense included in selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expense in the consolidated statements of earnings for the three and six months ended July 31, 2020, respectively.

Also in response to COVID-19, the Company took proactive steps to further enhance its liquidity position by suspending its share repurchase program, increasing the capacity of its revolving credit facilities and the associated commercial paper program, as well as issuing senior notes in March 2020. See Note 5 and Note 6 for further discussion.

The Company continues to evaluate the carrying amounts of its long-lived assets whenever certain events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be recoverable, including potential market impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company performed its quarterly assessment of long-lived assets and did not record any material long-lived asset impairments.

In addition, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act), which was enacted on March 27, 2020, includes measures to assist companies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In accordance with the CARES Act, the Company has deferred the payment of qualifying employer payroll taxes which are required to be paid over two years, with half to be paid by December 31, 2021 and the other half by December 31, 2022. As of July 31, 2020, the Company deferred $251 million of qualifying employer payroll taxes which is included in other liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets and included in cash flows from other operating liabilities in the consolidated statements of cash flows.

Reclassifications

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current period presentation, including the addition of cash flow hedges – net of tax on the consolidated statements of comprehensive income, and the inclusion of goodwill within other assets on the consolidated balance sheets.

Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In March 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. The ASU provides practical expedients for contract modification accounting related to the transition away from the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other interbank offering rates to alternative reference rates. The expedients are applicable to contract modifications made and hedging relationships entered into on or before December 31, 2022. The Company intends to leverage the expedient when needed for reference rate transition. The Company continues to evaluate this standard update, and does not expect a material impact to the Company’s financial statements or disclosures.

Recent accounting pronouncements pending adoption not discussed in this Form 10-Q or in the 2019 Form 10-K are either not applicable to the Company or are not expected to have a material impact on the Company.