Recent Accounting Pronouncements

3 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2014

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

2. Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recently adopted

Foreign currency matters

In March 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued an update which amends guidance on foreign currency matters and consolidations to address diversity in practice related to the release of cumulative translation adjustments, or CTA, into earnings upon the occurrence of certain de-recognition events. The update reflects a compromise between the CTA release guidance included within foreign currency matters and the loss of control concepts included within consolidation guidance. It precludes the release of CTA for de-recognition events that occur within a foreign entity, unless such events represent a complete or substantially complete liquidation of the foreign entity. De-recognition events related to investments in a foreign entity result in the release of all CTA related to the derecognized foreign entity, even when a non-controlling financial interest is retained. The update also amends guidance on business combinations and for transactions that result in a company obtaining control of a business in a step acquisition by increasing an investment in a foreign entity from one accounted for under the equity method to one accounted for as a consolidated investment. This update should be applied prospectively and prior periods should not be adjusted. The update is effective for us beginning on August 1, 2014. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Not yet effective

Revenue from contracts with customers

In May 2014, the FASB issued an update which provides guidance for revenue recognition. This update affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets. This update will supersede existing revenue recognition requirement and most industry-specific guidance. This update also supersedes some cost guidance, including revenue recognition guidance for construction-type and production-type contracts. The update’s core principle is that a company will recognize revenue when it transfers 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. In doing so, companies will need to use more judgment and make more estimates than under today’s guidance. These may include 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. This update should be applied modified retrospectively or restrospectively. This update will be effective for us in the first quarter of fiscal year 2018. Early adoption is not permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this update on our Consolidated Financial Statements.