SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND RELATED DATA (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2018

The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of The Toro Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (the "company"). The company uses the equity method to account for investments over which it has the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies. Consolidated net earnings include the company's share of the net earnings (losses) of these equity method investments. The cost method is used to account for investments in entities that the company does not control and for which it does not have the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies. These cost method investments are recorded at cost within the Consolidated Balance Sheets. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated from the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Accounting Estimates

In preparing the Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with United States ("U.S.") generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), management must make decisions that impact the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses, and the related disclosures, including disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. Such decisions include the selection of the appropriate accounting principles to be applied and the assumptions on which to base accounting estimates. Estimates are used in determining, among other items, sales promotions and incentives accruals, incentive compensation accruals, income tax accruals, inventory valuation, warranty reserves, allowance for doubtful accounts, pension and post-retirement accruals, self-insurance accruals, useful lives for tangible and definite-lived intangible assets, and future cash flows associated with impairment testing for goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets and other long-lived assets. These estimates and assumptions are based on management's best estimates and judgments at the time they are made. Management evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors that management believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, including the current economic environment. Management adjusts such estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. As future events and their effects cannot be determined with certainty, actual amounts could differ significantly from those estimated at the time the Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared. Changes in those estimates will be reflected in the Consolidated Financial Statements in future periods.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are stated at cost, which approximates fair value. As of October 31, 2018, cash and cash equivalents held by the company's foreign subsidiaries were approximately $104.3 million.

Receivables

The company's financial exposure to collection of accounts receivable is reduced due to its Red Iron Acceptance, LLC ("Red Iron") joint venture with TCF Inventory Finance, Inc. ("TCFIF"), as further discussed in Note 3. For receivables not serviced through Red Iron, the company grants credit to customers in the normal course of business and performs on-going credit evaluations of customers. Receivables are recorded at original carrying amount less estimated allowance for doubtful accounts.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The company estimates the balance of allowance for doubtful accounts by analyzing the age of accounts and notes receivable balances and applying historical write-off trend rates. The company also estimates separately specific customer balances when it is deemed probable that the balance is uncollectible. Account balances are charged off against the allowance when all collection efforts have been exhausted.

Inventory Valuations

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with cost determined by the last-in, first-out ("LIFO") method for a majority of the company's inventories. The first-in, first-out ("FIFO") method is used for all other inventories, and constituted 31.0 percent of total inventories as of October 31, 2018 and 2017. The company establishes a reserve for excess, slow-moving, and obsolete inventory that is equal to the difference between the cost and estimated net realizable value for that inventory. These reserves are based on a review and comparison of current inventory levels to planned production, as well as planned and historical sales of the inventory.

Property and Depreciation

Property, plant and equipment are carried at cost. The company provides for depreciation of property, plant and equipment utilizing the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Buildings, including leasehold improvements, are generally depreciated over 10 to 40 years. Machinery and equipment are generally depreciated over two to 15 years and tooling costs are generally depreciated over three to five years. Software and web site development costs are generally amortized over two to five years. Expenditures for major renewals and improvements, which substantially increase the useful lives of existing assets, are capitalized, and expenditures for general maintenance and repairs are charged to operating expenses as incurred. Interest is capitalized during the construction period for significant capital projects.

Goodwill and Indefinite-Life Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets

Goodwill represents the cost of acquisitions in excess of the fair values assigned to identifiable net assets acquired. Goodwill is assigned to reporting units based upon the expected benefit of the synergies of the acquisition. Goodwill and certain trade names, which are considered to have indefinite lives, are not amortized; however, the company reviews them for impairment annually during the fourth quarter of each fiscal year or more frequently if changes in circumstances or the occurrence of events indicate that the fair value may not be recoverable.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018, the company performed its annual goodwill impairment test. In performing the annual goodwill impairment test, the company first reviewed its reporting units and determined that it has nine reporting units, which are the same as its nine operating segments. Six reporting units contain goodwill on their respective balance sheets. Next, the company elected to bypass the qualitative assessment, due to the duration of time since the most recent quantitative goodwill impairment test, and move directly to the quantitative goodwill impairment analysis. In performing the quantitative goodwill impairment analysis, the company compared the carrying value of each reporting unit, including goodwill, to its fair value. The carrying value of each reporting unit was determined based on the amount of equity required for the reporting unit's activities, considering the specific assets and liabilities of the reporting unit. The company did not assign corporate assets and liabilities that do not relate to the operations of the reporting unit, or are not considered in determining the fair value of the reporting unit, to the reporting units. The company's estimate of the respective fair values of its reporting units was determined under the income approach, which utilized various inputs and assumptions, including projected operating results and growth rates from the company's forecasting process, applicable tax rates, and a weighted-average cost of capital rate. Where available, and as appropriate, comparable market multiples and the company's market capitalization were also utilized to corroborate the results of the discounted cash flow models under the income approach. Based on the quantitative goodwill impairment analysis, the company determined there was no impairment of goodwill during fiscal 2018 for any of its reporting units as the fair values of the reporting units exceeded their carrying values, including goodwill. Further, no impairment of goodwill was recorded during fiscal years 2017 and 2016.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018, the company also performed a quantitative impairment analysis for its indefinite-lived intangible assets, which consist of certain trade names. The company's estimate of the fair values of its trade names are based on a discounted cash flow model, which utilized various inputs and assumptions, including: projected revenues from the company's forecasting process; assumed royalty rates that could be payable if the company did not own the trade name; and a discount rate.

Other Long-Lived Assets

Other long-lived assets consist of property, plant, and equipment; capitalized implementation costs for hosted cloud-computing arrangements; and definite-lived intangible assets. The company's definite-lived intangible assets are identifiable assets that arose from acquisitions consisting primarily of patents, non-compete agreements, customer relationships, trade names, and developed technology and are amortized on a straight-line basis over periods ranging from one to 20 years.

The company reviews other long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset, or asset group, may not be recoverable. Asset groups have identifiable cash flows and are largely independent of other asset groups. An impairment loss is recognized when estimated undiscounted future cash flows from the operation or disposition of the asset group are less than the carrying amount of the asset group. Measurement of an impairment loss is based on the excess of the carrying amount of the asset group over its fair value. Fair value is measured using a discounted cash flow model or independent appraisals, as appropriate. Based on the company's impairment analysis for other long-lived assets, the company did not have any impairment losses for fiscal 2018, 2017 and 2016.

For other long-lived assets to be abandoned, the company tests for potential impairment. If the company commits to a plan to abandon or dispose of an other long-lived asset before the end of its previously estimated useful life, depreciation or amortization estimates are revised.

Accounts Payable

The company has a service agreement with a third party financial institution to provide a web-based platform that facilitates participating suppliers' ability to finance payment obligations from the company with the third party financial institution. Participating suppliers may, at their sole discretion, make offers to finance one or more payment obligations of the company prior to their scheduled due dates at a discounted price to the third party financial institution. The company's obligations to its suppliers, including amounts due and scheduled payment dates, are not affected by suppliers' decisions to finance amounts under this arrangement.

Insurance

The company is self-insured for certain losses relating to employee medical, dental, workers' compensation and certain product liability claims. Specific stop loss coverages are provided for catastrophic claims in order to limit exposure to significant claims. Losses and claims are charged to operations when it is probable a loss has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. Self-insured liabilities are based on a number of factors, including historical claims experience, an estimate of claims incurred but not reported, demographic and severity factors, and utilizing valuations provided by independent third-party actuaries.

Accrued Warranties

as appropriate. Based on the company's impairment analysis for other long-lived assets, the company did not have any impairment losses for fiscal 2018, 2017 and 2016.

Accounts Payable

Insurance

Derivatives

Derivative instruments, consisting mainly of forward currency contracts, are used to hedge most foreign currency transactions, including forecasted sales and purchases denominated in foreign currencies. All derivative instruments are recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value as either assets or liabilities. If the derivative instrument is designated as a cash flow hedging instrument, changes in the fair values of the spot rate component of outstanding, highly effective cash flow hedging instruments included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness are recorded in other comprehensive income within accumulated other comprehensive loss (“AOCL”) on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are subsequently reclassified to net earnings within the Consolidated Statements of Earnings during the same period in which the cash flows of the underlying hedged transaction affect net earnings. Changes in the fair values of hedge components excluded from the assessment of effectiveness are recognized immediately in net earnings under the mark-to-market approach. Derivatives that are not designated as cash flow hedging instruments are adjusted to fair value through other income, net, on the Consolidated Statements of Earnings.

Foreign Currency Translation and Transactions

The functional currency of the company's foreign operations is generally the applicable local currency. The functional currency is translated into U.S. dollars for balance sheet accounts using current exchange rates in effect as of the balance sheet date and for revenue and expense accounts using a weighted-average exchange rate during the fiscal year. The translation adjustments are deferred as a component of other comprehensive income within the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income and the Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity. Gains or losses resulting from transactions denominated in foreign currencies are included in other income, net in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings.

Income Taxes

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years that those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income tax expense in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance is provided when, in management's judgment, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. The company has reflected the necessary deferred tax assets and liabilities in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. Management believes the future tax deductions will be realized principally through carryback to taxable income in prior years, future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences and future taxable income.

The company recognizes the effect of income tax positions only if those positions are more likely than not of being sustained. Recognized income tax positions are measured at the largest amount that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized. Changes in recognition or measurement are reflected in the period in which the change in judgment occurs. The company also records interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits within income tax expense.

Revenue Recognition

The company recognizes revenue for product sales when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, title and risk of ownership passes to the customer, the sales price is fixed or determinable and collectability is probable. These criteria are typically met at the time product is shipped, or in the case of certain agreements, when product is delivered. A provision is made at the time the related revenue is recognized for estimated product returns, floor plan costs, rebates, and other sales promotion expenses. Sales, use, value-added and other excise taxes are not recognized in revenue. Freight revenue billed to customers is included in net sales.

The company ships some of its products to a key retailer's distribution centers on a consignment basis. The company retains title to its products stored at the distribution centers. As the company's products are removed from the distribution centers by the key retailer and shipped to the key retailer's stores, title passes from the company to the key retailer. At that time, the company invoices the key retailer and recognizes revenue for these consignment transactions. The company does not offer a right of return for products shipped to the key retailer's stores from the distribution centers. From time to time, the company also stores inventory on a consignment basis at other customers' locations. The amount of consignment inventory as of October 31, 2018 and 2017 was $22.7 million and $19.3 million, respectively.

Revenue earned from service and maintenance contracts is recognized ratably over the contractual period. Revenue from extended warranty programs is deferred at the time the contract is sold and amortized into net sales using the straight-line method over the extended warranty period.

Sales Promotions and Incentives

At the time of sale, the company records an estimate for sales promotion and incentive costs. The company's estimates of sales promotion and incentive costs are based on the terms of the arrangements with customers, historical payment experience, field inventory levels, volume purchases, and expectations for changes in relevant trends in the future. The expense of each program is classified as a reduction from gross sales or as a component of selling, general and administrative expense.

Examples of significant sales promotions and incentive programs in which the related expense is classified as a reduction from gross sales are as follows:


•	Off-Invoice Discounts: The company's costs for off-invoice discounts represent a reduction in the selling price of its products given at the time of sale.


•	Rebate Programs: The company's rebate programs are generally based on claims submitted from either its direct customers or end-users of its products, depending upon the program. The amount of the rebate varies based on the specific program and is either a dollar amount or a percentage of the purchase price and can also be based on actual retail price as compared to the company's selling price.


•	Incentive Discounts: The company's costs for incentive discount programs are based on its customers’ purchase or retail sales goals of certain quantities or mixes of product during a specified time period, which are tracked on an annual or quarterly basis depending on the program.

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Financing Programs: The company's costs for financing programs, namely floor planning and retail financing, represent financing costs associated with programs under which it pays a portion of the interest cost to finance distributor and dealer inventories through third party financing arrangements for a specific period of time. Retail financing is similar to floor planning with the difference being that retail financing programs are offered to end-user customers under which the company pays a portion of interest costs on behalf of end-users for financing purchases of its equipment.


•	Commissions Paid to Home Center Customers: The company pays commissions to home center customers as an off-invoice discount. These commissions do not represent any selling effort by the home center customer but rather is a discount from the selling price of the product.

Examples of significant sales promotions and incentive programs in which the related expense is classified as a component of selling, general, and administrative expense are as follows:

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Commissions Paid to Distributors and Dealers: For certain products, the company uses a distribution network of dealers and distributors that purchase and take possession of products for sale to the end customer. In addition, the company has dealers and distributors that act as sales agents for it on certain products using a direct-selling type model. Under this direct-selling type model, the company's network of distributors and dealers facilitates a sale directly to the dealer or end-user customer on its behalf. Commissions to distributors and dealers in these instances represent commission payments to sales agents that are also its customers.

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Cooperative Advertising: Cooperative advertising programs are based on advertising costs incurred by distributors and dealers for promoting the company's products. The company supports a portion of those advertising costs in which claims are submitted by the distributor or dealer along with evidence of the advertising material procured/produced and evidence of the cost incurred in the form of third party invoices or receipts.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales is primarily comprised of direct materials and supplies consumed to manufacture the company's products, as well as manufacturing labor and direct overhead expense necessary to convert direct materials and supplies into finished product. Cost of sales also includes inbound freight costs for direct materials and supplies, outbound freight costs for shipping products to customers, obsolescence expense, cost of services provided, and cash discounts on payments to vendors.

Selling, General, and Administrative Expense

Selling, General and Administrative Expense

Selling, general, and administrative expense is primarily comprised of payroll and benefit costs, occupancy and operating costs of distribution and corporate facilities, warranty expense, depreciation and amortization expense on non-manufacturing assets, advertising and marketing expenses, selling expenses, engineering and research costs, information systems costs, incentive and profit sharing expense, and other miscellaneous administrative costs, such as legal costs for internal and outside services that are expensed as incurred.

Cost of Financing Distributor/Dealer Inventory

Cost of Financing Distributor / Dealer Inventory

The company enters into limited inventory repurchase agreements with Red Iron and in limited instances, a third-party financing company for certain of the company's independent dealers in Australia. The company has repurchased immaterial amounts of inventory under these repurchase agreements over the last three fiscal years.

Included as a reduction to gross sales are costs associated with programs under which the company shares the expense of financing distributor and dealer inventories, referred to as floor plan expenses. This charge represents interest for a pre-established length of time based on a predefined rate from a contract with a third party financing company to finance distributor and dealer inventory purchases. These financing arrangements are used by the company to assist customers in financing inventory.

Advertising

General advertising expenditures are expensed the first time advertising takes place. Production costs associated with advertising are expensed in the period incurred. Cooperative advertising represents expenditures for shared advertising costs that the company reimburses to customers and is classified as a component of selling, general and administrative expense. These obligations are accrued and expensed when the related revenues are recognized in accordance with the programs established for various product lines.

Engineering and Research

The company's engineering and research costs are expensed as incurred and are primarily incurred in connection with the development of new products that may have additional applications or represent extensions of existing product lines, improvements to existing products, and cost reduction efforts.

Stock-Based Compensation

The company's stock-based compensation awards are generally granted to executive officers, other employees, and non-employee members of the company's Board of Directors, and include performance share awards that are contingent on the achievement of performance goals of the company, non-qualified stock options, and restricted stock units. Generally, compensation expense equal to the grant date fair value is recognized for these awards over the vesting period and is classified in selling, general and administrative expense. Stock options granted to executive officers and other employees are subject to accelerated expensing if the option holder meets the retirement definition set forth in The Toro Company Amended and Restated 2010 Equity and Incentive Plan, as amended and restated (the "2010 plan"). In that case, the fair value of the options is expensed in the fiscal year of grant because generally the option holder must be employed as of the end of the fiscal year in which the options are granted in order for the options to continue to vest following retirement. Similarly, if a non-employee director has served on the company's Board of Directors for ten full fiscal years or more, the awards vest immediately upon retirement; and therefore, the fair value of the options granted is fully expensed on the date of the grant.

Net Earnings Per Share

Incremental shares from options and restricted stock units are computed by the treasury stock method.

Net Earnings Per Share

Basic net earnings per share is calculated using net earnings available to common stockholders divided by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the year plus the assumed issuance of contingent shares. Diluted net earnings per share is similar to basic net earnings per share except that the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding plus the assumed issuance of contingent shares is increased to include the number of additional shares of common stock that would have been outstanding assuming the issuance of all potentially dilutive shares, such as common stock to be issued upon exercise of options, contingently issuable shares, and restricted stock units.

New Accounting Pronouncements Adopted

In July 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory. This amended guidance changes the measurement principle for inventory from the lower of cost or market to the lower of cost or net realizable value. The amended guidance was adopted in the first quarter of fiscal 2018. The adoption of this guidance did not have an impact on the company's Consolidated Financial Statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which simplifies the accounting for goodwill impairments by eliminating step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. The company elected to early adopt the amended guidance in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018. The early adoption of this guidance did not have an impact on the company's Consolidated Financial Statements.

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities, which amends the hedge accounting recognition, presentation, and effectiveness assessment requirements in Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 815. The company elected to early adopt this amended guidance using a modified retrospective basis effective November 1, 2017 ("adoption date"), which was the first day of the company's first quarter of fiscal 2018. In accordance with the transition provisions of ASU 2017-12, the company is required to eliminate the separate measurement of ineffectiveness for its cash flow hedging instruments existing as of the adoption date through a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The company did not record a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings to eliminate prior period ineffectiveness amounts recognized in earnings as no such amounts existed within the company’s previously issued Consolidated Financial Statements.

The impact of the early adoption resulted in the following:

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The company no longer separately measures and recognizes hedge ineffectiveness within the Consolidated Statements of Earnings. Rather, the company recognizes the entire change in the fair value of highly effective cash flow hedging instruments included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness in other comprehensive income within AOCL on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The amounts recorded in AOCL will subsequently be reclassified to net earnings in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings within the same line item as the underlying exposure when the underlying hedged transaction affects net earnings.


•	The company no longer recognizes amounts of hedge components excluded from the assessment of effectiveness (“excluded components”) within other income, net, but instead, on a prospective basis, recognizes and presents excluded components within the same line item in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings as the underlying exposure.


•	The company elected to not change its policy on accounting for excluded components and will continue to recognize changes in the fair value of excluded components currently in net earnings under the mark-to-market approach.

In addition, certain provisions in the amended guidance require modification to existing disclosure requirements on a prospective basis. Refer to Note 13, Financial Instruments, for disclosures relating to the company's derivative instruments and hedging activities.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, which provides for the reclassification of the stranded tax effect of remeasuring deferred tax balances related to items within accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI") to retained earnings resulting from the Tax Act. The amendment also includes disclosure requirements regarding an entity's accounting policy for releasing income tax effects from AOCI. The company elected to early adopt this guidance as of the beginning of the second quarter of fiscal 2018. The company had $0.1 million of net stranded income tax effects in AOCL within the Consolidated Balance Sheets as a result of the lower U.S. federal corporate tax rate due to the enactment of the Tax Act. The net amount of stranded income tax effects within AOCL was determined under the portfolio approach and was derived from the deferred tax balances on the company’s pension and post-retirement benefit plans and cash flow hedging derivative instruments. The adoption of the guidance resulted in the transfer of $0.1 million of net stranded income tax effects out of AOCL and into retained earnings with no impact to total stockholders’ equity or net earnings.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That is a Service Contract, which aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a cloud-based service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. As a result, certain implementation costs incurred by the customer during the application development stage are to be deferred over the noncancelable term of the hosting arrangement, plus any optional renewal periods that are reasonably certain to be exercised by the customer or for which exercise of the renewal option is controlled by the cloud service provider. Costs incurred during the preliminary project and post-implementation stages are expensed as the activities are performed. The company elected to early adopt the amended guidance in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 under the retrospective transition method. The early adoption of this guidance did not have an impact on the company's Consolidated Financial Statements.

New Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, that updates the principles for recognizing revenue. The core principle of the guidance 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 to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance provides a five-step analysis of transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized. The guidance also requires enhanced disclosures regarding the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from an entity’s contracts with customers. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which deferred the effective date of this standard by one year. The guidance permits the use of either a retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. As of October 31, 2018, the company has completed its evaluation of the impact of the new guidance on its accounting policies and practices. As a result of the company's evaluation, the adoption of the new guidance will not have a material impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements, including the presentation of net sales in its Consolidated Statements of Earnings. The company will adopt the new guidance on November 1, 2018, the first quarter of fiscal 2019, using the modified retrospective method of adoption applied to those contracts for which the company's performance obligations were not completed as of October 31, 2018. A transition adjustment will be recorded to the company's fiscal 2019 beginning retained earnings balance for the cumulative effect of the change; this transition adjustment is not material to the company's Consolidated Financial Statements. In preparation for adoption of the new guidance, the company has identified and implemented appropriate changes to its business processes, information systems, and internal controls to support the preparation of financial information; however, at this time, none of the changes have, or are reasonably likely to, materially affect the company's internal controls over financial reporting.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases, which, among other things, requires lessees to recognize most leases on-balance sheet. The standard requires the recognition of right-of-use assets ("ROU assets") and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under previous U.S. GAAP. The standard also requires a greater level of quantitative and qualitative disclosures regarding the nature of the entity’s leasing activities than were previously required under U.S. GAAP. In January 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-01, Leases (Topic 842): Land Easement Practical Expedient for Transition to Topic 842, which provides an optional transition practical expedient to not evaluate existing or expired land easements under the amended lease guidance. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-10, Codification Improvements to Topic 842 (Leases), which provides narrow amendments to clarify how to apply certain aspects of the new lease standard. Additionally, in July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements, which provides an alternative transition method that permits an entity to use the effective date of ASU No. 2016-02 as the date of initial application through the recognition of a cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings upon adoption. Consequently, an entity's reporting for the comparative periods presented in the financial statements in which it adopts the new lease standard will continue to be in accordance with current GAAP under ASC Topic 840, Leases. ASU No. 2016-02, as augmented by ASU No. 2018-01, ASU No. 2018-10, and ASU No. 2018-11 (the "amended guidance"), will become effective for the company commencing in the first quarter of fiscal 2020.

In order to identify and evaluate the impact of the amended guidance on the company's Consolidated Financial Statements, Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, business processes, internal controls, and information systems, the company has established a cross-functional project management team. This cross-functional project management team is tasked with evaluating the potential implications of the amended guidance, including compiling and analyzing existing explicit lease agreements, reviewing contractual agreements for embedded leases, determining the discount rate to be used in valuing ROU assets and lease liabilities under new and existing leases, and assessing the changes to the company's accounting policies, business processes, internal controls, and information systems that may be necessary to comply with the provisions and all applicable financial statement disclosures required by the amended guidance. At this point in the company's evaluation process, the company has compiled and analyzed existing explicit lease agreements and completed its initial assessment of its business and system requirements. The company is in the process of selecting a third-party lease accounting software solution; assessing the impact to its internal control environment; evaluating the impact of the amended guidance on its accounting policies, business processes and procedures, and information systems; and, where applicable, reviewing contractual agreements for embedded leases.

The company will adopt the amended guidance on November 1, 2019, the first quarter of fiscal 2020, under the alternative cumulative effect transition method. Upon adoption, the company will recognize ROU assets and corresponding lease liabilities for its operating lease agreements within its Consolidated Balance Sheets. While the company's evaluation of the amended guidance and related implementation activities are ongoing and incomplete, based on the results of the company's evaluation process to date, the company believes the adoption of the amended guidance may have a material impact on the company's Consolidated Balance Sheets, Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, business processes, internal controls, and information systems. However, the company does not believe the adoption of the amended guidance will have a material impact on the company's Consolidated Statements of Earnings and Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting, which provides guidance on the types of changes to the terms or conditions of share-based payment awards to which an entity would be required to apply modification accounting under Topic 718. The amended guidance will become effective in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 and will not have a material impact on the company's Consolidated Financial Statements.

In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-07, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which expands the scope of ASC Topic 718 to include share-based payments granted to nonemployees in exchange for goods or services used or consumed in an entity's own operations and supersedes the guidance in ASC Topic 505-50. The amended guidance will become effective in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. Early adoption is permitted but not prior to adopting ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The company is currently evaluating the impact of this new standard on its Consolidated Financial Statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, which modifies the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by removing, modifying, or adding certain disclosures. The amended guidance will become effective in the first quarter of fiscal 2021. Early adoption is permitted for any removed or modified disclosures. The company is currently evaluating the impact of this new standard on its Consolidated Financial Statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-14, Compensation - Retirement Benefits - Defined Benefit Plans (Topic 715), which modifies the disclosure requirements for defined benefit pension plans and other post-retirement plans. The amended guidance will become effective in the first quarter of fiscal 2021. Early adoption is permitted. The company is currently evaluating the impact of this new standard on its Consolidated Financial Statements.

No other new accounting pronouncement that has been issued but not yet effective for the company during fiscal 2018 has had, or is expected to have, a material impact on the company's Consolidated Financial Statements.