ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND RELATED MATTERS

The Company

Pall Corporation and its subsidiaries (hereinafter collectively called the “Company” unless the context requires otherwise) manufacture and market filtration, purification and separation products and integrated systems solutions throughout the world to a diverse group of customers. As discussed in Note 18, Segment Information and Geographies, management has determined that the Company’s reportable segments, which are also its operating segments, consist of its two businesses: Life Sciences and Industrial.

The Company’s fiscal year ends on July 31, and the Company’s fiscal quarters end on October 31, January 31 and April 30.

As discussed in Note 19, Discontinued Operations, the Company has sold, effective August 1, 2012, certain assets of its blood collection, filtration and processing product line, which was a component of the Life Sciences segment (the product line sales were reported in the Medical market), and met both the criteria for discontinued operations and held for sale presentation during the third quarter of fiscal year 2012. As such, it has been reported as a discontinued operation in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Presentation and Use of Estimates

The financial statements of the Company are presented on a consolidated basis with its subsidiaries, substantially all of which are wholly-owned. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Financial statements of foreign subsidiaries have been translated into United States (“U.S.”) Dollars at exchange rates as follows: (i) balance sheet accounts at year-end rates, except equity accounts which are translated at historic rates, and (ii) income statement accounts at weighted average rates. Translation gains and losses are reflected in stockholders’ equity, while transaction gains and losses, which result from the settlement of foreign denominated receivables and payables at rates that differ from rates in effect at the transaction date, are reflected in earnings. Net transaction gains/(losses) inclusive of offsetting gains/(losses) on foreign currency forward contracts in fiscal years 2013, 2012 and 2011 amounted to $(5,076), ($3,839) and $2,087, respectively, and were recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses.

To prepare the Company’s consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), management is required to make assumptions that may affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates are used for, but not limited to, inventory valuation; provisions for doubtful accounts; asset recoverability; depreciable lives of fixed assets and useful lives of patents and amortizable intangibles; fair value of financial instruments; income tax assets and liabilities; pension valuations; restructuring and other charges; valuation of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations; allocation of costs to operating segments; revenue recognition and liabilities for items such as contingencies and environmental remediation. The Company is subject to uncertainties such as the impact of future events; economic, environmental and political factors; and changes in the business climate. Therefore, actual results may differ from those estimates. When no estimate in a given range is deemed to be better than any other when estimating contingent liabilities, the low end of the range is accrued. Accordingly, the accounting estimates used in the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements will change as new events occur, as more experience is acquired, as additional information is obtained and as the Company’s operating environment changes. Changes in estimates are made when circumstances warrant. Such changes and refinements in estimation methodologies are reflected in reported results of operations; if material, the effects of changes in estimates are disclosed in the notes to the consolidated financial statements.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

All financial instruments purchased with a maturity of three months or less, other than amounts held in the benefits protection trust (as discussed in Note 7, Other Current and Non-Current Assets), are considered cash equivalents.

Inventories

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost (on the first-in, first-out method) or market.

Investments

Investments (which include equity interests of less than 20%) are considered available-for-sale securities and, as such, are carried at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses on these securities are reported as a separate component of stockholders’ equity until realized from sale or when unrealized losses are deemed by management to be other than temporary. Management considers numerous factors, on a case-by-case basis, in evaluating whether the decline in market value of an available-for-sale security below cost is other than temporary. Such factors include, but are not limited to, (i) the length of time and the extent to which the market value has been less than cost; (ii) the financial condition and the near-term prospects of the issuer of the security; and (iii) whether the Company’s intent to retain the investment for the period of time is sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in market value. Investments are included in “Other non-current assets” in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Acquisition Accounting

Acquisitions of businesses are accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting. The acquisition method of accounting requires, among other things, that assets acquired and liabilities assumed be recognized at their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date and that the fair value of acquired in-process research & development (“IPR&D”) be recorded on the balance sheet. Transaction costs are expensed as incurred. Any excess of the purchase price over the assigned values of the net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. When the Company acquires net assets that do not constitute a business under U.S. GAAP, no goodwill is recognized.

Long-Lived Assets

The Company performs detailed impairment testing for goodwill annually during the Company’s fiscal third quarter, or more frequently if certain events or circumstances indicate impairment might have occurred. The Company evaluates the recoverability of goodwill using a two-step impairment test approach at the reporting unit level. The Company’s two operating segments, Life Sciences and Industrial, were also determined to be its reporting units. In the first step, the overall fair value for the reporting unit is compared to its book value including goodwill. In the event that the overall fair value of the reporting unit was determined to be less than the book value, a second step is performed which compares the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill to the book value of the goodwill. The implied fair value for the goodwill is determined based on the difference between the overall fair value of the reporting unit and the fair value of the net identifiable assets. If the implied fair value of the goodwill is less than its book value, the difference is recognized as an impairment. In fiscal years 2013 and 2012, the estimated fair values of the Company’s reporting units substantially exceeded the carrying values of these reporting units, and as such, the second step was not performed.

The Company’s amortizable intangible assets, which are comprised almost entirely of patented and unpatented technology, customer-related intangibles and trademarks, are subject to amortization for periods ranging up to 20 years, principally on a straight-line basis. Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is provided over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, principally on the straight-line basis. The estimated useful lives range from 30 to 50 years for buildings, 3 to 10 years for machinery and equipment, 3 to 10 years for information technology hardware and software and 8 to 10 years for furniture and fixtures. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of the remaining life or the remaining lease term.

The Company reviews its depreciable and amortizable long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset (or asset group) may not be recoverable. If the sum of the expected cash flows, undiscounted, is less than the carrying amount of the asset (or asset group), an impairment loss is recognized as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset (or asset group) exceeds its fair value.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue is recognized when title and risk of loss have transferred to the customer and when contractual terms have been fulfilled, except for certain long-term contracts, whereby revenue is recognized under the percentage of completion method (see below). Transfer of title and risk of loss occurs when the product is delivered in accordance with the contractual shipping terms. In instances where contractual terms include a provision for customer acceptance, revenue is recognized when either (i) the Company has previously demonstrated that the product meets the specified criteria based on either seller or customer-specified objective criteria or (ii) upon formal acceptance received from the customer where the product has not been previously demonstrated to meet customer-specified objective criteria.

For contracts accounted for under the percentage of completion method, revenue is based upon the ratio of costs incurred to date compared with estimated total costs to complete. The cumulative impact of revisions to total estimated costs is reflected in the period of the change, including anticipated losses.

Stock Plans

The Company currently has four stock-based employee compensation plans (collectively, the “Stock Plans”), which are described more fully in Note 15, Common Stock. The Company records stock-based compensation, measured at the fair value of the award on the grant date, as an expense in the consolidated statements of earnings. Upon the exercise of stock options or the vesting of restricted stock units, the resulting excess tax benefits, if any, are credited to additional paid-in capital. Any resulting tax deficiencies are offset against those cumulative credits to additional paid-in capital. If the cumulative credits to additional paid-in capital are exhausted, tax deficiencies are recorded to the provision for income taxes. Excess tax benefits are reflected as financing cash inflows in the accompanying consolidated statements of cash flows.

Environmental Matters

Accruals for environmental matters are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated, based on current law and existing technologies. These accruals are adjusted periodically as facts and circumstances change, assessment and remediation efforts progress or as additional technical or legal information becomes available. Costs of future expenditures for environmental remediation obligations are not discounted to their present value and are expected to be disbursed over an extended period of time. Accruals for environmental liabilities are included in “Accrued liabilities” and “Other non-current liabilities” in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Income Taxes

Income tax payable, deferred tax assets and liabilities and reserves for unrecognized tax benefits reflect management’s assessment of estimated future taxes to be paid. The Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgments and estimates are required in determining the consolidated income tax expense.

The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences that have been included in the consolidated financial statements. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial statement basis and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in earnings in the period that includes the enactment date.

In evaluating the Company’s ability to recover deferred tax assets within the jurisdiction from which they arise, management assesses the generation of sufficient taxable income from all sources, including the scheduled reversal of taxable temporary differences, tax-planning strategies and projected future operating income. To the extent the Company does not consider it “more-likely-than-not” that a deferred tax asset will be recovered, a valuation allowance is established.

When evaluating uncertain tax positions, the Company determines whether the position is “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained upon examination based upon its technical merits or administrative practices or precedents. Any tax position that meets the “more-likely-than-not” recognition threshold is measured and recognized in the consolidated financial statements. The amount of tax benefit to be recognized is the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement.

The Company recognizes accrued interest expense related to unrecognized income tax benefits in interest expense and the obligation is recorded in current or non-current interest payable on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. Penalties are accrued as part of the provision for income taxes and the unpaid balance at the end of a reporting period is recorded as part of current or non-current income taxes payable.

For further discussion, refer to Note 11, Income Taxes.

Earnings Per Share

The consolidated statements of earnings present basic and diluted earnings per share. Basic earnings per share is determined by dividing income available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per share considers the potential effect of dilution on basic earnings per share assuming potentially dilutive securities that meet certain criteria, such as stock options, were outstanding since issuance. The treasury stock method is used to determine the dilutive effect of potentially dilutive securities. Employee stock options and restricted stock units of 957, 685 and 467 for fiscal years 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively, were not included in the computation of diluted shares because their effect would have been antidilutive.

The following is a reconciliation between average basic shares outstanding and average diluted shares outstanding:



	2013	2012	2011
Average basic shares outstanding	112,803	116,061	116,521
Effect of dilutive securities (a)	1,433	1,602	1,745
Average diluted shares outstanding	114,236	117,663	118,266

(a) Refer to Note 15, Common Stock, for a description of the Company’s stock plans.

Derivative Instruments

The Company’s derivative instruments are recorded as either assets or liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets based on their fair values. Changes in the fair values are reported in earnings or other comprehensive income depending on the use of the derivative and whether it qualifies for hedge accounting. Derivative instruments designated as hedges are accounted for as either a hedge of a recognized asset or liability (fair value hedge) or a hedge of a forecasted transaction (cash flow hedge). For the effective portion of derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, changes in fair values are recognized in other comprehensive income/(loss). Changes in fair values related to fair value hedges as well as the ineffective portion of cash flow hedges are recognized in earnings. Changes in the fair value of the underlying hedged item of a fair value hedge are also recognized in earnings. For further discussion, refer to Note 10, Financial Instruments and Risks & Uncertainties.

Adoption of New Accounting Pronouncement

In September 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued new accounting guidance intended to simplify goodwill impairment testing. Entities are allowed to perform a qualitative assessment on goodwill impairment to determine whether it is more likely than not (defined as having a likelihood of more than 50 percent) that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. This guidance was effective for goodwill impairment tests performed in interim and annual periods for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011, which for Company was the first quarter of fiscal 2013, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of this accounting guidance did not have an impact on the the Company’s results of operations or financial position.

In June 2011, the FASB issued new guidance on the presentation of comprehensive income. Specifically, the new guidance requires an entity to present components of net income and other comprehensive income in one continuous statement, referred to as the statement of comprehensive income, or in two separate, but consecutive statements. The new guidance eliminates the current option to report other comprehensive income and its components in the statement of changes in equity. In December 2011, the FASB issued an amendment to defer indefinitely a requirement in the June 2011 standard that called for reclassification adjustments from accumulated other comprehensive income to be measured and presented by income statement line item in net income and also in other comprehensive income. While the new guidance changes the presentation of comprehensive income, there are no changes to the components that are recognized in net income or other comprehensive income under current accounting guidance. The adoption of this disclosure-only guidance in the first quarter of fiscal year 2013 did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial results.