ACCOUNTING POLICIES

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

In the opinion of Titan International, Inc. (Titan or the Company), the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments which are normal, recurring, and necessary for a fair statement of the Company's financial position as of September 30, 2017, and the results of operations and cash flows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016.

Accounting policies have continued without significant change and are described in Note 1: Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. These interim financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the Securities and Exchange Commission's rules applicable to Form 10-Q and, therefore, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America have been condensed or omitted. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016.

Inventories

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The Company’s inventories are valued under the first in, first out (FIFO) method or average cost method. Net realizable value is estimated based on current selling prices. Estimated provisions are established for slow-moving and obsolete inventory.

Prior to 2017, the Company used the last in, first out (LIFO) inventory cost method at its Titan Wheel Corporation of Illinois subsidiary. Effective January 1, 2017, the Company elected to change its method of inventory accounting at this subsidiary to the FIFO method. The Company believes that the FIFO method is preferable as it results in increased uniformity across the Company’s global operations with respect to the method of inventory accounting, as no other subsidiaries were using the LIFO method. The Company also believes that the switch to FIFO at Titan Wheel Corporation of Illinois will improve financial reporting by better reflecting the current value of inventory, more closely aligning the flow of physical inventory with the accounting for the inventory, and providing better matching of revenues and expenses. The Company applied this change in method of inventory accounting by retrospectively adjusting the prior period financial statements. The cumulative effect of this accounting change resulted in a $6.6 million increase in retained earnings as of January 1, 2016.

As a result of the retrospective adjustment of the change in accounting principle, certain amounts in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, were adjusted as follows:



	Three Months Ended September 30, 2016
	As originally reported			Effect of change			As adjusted
Cost of sales	$	273,219		$	(1,944	)	$	271,275
Income (loss) from operations	(8,254		)	1,944			(6,310		)
Net income (loss)	(10,918		)	1,944			(8,974		)

Basic and diluted loss per share	$	(0.21	)	$	0.04		$	(0.17	)



	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016
	As originally reported			Effect of change			As adjusted
Cost of sales	$	848,264		$	3,004		$	851,268
Loss from operations	(12,251		)	(3,004		)	(15,255		)
Net loss	(22,102		)	(3,004		)	(25,106		)

Basic and diluted loss per share	$	(0.55	)	$	(0.05	)	$	(0.60	)

The Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2016, was adjusted as follows:



	December 31, 2016
	As originally reported		Effect of change		As adjusted
Inventories	$	269,291	$	2,945	$	272,236
Retained earnings	14,269		2,945		17,214

Net sales

Sales are presented net of allowances, discounts, and sales and other related taxes.

Fair value of financial instruments

The Company records all financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, certificates of deposit, accounts receivable, notes receivable, accounts payable, other accruals, and notes payable at cost, which approximates fair value due to their short term or stated rates. Investments in marketable equity securities are recorded at fair value. The 6.875% senior secured notes due 2020 (senior secured notes) were carried at cost of $396.6 million at September 30, 2017. The fair value of the senior secured notes at September 30, 2017, as obtained through an independent pricing source, was approximately $410.5 million.

Cash dividends

The Company declared cash dividends of $0.005 and $0.015 per share of common stock for each of the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The third quarter 2017 cash dividend of $0.005 per share of common stock was paid October 13, 2017, to shareholders of record on September 29, 2017.

Use of estimates

The policies utilized by the Company in the preparation of the financial statements conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and require management to make estimates, assumptions, and judgments that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual amounts could differ from these estimates and assumptions.

Recently issued accounting standards

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)." This update supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition. The core principle of this 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 in exchange for those goods or services. This guidance also requires disclosure about the nature, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The amendments in this update were deferred by ASU No. 2015-14, "Revenue form Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) Deferral of Effective Date," and are now effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. The Company is in the process of comparing its current revenue recognition policies to the requirements of ASU No. 2014-09. For the majority of Titan’s revenue arrangements, no significant impacts are expected as these transactions are not accounted for under industry-specific guidance that will be superseded by ASU No. 2014-09 and generally consist of a single performance obligation to transfer promised goods or services. While the Company has not identified any material differences in the amount and timing of revenue recognition related to ASU No. 2014-09, the evaluation is not complete and, accordingly, Titan has not yet reached a conclusion on the overall impacts of adopting ASU No. 2014-09. The guidance provides for adoption either retrospectively to each prior reporting period or as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. The Company has determined that it will adopt the guidance using a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. The Company believes it is following an appropriate timeline to allow for proper recognition, presentation, and disclosure upon adoption in the year beginning on January 1, 2018.

In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, "Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing." This ASU clarifies the following aspects of Topic 606: identifying performance obligations and the licensing implementation guidance. In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-12, "Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients." This ASU affects only narrow aspects of Topic 606 related to assessing the collectability criterion; presentation of sales tax; noncash consideration; and contract modifications and completed contracts at transition. The amendments in these updates affect the guidance in ASU No. 2014-09, as previously discussed above, and the effective dates are the same as those for ASU No. 2014-09.

In December 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-20, "Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers." The amendments in this update affect narrow aspects of the guidance issued in ASU No. 2014-09, as discussed above, and the effective dates are the same as those for ASU No. 2014-09.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, "Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities." This update addresses certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, "Leases (Topic 842)." This update was issued to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently assessing the impact that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, "Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments." This update addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted in any interim or annual reporting period. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, "Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets other than Inventory." This update requires the recognition of income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within those annual reporting periods. The Company adopted this guidance early, effective January 1, 2017. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07, "Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost." This update requires an employer to report the service cost component of defined benefit pension cost and postretirement benefit cost in the same line item of the income statement as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the pertinent employees during the period. The amendments in this update are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those annual reporting periods. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, "Scope of Modification Accounting." This update provides guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in accordance with Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation. The amendments in this update are effective for annual reporting periods, and interim periods within those annual reporting periods, beginning after December 15, 2017. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements.