Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements:

In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued accounting guidance that requires entities that have obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements and for which the total amount is fixed at the reporting date to measure such obligations as the sum of (a) the amount the entity agreed to pay on the basis of its arrangement among its co-obligors, and (b) any additional amount the reporting entity expects to pay on behalf of its co-obligors. Entities are also required to disclose the nature, amount and any other relevant information about such obligations. These amendments became effective on January 1, 2014 and had no impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2013, the FASB issued accounting guidance that clarifies a parent company’s accounting for the cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment when the parent sells a part or all of its investment in a foreign entity. The guidance clarifies that the sale of an investment in a foreign entity includes both (a) events that result in the loss of a controlling financial interest in a foreign entity, and (b) events that result in an acquirer obtaining control of an acquiree in which it held an equity interest immediately before the acquisition date (sometimes also referred to as a step acquisition). Accordingly, the cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment should be released into net income upon the occurrence of those events. These amendments became effective on January 1, 2014 and had no impact on our accounting for the sale of our antioxidant, ibuprofen and propofol businesses and assets in 2014.

In July 2013, the FASB issued accounting guidance designed to reduce diversity in practice of financial statement presentation of an unrecognized tax benefit when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists. These new requirements became effective on January 1, 2014 and did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

In April 2014, the FASB issued accounting guidance that changes the criteria for reporting discontinued operations and modifies related disclosure requirements to provide users of financial statements with more information about the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses of discontinued operations. The guidance modifies the definition of discontinued operations by limiting its scope to disposals of components of an entity that represent strategic shifts that have (or will have) a major effect on an entity’s operations and financial results. Additionally, these new requirements require entities to disclose the pretax profit or loss related to disposals of significant components that do not qualify as discontinued operations. These new requirements become effective for public entities in annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014 and interim periods within those years. Early adoption is permitted for items that have not been reported as disposals or as held for sale in previously issued financial statements. We do not expect this new guidance to have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued accounting guidance designed to enhance comparability of revenue recognition practices across entities, industries, jurisdictions and capital markets. The core principle of the guidance is that revenue recognized from a transaction or event that arises from a contract with a customer should reflect the consideration to which an entity expects to be entitled in exchange for goods or services provided. To achieve that core principle the new guidance sets forth a five-step revenue recognition model that will need to be applied consistently to all contracts with customers, except those that are within the scope of other topics in the ASC. Also required are new disclosures to help users of financial statements better understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenues and cash flows from contracts with customers. The new disclosures include qualitative and quantitative information about contracts with customers, significant judgments made in applying the revenue guidance, and assets recognized related to the costs to obtain or fulfill a contract. These new requirements become effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and early adoption is prohibited. We are assessing the impact of these new requirements on our financial statements.

In June 2014, the FASB issued accounting guidance which clarifies the proper method of accounting for share-based payments when the terms of an award provide that a performance target could be achieved after the requisite service period. The accounting guidance requires that a performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period be treated as a performance condition. The performance target should not be reflected in estimating the grant-date fair value of the award. Compensation cost should be recognized in the period in which it becomes probable that the performance target will be achieved and should represent the compensation cost attributable to the period(s) for which the requisite service has already been rendered. These new requirements become effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and early adoption is permitted. We are assessing the impact of these new requirements on our financial statements.