New Accounting Standards (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

New Accounting Standards

Stock Compensation

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (Topic 718). The ASU identifies areas for simplification involving several aspects of accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as equity or liabilities, an option to recognize gross stock compensation expense with actual forfeitures recognized as they occur, as well as certain classifications on the statement of cash flows. The company elected to maintain the current policy to estimate forfeitures expected to occur to determine stock-based compensation expense. Further, the company adopted the provisions that have changed its accounting for excess tax benefits, or detriments. Excess tax benefits, or detriments, were previously included within additional paid-in capital in the consolidated balance sheet and were a part of the diluted share calculation. With the adoption of ASU 2016-09 on a prospective basis, excess tax benefits, or detriments, are included within income tax expense in the consolidated results of operations and are no longer a part of the diluted share calculation. In the first quarter of fiscal 2018, the company recognized excess tax benefits of $16.0 million from stock option exercises that occurred during the quarter.

The standard also requires several presentation changes with regard to the statement of cash flows. Cash flows related to excess tax benefits or detriments are included in net cash provided by operating activities, rather than as a financing activity. Sysco chose a retrospective application of this provision; therefore, amounts presented for fiscal 2017 reflect the guidance required by this ASU. The standard further requires that cash paid by an employer, when directly withholding shares for tax withholding purposes, should be classified as a financing activity. Retrospective application is required for this provision; however, amounts were not material for either period and, therefore, were not separately disclosed or retroactively applied.

Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which simplifies the subsequent measurement of goodwill by eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. The amendments also eliminate the requirements for any reporting unit with a zero or negative carrying amount to perform a qualitative assessment and, if it fails that qualitative test, to perform Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test. An entity still has the option to perform the qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. The company elected to early adopt this ASU, as it is easier to execute.

Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging, which expands and refines hedge accounting for both financial and non-financial risk components, aligns the recognition and presentation of the effects of hedging instruments and hedge items in the financial statements, and includes certain targeted improvements to ease the application of current guidance related to the assessment of hedge effectiveness. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those annual periods, which is the first quarter of fiscal 2020 for Sysco, with early adoption permitted. The company is currently reviewing the provisions of the new standard.

Leases

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), specifying the accounting for leases, which supersedes the leases requirements in Topic 840, Leases. The objective of Topic 842 is to establish the principles that lessees and lessors shall apply to report useful information to users of financial statements about the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from a lease. Lessees are permitted to make an accounting policy election to not recognize the asset and liability for leases with a term of twelve months or less. Lessors’ accounting is largely unchanged from the previous accounting standard. In addition, Topic 842 expands the disclosure requirements of lease arrangements. Lessees and lessors will use a modified retrospective transition approach, which includes a number of practical expedients. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018, which is fiscal 2020 for Sysco, with early adoption permitted. The company is currently reviewing the provisions of the new standard.

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), and has issued subsequent amendments to this guidance. This new standard will replace all current guidance on this topic and eliminate all industry-specific guidance. The new revenue recognition standard provides a unified model to determine when and how revenue is recognized. The core principle is that a company should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration for which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance is effective for interim and annual periods within new fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, which is fiscal 2019 for Sysco, and could be early adopted in fiscal 2018. The standard may be applied either retrospectively to each period presented or as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption.

The company’s impact assessment of the standard is ongoing, and the company does not intend to early adopt this standard in fiscal 2018. Enhanced disclosures, including revenue recognition policies to identify performance obligations to customers and significant judgments in measurement and recognition, are required. We will continue our assessment, which may identify other impacts of the adoption of Topic 606. The company will adopt the standard in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 and preliminarily expects to use the modified retrospective method. However, our adoption method is subject to change as we continue to evaluate the impact of the standard.