Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2019

The Company's fiscal year ends on January 31 of the following calendar year. All references to years relate to fiscal years rather than calendar years.

Basis of Reporting

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Tiffany & Co. and its subsidiaries in which a controlling interest is maintained. Controlling interest is determined by majority ownership interest and the absence of substantive third-party participating rights or, in the case of variable interest entities (VIEs), if the Company has the power to significantly direct the activities of a VIE, as well as the obligation to absorb significant losses of or the right to receive significant benefits from the VIE. Intercompany accounts, transactions and profits have been eliminated in consolidation. The equity method of accounting is used for investments in which the Company has significant influence, but not a controlling interest.

Reclassifications

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform with the current year presentation. In connection with the adoption of ASU 2017-07 - Compensation - Retirement Benefits: Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost, certain items have been reclassified on the consolidated statements of earnings for the years ended January 31, 2018 and 2017. See "Recently Adopted Accounting Standards" below for additional information.

Use of Estimates

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"); these principles require management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported and disclosed in the consolidated financial statements and related notes to the consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from these estimates and the differences could be material. Periodically, the Company reviews all significant estimates and assumptions affecting the consolidated financial statements relative to current conditions and records the effect of any necessary adjustments.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents are stated at cost plus accrued interest, which approximates fair value. Cash equivalents include highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less and consist of time deposits and/or money market fund investments with a number of U.S. and non-U.S. financial institutions with high credit ratings. The Company's policy restricts the amount invested with any one financial institution.

Short-term investments

Short-Term Investments

The Company's short-term investments consist of time deposits and are carried at fair value. At the time of purchase, management determines the appropriate classification of these investments and reevaluates such designation as of each balance sheet date.

Receivables

Receivables and Financing Arrangements

Receivables. The Company's Accounts receivable, net primarily consists of amounts due from Credit Receivables (defined below), department store operators that host TIFFANY & CO. boutiques in their stores, third-party credit card issuers and wholesale customers. The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses associated with outstanding accounts receivable. The allowance is determined based on a combination of factors including, but not limited to, the length of time that the receivables are past due, management's knowledge of the customer, economic and market conditions and historical write-off experiences.

For the receivables associated with Tiffany & Co. credit cards ("Credit Card Receivables"), management uses various indicators to determine whether to extend credit to customers and the amount of credit. Such indicators include reviewing prior experience with the customer, including sales and collection history, and using applicants' credit reports and scores provided by credit rating agencies. Certain customers may be granted payment terms which permit purchases above a minimum amount to be paid for in equal monthly installments over a period not to exceed 12 months (together with Credit Card Receivables, "Credit Receivables"). Credit Receivables require minimum balance payments. An account is classified as overdue if a minimum balance payment has not been received within the allotted timeframe (generally 30 days), after which internal collection efforts commence. In order for the account to return to current status, full payment on all past due amounts must be received by the Company. For all Credit Receivables, once all internal collection efforts have been exhausted and management has reviewed the account, the account balance is written off and may be sent for external collection or legal action.

Inventories

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value using the average cost method, except for certain diamond and gemstone jewelry, which uses the specific identification method.

Property, Plant and Equipment/Information Systems Development Costs

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated on a straight-line basis over the following estimated useful lives:



Buildings	39 years
Machinery and equipment	5-15 years
Office equipment	3-8 years
Software	5-10 years
Furniture and fixtures	3-10 years

Leasehold improvements and building improvements are amortized over the shorter of their estimated useful lives (primarily ranging from 8-10 years) or the related lease terms or building life, respectively. Maintenance and repair costs are charged to earnings while expenditures for major renewals and improvements are capitalized. Upon the disposition of property, plant and equipment, the accumulated depreciation is deducted from the original cost and any gain or loss is reflected in current earnings.

The Company capitalizes interest on borrowings during the active construction period of major capital projects. Capitalized interest is added to the cost of the underlying assets and is amortized over the useful lives of the assets.

Information Systems Development Costs

Eligible costs incurred during the development stage of information systems projects are capitalized and amortized over the estimated useful life of the related project. Eligible costs include those related to the purchase, development, and installation of the related software. Costs incurred prior to the development stage, as well as costs for maintenance, data conversion, training, and other general and administrative costs, are expensed as incurred. Costs that are capitalized are included in Property, plant and equipment, net in Construction-in-progress while in the development stage and in Software once placed into service.

Capitalized software costs are subject to the Company's accounting policy related to the review of long-lived assets for impairment.

Intangible Assets And Key Money

Intangible Assets and Key Money

Intangible assets, consisting of product rights and trademarks, are recorded at cost and are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives, which range from 15 to 20 years. Intangible assets are reviewed for impairment in accordance with the Company's policy for impairment of long-lived assets (see "Impairment of Long-Lived Assets" below).

Key money is the amount of funds paid to a landlord or tenant to acquire the rights of tenancy under a commercial property lease for a certain property. Key money represents the "right to lease" with an automatic right of renewal. This right can be subsequently sold by the Company or can be recovered should the landlord refuse to allow the automatic right of renewal to be exercised. Key money is amortized over the estimated useful life, 39 years.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of cost over fair value of net assets acquired in a business combination. Goodwill is evaluated for impairment annually in the fourth quarter, or when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the value of goodwill may be impaired. A qualitative assessment is first performed for each reporting unit to determine whether it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If it is concluded that this is the case, a quantitative evaluation, based on discounted cash flows, is performed and requires management to estimate future cash flows, growth rates and economic and market conditions. If the quantitative evaluation indicates that goodwill is not recoverable, an impairment loss is calculated and recognized during that period.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company reviews its long-lived assets (such as property, plant and equipment) other than goodwill for impairment when management determines that the carrying value of such assets may not be recoverable due to events or changes in circumstances. Recoverability of long-lived assets is evaluated by comparing the carrying value of the asset with its estimated future undiscounted cash flows. If the comparisons indicate that the value of the asset is not recoverable, an impairment loss is calculated as the difference between the carrying value and the fair value of the asset and the loss is recognized during that period.

Hedging Instruments

The Company uses derivative financial instruments to mitigate a portion of its foreign currency, precious metal price and interest rate exposures. Derivative instruments are recorded on the consolidated balance sheet at their fair values, as either assets or liabilities, with an offset to current or other comprehensive earnings, depending on whether a derivative is designated as part of an effective hedge transaction and, if it is, the type of hedge transaction.

Marketable Securities

The Company's marketable securities primarily consist of investments in mutual funds and are recorded within Other assets, net, at fair value with realized and unrealized gains and losses recorded in earnings. Marketable securities are held for an indefinite period of time, but may be sold in the future as changes in market conditions or economic factors occur. The fair value of marketable securities is determined based on prevailing market prices.

Merchandise Credits and Deferred Revenue/Revenue Recognition

Merchandise Credits and Deferred Revenue

Merchandise credits and deferred revenue primarily represent outstanding gift cards sold to customers and outstanding credits issued to customers for returned merchandise. All such outstanding items may be tendered for future merchandise purchases. A gift card liability is established when the gift card is sold. A merchandise credit liability is established when a merchandise credit is issued to a customer for a returned item and the original sale is reversed. These liabilities are relieved when revenue is recognized for transactions in which a merchandise credit or gift card is used as a form of payment.

If merchandise credits or gift cards are not redeemed over an extended period of time (for example, approximately three to five years in the U.S.), the value associated with the merchandise credits or gift cards may be subject to remittance to the applicable jurisdiction in accordance with unclaimed property laws. The Company determines the amount of breakage income to be recognized on gift cards and merchandise credits using historical experience to estimate amounts that will ultimately not be redeemed. The Company recognizes such breakage income in proportion to redemption rates of the overall population of gift cards and merchandise credits.

The Company's performance obligations consist primarily of transferring control of merchandise to customers. Sales are recognized upon transfer of control, which occurs when merchandise is taken in an "over-the-counter" transaction or upon receipt by a customer in a shipped transaction, such as through the Internet and catalog channels. Sales are reported net of returns, sales tax and other similar taxes. The Company excludes from the measurement of the transaction price all taxes assessed by a governmental authority and collected by the entity from a customer.

Shipping and handling fees billed to customers are recognized in net sales when control of the underlying merchandise is transferred to the customer. The related shipping and handling charges incurred by the Company represent fulfillment activities and are included in Cost of sales.

The Company maintains a reserve for potential product returns and records (as a reduction to sales and cost of sales) its provision for estimated product returns, which is determined based on historical experience.

As a practical expedient, the Company does not adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component when management expects, at contract inception, that the period between the transfer of a product to a customer and when the customer pays for that product is one year or less.

Additionally, outside of the U.S., the Company operates certain TIFFANY & CO. stores within various department stores. Sales transacted at these store locations are recognized upon transfer of control, which occurs when merchandise is taken in an "over-the-counter" transaction. The Company and these department store operators have distinct responsibilities and risks in the operation of such TIFFANY & CO. stores. The Company (i) owns and manages the merchandise; (ii) establishes retail prices; (iii) has merchandising, marketing and display responsibilities; and (iv) in almost all locations provides retail staff and bears the risk of inventory loss. The department store operators (i) provide and maintain store facilities; (ii) in almost all locations assume retail credit and certain other risks; and (iii) act for the Company in the sale of merchandise. In return for their services and use of their facilities, the department store operators retain a portion of net retail sales made in TIFFANY & CO. stores which is recorded as commission expense within Selling, general and administrative expenses.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales includes costs to internally manufacture merchandise (primarily metals, gemstones, labor and overhead), costs related to the purchase of merchandise from third-parties, inbound freight, purchasing and receiving, inspection, warehousing, internal transfers and other costs associated with distribution and merchandising. Cost of sales also includes royalty fees paid to outside designers and customer shipping and handling charges.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Selling, General and Administrative ("SG&A") Expenses

SG&A expenses include costs associated with the selling and marketing of products as well as administrative expenses. The types of expenses associated with these functions are store operating expenses (such as labor, rent and utilities), advertising and other corporate level administrative expense

Advertising, Marketing, Public and Media Relations Costs

Advertising, marketing, public and media relations costs include media, production, catalogs, Internet, marketing events, visual merchandising costs (in-store and window displays) and other related costs. In 2018, 2017 and 2016, these costs totaled $394.1 million, $314.9 million and $299.0 million, respectively, representing 8.9%, 7.6% and 7.5% of worldwide net sales, respectively. Media and production costs for print and digital advertising are expensed as incurred, while catalog costs are expensed upon first distribution.

Pre-opening Costs

Pre-Opening Costs

Costs associated with the opening of new retail stores are expensed in the period incurred.

Stock-Based Compensation

New, modified and unvested share-based payment transactions with employees, such as stock options and restricted stock units, are measured at fair value and recognized as compensation expense over the requisite service period. Compensation expense recognized reflects an estimate of the number of awards expected to vest and incorporates an estimate of award forfeitures based on actual experience. Compensation expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period required to obtain full vesting.

Merchandise Design Activities

Merchandise design activities consist of conceptual formulation and design of possible products and creation of pre-production prototypes and molds. Costs associated with these activities are expensed as incurred.

Foreign Currency

The functional currency of most of the Company's foreign subsidiaries and branches is the applicable local currency. Assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars using the current exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date, while revenues and expenses are translated at the average exchange rates during the period. The resulting translation adjustments are recorded as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax within stockholders' equity. The Company also recognizes gains and losses associated with transactions that are denominated in foreign currencies.

Income Taxes

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 of events that have been included in the financial statements. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized by applying statutory tax rates in effect in the years in which the differences between the financial reporting and tax filing bases of existing assets and liabilities are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

The Company records net deferred tax assets to the extent management believes these assets will more likely than not be realized. In making such determination, the Company considers all available evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies and recent financial results. In the event management were to determine that the Company would be able to realize its deferred income tax assets in the future in excess of their net recorded amounts, the Company would make an adjustment to the valuation allowance, which would reduce the provision for income taxes.

In evaluating the exposures associated with the Company's various tax filing positions, management records reserves using a more-likely-than-not recognition threshold for income tax positions taken or expected to be taken.

The Registrant, its U.S. subsidiaries and the foreign branches of its U.S. subsidiaries file a consolidated Federal income tax return.

The Company accounts for the impact of changes in tax legislation in the period in which the legislation is enacted. The 2017 U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "2017 Tax Act") was enacted on December 22, 2017 in the U.S. On that date, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 ("SAB 118"), which addressed the application of U.S. GAAP in situations in which a registrant did not have necessary information available, prepared, or analyzed (including computations) in reasonable detail to complete the accounting for certain income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act. The Company accounted for the 2017 Tax Act in accordance with the provisions of SAB 118. See "Note N. Income Taxes" for additional information on the provisions and impacts of the 2017 Tax Act and the completion of the related analyses during 2018, as permitted by SAB 118.

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share ("EPS")

Basic EPS is computed as net earnings divided by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS includes the dilutive effect of the assumed exercise of stock options and unvested restricted stock units.

New Accounting Standards

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2016-02 – Leases, which was amended in January 2018 and requires an entity that leases assets to recognize on the balance sheet the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by those leases. Leases will be classified as either financing or operating, similar to current accounting requirements, with the applicable classification determining the pattern of expense recognition in the statement of earnings.

This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018 and must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach, which requires lessees and lessors to recognize and measure all leases within the scope of this ASU using one of the following transition methods: (i) as of the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements, or (ii) as of the beginning of the period in which this ASU is adopted. The Company elected to adopt the ASU in the first quarter of 2019 by applying its provisions prospectively and recognizing a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings as of February 1, 2019. The Company also elected the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance, which provides that an entity need not reassess: (i) whether any expired or existing contracts are or contain leases, (ii) the lease classification for any expired or existing leases, and (iii) initial direct costs for any existing leases. The Company also elected to not reassess lease terms using hindsight and expects to combine lease and non-lease components for new leases subsequent to February 1, 2019.

The Company estimates the following impacts to its consolidated balance sheet as of February 1, 2019:


•	The establishment of a lease liability of approximately $1.2 billion and


•	The reclassification of $31.1 million of deferred gains on sale-leasebacks to opening retained earnings.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13 - Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. ASU 2016-13 amends the impairment model to utilize an expected loss methodology in place of the currently used incurred loss methodology, which will result in more timely recognition of losses. The new standard applies to financial assets measured at amortized cost basis, including receivables that result from revenue transactions and held-to-maturity debt securities. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019, and early adoption is permitted for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. Management continues to evaluate the impact of this ASU on the consolidated financial statements.

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12 - Derivatives and Hedging: Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities, 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 hedged items in the financial statements, and includes certain targeted improvements to ease the application of current guidance related to the assessment of hedge effectiveness. This ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The amendments in this ASU must be applied on a modified retrospective basis, while presentation and disclosure requirements set forth under this ASU are required prospectively in all interim periods and fiscal years ending after the date of adoption. Management is currently evaluating the impact of this ASU on the consolidated financial statements.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02 - Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income: Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, which allows for the reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI") to retained earnings for the tax effects on deferred tax items included within AOCI (referred to in the ASU as "stranded tax effects") resulting from the reduction of the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate to 21% from 35% that was effected by the 2017 Tax Act. ASU 2018-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of ASU 2018-02 will result in a reclassification from AOCI to retained earnings, and will have no impact on the Company's results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15 - Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software: Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. ASU 2018-15 aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs in such cloud computing arrangements with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. This ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019 with early adoption permitted. Entities can choose to adopt the new guidance prospectively or retrospectively. Management is currently evaluating the impact of this ASU on the consolidated financial statements.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09 - Revenue from Contracts with Customers, to clarify the principles of recognizing revenue and create common revenue recognition guidance between U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. The core principle of the guidance is that a company should recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In doing so, companies need to use more judgment and make more estimates than under previous guidance. These may include identifying performance obligations in the contract, estimating the amount of variable consideration to include in the transaction price and allocating the transaction price to each separate performance obligation. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date, deferring the effective date of ASU 2014-09 for one year to interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption was also permitted as of the original effective date (interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016) and full or modified retrospective application was permitted. Subsequently, the FASB issued a number of ASU's amending ASU 2014-09 and providing further guidance related to revenue recognition, which management evaluated. The effective date and transition requirements for these amendments were the same as ASU 2014-09, as amended by ASU 2015-14. Management adopted this guidance on February 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach. The impact of the adoption of ASU 2014-09 on the Company's consolidated financial statements is as follows:


•	The Company's revenue is primarily generated from the sale of finished products to customers (primarily through the retail, e-commerce or wholesale channels). The Company's performance obligations underlying such sales, and the timing of revenue recognition related thereto, remain substantially unchanged following the adoption of this ASU.


•	The Company now recognizes breakage income on gift cards and merchandise credits (which represents income recognized from the customer's unexercised right to receive merchandise through the redemption of such gift cards and merchandise credits) based on the historical pattern of gift card and merchandise credit redemptions. Breakage income recognized during 2018 was not significant.


•	This ASU requires sales returns reserves to be presented on a gross basis on the consolidated balance sheet, with the asset related to merchandise expected to be returned recorded outside of Accounts receivable, net. Prior to the adoption of this ASU, sales returns reserves were recorded on a net basis within Accounts receivable, net.

The impact of the adoption of ASU 2014-09 on the Company's consolidated balance sheet was as follows:



	January 31, 2019
(in millions)	As Reported		Balances Without Adoption of ASC 606		Effect of Adoption Increase/(Decrease)
Assets
Accounts receivable, net	$	245.4	$	257.6	$	(12.2	)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	230.8		218.6		12.2

There was no significant impact from the adoption of ASU 2014-09 on the Company's consolidated statement of earnings or consolidated statement of cash flows.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15 – Statement of Cash Flows: Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which provides guidance on eight specific cash flow issues in an effort to reduce diversity in practice in how certain transactions are classified within the statement of cash flows. This ASU was effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption was permitted and the amendments are applied using a retrospective method. Management adopted this ASU on February 1, 2018. The adoption of this ASU did not have any impact on the consolidated statements of cash flows and related disclosures.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16 – Income Taxes: Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory. This ASU eliminates the requirement to defer the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for an intra-entity asset transfer until the asset has been sold to an outside party. Therefore, under this guidance, an entity recognizes the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. This ASU was effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption was permitted as of the first interim period of 2017. The amendments in this ASU were required to be applied on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. Management adopted this ASU on February 1, 2018. The adoption of this ASU did not have any impact on the consolidated financial statements.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07 - Compensation - Retirement Benefits: Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost. Under this ASU, only the service cost component of the net periodic benefit cost is presented in the same income statement line item as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period, while the non-service cost components of net periodic benefit cost are required to be presented in the income statement separate from Earnings from operations. In addition, only the service cost component is eligible for capitalization in assets. This ASU was effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017. The amendments in this ASU were applied retrospectively for the presentation of the components of net periodic benefit cost other than service cost in the statement of earnings, and prospectively for the capitalization of the service cost component. Management adopted this ASU on February 1, 2018 using the practical expedient permitted by this ASU and reclassified the non-service cost components of the net periodic benefit cost from within Earnings from operations to Other expense, net. This increased Earnings from operations for the years ended January 31, 2018 and 2017 by $14.9 million (with $6.0 million reclassified from Cost of sales and $8.9 million reclassified from SG&A expenses) and $25.2 million (with $8.7 million reclassified from Cost of sales and $16.5 million reclassified from SG&A expenses), respectively, but had no impact on Net earnings for those periods. The requirement set forth under this ASU that allows only the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost to be capitalized did not have a significant impact on the Company's results of operations in 2018.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09 - Compensation-Stock Compensation: Scope of Modification Accounting, clarifying when a change to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award must be accounted for as a modification. This guidance requires modification accounting if the fair value, vesting condition or the classification of the award is not the same immediately before and after a change to the terms and conditions of the award. This ASU was effective prospectively for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and early adoption was permitted. Management adopted this ASU on February 1, 2018 and applies the provisions of this ASU to any share-based payment awards modified on or after February 1, 2018.

Derivatives

The Company uses derivative financial instruments, including interest rate swaps, cross-currency swaps, forward contracts and net-zero-cost collar arrangements (combination of call and put option contracts) to mitigate a portion of its exposures to changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and precious metal prices.

Derivative Instruments Designated as Hedging Instruments. If a derivative instrument meets certain hedge accounting criteria, it is recorded on the consolidated balance sheet at its fair value, as either an asset or a liability, with an offset to current or other comprehensive earnings, depending on whether the hedge is designated as one of the following on the date it is entered into:


•	Fair Value Hedge – A hedge of the exposure to changes in the fair value of a recognized asset or liability or an unrecognized firm commitment. For fair value hedge transactions, both the effective and ineffective portions of the changes in the fair value of the derivative and changes in the fair value of the item being hedged are recorded in current earnings.

•

Cash Flow Hedge – A hedge of the exposure to variability in the cash flows of a recognized asset, liability or a forecasted transaction. For cash flow hedge transactions, the effective portion of the changes in fair value of derivatives is reported as other comprehensive income ("OCI") and is recognized in current earnings in the period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects current earnings. Amounts excluded from the effectiveness calculation and any ineffective portions of the change in fair value of the derivative are recognized in current earnings.

The Company formally documents the nature of and relationships between the hedging instruments and hedged items for a derivative to qualify as a hedge at inception and throughout the hedged period. The Company also documents its risk management objectives, strategies for undertaking the various hedge transactions and method of assessing hedge effectiveness. Additionally, for hedges of forecasted transactions, the significant characteristics and expected terms of a forecasted transaction must be identified, and it must be probable that each forecasted transaction will occur. If it were deemed probable that the forecasted transaction would not occur, the gain or loss on the derivative financial instrument would be recognized in current earnings. Derivative financial instruments qualifying for hedge accounting must maintain a specified level of effectiveness between the hedge instrument and the item being hedged, both at inception and throughout the hedged period.

Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments. Derivative instruments which do not meet the criteria to be designated as a hedge are recorded on the consolidated balance sheet at their fair values, as either assets or liabilities, with an offset to current earnings. The gains or losses on undesignated foreign exchange forward contracts substantially offset foreign exchange losses or gains on the underlying liabilities or transactions being hedged.

The Company does not use derivative financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.

Concentration Risk, Credit Risk

Concentration of Credit Risk

A number of major international financial institutions are counterparties to the Company's derivative financial instruments. The Company enters into derivative financial instrument agreements only with counterparties meeting certain credit standards (an investment grade credit rating at the time of the agreement) and limits the amount of agreements or contracts it enters into with any one party. The Company may be exposed to credit losses in the event of nonperformance by individual counterparties or the entire group of counterparties.

Fair Value Measurement

Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities, which are considered to be most reliable.

Level 2 – Observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data.

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs reflecting the reporting entity's own assumptions, which require the most judgment.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company's foreign exchange forward contracts, as well as its put option contracts and cross-currency swaps, are primarily valued using the appropriate foreign exchange spot rates. The Company's precious metal forward contracts and collars are primarily valued using the relevant precious metal spot rate.