Basis of Consolidation and Accounting for Investments

The method of accounting applied to long-term investments, whether consolidated, equity or cost, involves an evaluation of the significant terms of each investment that explicitly grant or suggest evidence of control or influence over the operations of the investee and also includes the identification of any variable interests in which the Company is the primary beneficiary. The consolidated financial statements include the Company's controlled subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions between the consolidated subsidiaries are eliminated.

Investments in businesses that the Company does not control, but in which the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial matters, are accounted for using the equity method. Investments in which the Company does not have the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial matters are accounted for using the cost method. Investments in hedge funds are accounted for using the equity method unless the Company's interest is so minor that it has virtually no influence over operating and financial policies, in which case these investments are accounted for using the cost method. At July 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company had $5.4 million and $4.7 million, respectively, in investments accounted for using the equity method, and nil and $1.9 million, respectively, in investments accounted for using the cost method. Equity and cost method investments are included in noncurrent "Equity investments" in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The Company periodically evaluates its equity and cost method investments for impairment due to declines considered to be other than temporary. If the Company determines that a decline in fair value is other than temporary, then a charge to earnings is recorded in "Other income (expense), net" in the accompanying consolidated statements of income, and a new basis in the investment is established.

Revenue Recognition

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), and has since issued amendments thereto (collectively referred to as "ASC 606"). Results for the reporting periods beginning after August 1, 2018 are presented under ASC 606 (see Note 2), while prior period results are not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with historic accounting under ASC Topic 605. The Company applied ASC 606 only to those contracts that were not completed as of August 1, 2018. The core principle of ASC 606 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, and the guidance defines a five-step process to achieve this core principle. The five-step process to achieve this principle is as follows: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract(s), (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract(s), and (v) recognize revenue when, or as, the entity satisfies a performance obligation. ASC 606 also mandates additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenues and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract.

Prior to August 1, 2018, the Company applied ASC Topic 605 as follows. Telephone service, which includes domestic and international long distance, local service, and wholesale carrier telephony service, was recognized as revenue when services were provided, primarily based on usage and/or the assessment of fees. Revenue from BOSS Revolution international calling service and from sales of calling cards, net of customer discounts, was deferred until the service or the cards were used or, calling card administrative fees were imposed, thereby reducing the Company's outstanding obligation to the customer, at which time revenue was recognized. Domestic and international airtime top-up revenue was recognized upon redemption. International airtime top-up enables customers to purchase airtime for a prepaid mobile telephone in another country.

The Company enters into Notification of Reciprocal Transmission ("NORT") transactions, in which the Company commits to purchase a specific number of wholesale carrier minutes to other specific destinations at specified rates, and the counterparty commits to purchase from the Company a specific number of minutes to specific destinations at specified rates. The number of minutes purchased and sold is not necessarily the same. The rates in these reciprocal transactions are generally not at prevailing market rates, and the amounts paid to the counterparty in excess of market rates are reflected as a reduction in revenue received from the customer. In addition, the Company enters into transactions in which it swaps minutes with another carrier. The Company recognized revenue and the related direct cost of revenue for these reciprocal and swap transactions based on the fair value of the minutes.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents.

Debt Securities

The Company's investments in debt securities are classified as "available-for-sale." Available-for-sale debt securities are required to be carried at their fair value, with unrealized gains and losses (net of income taxes) that are considered temporary in nature recorded in "Accumulated other comprehensive loss" in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The Company uses the specific identification method in computing the gross realized gains and gross realized losses on the sales of marketable securities. The Company periodically evaluates its investments in debt securities for impairment due to declines in market value considered to be other than temporary. Such impairment evaluations include, in addition to persistent, declining market prices, general economic and Company-specific evaluations. If the Company determines that a decline in market value is other than temporary, then a charge to operations is recorded in "Other income (expense), net" in the accompanying consolidated statements of income and a new cost basis in the investment is established.

Property, Plant and Equipment and Intangible Assets

Equipment, computer software, and furniture and fixtures are recorded at cost and are depreciated on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives, which range as follows: equipment—5, 7 or 20 years; computer software—2, 3 or 5 years; and furniture and fixtures—5, 7 or 10 years. Leasehold improvements are recorded at cost and are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the term of their lease or their estimated useful lives, whichever is shorter.

The fair value of non-compete agreement, customer relationships and tradename acquired in a business combination accounted for under the purchase method are amortized over their estimated useful lives (see Notes 6 and 12).

The Company tests the recoverability of its property, plant and equipment and intangible assets with finite useful lives whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable. The Company tests for recoverability based on the projected undiscounted cash flows to be derived from such asset. If the projected undiscounted future cash flows are less than the carrying value of the asset, the Company will record an impairment loss, if any, based on the difference between the estimated fair value and the carrying value of the asset. The Company generally measures fair value by considering sale prices for similar assets or by discounting estimated future cash flows from such asset using an appropriate discount rate. Cash flow projections and fair value estimates require significant estimates and assumptions by management. Should the estimates and assumptions prove to be incorrect, the Company may be required to record impairments in future periods and such impairments could be material.

Advertising Expense

Cost of advertising is charged to selling, general and administrative expenses in the period in which it is incurred. In fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017, advertising expense was $17.7 million, $16.3 million and $17.4 million, respectively.

Repairs and Maintenance

Repairs and Maintenance

The Company charges the cost of repairs and maintenance, including the cost of replacing minor items not constituting substantial betterment, to selling, general and administrative expenses as these costs are incurred.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between the financial statements carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets depends on the generation of future taxable income during the period in which related temporary differences become deductible. The Company considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies in its assessment of a valuation allowance. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date of such change.

The Company uses a two-step approach for recognizing and measuring tax benefits taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The Company determines whether it is more-likely-than-not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. In evaluating whether a tax position has met the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, the Company presumes that the position will be examined by the appropriate taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. Tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold are measured to determine the amount of tax benefit to recognize in the financial statements. The tax position is measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Differences between tax positions taken in a tax return and amounts recognized in the financial statements will generally result in one or more of the following: an increase in a liability for income taxes payable, a reduction of an income tax refund receivable, a reduction in a deferred tax asset, or an increase in a deferred tax liability.

The Company classifies interest and penalties on income taxes as a component of income tax expense.

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income attributable to all classes of common stockholders of the Company by the weighted average number of shares of all classes of common stock outstanding during the applicable period. Diluted earnings per share is determined in the same manner as basic earnings per share, except that the number of shares is increased to include restricted stock still subject to risk of forfeiture and to assume exercise of potentially dilutive stock options using the treasury stock method, unless the effect of such increase is anti-dilutive.

The weighted-average number of shares used in the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share attributable to the Company's common stockholders consists of the following:

Year ended July 31 (in thousands)	2019		2018		2017
Basic weighted-average number of shares		25,293		24,655		23,182
Effect of dilutive securities:
Stock options		—		9		44
Non-vested restricted Class B common stock		15		54		83
Diluted weighted-average number of shares		25,308		24,718		23,309

The following outstanding stock options were excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share because the exercise prices of the stock options were greater than the average market price of the Company's stock during the period:

Year ended July 31 (in thousands)		2019				2018				2017
Shares excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share			1,204				1,142				22

Vulnerability Due to Certain Concentrations

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk consist principally of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and cash equivalents, debt securities, equity investments, and trade accounts receivable. The Company holds cash and cash equivalents at several major financial institutions, which often exceed FDIC insurance limits. Historically, the Company has not experienced any losses due to such concentration of credit risk. The Company's temporary cash investments policy is to limit the dollar amount of investments with any one financial institution and monitor the credit ratings of those institutions. While the Company may be exposed to credit losses due to the nonperformance of the holders of its deposits, the Company does not expect the settlement of these transactions to have a material effect on its results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.

Concentration of credit risk with respect to trade accounts receivable is limited due to the large number of customers in various geographic regions and industry segments comprising the Company's customer base. No single customer accounted for more than 10% of consolidated revenues in fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018 or fiscal 2017. However, the Company's five largest customers collectively accounted for 13.6%, 12.5% and 12.4% of its consolidated revenues in fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017, respectively. The Company's customers with the five largest receivables balances collectively accounted for 20.6% and 18.7% of the consolidated gross trade accounts receivable at July 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. This concentration of customers increases the Company's risk associated with nonpayment by those customers. In an effort to reduce such risk, the Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its significant customers. In addition, the Company attempts to mitigate the credit risk related to specific carrier services customers by also buying services from the customer, in order to create an opportunity to offset its payables and receivables and reduce its net trade receivable exposure risk. When it is practical to do so, the Company will increase its purchases from carrier services customers with receivable balances that exceed the Company's applicable payables in order to maximize the offset and reduce its credit risk.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements

Fair value of financial and non-financial assets and liabilities is defined as an exit price, which is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The three-tier hierarchy for inputs used to measure fair value, which prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value, is as follows:

Level 1 –	quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2 –	quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets or inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly through market corroboration, for substantially the full term of the financial instrument.
Level 3 –	unobservable inputs based on the Company's assumptions used to measure assets and liabilities at fair value.

A financial asset or liability's classification within the hierarchy is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment and may affect the valuation of the assets and liabilities being measured and their placement within the fair value hierarchy.

In fiscal 2019, the Company adopted ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820), Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, that modifies the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. The adoption of this ASU did not impact the fair value measurement disclosures in the Company's consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2019.

Hedge Accounting

On August 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASU No. 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities, which is intended to improve the financial reporting of hedging relationships to better portray the economic results of an entity's risk management activities in its financial statements. In addition, the ASU includes certain targeted improvements to simplify the application of hedge accounting guidance in U.S. GAAP. Entities will apply the amendments to cash flow and net investment hedge relationships that exist on the date of adoption using a modified retrospective approach. The presentation and disclosure requirements will be applied prospectively. The adoption of this ASU will not impact the Company's consolidated financial statements at adoption.