Changes in Contract Estimates at Completion

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2023

Changes in Contract Estimates at Completion

Note 4: Changes in Contract Estimates at Completion

We review our Estimates at Completion (EACs) at least annually or when a change in circumstances warrants a modification to a previous estimate. For significant contracts, we review our EACs more frequently. Due to the nature of the work required to be performed on many of the Company’s performance obligations, the estimation of total revenue and cost at completion is complex, subject to many variables and requires significant judgment by management on a contract by contract basis. As part of this process, management reviews information including, but not limited to, any outstanding key contract matters, progress towards completion and the related program schedule, identified risks and opportunities, and the related changes in estimates of revenues and costs. The risks and opportunities relate to management’s judgment about the ability and cost to achieve the schedule, consideration of customer-directed delays or reductions in scheduled deliveries, technical requirements, customer activity levels, such as flight hours or aircraft landings, and related variable consideration. Management must make assumptions and estimates regarding contract revenue and costs, including estimates of labor productivity and availability, the complexity and scope of the work to be performed, the availability and cost of materials including any impact from rising costs or inflation, the length of time to complete the performance obligation, execution by our subcontractors, the availability and timing of funding from our customer, overhead cost rates, and current and past maintenance cost and frequency driven by estimated aircraft and engine utilization and estimated useful lives of components, among others. In particular, fixed-price development programs involve significant management judgment, as development contracts by nature have elements that have not been done before and thus, are highly subject to future unexpected cost changes. Cost estimates may also include the estimated cost of satisfying our industrial cooperation agreements, sometimes in the form of either offset obligations or in-country industrial participation (ICIP) agreements, required under certain contracts. These obligations may or may not be distinct depending on their nature. If cash is paid to a customer to satisfy our offset obligations it is recorded as a reduction in the transaction price.

Changes in estimates of net sales, cost of sales and the related impact to operating profit on contracts recognized over time are recognized on a cumulative catch-up basis, which recognizes the cumulative effect of the profit changes on current and prior periods based on a performance obligation’s percentage of completion in the current period. A significant change in one or more of these estimates could affect the profitability of one or more of our performance obligations. Our EAC adjustments also include the establishment of and changes to loss provisions for our contracts accounted for on a percentage of completion basis.

Net EAC adjustments had the following impact on our operating results:


	Quarter Ended March 31,
(dollars in millions, except per share amounts)	2023		2022
Total net sales	$	(40)	$	97
Operating profit	(124)		36
Income from continuing operations attributable to common shareowners(1)	(98)		28
Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations attributable to common shareowners (1)	$	(0.07)	$	0.02

(1) Amounts reflect a U.S. statutory tax rate of 21%, which approximates our tax rate on our EAC adjustments.