Derivatives and Hedging Activities

The Company is exposed to market risk, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, commodity prices, equity compensation liabilities, and changes in interest rates, which may result in cash flow risks. For exposures not offset within its operations, the Company enters into various derivative transactions pursuant to its risk management policies, which prohibit holding or issuing derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. Designation of derivative instruments is performed on a transaction basis to support hedge accounting. The changes in fair value of these hedging instruments are offset in part or in whole by corresponding changes in the fair value or cash flows of the underlying exposures being hedged. The Company assesses the initial and ongoing effectiveness of its hedging relationships in accordance with its documented policy.

Foreign Currency Risk

The Company manufactures and sells its products in North America, South America, Asia, Europe, and Africa. As a result, the Company’s financial results could be significantly affected by factors such as changes in foreign currency exchange rates or weak economic conditions in foreign markets in which the Company manufactures and sells its products. The Company generally tries to use natural hedges within its foreign currency activities, including the matching of revenues and costs, to minimize foreign currency risk. Where natural hedges are not in place, the Company considers managing certain aspects of its foreign currency activities and larger transactions through the use of foreign currency options or forward contracts. Principal currencies hedged have historically included the U.S. dollar, euro, British pound, Polish zloty, and Mexican peso.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Financial instruments including cash equivalents and derivative contracts expose the Company to counterparty credit risk for non-performance. The Company’s counterparties for cash equivalents and derivative contracts are banks and financial institutions that meet the Company’s requirement of high credit standing. The Company’s counterparties for derivative contracts are substantial investment and commercial banks with significant experience using such derivatives. The Company manages its credit risk through policies requiring minimum credit standing and limiting credit exposure to any one counterparty and through monitoring counterparty credit risks. The Company’s concentration of credit risk related to derivative contracts at December 31, 2018 and 2017 is not material.

Other

The Company presents its derivative positions and any related material collateral under master netting agreements on a net basis. For derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, changes in the time value are excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness. Unrealized gains and losses associated with ineffective hedges, determined using the hypothetical derivative method, are recognized in “Other (income) expense, net.” Derivative gains and losses included in accumulated other comprehensive loss for effective hedges are reclassified into operations upon recognition of the hedged transaction. Derivative gains and losses associated with undesignated hedges are recognized in “Other (income) expense, net” for outstanding hedges and “Cost of sales” or “Other (income) expense, net” upon hedge maturity.

Derivative Instruments

Foreign currency forward contracts — The Company enters into foreign currency forward purchase and sale contracts to mitigate its exposure to changes in exchange rates on certain intercompany and third-party trade receivables and payables. In managing its foreign currency exposures, the Company identifies and aggregates existing offsetting positions and then hedges residual exposures through third-party derivative contracts. The gain or loss on these contracts is recorded as foreign currency gains (losses) within cost of sales in the consolidated statements of income. The fair value of foreign currency forward contracts are recorded in "Prepayments and other current assets" or "Accrued expenses and other current liabilities" in the consolidated balance sheets. The fair value of the Company's foreign currency forward contracts was a net asset position of less than $1 million at December 31, 2018 and a net liability position of less than $1 million at December 31, 2017.

The following table summarizes by major currency the notional amounts for foreign currency forward purchase and sale contracts as of December 31, 2018 (all of which mature in 2019):



		Notional Amount in Foreign Currency
		(Millions)
Canadian dollars	—Sell	(2	)
European euro	—Purchase	1
	—Sell	(8	)
Polish zloty	—Purchase	35
Mexican pesos	—Purchase	211
U.S. dollars	—Purchase	2
	—Sell	(11	)

Cash-settled Share Swap Transactions — In the second quarter of 2017, the Company entered into an equity swap agreement. The Company selectively uses cash-settled share swaps to reduce market risk associated with its deferred compensation liabilities. These equity deferred compensation liabilities increase as the Company's stock price increases and decrease as the Company's stock price decreases. In contrast, the value of the swap agreement moves in the opposite direction of these liabilities, allowing the Company to fix a portion of the liabilities at a stated amount. As of December 31, 2018, the Company had hedged its deferred compensation liability related to approximately 250,000 common share equivalents. The fair value of the equity swap agreement is recorded in "Prepayments and other current assets" in the consolidated balance sheets. The fair value of the Company's equity swap agreement was a net asset position of $4 million at December 31, 2018 and $4 million at December 31, 2017.

Hedging Instruments

Cash Flow Hedges—Commodity Price Risk — The Company’s production processes are dependent upon the supply of certain raw materials that are exposed to price fluctuations on the open market. The primary purpose of the Company’s commodity price forward contract activity is to manage the volatility associated with forecasted purchases for up to eighteen months in the future. The Company monitors its commodity price risk exposures regularly to maximize the overall effectiveness of its commodity forward contracts. Principal raw materials hedged include copper, nickel, tin, zinc, and aluminum. In certain instances within this program, foreign currency forwards may be used in order to match critical terms for commodity exposure.

The Company has designated these contracts as cash flow hedging instruments. The Company records unrecognized gains and losses in other comprehensive income (loss) (“OCI or OCL”) and makes regular reclassifying adjustments into “Cost of sales” within the consolidated statements of income when the underlying hedged transaction is recognized in earnings. The Company had commodity derivatives outstanding with an equivalent notional amount of $27 million as of December 31, 2018 and none as of December 31, 2017. Substantially all of the commodity price hedge contracts mature within one year.

Net Investment Hedge – Foreign Currency Borrowings — The Company has foreign currency denominated debt, €752 million of which was designated as a net investment hedge in certain foreign subsidiaries and affiliates of the Company. Changes to its carrying value are included in shareholders' equity in the foreign currency translation component of OCL and offset against the translation adjustment on the underlying net assets of those foreign subsidiaries and affiliates, which are also recorded in OCL. The Company’s debt instruments are discussed further in Note 11—Debt and Other Financing Arrangements.

The following table is a summary of the carrying value of derivative and non-derivative instruments designated as hedges as of December 31, 2018:



		Carrying Value
		December 31
	Balance sheets classification	2018
		(Millions)
Commodity price hedge contracts designated as cash flow hedges	Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	$(2)
Foreign currency borrowings designated as net investment hedges	Long-term debt	$863

The following table represents the effects before reclassification into net income of derivative and non-derivative instruments designated as hedges in accumulated other comprehensive loss as of December 31, 2018:



	Amount of gain (loss) recognized in accumulated OCI or OCL (effective portion)
	December 31
	2018
	(Millions)
Foreign currency borrowings designated as net investment hedges	$(3)

The Company estimates less than $1 million of net derivative losses included in AOCI as of December 31, 2018 will be reclassified into earnings within the following 12 months. See Note 18—Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) by Component for amounts recognized in OCL and amounts reclassified out of OCL for the year ended December 31, 2018 for these hedging instruments.