Recent Accounting Pronouncements

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

19. RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In January 2010, the FASB issued ASU 2010-06, which amends ASC 820 to add new requirements for disclosures about transfers into and out of Levels 1 and 2 and separate disclosures about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements relating to Level 3 measurements. The ASU also clarifies existing fair value disclosures about the level of disaggregation and about inputs and valuation techniques used to measure fair value. Further, the ASU amends guidance on employers' disclosures about postretirement benefit plan assets under ASC 715 to require that disclosures be provided by classes of assets instead of by major categories of assets. However, unlike the proposed ASU, the final ASU does not require entities to provide sensitivity disclosures. The FASB will consider whether to require sensitivity disclosures jointly with the IASB as part of a new convergence project on fair value measurement and disclosures. The ASU is effective for the first reporting period (including interim periods) beginning after December 15, 2009, except for the requirement to provide the Level 3 activity of purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements on a gross basis, which will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2010, and for interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted this standard during the first quarter of 2011 and there was no significant impact on the Company's financial statements.

In December 2010, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2010-28, "Intangibles-Goodwill and other (Topic 350): When to perform step 2 of the Goodwill Impairment Test for Reporting Units with zero or negative carrying amounts" (ASU 2010-28). This Update provides guidance on how an entity with reporting units that have a zero or negative carrying amount shall consider qualitative factors in addition to the goodwill impairment Step 1 process to determine if Step 2 of the goodwill impairment process shall be completed. If the qualitative factors indicate that events or circumstances exist that indicate it is more likely than not that goodwill impairment exists, a Step 2 goodwill analysis is required even if Step 1 was passed. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2010. Early adoption is not permitted. The Company adopted this standard during the first quarter of 2011 and there was no significant impact on the Company's financial statements.

In December 2010, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2010-29, "Business Combinations Topic (805): Disclosure of supplementary pro forma Information for Business Combinations" (ASU 2010-29). This update provides clarification on the presentation of pro forma information for business combinations and applies to public entities. The Update specifies that the pro forma disclosure should include revenue and earnings of the combined entity as though the business combination(s) during the current year had occurred as of the beginning of the comparable prior annual reporting period only if comparative financial statements are presented. It also expands the supplemental pro forma disclosures to include a description of the nature and amount of the material, nonrecurring pro forma adjustments directly attributable to the business combination included in the reported pro forma revenue and earnings. The amendments are effective on a prospective basis for business combinations for which the acquisition date is on or after the beginning of the first annual reporting period beginning on or after December 15, 2010. Early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted this standard during the first quarter of 2011 and there was no significant impact on the Company's financial statements.

In May 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-04, Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs, to provide largely identical guidance about fair value measurement and disclosure requirements with the IASB's new IFRS 13, Fair Value Measurement. Issuing this standard completes a major project of the Boards' joint work to improve and converge IFRS and U.S. GAAP. The new standard does not extend the use of fair value but, rather, provides guidance about how fair value should be applied where it already is required or permitted under U.S. GAAP. Most of the changes are clarifications of existing guidance or wording changes to align with IFRS 13. A public entity is required to apply the ASU prospectively for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. Early adoption is not permitted for a public entity. In the period of adoption, a reporting entity will be required to disclose a change, if any, in valuation technique and related inputs that result from applying the ASU and to quantify the total effect, if practicable. The requirements of this ASU and its impact on the Company are being evaluated.

In June 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05- Presentation of Comprehensive Income—increases the prominence of other comprehensive income in financial statements. Under this ASU, an entity will have the option to present the components of net income and comprehensive income in either one or two consecutive financial statements. The ASU eliminates the option in U.S. GAAP to present other comprehensive income in the statement of changes in equity. An entity should apply the ASU retrospectively. For a public entity, the ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. The requirements of this ASU and its impact on the Company are being evaluated.

In September 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-08- Intangibles- Goodwill and Other (Topic 350)- Testing Goodwill for Impairment. This ASU simplify how entities, both public and nonpublic, test goodwill for impairment. The amendments in the Update permit an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test described in Topic 350. The more-likely-than-not threshold is defined as having a likelihood of more than 50 percent. The amendments are effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. Early adoption is permitted. The requirements of this ASU and its impact on the Company are being evaluated.