Our preparation of the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the Consolidated Financial Statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Preparation. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. We consolidate entities in which we have a controlling financial interest, the usual condition of which is ownership of a majority voting interest. We also consider for consolidation an entity, in which we have certain interests, where the controlling financial interest may be achieved through arrangements that do not involve voting interests. Such an entity, known as a variable interest entity (“VIE”), is required to be consolidated by its primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary is the entity that possesses the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact its economic performance and has the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that are significant to it.

Our most significant variable interests are in entities that operate restaurants under our Concepts’ franchise and license arrangements. We do not have an equity interest in any of our franchisee businesses. Additionally, we do not typically provide significant financial support such as loans or guarantees to our franchisees. However, we do have variable interests in certain franchisees through real estate lease arrangements to which we are a party. At the end of 2018, YUM has future lease payments

due from franchisees, on a nominal basis, of approximately $1.1 billion, and we are secondarily liable on certain other lease agreements that have been assigned to franchisees. See the Lease Guarantees and Franchise Loan Pool and Equipment Guarantees sections in Note 19. As our franchise and license arrangements provide our franchisee entities the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact their economic performance, we do not consider ourselves the primary beneficiary of any such entity that might otherwise be considered a VIE.

We participate in various advertising cooperatives with our franchisees, typically within a country where we have both Company-owned restaurants and franchise restaurants, established to collect and administer funds contributed for use in advertising and promotional programs designed to increase sales and enhance the reputation of the Company and its franchise owners. Contributions to the advertising cooperatives are required for both Company-owned and franchise restaurants and are generally based on a percentage of restaurant sales. We maintain certain variable interests in these cooperatives. As the cooperatives are required to spend all funds collected on advertising and promotional programs, total equity at risk is not sufficient to permit the cooperatives to finance their activities without additional subordinated financial support. Therefore, these cooperatives are VIEs. As a result of our voting rights, we consolidate certain of these cooperatives for which we are the primary beneficiary.

Fiscal Year. Our fiscal years have historically ended on the last Saturday in December and, as a result, a 53^rd week was added every five or six years. The first three quarters of each fiscal year consisted of 12 weeks and the fourth quarter consisted of 16 weeks in fiscal years with 52 weeks and 17 weeks in fiscal years with 53 weeks. Our U.S. subsidiaries and certain international subsidiaries operated on similar fiscal calendars. Our remaining international subsidiaries operated on a monthly calendar, and thus never had a 53^rd week, with two months in the first quarter, three months in the second and third quarters and four months in the fourth quarter. Certain international subsidiaries within our KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell divisions have historically closed approximately one month or one period earlier to facilitate consolidated reporting.

On January 27, 2017, YUM’s Board of Directors approved a change in the Company's fiscal year from a year ending on the last Saturday of December to a year beginning on January 1 and ending December 31 of each year, commencing with the year ending December 31, 2017. In connection with this change, the Company moved from a 52-week periodic fiscal calendar with three 12-week interim quarters and a 16-week fourth quarter to a monthly reporting calendar with each quarter comprised of three months. Our U.S. subsidiaries continue to report on a period calendar as described above.

Concurrent with the change in the Company's fiscal year, we also eliminated the one month or one period reporting lags of our international subsidiaries. As a result of removing these reporting lags, each international subsidiary operates either on a monthly calendar consistent with the Company’s new calendar or on a periodic calendar consistent with our U.S. subsidiaries. We believe this change in our international subsidiary reporting calendars and the resulting elimination of reporting lags is preferable because a more current reporting calendar allows the Consolidated Financial Statements to more consistently and more timely reflect the impact of current events, economic conditions and global trends.

The change to the Company’s fiscal year and removal of the international reporting lags became effective beginning in 2017. We applied this change in accounting principle retrospectively to financial periods presented prior to 2017 and the impact of this change is summarized in Note 5. The impact of the change in accounting principle on the current period Consolidated Financial Statements is similar to the impact on the prior period results discussed in Note 5.

Foreign Currency. The functional currency of our foreign entities is the currency of the primary economic environment in which the entity operates. Functional currency determinations are made based upon a number of economic factors, including but not limited to cash flows and financing transactions. The operations, assets and liabilities of our entities outside the U.S. are initially measured using the functional currency of that entity. Income and expense accounts for our operations of these foreign entities are then translated into U.S. dollars at the average exchange rates prevailing during the period. Assets and liabilities of these foreign entities are then translated into U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. As of December 31, 2018, net cumulative translation adjustment losses of $245 million are recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive loss ("AOCI") in the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

The majority of our foreign currency net asset exposure is in countries where we have Company-owned restaurants. As we manage and share resources at the individual brand level within a country, cumulative translation adjustments are recorded and tracked at the foreign-entity level that represents the operations of our individual brands within that country. Translation adjustments recorded in AOCI are subsequently recognized as income or expense generally only upon sale of the related investment in a foreign entity, or upon a sale of assets and liabilities within a foreign entity that represents a complete or substantially complete liquidation of that foreign entity. For purposes of determining whether a sale or complete or substantially complete liquidation of an investment in a foreign entity has occurred, we consider those same foreign entities for which we record and track cumulative translation adjustments.

Revenue Recognition. From 2014 through 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued standards to provide principles within a single framework for revenue recognition of transactions involving contracts with customers across all industries ("Topic 606"). We adopted Topic 606 at the beginning of the year ended December 31, 2018. Below is a discussion of how our revenues are earned, our accounting policies pertaining to revenue recognition prior to the adoption of Topic 606 ("Legacy GAAP"), our accounting policies pertaining to revenue recognition subsequent to the adoption of Topic 606 and other required disclosures. Refer to Note 5 for information regarding the cumulative effect adjustment recorded to Accumulated deficit as of the beginning of the year ended December 31, 2018 to reflect the adoption of Topic 606. Also included in Note 5 is disclosure of the amount by which each balance sheet and income statement line item was impacted in the current reporting period as compared to Legacy GAAP.

Our most significant source of revenues arises from the operation of our Concepts' stores by our franchisees. Franchise rights may be granted through a store-level franchise agreement or through a master franchise agreement that set out the terms of our arrangement with the franchisee. Our franchise agreements require that the franchisee remit continuing fees to us as a percentage of the applicable restaurant’s sales in exchange for the license of the intellectual property associated with our Concepts' brands (the “franchise right”). Our franchise agreements also typically require certain, less significant, upfront franchise fees such as initial fees paid upon opening of a store, fees paid to renew the term of the franchise right and fees paid in the event the franchise agreement is transferred to another franchisee.

Continuing fees represent the substantial majority of the consideration we receive under our franchise agreements. Continuing fees are typically billed and paid monthly and are usually 4%-6% for store-level franchise agreements. Master franchise agreements allow master franchisees to operate restaurants as well as sub-franchise restaurants within certain geographic territories. The percentage of sales that we receive for restaurants owned or operated by our master franchisees as a continuing fee is typically less than the percentage we receive for restaurants operating under a store-level franchise agreement. Upfront franchise fees are typically billed and paid when a new franchise or sub-franchise agreement becomes effective or when an existing agreement is transferred to another franchisee or sub-franchisee.

Under Legacy GAAP, continuing fees were recognized as the related restaurant sales occurred. The timing and amount of revenue recognized related to continuing fees was not impacted by the adoption of Topic 606 based on the application of the sales-based royalty exception within Topic 606. Under Legacy GAAP, revenue related to initial fees was recognized upon store opening and renewal and transfer fees were recognized when the related agreement became effective. Upon the adoption of Topic 606, we have determined that the services we provide in exchange for these upfront franchise fees, which primarily relate to pre-opening support, are highly interrelated with the franchise right and are not individually distinct from the ongoing services we provide to our franchisees. As a result, upon the adoption of Topic 606, upfront franchise fees are recognized as revenue over the term of each

respective franchise or sub-franchise agreement. Revenues for these upfront franchise fees are recognized on a straight-line basis, which is consistent with the franchisee’s or sub-franchisee's right to use and benefit from the intellectual property. Revenues from continuing fees and upfront franchise fees are presented within Franchise and property revenues in our Consolidated Statements of Income.

Additionally, from time-to-time we provide non-refundable consideration to franchisees in the form of cash or other incentives (e.g. cash payments to incent new unit openings, free or subsidized equipment, etc.). The Company’s intent in providing such consideration is to drive new unit development or same-store sales growth that will result in higher future revenues for the Company. Under Legacy GAAP, this consideration was recognized when we were obligated to provide the incentive and was presented as either a reduction to Franchise and property revenues, if cash was provided directly to the franchisee, or as Franchise and property expenses, if cash was not provided directly to the franchisee. Due to the adoption of Topic 606, such payments are capitalized and presented within Prepaid expense and other current assets or Other assets. These capitalized balances are being amortized as a reduction in Franchise and property revenues over the period of expected cash flows from the franchise agreements to which the payment relates.

From time to time, we enter into rental agreements with franchisees for the lease or sublease of restaurant locations. These rental agreements typically originate from refranchising transactions and revenues related to the agreements are recognized as they are earned. Amounts owed under the rental agreements are typically billed and paid on a monthly basis. Revenues from rental agreements with franchisees are presented within Franchise and property revenues within our Consolidated Statements of Income. Related expenses are presented as Franchise and property expenses within our Consolidated Statements of Income and primarily include depreciation or, in the case of a sublease, rental expense. The timing and amount of revenue and expenses recognized related to the rental of restaurants we lease or sublease was not impacted by the adoption of Topic 606.

Under Legacy GAAP, receipts and expenditures related to advertising cooperatives we were required to consolidate were presented on a net basis in our Consolidated Statements of Income and Consolidated Statements of Cash Flow. Additionally, assets and liabilities of the advertising cooperatives we were required to consolidate were presented within Advertising cooperative assets, restricted and Advertising cooperative liabilities, respectively, within our Consolidated Balance Sheets. In accordance with the provisions of Topic 606, we have determined we act as a principal in the transactions entered into by the advertising cooperatives we are required to consolidate based on our responsibility to define the nature of the goods or services provided and/or our responsibility to define which franchisees receive the benefit of the goods or services. Additionally, we have determined the advertising services provided to franchisees are highly interrelated with the franchise right and therefore not distinct. Franchisees remit to us a percentage of restaurant sales as consideration for providing the advertising services. As a result, revenues for advertising services are recognized when the related restaurant sales occur based on the application of the sales-based royalty exception within Topic 606. Revenues for these services are typically billed and paid on a monthly basis. These revenues are presented as Franchise contributions for advertising and other services. Expenses incurred to provide these services are presented as Franchise advertising and other services expense. When revenues of an advertising cooperative exceed the related advertising expenses, advertising costs are accrued up to the amount of revenues on an annual basis. Lastly, upon adoption of Topic 606 we have reclassified assets and liabilities of advertising cooperatives we are required to consolidate to the respective balance sheet caption to which the assets and liabilities relate.

On a much more limited basis, we provide goods or services to certain franchisees that are individually distinct from the franchise right because they do not require integration with other goods or services we provide. Such arrangements typically relate to supply chain, quality assurance and information technology services. In instances where we rely on third parties to provide goods or services to franchisees at our direction, we have determined we act as a principal in these transactions. The extent to which we provide such goods or services varies by brand, geographic region and, in some instances, franchisee. Similar to advertising services, receipts and expenditures related to these other services were presented on a net basis under Legacy GAAP. Upon adoption of Topic 606, revenues from the goods or services described above are presented as Franchise contributions for advertising and other services within our Consolidated Statements of Income. Expenses related to the provisioning of these goods and services are recorded in Franchise advertising and other services expense. These revenues are recognized as the goods or services are transferred to the franchisee and related expenses are recognized as incurred.

The internal costs we incur to provide support services to our franchisees for which we do not receive a direct reimbursement are charged to General and administrative expenses (“G&A”) as incurred. Certain direct costs of our franchise operations are charged to Franchise and property expenses. These costs include provisions for estimated uncollectible fees, rent or depreciation expense associated with restaurants we lease or sublease to franchisees, franchise marketing funding, amortization expense for franchise-related intangible assets, value added taxes on royalties and certain other direct incremental franchise support costs.



	2018
		KFC Division		Pizza Hut Division		Taco Bell Division		Total
U.S.
Company sales		$	72	$	37	$	1,034	$	1,143
Franchise revenues		171		284		539		994
Property revenues		23		4		27		54
Franchise contributions for advertising and other services		9		269		428		706

China
Franchise revenues		201		59		—		260

Other
Company sales		822		32		3		857
Franchise revenues		825		248		24		1,097
Property revenues		74		3		—		77
Franchise contributions for advertising and other services		447		52		1		500
		$	2,644	$	988	$	2,056	$	5,688

Direct Marketing Costs. To the extent we participate in advertising cooperatives, we expense our contributions as incurred, which are based on a percentage of sales of our Company restaurants. We charge direct marketing costs incurred outside of a cooperative to expense ratably in relation to revenues over the year in which incurred and, in the case of advertising production costs, in the year the advertisement is first shown. Deferred direct marketing costs, which are classified as prepaid expenses, consist of media and related advertising production costs that will generally be used for the first time in the next fiscal year and have historically not been significant. We report the majority of our direct marketing costs in Company restaurant expenses. Advertising incurred on behalf of franchised restaurants by the Company is recorded within Franchise and property expenses, including $12.5 million and $25 million related to the Pizza Hut U.S. Transformation Agreement in 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $10 million, $20 million and $20 million related to the KFC U.S. Acceleration Agreement in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. See Note 5 for further discussion of these agreements. Advertising expenses incurred by our Company-owned restaurants and those incurred on behalf of franchised restaurants by the Company totaled $131 million, $245 million and $260 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. In 2018 we incurred an additional $1,035 million in spending attributable to franchise contributions to advertising cooperatives that we consolidate and are now reporting on a gross basis within our Consolidated Statements of Income subsequent to the adoption Topic 606.

Share-Based Employee Compensation. We recognize ongoing share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options and stock appreciation rights (“SARs”), in the Consolidated Financial Statements as compensation cost over the service period based on their fair value on the date of grant. This compensation cost is recognized over the service period on a straight-line basis, net of an assumed forfeiture rate, for awards that actually vest. Forfeiture rates are estimated at grant date based on historical experience and compensation cost is adjusted in subsequent periods for differences in actual forfeitures from the previous estimates. We present this compensation cost consistent with the other compensation costs for the employee recipient in either Company restaurant expenses or G&A. See Note 15 for further discussion of our share-based compensation plans.

Legal Costs. Settlement costs are accrued when they are deemed probable and reasonably estimable. Anticipated legal fees related to self-insured workers' compensation, employment practices liability, general liability, automobile liability, product liability and property losses (collectively, "property and casualty losses") are accrued when deemed probable and reasonably estimable. Legal fees not related to self-insured property and casualty losses are recognized as incurred. See Note 19 for further discussion of our legal proceedings.

Impairment or Disposal of Property, Plant and Equipment. Property, plant and equipment (“PP&E”) is tested for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. The assets are not recoverable if their carrying value is less than the undiscounted cash flows we expect to generate from such assets. If the assets are not deemed to be recoverable, impairment is measured based on the excess of their carrying value over their fair value.

For purposes of impairment testing for our restaurants, we have concluded that an individual restaurant is the lowest level of independent cash flows unless it is more likely than not that we will refranchise restaurants as a group. We review our long-lived assets of such individual restaurants (primarily PP&E and allocated intangible assets subject to amortization) semi-annually for impairment, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of a restaurant may not be recoverable. We use two consecutive years of operating losses as our primary indicator of potential impairment for our semi-annual impairment testing of these restaurant assets. We evaluate the recoverability of these restaurant assets by comparing the estimated undiscounted future cash flows, which are based on our entity-specific assumptions, to the carrying value of such assets. For restaurant assets that are not deemed to be recoverable, we write-down an impaired restaurant to its estimated fair value, which becomes its new cost basis. Fair value is an estimate of the price a franchisee would pay for the restaurant and its related assets and is determined by discounting the estimated future after-tax cash flows of the restaurant, which include a deduction

for royalties we would receive under a franchise agreement with terms substantially at market. The after-tax cash flows incorporate reasonable assumptions we believe a franchisee would make such as sales growth and margin improvement. The discount rate used in the fair value calculation is our estimate of the required rate of return that a franchisee would expect to receive when purchasing a similar restaurant and the related long-lived assets. The discount rate incorporates rates of returns for historical refranchising market transactions and is commensurate with the risks and uncertainty inherent in the forecasted cash flows. Individual restaurant-level impairment is recorded within Other (income) expense.

In executing our refranchising initiatives, we most often offer groups of restaurants for sale. When we believe it is more likely than not a restaurant or groups of restaurants will be refranchised for a price less than their carrying value, but do not believe the restaurant(s) have met the criteria to be classified as held for sale, we review the restaurants for impairment. We evaluate the recoverability of these restaurant assets by comparing estimated sales proceeds plus holding period cash flows, if any, to the carrying value of the restaurant or group of restaurants. For restaurant assets that are not deemed to be recoverable, we recognize impairment for any excess of carrying value over the fair value of the restaurants, which is based on the expected net sales proceeds. To the extent ongoing agreements to be entered into with the franchisee simultaneous with the refranchising are expected to contain terms, such as royalty rates, not at prevailing market rates, we consider the off-market terms in our impairment evaluation. We recognize any such impairment charges in Refranchising (gain) loss. Refranchising (gain) loss includes the gains or losses from the sales of our restaurants to new and existing franchisees, including any impairment charges discussed above, and associated termination, relocation or retention costs associated with store-level employees of refranchised stores or employees of restaurant-support centers which we have closed due to refranchising. We recognize gains on restaurant refranchisings when the sale transaction closes and control of the restaurant operations have transferred to the franchisee.

When we decide to close a restaurant, it is reviewed for impairment and depreciable lives are adjusted based on the expected disposal date. Other costs incurred when closing a restaurant such as costs of disposing of the assets as well as other facility-related expenses from previously closed stores are generally expensed as incurred. Additionally, at the date we cease using a property under an operating lease, we record a liability for the net present value of any remaining lease obligations, net of estimated sublease income, if any. Any costs recorded upon store closure as well as any subsequent adjustments to liabilities for remaining lease obligations as a result of lease termination or changes in estimates of sublease income are recorded in Other (income) expense. To the extent we sell assets, primarily land, associated with a closed store, any gain or loss upon that sale is also recorded in Other (income) expense.

Guarantees. We recognize, at inception of a guarantee, a liability for the fair value of certain obligations undertaken. The majority of our guarantees are issued as a result of assigning our interest in obligations under operating leases as a condition to the refranchising of certain Company restaurants. We recognize a liability for the fair value of such lease guarantees upon refranchising and upon subsequent renewals of such leases when we remain secondarily liable. The related expense and any subsequent changes are included in Refranchising (gain) loss. Any expense and subsequent changes in the guarantees for other franchise support guarantees not associated with a refranchising transaction are included in Franchise and property expenses.

Income Taxes. We record deferred tax assets and liabilities for the future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases as well as operating loss, capital loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those differences or carryforwards are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in our Income tax provision in the period that includes the enactment date. Additionally, in determining the need for recording a valuation allowance against the carrying amount of deferred tax assets, we consider the amount of taxable income and periods over which it must be earned, actual levels of past taxable income and known trends and events or transactions that are expected to affect future levels of taxable income. Where we determine that it is more likely than not that all or a portion of an asset will not be realized, we record a valuation allowance.

We recognize the benefit of positions taken or expected to be taken in our tax returns in our income tax provision when it is more likely than not (i.e. a likelihood of more than fifty percent) that the position would be sustained upon examination by tax authorities. A recognized tax position is then measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely of being realized upon settlement. We evaluate these amounts on a quarterly basis to ensure that they have been appropriately adjusted for audit settlements and other events we believe may impact the outcome. Changes in judgment that result in subsequent recognition, derecognition or a change in measurement of a tax position taken in a prior annual period (including any related interest and penalties) are recognized as a discrete item in the interim period in which the change occurs. We recognize accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as components of our income tax provision.

We do not record a deferred tax liability for unremitted earnings of our foreign subsidiaries to the extent that the earnings meet the indefinite reversal criteria. This criteria is met if the foreign subsidiary has invested, or will invest, the earnings indefinitely. The decision as to the amount of unremitted earnings that we intend to maintain in non-U.S. subsidiaries considers items including, but not limited to, forecasts and budgets of financial needs of cash for working capital, liquidity plans and expected cash requirements in the U.S.

Fair Value Measurements. Fair value is the price we would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability (exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants. For those assets and liabilities we record or disclose at fair value, we determine fair value based upon the quoted market price, if available. If a quoted market price is not available for identical assets, we determine fair value based upon the quoted market price of similar assets or the present value of expected future cash flows considering the risks involved, including counterparty performance risk if appropriate, and using discount rates appropriate for the duration. The fair values are assigned a level within the fair value hierarchy, depending on the source of the inputs into the calculation.

Receivables. The Company’s receivables are primarily generated from ongoing business relationships with our franchisees as a result of franchise and lease agreements. Trade receivables consisting of royalties from franchisees, including Yum China, are generally due within 30 days of the period in which the corresponding sales occur and are classified as Accounts and notes receivable, net on our Consolidated Balance Sheet. Upon adoption of Topic 606, Accounts and notes receivable, net also includes receivables generated from advertising cooperatives that we consolidate that, under Legacy GAAP, were previously recorded in Advertising cooperative assets, restricted. Our provision for uncollectible franchisee receivable balances is based upon pre-defined aging criteria or upon the occurrence of other events that indicate that we may not collect the balance due. Additionally, we monitor the financial condition of our franchisees and record provisions for estimated losses on receivables when we believe it probable that our franchisees will be unable to make their required payments. While we use the best information available in making our determination, the ultimate recovery of recorded receivables is also dependent upon future economic events and other conditions that may be beyond our control. We recorded $11 million, $5 million and less than $1 million in net provisions within Franchise and property expenses in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively, related to uncollectible franchise and license receivables. Receivables that are ultimately deemed to be uncollectible, and for which collection efforts have been exhausted, are written off against the allowance for doubtful accounts.

Our financing receivables primarily consist of notes receivables and direct financing leases with franchisees which we enter into from time-to-time. As these receivables primarily relate to our ongoing business agreements with franchisees, we consider such receivables to have similar risk characteristics and evaluate them as one collective portfolio segment and class for determining the allowance for doubtful accounts. We monitor the financial condition of our franchisees and record provisions for estimated losses on receivables when we believe it is probable that our franchisees will be unable to make their required payments. Balances of notes receivable and direct financing leases due within one year are included in Accounts and notes receivable, net while amounts due beyond one year are included in Other assets. Amounts included in Other assets totaled $62 million (net of an allowance of $1 million) and $38 million at December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. Financing receivables that are ultimately

Property, Plant and Equipment. We state PP&E at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. We calculate depreciation and amortization on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows: 5 to 25 years for buildings and leasehold improvements and 3 to 20 years for machinery and equipment. We suspend depreciation and amortization on assets that are held for sale.

Leases and Leasehold Improvements. The Company leases land, buildings or both for certain of its restaurants and restaurant support centers worldwide. The length of our lease terms, which vary by country and often include renewal options, are an important factor in determining the appropriate accounting for leases including the initial classification of the lease as capital or operating and the timing of recognition of rent expense over the duration of the lease. We include renewal option periods in determining the term of our leases when failure to renew the lease would impose a penalty on the Company in such an amount that a renewal appears to be reasonably assured at the inception of the lease. The primary penalty to which we are subject is the economic detriment associated with the existence of leasehold improvements which might be impaired if we choose not to continue the use of the leased property. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the lease term. We generally do not receive leasehold improvement incentives upon opening a store that is subject to a lease.

We expense rent associated with leased land or buildings while a restaurant is being constructed whether rent is paid or we are subject to a rent holiday. Additionally, certain of the Company's operating leases contain predetermined fixed escalations of the minimum rent during the lease term. For leases with fixed escalating payments and/or rent holidays, we record rent expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term, including any option periods considered in the determination of that lease term. Contingent rentals are based on sales levels in excess of stipulated amounts, and thus are not considered minimum lease payments and are included in rent expense when attainment of the contingency is considered probable (e.g. when Company sales occur).

Goodwill and Intangible Assets. From time-to-time, the Company acquires restaurants from one of our Concept’s franchisees or acquires another business. Goodwill from these acquisitions represents the excess of the cost of a business acquired over the net of the amounts assigned to assets acquired, including identifiable intangible assets and liabilities assumed. Goodwill is not amortized and has been assigned to reporting units for purposes of impairment testing. Our reporting units are our business units (which are aligned based on geography) in our KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell Divisions.

We evaluate goodwill for impairment on an annual basis or more often if an event occurs or circumstances change that indicate impairment might exist. We have selected the beginning of our fourth quarter as the date on which to perform our ongoing annual impairment test for goodwill. We may elect to perform a qualitative assessment for our reporting units to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is greater than its carrying value. If a qualitative assessment is not performed, or if as a result of a qualitative assessment it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, then the reporting unit’s fair value is compared to its carrying value. Fair value is the price a willing buyer would pay for a reporting unit, and is generally estimated using discounted expected future after-tax cash flows from Company-owned restaurant operations and franchise royalties. The discount rate is our estimate of the required rate of return that a third-party buyer would expect to receive when purchasing a business from us that constitutes a reporting unit. We believe the discount rate is commensurate with the risks and uncertainty inherent in the forecasted cash flows. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, goodwill is written down to its implied fair value.

If we record goodwill upon acquisition of a restaurant(s) from a franchisee and such restaurant(s) is then sold within two years of acquisition, the goodwill associated with the acquired restaurant(s) is written off in its entirety. If the restaurant is refranchised two years or more subsequent to its acquisition, we include goodwill in the carrying amount of the restaurants disposed of based on the relative fair values of the portion of the reporting unit disposed of in the refranchising and the portion of the reporting unit that will be retained. The fair value of the portion of the reporting unit disposed of in a refranchising is determined by reference to the discounted value of the future cash flows expected to be generated by the restaurant and retained by the franchisee, which includes a deduction for the anticipated, future royalties the franchisee will pay us associated with the franchise agreement entered into simultaneously with the refranchising transition. The fair value of the reporting unit retained is based on the price a willing buyer would pay for the reporting unit and includes the value of franchise agreements. Appropriate adjustments are made if a franchise agreement includes terms that are determined to not be at prevailing market rates. As such, the fair value of the reporting unit retained can include expected cash flows from future royalties from those restaurants currently being refranchised, future royalties from existing franchise businesses and company restaurant operations. As a result, the percentage of a reporting unit’s goodwill that will be written off in a refranchising transaction will be less than the percentage of the reporting unit’s Company-owned restaurants that are refranchised in that transaction and goodwill can be allocated to a reporting unit with only franchise restaurants.

Our definite-lived intangible assets that are not allocated to an individual restaurant are evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the intangible asset may not be recoverable. An intangible asset that is deemed not recoverable on an undiscounted basis is written down to its estimated fair value, which is our estimate of the price a willing buyer would pay for the intangible asset based on discounted expected future after-tax cash flows. For purposes of our impairment analysis, we update the cash flows that were initially used to value the definite-lived intangible asset to reflect our current estimates and assumptions over the asset’s future remaining life.

We record all derivative instruments on our Consolidated Balance Sheet at fair value. For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the effective portion of the gain or loss on the derivative instrument is reported as a component of AOCI and reclassified into earnings in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. Any ineffective portion of the gain or loss on the derivative instrument for a cash flow hedge is recorded in the results of operations immediately. For derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments, the gain or loss is recognized in the results of operations immediately.

As a result of the use of derivative instruments, the Company is exposed to risk that the counterparties will fail to meet their contractual obligations. To mitigate the counterparty credit risk, we only enter into contracts with carefully selected major financial institutions based upon their credit ratings and other factors, and continually assess the creditworthiness of counterparties. At December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, all of the counterparties to our interest rate swaps, foreign currency swaps and foreign currency forwards had investment grade ratings according to the three major ratings agencies. To date, all counterparties have performed in accordance with their contractual obligations.

Common Stock Share Repurchases. From time-to-time, we repurchase shares of our Common Stock under share repurchase programs authorized by our Board of Directors. Shares repurchased constitute authorized, but unissued shares under the North Carolina laws under which we are incorporated. Additionally, our Common Stock has no par or stated value. Accordingly, we record the full value of share repurchases, or other deductions to Common Stock such as shares cancelled upon employee share-based award exercises, upon the trade date, against Common Stock on our Consolidated Balance Sheet except when to do so would result in a negative balance in such Common Stock account. In such instances, on a period basis, we record the cost of any further share repurchases, or other deductions to Common Stock as an addition to Accumulated deficit. Due to the large number of share repurchases of our stock over the past several years, our Common Stock balance is frequently zero at the end of any period. Accordingly, $2,356 million, $1,915 million and $5,399 million in share repurchases in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and $20 million related to shares cancelled upon employee share-based award exercises in 2017 were recorded as an addition to Accumulated deficit. See Note 16 for additional information on our share repurchases.

Pension and Post-retirement Medical Benefits. We measure and recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of our pension and post-retirement plans as an asset or liability in our Consolidated Balance Sheet as of our fiscal year end. The funded status represents the difference between the projected benefit obligations and the fair value of plan assets, which is calculated on a plan-by-plan basis. The projected benefit obligation and related funded status are determined using assumptions as of the end of each year. The projected benefit obligation is the present value of benefits earned to date by plan participants, including the effect of future salary increases, as applicable. The difference between the projected benefit obligations and the fair value of plan assets that has not previously been recognized in our Consolidated Statement of Income is recorded as a component of AOCI.

The net periodic benefit costs associated with the Company's defined benefit pension and post-retirement medical plans are determined using assumptions regarding the projected benefit obligation and, for funded plans, the market-related value of plan assets as of the beginning of each year, or remeasurement period, if applicable. We record the service cost component of net periodic benefit costs in G&A. Non-service cost components are recorded in Other pension (income) expense. We have elected to use a market-related value of plan assets to calculate the expected return on assets, net of administrative and investment fees paid from plan assets, in net periodic benefit costs. We recognize differences in the fair value versus the market-related value of plan assets evenly over five years. For each individual plan we amortize into pension expense the net amounts in AOCI, as adjusted for the difference between the fair value and market-related value of plan assets, to the extent that such amounts exceed 10% of the greater of a plan’s projected benefit obligation or market-related value of assets, over the remaining service period of active participants in the plan or, for plans with no active participants, over the expected average life expectancy of the inactive participants

in the plan. We record a curtailment when an event occurs that significantly reduces the expected years of future service or eliminates the accrual of defined benefits for the future services of a significant number of employees. We record a curtailment gain when the employees who are entitled to the benefits terminate their employment; we record a curtailment loss when it becomes probable a loss will occur.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements. Starting in February 2016 and continuing into 2018, the FASB issued standards on the recognition and measurement of leases that are intended to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by requiring that substantially all lease assets and liabilities be recognized on the balance sheet and by requiring the disclosure of key information about leasing arrangements. We will adopt these standards using a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the first quarter of 2019 and will not recast the comparative periods presented in the Consolidated Financial Statements upon adoption.

The standards provide a number of optional practical expedients and policy elections in transition. We currently expect to elect the ‘package of practical expedients’ under which we will not reassess under the standards our prior conclusions about lease identification, lease classification and initial direct costs. We do not expect to elect the use-of-hindsight or the practical expedient pertaining to land easements; the latter not being applicable to us. We currently expect to elect the short-term lease recognition exemption for all leases that qualify, meaning we would not recognize right-of-use assets or lease liabilities for those leases. We do not currently expect to elect the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components for leases with franchisees, which is our most significant leasing activity with both lease and non-lease components.

We have made significant progress in assessing the impact of the standards and planning for their adoption and implementation. We have completed a scoping analysis and worldwide data gathering process of our current lease portfolio. We are substantially complete with reviewing the information for completeness of the lease portfolio, analyzing the financial statement impact of adopting the standards, and evaluating the impact of adoption on our existing accounting policies and disclosures.

Based on our current volume of store leases we expect this adoption will result in a material increase in the Total Assets and Total Liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheet. We do not anticipate adoption will have a significant impact on our Consolidated Statements of Income or Cash Flows. Upon adoption, we currently expect to recognize additional lease liabilities of $750 million and corresponding right-of-use assets of $675 million.

In January 2016, the FASB issued a standard that updates certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments. We adopted this standard beginning with the quarter ended March 31, 2018. While the adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our Financial Statements the standard requires our investment in Grubhub common stock, which was consummated in April 2018 (See Note 5), to be remeasured to fair value in each future reporting period with corresponding changes recorded in our Consolidated Statement of Income.

In October 2016, the FASB issued a standard that requires the recognition of the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset, other than inventory, when the transfer occurs. As required, we adopted this standard in the quarter ended March 31, 2018 and have recorded a cumulative adjustment to beginning retained earnings to write-off the unamortized tax consequences of certain historical intra-entity transfers of assets. As a result, we recognized a reduction in Other assets of $30 million with an offsetting increase to our Accumulated deficit.