Basis of Presentation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

General Information

The accompanying unaudited Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") for interim financial information, and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all information or footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. As a result, this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying Notes in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Management believes that the accompanying Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements reflect all adjustments, including normal recurring items, considered necessary for a fair presentation of the interim periods.

We are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements and accompanying Notes. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

Certain prior year amounts in the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements have been reclassified to conform with current year presentation.

We have eliminated all material intercompany transactions in our Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements. We do not consolidate the financial statements of any company in which we have an ownership interest of 50% or less, unless that company is deemed to be a variable interest entity ("VIE") of which we are the primary beneficiary. VIEs are consolidated when the company is the primary beneficiary of these entities and has the ability to directly impact the activities of these entities.

Risks and Uncertainties

COVID-19 continues to impact countries across the world, and the duration and severity of the effects are currently unknown. The pandemic has impacted the Company and could materially impact our financial results in the future. The Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements presented herein reflect estimates and assumptions made by management at September 30, 2021.

Such estimates and assumptions affect, among other things, the Company’s goodwill, long-lived asset and indefinite-lived intangible asset valuation; inventory valuation; assessment of the annual effective tax rate; valuation of deferred income taxes and income tax contingencies; and the allowance for expected credit losses and bad debt. Events and changes in circumstances arising after October 22, 2021, including those resulting from the impacts of COVID-19, will be reflected in management’s estimates for future periods.

Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets

Our Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates for goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangibles are disclosed in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements and in Management's Discussion and Analysis of our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.

We continue to monitor the significant global economic uncertainty to assess the outlook for demand for our products and the impact on our business and our overall financial performance. The goodwill in our EMEA reporting unit and our Indesit, Hotpoint*, Maytag and JennAir trademarks continue to be at risk at September 30, 2021. The goodwill in our other reporting units or indefinite-lived intangible assets are not presently at risk for future impairment.

The potential impact of demand disruptions, production impacts or supply constraints could negatively effect revenues for the Indesit, Hotpoint*, Maytag and JennAir trademarks and the EMEA reporting unit, but we remain committed to the strategic actions necessary to realize the long-term forecasted EBIT margins.

*Whirlpool ownership of the Hotpoint brand in EMEA and Asia Pacific regions is not affiliated with the Hotpoint brand sold in the Americas.

As a result of our analysis, and in consideration of the totality of events and circumstances, there were no triggering events of impairment identified during the third quarter of 2021.

A lack of recovery or further deterioration in market conditions, a sustained trend of weaker than expected financial performance in EMEA or for our Indesit, Hotpoint*, Maytag or JennAir trademarks or a lack of recovery or a decline in the Company’s market capitalization, among other factors, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or other unforeseen events could result in an impairment charge in future periods which could have a material adverse effect on our financial statements.

Income taxes

Under U.S. GAAP, the Company calculates its quarterly tax provision based on an estimated effective tax rate for the year and then adjusts this amount by certain discrete items each quarter. Potential changing and volatile macro-economic conditions could cause fluctuations in forecasted earnings before income taxes. As such, the Company's effective tax rate could be subject to volatility as forecasted earnings before income taxes are impacted by events which cannot be predicted. In addition, potential future economic deterioration brought on by the pandemic or other factors may negatively impact the realizability of certain deferred tax assets.  

Other Accounting Matters

Synthetic lease arrangements

We have a number of synthetic lease arrangements with financial institutions for non-core properties and assets. The leases contain provisions for options to purchase, extend the original term for additional periods or return the property. At September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, these arrangements include residual value guarantees of up to $238 million and $220 million, respectively, that could potentially come due in future periods. We do not believe it is probable that any material amounts will be owed under these guarantees. Therefore, no material amounts related to the residual value guarantees are included in the lease payments used to measure the right-of-use assets and lease liabilities.

The majority of these leases are classified as operating leases. We have assessed the reasonable certainty of these provisions to determine the appropriate lease term. The leases were measured using our incremental borrowing rate and are included in our right of use assets and lease liabilities in the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets. Rental payments are calculated at the applicable LIBOR rate plus a margin. The impact to the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets and Consolidated Condensed Statements of Income (Loss) is nominal.

Supply Chain Financing Arrangements

The Company has ongoing agreements globally with various third-parties to allow certain suppliers the opportunity to sell receivables due from us to participating financial institutions at the sole discretion of both the suppliers and the financial institutions.

We have no economic interest in the sale of these receivables and no direct financial relationship with the financial institutions concerning these services. Our obligations to suppliers, including amounts due and scheduled payment terms, are not impacted. All outstanding balances under these programs are recorded in accounts payable on our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets, approximately $1.3 billion and $1.2 billion has been issued to participating financial institutions at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

A downgrade in our credit rating or changes in the financial markets could limit the financial institutions’ willingness to commit funds to, and participate in, the programs. We do not believe such risk would have a material impact on our working capital or cash flows.

Due to the completed partial tender offer for Whirlpool China and subsequent deconsolidation of the subsidiary during the second quarter of 2021, we no longer have material supply chain financing arrangements in China. For additional information see Note 15 to the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.

*Whirlpool ownership of the Hotpoint brand in EMEA and Asia Pacific regions is not affiliated with the Hotpoint brand sold in the Americas.

Inventories

Effective January 1, 2021, the Company changed its accounting principle for inventory valuation for inventories located in the U.S. from a last-in, first-out ("LIFO") basis to a first-in, first-out ("FIFO") basis. All prior periods presented in the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements have been retrospectively adjusted to apply the effects of the change in accounting principle.

Equity Method Investments

After May 6, 2021, Whirlpool holds an equity interest of approximately 20% in Whirlpool China, an entity which was previously controlled by the Company. We account for the remaining interest under equity method accounting and Whirlpool China and its subsidiaries continue to supply the Company in the normal course of business. Whirlpool China was also granted a license to sell Whirlpool-branded products in China.

Subsequent to the completion of the partial tender offer for Whirlpool China and deconsolidation of the entity in the second quarter of 2021, we made purchases from Whirlpool China of $86 million and $152 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively. The outstanding amount due to Whirlpool China and its subsidiaries is $139 million as of September 30, 2021. The licensing revenue and outstanding accounts receivable from Whirlpool China and its subsidiaries are not material for the periods presented.

As of September 30, 2021, the value of the equity interest in Whirlpool China is $210 million and is included in Other noncurrent assets in the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheet.

The Company’s share of the results of equity method investments and elimination of intra-entity results are included in Interest and sundry (income) expense in the Consolidated Condensed Income Statement and Other noncurrent assets in the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheet. The impact of equity method investments is not material for the periods presented.

For additional information, see Note 15 to the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.

Related Party Transactions

In 2018, Whirlpool of India Limited (“Whirlpool India”), a majority-owned subsidiary of Whirlpool Corporation, acquired a 49% equity interest in Elica PB India Private Limited (“Elica PB India”) for $22 million. On September 27, 2021, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire an additional 38% equity interest in Elica PB India for $57 million, which resulted in a controlling equity ownership of 87%. Following the closing of the transaction on September 29, 2021, Elica PB India is consolidated in Whirlpool Corporation's financial statements and is reported within our Asia reportable segment. The transaction resulted in a gain of approximately $42 million on the Company’s previously held equity interest. This gain was recorded within Interest and sundry (income) expense during the third quarter.

The Company is in the process of finalizing independent appraisals for the purpose of allocating the purchase price to the individual assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the acquisition. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price included in the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheet at September 30, 2021 is based on the best estimates of management and is subject to revision of the final determination of asset fair values and useful lives. Any changes to the preliminary estimates of the fair values of the assets and liabilities could potentially impact goodwill as well as future depreciation and amortization expense.

On a preliminary basis, goodwill of $100 million, which is not deductible for tax purposes, has been allocated to the Asia reportable segment. The allocation has been made on the basis that the anticipated synergies identified will primarily benefit this reportable segment.

Both Whirlpool India and the non-controlling interest shareholders retain an option for Whirlpool India to purchase the remaining equity interest in Elica PB India for fair value, which could be material to the financial statements of the Company, depending on the performance of the business.

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

We adopted the following standard, which did not have a material impact on our Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements:

Standard		Effective Date
2019-12	Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes	January 1, 2021

All other newly issued and effective accounting standards during 2021 were not relevant or material to the Company.

Accounting Pronouncements Issued But Not Yet Effective

In March 2020, the FASB issued Update 2020-04, "Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting". The amendments in Update 2020-04 are elective and apply to all entities that have contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued due to reference rate reform. The new guidance provides the following optional expedients: simplify accounting analyses under current U.S. GAAP for contract modifications, simplify the assessment of hedge effectiveness, allow hedging relationships affected by reference rate reform to continue and allow a one-time election to sell or transfer debt securities classified as held to maturity that reference a rate affected by reference rate reform. In January 2021, the FASB issued Update 2021-01, "Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Scope". The update provides additional optional guidance on the transition from LIBOR to include derivative instruments that use an interest rate for margining, discounting or contract price alignment. The standard will ease, if warranted, the requirements for accounting for the future effects of the rate reform. An entity may elect to apply the amendments prospectively through December 31, 2022. We continue to monitor the impact the discontinuance of LIBOR or another reference rate will have on our contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions.

All other issued and not yet effective accounting standards are not relevant or material to the Company.