Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain amounts in the Company’s prior period consolidated financial statements and notes to the financial statements have been reclassified to conform to current period presentation.

Variable Interest Entities

The Company performs a qualitative analysis to determine if it is the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity. This analysis includes consideration of who has the power to direct the activities of the entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and who has the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits of the variable interest entity that could potentially be significant to the variable interest entity. The Company continuously reassesses whether it is the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity.

The Company has consolidated one entity for which it is the primary beneficiary. Total net assets and results of operations of the entity as of and for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 are not significant.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

The Company’s operations are affected by numerous factors, including changes in audience acceptance (i.e. ratings), priorities of advertisers, new laws and governmental regulations and policies and technological advances. The Company cannot predict if any of these factors might have a significant impact on the television, radio, and digital advertising industries in the future, nor can it predict what impact, if any, the occurrence of these or other events might have on the Company’s operations and cash flows. Significant estimates and assumptions made by management are used for, but not limited to, the allowance for doubtful accounts, stock-based compensation, the estimated useful lives of long-lived and intangible assets, the recoverability of such assets by their estimated future undiscounted cash flows, the fair value of reporting units and indefinite life intangible assets, fair values of derivative instruments, disclosure of the fair value of debt, deferred income taxes and the purchase price allocations used in the Company’s acquisitions.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all short-term, highly liquid debt instruments purchased with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents consist of funds held in general checking accounts, money market accounts and commercial paper. Cash and cash equivalents are stated at cost plus accrued interest, which approximates fair value. The Company had $5.8 million in cash and cash equivalents held outside the United States as of December 31, 2017. The Company did not have material cash and cash equivalents held outside the United States as of December 31, 2016.

Restricted Cash

As of December 31, 2017, the Company’s balance sheet includes $222.3 million in restricted cash of which $221.5 million relates to proceeds received by the Company for its participation in the FCC auction for broadcast spectrum which were deposited into the account of a qualified intermediary to comply with Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 requirements to execute a like-kind exchange. The remaining $0.8 million in restricted cash was used as temporary collateral for the Company’s letters of credit.

Investments

Beginning in the third quarter of 2016, the Company made an investment in Chanclazo Studios, Inc. ("Chanclazo"), an innovative digital production studio that creates and distributes short and long form 3D animation, virtual reality and augmented reality content for Hispanic audiences. The net investment in Chanclazo totaled $1.25 million, for a 17% ownership interest as of December 31, 2017. The investment was recorded in "Other assets" on the consolidated balance sheets and is accounted for using the cost method.

The Company made an investment in Cocina Vista, LLC (“Cocina”), a digital media company focused on Spanish and Latin American food and cooking in the United States, Spain and Latin America, during the second quarter of 2017. The net investment in Cocina totaled $1.7 million for a 34.35% ownership interest. The Company is required to make a second investment of $1.5 million, for a total ownership interest of 51%, if Cocina achieves certain EBITDA goals through November 2018. As of December 31, 2017, Cocina had not achieved those goals. The investment was recorded in “Other assets” on the consolidated balance sheet and is accounted for using the equity method.

Long-lived Assets, Other Assets and Intangibles Subject to Amortization

Property and equipment are recorded at cost. Depreciation and amortization are provided using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives (see Note 6). The Company periodically evaluates assets to be held and used and long-lived assets held for sale, when events and circumstances warrant such review.

Syndication contracts are recorded at cost. Syndication amortization is provided using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives.

Intangible assets subject to amortization are amortized on a straight-line method over their estimated useful lives (see Note 5). Favorable leasehold interests and pre-sold advertising contracts are amortized over the term of the underlying contracts. Deferred debt issuance costs are amortized over the life of the related indebtedness using the effective interest method.

Changes in circumstances, such as the passage of new laws or changes in regulations, technological advances or changes to the Company’s business strategy, could result in the actual useful lives differing from initial estimates. Factors such as changes in the planned use of equipment, customer attrition, contractual amendments or mandated regulatory requirements could result in shortened useful lives. In those cases where the Company determines that the useful life of a long-lived asset should be revised, the Company will amortize or depreciate the net book value in excess of the estimated residual value over its revised remaining useful life.

Long-lived assets and asset groups are evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. The estimated future cash flows are based upon, among other things, assumptions about expected future operating performance, and may differ from actual cash flows. Long-lived assets evaluated for impairment are grouped with other assets to the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other groups of assets and liabilities. If the sum of the projected undiscounted cash flows (excluding interest) is less than the carrying value of the assets, the assets will be written down to the estimated fair value in the period in which the determination is made.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in each business combination. The Company tests its goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually on the first day of its fourth fiscal quarter, or more frequently if certain events or certain changes in circumstances indicate they may be impaired. In assessing the recoverability of goodwill and indefinite life intangible assets, the Company must make a series of assumptions about such things as the estimated future cash flows and other factors to determine the fair value of these assets.

In testing the goodwill of its reporting units for impairment, the Company first determines, based on a qualitative assessment, whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of each of its reporting units is less than their respective carrying amounts. The Company has determined that each of its operating segments is a reporting unit.

If it is deemed more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than the carrying value based on this initial assessment, the next step is a quantitative comparison of the fair value of the reporting unit to its carrying amount. If a reporting unit’s estimated fair value is equal to or greater than that reporting unit’s carrying value, no impairment of goodwill exists and the testing is complete. If the reporting unit’s carrying amount is greater than the estimated fair value, then an impairment loss is recorded for the amount of the difference.

When a quantitative analysis is performed, the estimated fair value of goodwill is determined by using a combination of a market approach and an income approach. The market approach estimates fair value by applying sales, earnings and cash flow multiples to each reporting unit’s operating performance. The multiples are derived from comparable publicly-traded companies with similar operating and investment characteristics to the Company’s reporting units. The market approach requires the Company to make a series of assumptions, such as selecting comparable companies and comparable transactions and transaction premiums. In recent years, there has been a decrease in the number of comparable transactions, which makes the market approach of comparable transactions and transaction premiums more difficult to estimate than in previous years.

The income approach estimates fair value based on the Company’s estimated future cash flows of each reporting unit, discounted by an estimated weighted-average cost of capital that reflects current market conditions, which reflect the overall level of inherent risk of that reporting unit. The income approach also requires the Company to make a series of assumptions, such as discount rates, revenue projections, profit margin projections and terminal value multiples. The Company estimated discount rates on a blended rate of return considering both debt and equity for comparable publicly-traded companies in the television, radio and digital media industries. These comparable publicly-traded companies have similar size, operating characteristics and/or financial profiles to the Company. The Company also estimated the terminal value multiple based on comparable publicly-traded companies. The Company estimated revenue projections and profit margin projections based on internal forecasts about future performance.

Indefinite Life Intangible Assets

The Company believes that its broadcast licenses are indefinite life intangible assets. An intangible asset is determined to have an indefinite useful life when there are no legal, regulatory, contractual, competitive, economic or any other factors that may limit the period over which the asset is expected to contribute directly or indirectly to future cash flows. The evaluation of impairment for indefinite life intangible assets is performed by a comparison of the asset’s carrying value to the asset’s fair value. When the carrying value exceeds fair value, an impairment charge is recorded for the amount of the difference. The unit of accounting used to test broadcast licenses represents all licenses owned and operated within an individual market cluster, because such licenses are used together, are complimentary to each other and are representative of the best use of those assets. The Company’s individual market clusters consist of cities or nearby cities. The Company tests its broadcasting licenses for impairment based on certain assumptions about these market clusters.

The estimated fair value of indefinite life intangible assets is determined by using an income approach. The income approach estimates fair value based on the estimated future cash flows of each market cluster that a hypothetical buyer would expect to generate, discounted by an estimated weighted-average cost of capital that reflects current market conditions, which reflect the overall level of inherent risk. The income approach requires the Company to make a series of assumptions, such as discount rates, revenue projections, profit margin projections and terminal value multiples. The Company estimates the discount rates on a blended rate of return considering both debt and equity for comparable publicly-traded companies. These comparable publicly-traded companies have similar size, operating characteristics and/or financial profiles to the Company. The Company also estimated the terminal value multiple based on comparable publicly-traded companies in the television, radio and digital media industries. The Company estimated the revenue projections and profit margin projections based on various market clusters signal coverage of the markets and industry information for an average station within a given market. The information for each market cluster includes such things as estimated market share, estimated capital start-up costs, population, household income, retail sales and other expenditures that would influence advertising expenditures. Alternatively, some stations under evaluation have had limited relevant cash flow history due to planned or actual conversion of format or upgrade of station signal. The assumptions the Company makes about cash flows after conversion are based on the performance of similar stations in similar markets and potential proceeds from the sale of the assets.

Concentrations of Credit Risk and Trade Receivables

The Company’s financial instruments that are exposed to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and trade accounts receivable. The Company from time to time may have bank deposits in excess of the FDIC insurance limits. As of December 31, 2017, substantially all deposits are maintained in one financial institution. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts and believes it is not exposed to any significant credit risk on cash and cash equivalents.

The Company routinely assesses the financial strength of its customers and, as a consequence, believes that its trade receivable credit risk exposure is limited. Trade receivables are carried at original invoice amount less an estimate made for doubtful receivables based on a review of all outstanding amounts on a monthly basis. A valuation allowance is provided for known and anticipated credit losses, as determined by management in the course of regularly evaluating individual customer receivables. This evaluation takes into consideration a customer’s financial condition and credit history, as well as current economic conditions. Trade receivables are written off when deemed uncollectible. Recoveries of trade receivables previously written off are recorded when received. No interest is charged on customer accounts.

Estimated losses for bad debts are provided for in the financial statements through a charge to expense that aggregated $1.1 million, $0.8 million and $0.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The net charge off of bad debts aggregated $1.1 million, $1.4 million and $0.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Dependence on Business Partners

The Company is dependent on the continued financial and business strength of its business partners, such as the companies from whom it obtains programming. The Company could be at risk should any of these entities fail to perform their respective obligations to the Company. This in turn could materially adversely affect the Company’s own business, results of operations and financial condition.

Disclosures About Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The following methods and assumptions were used to estimate the fair value of each class of financial instruments for which it is practicable to estimate that value:

The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents approximates fair value because of the short maturity of those instruments.

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the fair value of the Company’s long-term debt was approximately $300.0 million and $292.8 million, respectively, based on an income approach which projects expected future cash flows and discounts them using a rate based on industry and market yields.

The carrying values of receivables, payables and accrued expenses approximate fair value due to the short maturity of these instruments.

Derivative Instruments

Prior to November 28, 2017, the Company used derivatives in the management of interest rate risk with respect to interest expense on variable rate debt. The Company was party to interest rate swap agreements with financial institutions that fixed the variable benchmark component (LIBOR) of its interest rate on a portion of its term loan beginning December 31, 2015. On November 28, 2017, the Company terminated these swap agreements in conjunction with the refinancing of its debt. The Company’s current policy prohibits entering into derivative instruments for speculation or trading purposes.

Fair Value Measurements

The Company recognizes all of its derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets at fair value. The accounting for changes in the fair value of a derivative instrument depends on whether it has been designated and qualifies as part of a hedging relationship, and further, on the type of hedging relationship. The interest rate swap agreements were designated and qualified as a cash flow hedge; therefore, the effective portion of the changes in fair value was a component of other comprehensive income. Any ineffective portions of the changes in fair value of the interest rate swap agreements would be immediately recognized directly to interest expense in the consolidated statement of operations. See Notes 9 and 10 for further discussion of derivative instruments.

The carrying amount of the Company’s interest rate swap agreements were recorded at fair value, including consideration of non-performance risk, when material. The fair value of each interest rate swap agreement was determined by using multiple broker quotes, adjusted for non-performance risk, when material, which estimate the future discounted cash flows of any future payments that may be made under such agreements. Upon termination of the swap agreements, $2.5 million in accumulated other comprehensive income was reclassified to interest expense.

Off-balance Sheet Financings and Liabilities

Other than lease commitments, legal contingencies incurred in the normal course of business, employment contracts for key employees and the interest rate swap agreements (see Notes 9, 10, 12 and 16), the Company does not have any off-balance sheet financing arrangements or liabilities. The Company does not have any majority-owned subsidiaries or any interests in, or relationships with, any material variable-interest entities that are not included in the consolidated financial statements.

Income Taxes

Deferred income taxes are provided on a liability method whereby deferred tax assets are recognized for deductible temporary differences and deferred tax liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary differences. Temporary differences are the differences between the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when it is determined to be more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of changes in tax laws and rates on the date of enactment.

In evaluating the Company’s ability to realize net deferred tax assets, the Company considers all reasonably available evidence including past operating results, tax strategies and forecasts of future taxable income. In considering these factors, the Company makes certain assumptions and judgments that are based on the plans and estimates used to manage the business.

The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense.

Value Added Taxes

Value added taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are accounted for on a net basis, and are therefore excluded from revenues.

Advertising Costs

Amounts incurred for advertising costs with third parties are expensed as incurred. Advertising expense totaled approximately $0.6 million, $0.4 million and $0.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Legal Costs

Amounts incurred for legal costs that pertain to loss contingencies are expensed as incurred.

Repairs and Maintenance

All costs associated with repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.

Revenue Recognition

Television and radio revenue related to the sale of advertising is recognized at the time of broadcast. Revenue for contracts with advertising agencies is recorded at an amount that is net of the commission retained by the agency. Revenue from contracts directly with the advertisers is recorded as gross revenue and the related commission or national representation fee is recorded in operating expense. Cash payments received prior to services rendered result in deferred revenue, which is then recognized as revenue when the advertising time or space is actually provided. Digital related revenue is recognized when display or other digital advertisements record impressions on the websites of the Company’s third party publishers or as the advertiser’s previously agreed-upon performance criteria are satisfied.

The Company generates revenue under arrangements in which deliverables are sold on a stand-alone basis within a specific segment, and those that are sold on a combined basis across multiple segments. The Company has determined that in such revenue arrangements which contain multiple products and services, revenues are allocated based on the relative fair value of each item and recognized in accordance with the applicable revenue recognition criteria for the specific unit of accounting.

Under the Company’s current proxy agreement with Univision, the Company grants Univision the right to negotiate the terms of retransmission consent agreements for its Univision- and UniMás-affiliated television station signals. Among other things, the proxy agreement provides terms relating to compensation to be paid to the Company by Univision with respect to retransmission consent agreements entered into with MVPDs. The term of the proxy agreement extends with respect to any MVPD for the length of the term of any retransmission consent agreement in effect before the expiration of the proxy agreement. The Company recognizes retransmission consent revenue earned as the television signal is delivered to the MVPD.

The Company also generates revenue under two current marketing and sales agreements with Univision, which give the Company the right to manage the marketing and sales operations of Univision-owned Univision affiliates in six markets – Albuquerque, Boston, Denver, Orlando, Tampa and Washington, D.C.

The Company also generates revenue from agreements associated with its television stations’ spectrum usage rights from a variety of sources, including but not limited to entering into agreements with third parties to utilize excess spectrum for the broadcast of their multicast networks, charging fees to accommodate the operations of third parties, including moving channel positions or accepting interference with broadcasting operations, and modifying and/or relinquishing spectrum usage rights while continuing to broadcast through channel sharing or other arrangements. Revenue from such agreements is recognized over the period of the lease or when the Company has relinquished all or a portion of its spectrum usage rights for a station or have relinquished its rights to operate a station on the existing channel free from interference.

Trade Transactions

The Company exchanges broadcast time for certain merchandise and services. Trade revenue is recognized when commercials air at the fair value of the goods or services received or the fair value of time aired, whichever is more readily determinable. Trade expense is recorded when the goods or services are used or received. Trade revenue was approximately $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 and $0.5 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015. Trade costs were approximately $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 and $0.5 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015.

Cost of Revenue

Cost of revenue related to the Company’s television segment consists primarily of the carrying value of spectrum usage rights that were surrendered in the FCC auction for broadcast spectrum. Cost of revenue related to the Company’s digital media segment consists primarily of the costs of online media acquired from third-party publishers.

Direct Operating Expenses

Direct operating expenses

Direct operating expenses consist primarily of salaries and commissions of sales staff, amounts paid to national representation firms, production and programming expenses, fees for ratings services, and engineering costs.

Corporate Expenses

Corporate expenses

Corporate expenses consist primarily of salaries related to corporate officers and back office functions, third party legal and accounting services, and fees incurred as a result of being a publicly traded company.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company recognizes stock-based compensation according to the provisions of ASC 718, “Stock Compensation”, which requires the measurement and recognition of compensation expense for all stock-based awards made to employees and directors including employee stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, and employee stock purchases under the 2001 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “Purchase Plan”) based on estimated fair values.

ASC 718 requires companies to estimate the fair value of stock options on the date of grant using an option pricing model. The fair value of restricted stock awards and restricted stock units is based on the closing market price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. The value of the portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest has been reduced for estimated forfeitures and is recognized as expense over the requisite service periods in the consolidated statements of operations. Forfeitures are estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates.

The Company has selected the Black-Scholes option pricing model as the most appropriate method for determining the estimated fair value for stock options. The Black-Scholes option pricing model requires the use of highly subjective and complex assumptions which determine the fair value of stock-based awards, including the option’s expected term, expected volatility of the underlying stock, risk-free rate, and expected dividends. The expected volatility is based on historical volatility of the Company’s common stock and other relevant factors. The expected term assumptions are based on the Company’s historical experience and on the terms and conditions of the stock-based awards. The risk free-rate is based on observed interest rates appropriate for the expected terms of the Company’s stock options. The dividend rate is based on the Company’s dividend policy.

The Company classifies cash flows from excess tax benefits from exercised options in excess of the deferred tax asset attributable to stock-based compensation costs as financing cash flows.

Earnings Per Share

The following table illustrates the reconciliation of the basic and diluted per share computations (in thousands, except share and per share data):

	Year Ended		Year Ended		Year Ended
	December 31,		December 31,		December 31,
	2017		2016		2015
Basic earnings per share:
Numerator:
Net income	$	176,293	$	20,405	$	25,625
Denominator:
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic		90,272,257		89,340,589		87,920,230
Per share:
Net income per share	$	1.95	$	0.23	$	0.29
Diluted earnings per share:
Numerator:
Net income	$	176,293	$	20,405	$	25,625
Denominator:
Weighted average common shares outstanding		90,272,257		89,340,589		87,920,230
Dilutive securities:
Stock options		906,519		1,373,733		1,815,489
Restricted stock units		713,181		588,734		559,466
Diluted shares outstanding		91,891,957		91,303,056		90,295,185
Per share:
Net income per share	$	1.92	$	0.22	$	0.28

Basic earnings per share is computed as net income divided by the weighted average number of shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution, if any, that could occur from shares issuable through stock options and restricted stock awards.

For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, a total of 243,234, 698,344 and 299,143 shares of dilutive securities, respectively, were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because the exercise prices of the dilutive securities were greater than the average market price of the common shares.

Comprehensive Income (loss)

For the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 the Company had other comprehensive income, net of tax, of $2.9 and $1.1 million, respectively, and had other comprehensive loss, net of tax, of $2.0 million, for the year ended December 31, 2015, related to the fair value of swaps and translation of foreign currency.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements and U.S. Tax Reform

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) which amended the existing accounting standards for revenue recognition. ASU 2014-09 establishes principles for recognizing revenue upon the transfer of promised goods or services to customers, in an amount that reflects the expected consideration received in exchange for those goods or services. Subsequently, the FASB has issued the following standards related to ASU 2014-09: ASU No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations ; ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing ; ASU No. 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients ; and ASU No. 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers . The Company must adopt ASU 2016-08, ASU 2016-10, ASU 2016-12 and ASU 2016-20 with ASU 2014-09 (collectively, the “new revenue standards”). The new revenue standards are effective for public companies for annual reporting periods, and interim periods within those years beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company currently expects to adopt the new revenue standards in its first quarter of 2018.

The Company is finalizing its assessment of the impact this new guidance will have in its consolidated financial statements and believes that its revenues will not be materially impacted by the new guidance. Specifically, its television and radio spot advertising contracts are short-term in nature with transaction price consideration agreed upon in advance. The Company expects broadcast revenue will continue to be recognized when commercials are aired and digital revenue will continue to be recognized when display or other digital advertisements record impressions on the websites of the Company’s third party publishers or as the advertiser’s previously agreed-upon performance criteria are satisfied. Further, the Company expects that revenue earned under retransmission agreements will be recognized under the licensing of intellectual property guidance in the standard, which will not have a material change to its current revenue recognition. The Company also expects to use the practical expedient around costs incurred to obtain a contract and we will continue to expense sales commissions when incurred. The adoption of this standard will also result in a number of incremental disclosures surrounding the Company’s revenue transactions and policies.

The two permitted transition methods under the new standard are the full retrospective method, in which case the standard would be applied to each prior reporting period presented, or the modified retrospective method, in which case the cumulative effect of applying the standard would be recognized at the date of initial application. The Company currently plans to adopt this ASU under the modified retrospective method.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) which specifies the accounting for leases. For operating leases, ASU 2016-02 requires a lessee to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments, in its balance sheet. The standard also requires a lessee to recognize a single lease cost, calculated so that the cost of the lease is allocated over the lease term, on a generally straight-line basis. ASU 2016-02 is effective for public companies for annual reporting periods, and interim periods within those years beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of adoption of the ASU on its consolidated financial statements. This standard requires adoption based upon a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements, with optional practical expedients. Based on a preliminary assessment, the Company expects that most of its operating lease commitments will be subject to the new guidance and recognized as operating lease liabilities and right–of-use assets upon adoption, resulting in a significant increase in the assets and liabilities on its consolidated balance sheet. The Company is continuing its assessment, which may identify additional impacts this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments which requires entities to use a current expected credit loss (“CECL”) model which is a new impairment model based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. Under this model an entity would recognize an impairment allowance equal to its current estimate of all contractual cash flows that the entity does not expect to collect from financial assets measured at amortized cost. The entity's estimate would consider relevant information about past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts, which will result in recognition of life-time expected credit losses upon loan origination. ASU 2016-13 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of adoption of the ASU on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force) which provides specific guidance on eight cash flow classification issues arising from certain cash receipts and cash payments. Currently, GAAP either is unclear or does not include specific guidance on the eight cash flow classification issues addressed in this topic. The objective is to reduce current and potential future diversity in practice. ASU 2016-15 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. The Company does not expect the adoption of the ASU to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory which allows entities to recognize the income tax consequences on an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. Current GAAP prohibits the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for an intra-entity asset transfer until the asset has been sold to an outside party. In addition, there has been diversity in the application of the current guidance for transfers of certain intangible and tangible assets. The objective is to reduce complexity in accounting standards. ASU 2016-16 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of adoption of the ASU on its consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805) - Clarifying the Definition of a Business to provide a more robust framework to use in determining when a set of assets and activities is considered a business. The objective is to add guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. ASU 2017-01 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted only for certain transactions. The Company does not expect the adoption of the ASU to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting, to clarify and reduce both (i) diversity in practice and (ii) cost and complexity when applying the guidance in Topic 718, to change the terms and conditions of a share-based payment award. Specifically, an entity would not apply modification accounting if the fair value, vesting conditions, and classification of the awards are the same immediately before and after the modification. ASU 2017-09 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of the ASU to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), to expand an entity’s ability to apply hedge accounting for nonfinancial and financial risk components and allow for a simplified approach for fair value hedging of interest rate risk. ASU 2017-12 eliminates the need to separately measure and report hedge ineffectiveness and generally requires the entire change in fair value of a hedging instrument to be presented in the same income statement line as the hedged item. Additionally, ASU 2017-12 simplifies the hedge documentation and effectiveness assessment requirements under the previous guidance. ASU 2017-12 is effective for public companies for annual reporting periods, and interim periods within those years beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of adoption of the ASU on its consolidated financial statements.

Newly Adopted Accounting Standards

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting which is intended to simplify several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 requires companies to record excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies as a component of the provision for income taxes in the period in which they occur. The Company has adopted the provisions of ASU 2016-09 on a modified retrospective basis as of January 1, 2017, which resulted in a cumulative-effect adjustment of $2.4 million to increase “Deferred income taxes” and “Total stockholders’ equity” on the consolidated balance sheets. Following the adoption of the provisions of ASU 2016-09 on the modified retrospective basis on January 1, 2017, the Company began recording the excess tax benefits of share-based payment transactions as a component of income tax expense in the period incurred. For the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company recorded $1.0 million of benefit in income tax expense related to excess tax benefits on 2017 vesting.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash a Consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force to enhance and clarify the guidance on the classification and presentation of restricted cash in the statement of cash flows. Amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. The objective is to reduce diversity in practice. The Company elected to early adopt the provisions of ASU 2016-18 in 2017, which caused $222.3 million of restricted cash to be included within end-of-period cash and cash equivalents on the statement of cash flows.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which removes Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. An entity no longer will determine goodwill impairment by calculating the implied fair value of goodwill by assigning the fair value of a reporting unit to all of its assets and liabilities as if that reporting unit had been acquired in a business combination. The objective is to reduce the cost and complexity of evaluating goodwill for impairment. The Company elected to early adopt the provisions of ASU 2017-04 in the fourth quarter of 2017, which was applied in the annual goodwill impairment testing on October 1, 2017.

U.S. Tax Reform

On December 22, 2017, the President signed comprehensive tax legislation called The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”). The Tax Act makes broad and complex changes to the U.S. tax code that affected the Company’s financial results for the year ended December 31, 2017, including, but not limited to a future reduction of the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% that affects the current value of the Company’s deferred tax assets (“DTAs”) and deferred tax liabilities (“DTLs”). In addition, the Tax Act establishes new tax laws that may affect the Company’s financial results for the year ending December 31, 2018 and future years, including, but not limited to: (1) a reduction of the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%; (2) a general elimination of U.S. federal income taxes on dividends from foreign subsidiaries; (3) a new provision designed to tax global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”); (4) limitations on the deductibility of certain executive compensation; and (5) limitations on the use of Federal Tax Credit (“FTC’s”) to reduce the U.S. income tax liability.

The SEC staff issued SAB 118, which provides guidance on accounting for the tax effects of the Tax Act. SAB 118 provides a measurement period that should not extend beyond one year from the Tax Act enactment date for the Company to complete the accounting under Accounting Standards Codification 740 (“ASC 740”). In accordance with SAB 118, the Company must reflect the income tax effects of those aspects of the Act for which the accounting under ASC 740 is complete. To the extent that the Company’s accounting for certain income tax effects of the Tax Act is incomplete but the Company is able to determine a reasonable estimate, the Company must record a provisional estimate in the financial statements. If the Company cannot determine a provisional estimate to be included in the financial statements, the Company should continue to apply ASC 740 on the basis of the provisions of the tax laws that were in effect immediately before the enactment of the Tax Act. If the Company were able to make reasonable estimates of the effects of elements for which the Company’s analysis is not yet complete, the Company recorded provisional adjustments.

Effective January 1, 2018, the Tax Act subjects a U.S. corporation to tax on its GILTI. Due to the complexity of the new GILTI tax rules, the Company is continuing to evaluate this provision of the Tax Act and the application of GAAP. Under GAAP, the Company can make an accounting policy election to either treat taxes due on the GILTI inclusion as a current period expense, or factor such amounts into its measurement of deferred taxes. The Company is currently evaluating its accounting policy election related to GILTI.

In connection with the Company’s initial analysis of the impact of the Tax Act, the Company has recorded a provisional one-time net tax benefit of $17.3 million for the year-ended December 31, 2017. This net tax benefit primarily consists of the net tax impact to the Company’s deferred taxes from the corporate rate reduction. The Company has not completed the Company’s accounting for the income tax effects of certain elements of the Tax Act.

The Company’s accounting for the following elements of the Tax Act is provisional. However, the Company was able to make reasonable estimates of certain effects and, therefore, recorded the following provisional adjustments:

Reduction of U.S. federal corporate tax rate: The Tax Act reduces the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, effective January 1, 2018. As a result, the Company has recorded a provisional decrease in value of the Company’s net DTLs of $17.3 million, with a corresponding net adjustment to deferred income tax benefit of $17.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The Company is able to make a reasonable estimate of the impact of the reduction in the corporate tax rate and no significant provisional items were identified that could result in a material impact to the estimate upon finalization in 2018.