Pension And Postretirement Benefits

6 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2016

General Discussion of Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits [Abstract]

Pension and Postretirement Benefits

We sponsor certain defined benefit pension and postretirement plans for employees. In 2016, we elected to change our method of accounting for the recognition of actuarial gains and losses for defined benefit pension and postretirement plans and the calculation of expected return on pension plan assets. Historically, actuarial gains and losses associated with benefit obligations were recognized in Accumulated other comprehensive loss in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and were amortized into earnings over the remaining service life of participants to the extent that the amounts were in excess of a corridor. Under the new policy, gains and losses will be recognized immediately in our Consolidated Statements of Earnings as of the measurement date, which is our fiscal year end, or more frequently if an interim remeasurement is required. In addition, we will no longer use a market-related value of plan assets, which is an average value, to determine the expected return on assets but rather will use the fair value of plan assets. We believe the new policies will provide greater transparency to ongoing operating results and better reflect the impact of current market conditions on the obligations and assets.

The changes in policy were applied retrospectively to all periods presented. See Note 1 for additional information on the change in accounting method.

Components of net benefit expense (income) were as follows:



	Three Months Ended												Six Months Ended
	Pension						Postretirement						Pension						Postretirement
	January 31, 2016			February 1, 2015			January 31, 2016			February 1, 2015			January 31, 2016			February 1, 2015			January 31, 2016			February 1, 2015
Service cost	$	7		$	7		$	1		$	1		$	14		$	14		$	1		$	1
Interest cost	25			26			4			4			50			53			8			8
Expected return on plan assets	(36		)	(43		)	—			—			(75		)	(87		)	—			—
Amortization of prior service costs	—			—			(1		)	(1		)	—			—			(1		)	(1		)
Recognized net actuarial (gain)/loss	(24		)	—			—			—			112			—			—			—
Net periodic benefit expense (income)	$	(28	)	$	(10	)	$	4		$	4		$	101		$	(20	)	$	8		$	8

The recognized net actuarial loss in 2016 resulted from the remeasurement of certain U.S. plans in the first and second quarters. The remeasurement was required due to a high level of lump sum payments to certain vested plan participants arising primarily out of a limited-time offer to accept a single lump sum in lieu of future annuity payments. No remeasurement was required in the six-month period ended February 1, 2015.

We do not expect contributions to pension plans to be material in 2016.