Operations and summary of significant accounting policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Operations and summary of significant accounting policies

Operations and summary of significant accounting policies

1.    Operations and summary of significant accounting policies

A.   Nature of operations

Information in our financial statements and related commentary are presented in the following categories:

Machinery and Power Systems — Represents the aggregate total of Construction Industries, Resource Industries, Power Systems, and All Other segments and related corporate items and eliminations.

Financial Products — Primarily includes the company’s Financial Products Segment.  This category includes Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation (Cat Financial), Caterpillar Insurance Holdings Inc. (Cat Insurance) and their respective subsidiaries.

As discussed in Note 22 — Segment Information, during the first quarter of 2011, we revised our reportable segments in line with the changes to our organizational structure that were announced during 2010.  The 2009 and 2010 financial information has been retrospectively revised to reflect the change in reportable segments.

Our products are sold primarily under the brands “Caterpillar,” “CAT,” design versions of “CAT” and “Caterpillar,” “Electro-Motive,” “FG Wilson,” “MaK,” “MWM,” “Olympian,” “Perkins,” “Progress Rail,” “SEM” and “Solar Turbines”.

We conduct operations in our Machinery and Power Systems lines of business under highly competitive conditions, including intense price competition. We place great emphasis on the high quality and performance of our products and our dealers’ service support. Although no one competitor is believed to produce all of the same types of machines and engines that we do, there are numerous companies, large and small, which compete with us in the sale of each of our products.

Machines are distributed principally through a worldwide organization of dealers (dealer network), 50 located in the United States and 141 located outside the United States. Worldwide, these dealers serve 182 countries and operate 3,504 places of business, including 1,332 dealer rental outlets.  Reciprocating engines are sold principally through the dealer network and to other manufacturers for use in products manufactured by them. Some of the reciprocating engines manufactured by Perkins are also sold through a worldwide network of 118 distributors located in 183 countries. The FG Wilson branded electric power generation systems are sold through a worldwide network of 168 distributors located in 179 countries.  Some of the large, medium speed reciprocating engines are also sold under the MaK brand through a worldwide network of 19 distributors located in 130 countries.  Our dealers do not deal exclusively with our products; however, in most cases sales and servicing of our products are the dealers’ principal business. Turbines, locomotives and certain global mining products are sold through sales forces employed by the company. At times, these employees are assisted by independent sales representatives.

The Financial Products line of business also conducts operations under highly competitive conditions. Financing for users of Caterpillar products is available through a variety of competitive sources, principally commercial banks and finance and leasing companies. We emphasize prompt and responsive service to meet customer requirements and offer various financing plans designed to increase the opportunity for sales of our products and generate financing income for our company. Financial Products activity is conducted primarily in North America, with additional offices in Asia/Pacific, Europe and Latin America.

B.    Basis of presentation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Caterpillar Inc. and its subsidiaries where we have a controlling financial interest.

We consolidate all variable interest entities (VIEs) where Caterpillar Inc. is the primary beneficiary.  For VIEs, we assess whether we are the primary beneficiary as prescribed by the accounting guidance on the consolidation of VIEs.  The primary beneficiary of a VIE is the party that has both the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance, and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE.  We adopted the consolidation of variable interest entities guidance issued in June 2009 effective January 1, 2010.  See Note 1K for additional information.

Investments in companies that are owned 20% to 50% or are less than 20% owned and for which we have significant influence are accounted for by the equity method.  See Note 9 for further discussion.

Certain amounts for prior years have been reclassified to conform with the current-year financial statement presentation.

Shipping and handling costs are included in Cost of goods sold in Statement 1.  Other operating (income) expenses primarily include Cat Financial’s depreciation of equipment leased to others, Cat Insurance’s underwriting expenses, gains (losses) on disposal of long-lived assets and business divestitures, long-lived asset impairment charges, employee separation charges and benefit plan curtailment, settlement and special termination benefits.

Prepaid expenses and other current assets in Statement 2 include core to be returned for remanufacturing, prepaid rent, prepaid insurance, assets held for sale and other prepaid items.

C.Sales and revenue recognition

Sales of Machinery and Power Systems are recognized and earned when all the following criteria are satisfied:  (a) persuasive evidence of a sales arrangement exists; (b) price is fixed and determinable; (c) collectability is reasonably assured; and (d) delivery has occurred.  Persuasive evidence of an arrangement and a fixed or determinable price exist once we receive an order or contract from a customer or independently owned and operated dealer.  We assess collectability at the time of the sale and if collectability is not reasonably assured, the sale is deferred and not recognized until collectability is probable or payment is received.  Typically, where product is produced and sold in the same country, title and risk of ownership transfer when the product is shipped.  Products that are exported from a country for sale typically pass title and risk of ownership at the border of the destination country.

Sales of certain turbine machinery units, draglines, large shovels and long wall roof supports are recognized under accounting for construction-type contracts, primarily using the percentage-of-completion method.  Revenue is recognized based upon progress towards completion, which is estimated and continually updated over the course of construction.  We provide for any loss that we expect to incur on these contracts when that loss is probable.

Our remanufacturing operations are primarily focused on the remanufacture of Cat engines and components and rail related products.  In this business, used engines and related components (core) are inspected, cleaned and remanufactured.  In connection with the sale of most of our remanufactured product, we collect a deposit from the dealer that is repaid if the dealer returns an acceptable core within a specified time period.  Caterpillar owns and has title to the cores when they are returned from dealers.  The rebuilt engine or component (the core plus any new content) is then sold as a remanufactured product to dealers and customers.  Revenue is recognized pursuant to the same criteria as machinery and engine sales noted above (title to the entire remanufactured product passes to the dealer upon sale).  At the time of sale, the deposit is recognized in Other current liabilities in Statement 2.  In addition, the core to be returned is recognized as an asset in Prepaid expenses and other current assets in Statement 2 at the estimated replacement cost (based on historical experience with useable cores).  Upon receipt of an acceptable core, we repay the deposit and relieve the liability.  The returned core is then included in inventory.  In the event that the deposit is forfeited (i.e. upon failure by the dealer to return an acceptable core in the specified time period), we recognize the core deposit and the cost of the core in revenue and expense, respectively.

No right of return exists on sales of equipment.  Replacement part returns are estimable and accrued at the time a sale is recognized.

We provide discounts to dealers through merchandising programs.  We have numerous programs that are designed to promote the sale of our products.  The most common dealer programs provide a discount when the dealer sells a product to a targeted end user.  The cost of these discounts is estimated based on historical experience and known changes in merchandising programs and is reported as a reduction to sales when the product sale is recognized.

Our standard invoice terms are established by marketing region. When a sale is made to a dealer, the dealer is responsible for payment even if the product is not sold to an end customer and must make payment within the standard terms to avoid interest costs. Interest at or above prevailing market rates is charged on any past due balance. Our policy is to not forgive this interest.  In 2011, terms were extended to not more than one year for $341 million of receivables, which represents less than 1% of consolidated sales.  In 2010, terms were extended to not more than one year for $221 million of receivables, which represents less than 1% of consolidated sales.  In 2009, terms were extended to not more than one year for $312 million of receivables which represents approximately 1% of consolidated sales.

We establish a bad debt allowance for Machinery and Power Systems receivables when it becomes probable that the receivable will not be collected.  Our allowance for bad debts is not significant.

Revenues of Financial Products primarily represent the following Cat Financial revenues:

·Retail finance revenue on finance leases and installment sale contracts is recognized over the term of the contract at a constant rate of return on the scheduled outstanding principal balance.  Revenue on retail notes is recognized based on the daily balance of retail receivables outstanding and the applicable effective interest rate.

·Operating lease revenue is recorded on a straight-line basis in the period earned over the life of the contract.

·Wholesale finance revenue on installment sale contracts and finance leases is recognized over the term of the contract at a constant rate of return on the scheduled outstanding principal balance.  Revenue on wholesale notes is recognized based on the daily balance of wholesale receivables outstanding and the applicable effective interest rate.

·Loan origination and commitment fees are deferred and then amortized to revenue using the interest method over the life of the finance receivables.

Recognition of income is suspended when management determines that collection of future income is not probable. Accrual is resumed, and previously suspended income is recognized, when the receivable becomes contractually current and/or collection doubts are removed. Cat Financial provides wholesale inventory financing to dealers. See Note 6 for more information.

Sales and revenues are presented net of sales and other related taxes.

D.Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is principally determined using the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method. The value of inventories on the LIFO basis represented about 65% of total inventories at December 31, 2011, and about 70% of total inventories at December 31, 2010 and 2009.

If the FIFO (first-in, first-out) method had been in use, inventories would have been $2,422 million, $2,575 million and $3,022 million higher than reported at December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

E.Securitized receivables

Cat Financial periodically transfers certain finance receivables relating to retail installment sale contracts and finance leases to special purpose entities (SPEs) as part of their asset-backed securitization program.  When finance receivables are securitized, Cat Financial retains interests in the receivables in the form of subordinated certificates, an interest in future cash flows (excess), reserve accounts and servicing rights. In accordance with the consolidation accounting guidance adopted January 1, 2010, these SPEs were concluded to be VIEs.  Cat Financial determined that it was the primary beneficiary based on its power to direct activities through its role as servicer and its obligation to absorb losses and right to receive benefits and therefore consolidated the entities using the carrying amounts of the SPEs’ assets and liabilities. Prior to January 1, 2010, the retained interests were recorded in Other assets at fair value. Cat Financial estimated fair value and cash flows using a valuation model and key assumptions for credit losses, prepayment rates and discount rates. See Note 6 and Note 17 for more information.

F.Depreciation and amortization

Depreciation of plant and equipment is computed principally using accelerated methods. Depreciation on equipment leased to others, primarily for Financial Products, is computed using the straight-line method over the term of the lease. The depreciable basis is the original cost of the equipment less the estimated residual value of the equipment at the end of the lease term. In 2011, 2010 and 2009, Cat Financial depreciation on equipment leased to others was $690 million, $690 million and $713 million, respectively, and was included in Other operating (income) expenses in Statement 1. In 2011, 2010 and 2009, consolidated depreciation expense was $2,211 million, $2,202 million and $2,254 million, respectively. Amortization of purchased finite-lived intangibles is computed principally using the straight-line method, generally not to exceed a period of 20 years.

G.Foreign currency translation

The functional currency for most of our Machinery and Power Systems consolidated companies is the U.S. dollar. The functional currency for most of our Financial Products and affiliates accounted for under the equity method is the respective local currency.  Gains and losses resulting from the remeasurement of foreign currency amounts to the functional currency are included in Other income (expense) in Statement 1. Gains and losses resulting from translating assets and liabilities from the functional currency to U.S. dollars are included in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in Statement 2.

H.Derivative financial instruments

Our earnings and cash flow are subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices.  Our Risk Management Policy (policy) allows for the use of derivative financial instruments to prudently manage foreign currency exchange rate, interest rate, commodity price and Caterpillar stock price exposures and not for the purpose of creating speculative positions.  Derivatives that we use are primarily foreign currency forward and option contracts, interest rate swaps, commodity forward and option contracts and stock repurchase contracts. All derivatives are recorded at fair value.  See Note 3 for more information.

I.Income taxes

The provision for income taxes is determined using the asset and liability approach.  Tax laws require items to be included in tax filings at different times than the items are reflected in the financial statements.  A current liability is recognized for the estimated taxes payable for the current year.  Deferred taxes represent the future tax consequences expected to occur when the reported amounts of assets and liabilities are recovered or paid.  Deferred taxes are adjusted for enacted changes in tax rates and tax laws.  Valuation allowances are recorded to reduce deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized.

J.Estimates in financial statements

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts. The more significant estimates include: residual values for leased assets, fair values for goodwill impairment tests, impairment of available-for-sale securities, warranty liability, stock-based compensation and reserves for product liability and insurance losses, postretirement benefits, post-sale discounts, credit losses and income taxes.

K.New accounting guidance

Fair value measurements - In January 2010, the FASB issued accounting guidance that requires the gross presentation of activity within the Level 3 fair value measurement roll forward and details of transfers in and out of Level 1 and 2 fair value measurements.  It also clarifies existing disclosure requirements regarding the level of disaggregation of fair value measurements and disclosures on inputs.  We adopted this new accounting guidance for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2010.  The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on our financial statements.  See Note 17 for additional information.

Accounting for transfers of financial assets - In June 2009, the FASB issued accounting guidance on accounting for transfers of financial assets.  This guidance amends previous guidance by including: the elimination of the qualifying special-purpose entity (QSPE) concept; a new participating interest definition that must be met for transfers of portions of financial assets to be eligible for sale accounting; clarifications and changes to the derecognition criteria for a transfer to be accounted for as a sale; and a change to the amount of recognized gain or loss on a transfer of financial assets accounted for as a sale when beneficial interests are received by the transferor.  Additionally, the guidance requires extensive new disclosures regarding an entity’s involvement in a transfer of financial assets.  Finally, existing QSPEs (prior to the effective date of this guidance) must be evaluated for consolidation by reporting entities in accordance with the applicable consolidation guidance upon the elimination of this concept.  We adopted this new guidance on January 1, 2010.  The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on our financial statements.

Consolidation of variable-interest entities - In June 2009, the FASB issued accounting guidance on the consolidation of VIEs.  This new guidance revises previous guidance by eliminating the exemption for QSPEs, by establishing a new approach for determining who should consolidate a VIE and by changing when it is necessary to reassess who should consolidate a VIE.  We adopted this new guidance on January 1, 2010.  The adoption of this guidance resulted in the consolidation of QSPEs related to Cat Financial’s asset-backed securitization program that were previously not recorded on our consolidated financial statements.  The restricted assets (Receivables-finance, Long-term receivables-finance, Prepaid expenses and other current assets, and Other assets) of the consolidated QSPEs totaled $324 million at January 1, 2010.  The liabilities (Accrued expenses, Long-term debt due within one year-Financial Products and Long-term debt due after one year-Financial Products) of the consolidated QSPEs totaled $327 million at January 1, 2010.  See Note 6 for additional information.

Disclosures about the credit quality of financing receivables and the allowance for credit losses -  In July 2010, the FASB issued accounting guidance on disclosures about the credit quality of financing receivables and the allowance for credit losses.  The guidance expands disclosures for the allowance for credit losses and financing receivables by requiring entities to disclose information at disaggregated levels.  It also requires disclosure of credit quality indicators, past due information and modifications of financing receivables.  Also, in April 2011, the FASB issued guidance clarifying when a restructuring of a receivable should be considered a troubled debt restructuring by providing additional guidance for determining whether the creditor has granted a concession and whether the debtor is experiencing financial difficulties.  For end of period balances, the new disclosures were effective December 31, 2010 and did not have a material impact on our financial statements.  For activity during a reporting period, the disclosures were effective January 1, 2011 and did not have a material impact on our financial statements.  The disclosures related to modifications of financing receivables, as well as the guidance clarifying when a restructured receivable should be considered a troubled debt restructuring were effective July 1, 2011 and did not have a material impact on our financial statements.  See Note 6 for additional information.

Presentation of comprehensive income — In June 2011, the FASB issued accounting guidance on the presentation of comprehensive income.  The guidance provides two options for presenting net income and other comprehensive income.  The total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income may be presented in either a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements.  This guidance will be effective January 1, 2012 and we do not expect the adoption to have a material impact on our financial statements.

Goodwill impairment testing —  In September 2011, the FASB issued accounting guidance on the testing of goodwill for impairment.  The guidance allows entities testing goodwill for impairment the option of performing a qualitative assessment to determine the likelihood of goodwill impairment and whether it is necessary to perform the two-step impairment test currently required. This guidance is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011.  Early adoption is permitted.  We have elected to early adopt this guidance for the year ended December 31, 2011 and the guidance did not have a material impact on our financial statements.  See Note 10 for additional information.

L.Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of a business combination over the fair value of the net assets acquired.  We are required to test goodwill for impairment, at the reporting unit level, annually and when events or circumstances indicate the fair value of a reporting unit may be below its carrying value.  A reporting unit is an operating segment or one level below an operating segment (referred to as a component) to which goodwill is assigned when initially recorded. We assign goodwill to reporting units based on our integration plans and the expected synergies resulting from the business combination.   Because Caterpillar is a highly integrated company, the businesses we acquire are sometimes combined with or integrated into existing reporting units.  When changes occur in the composition of our operating segments or reporting units, goodwill is reassigned to the affected reporting units based on their relative fair values.

We test goodwill for impairment annually and whenever events or circumstances make it more likely than not that an impairment may have occurred.  We perform our annual goodwill impairment test as of October 1 and monitor for interim triggering events on an ongoing basis.  Goodwill is reviewed for impairment utilizing a qualitative assessment or a two-step process.  We have an option to make a qualitative assessment of a reporting unit’s goodwill for impairment.  If we choose to perform a qualitative assessment and determine the fair value more likely than not exceeds the carrying value, no further evaluation is necessary.  For reporting units where we perform the two-step process, the first step requires us to compare the fair value of each reporting unit, which we primarily determine using an income approach based on the present value of discounted cash flows, to the respective carrying value, which includes goodwill.  If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, the goodwill is not considered impaired.  If the carrying value is higher than the fair value, there is an indication that an impairment may exist and the second step is required.  In step two, the implied fair value of goodwill is calculated as the excess of the fair value of a reporting unit over the fair values assigned to its assets and liabilities.  If the implied fair value of goodwill is less than the carrying value of the reporting unit’s goodwill, the difference is recognized as an impairment loss.  See Note 10 for further details.

M.   Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

Comprehensive income (loss) and its components are presented in Statement 3.  Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax, consisted of the following at December 31:

	December 31,
(Millions of dollars)	2011			2010			2009
Foreign currency translation	$	206		$	551		$	603
Pension and other postretirement benefits	(6,568		)	(4,695		)	(4,439		)
Derivative financial instruments	(10		)	45			60
Retained interests	—			—			(3		)
Available-for-sale securities	44			48			15
Total accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	$	(6,328	)	$	(4,051	)	$	(3,764	)

N.Assets held for sale

For those businesses where management has committed to a plan to divest, which is typically demonstrated by approval from the Board of Directors, each business is valued at the lower of its carrying amount or estimated fair value less cost to sell. If the carrying amount of the business exceeds its estimated fair value, an impairment loss is recognized. The fair values are estimated using accepted valuation techniques such as a discounted cash flow model, valuations performed by third parties, or indicative bids, when available. A number of significant estimates and assumptions are involved in the application of these techniques, including the forecasting of markets and market share, sales volumes and prices, costs and expenses, and multiple other factors. Management considers historical experience and all available information at the time the estimates are made; however, the fair values that are ultimately realized upon the sale of the businesses to be divested may differ from the estimated fair values reflected in the Consolidated Financial Statements.