SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

CSS Industries, Inc. (collectively with its subsidiaries, “CSS” or the “Company”) has prepared the consolidated financial statements included herein pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company has condensed or omitted certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States pursuant to such rules and regulations. In the opinion of management, the statements include all adjustments (which include normal recurring adjustments) required for a fair presentation of financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015. The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results for the full year.

The Company’s fiscal year ends on March 31. References to a particular fiscal year refer to the fiscal year ending in March of that year. For example, “fiscal 2016” refers to the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and all of its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation.

Nature of Business

CSS is a consumer products company primarily engaged in the design, manufacture, procurement, distribution and sale of all occasion and seasonal social expression products, principally to mass market retailers. These all occasion and seasonal products include decorative ribbons and bows, journals, boxed greeting cards, classroom exchange Valentines, gift tags, gift bags, gift card holders, gift wrap, decorations, floral accessories, craft and educational products, Easter egg dyes and novelties, memory books, scrapbooks, stickers, infant and wedding photo albums, stationery, and other items that commemorate life’s celebrations. The seasonal nature of CSS’ business has historically resulted in lower sales levels and operating losses in the first and fourth quarters and comparatively higher sales levels and operating profits in the second and third quarters of the Company’s fiscal year, which ends March 31, thereby causing significant fluctuations in the quarterly results of operations of the Company.

The Company's principal operating subsidiaries include Berwick Offray LLC ("Berwick Offray"), Paper Magic Group, Inc. ("Paper Magic") and C.R. Gibson, LLC ("C.R. Gibson").

Reclassification

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform with the current year classification.

Foreign Currency Translation and Transactions

Translation adjustments are charged or credited to a separate component of stockholders’ equity. Gains and losses on foreign currency transactions are not material and are included in other (income) expense, net in the consolidated statements of operations.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Judgments and assessments of uncertainties are required in applying the Company’s accounting policies in many areas. Such estimates pertain to revenue recognition, the valuation of inventory and accounts receivable, the assessment of the recoverability of goodwill and other intangible and long-lived assets, income tax accounting, the valuation of stock-based awards and resolution of litigation and other proceedings. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Short-Term Investments

The Company categorizes and accounts for its short-term investment holdings as held-to-maturity securities. Held-to-maturity securities are recorded at amortized cost which approximates fair value at December 31, 2015, March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014. This categorization is based upon the Company's positive intent and ability to hold these securities until maturity. Short-term investments at December 31, 2015 consisted of commercial paper with an amortized cost of $59,735,000, of which $24,968,000 matures in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016 and $34,767,000 matures in the second quarter of fiscal 2017. Short-term investments at March 31, 2015 consisted of commercial paper with an amortized cost of $69,845,000 that matured in the first half of fiscal 2016. Short-term investments at December 31, 2014 consisted of commercial paper with an amortized cost of $39,802,000 that matured in the second quarter of fiscal 2015.

Inventories

The Company records inventory when title is transferred, which occurs upon receipt or prior to receipt dependent on supplier shipping terms. The Company adjusts unsaleable and slow-moving inventory to its estimated net realizable value. Substantially all of the Company’s inventories are stated at the lower of first-in, first-out (FIFO) cost or market. The remaining portion of the inventory is valued at the lower of last-in, first-out (LIFO) cost or market. Inventories consisted of the following (in thousands):



	December 31, 2015		March 31, 2015		December 31, 2014
Raw material	$	10,940	$	9,612	$	9,349
Work-in-process	13,244		15,376		10,831
Finished goods	42,895		40,503		42,356
	$	67,079	$	65,491	$	62,536

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost and include the following (in thousands):



	December 31, 2015			March 31, 2015			December 31, 2014
Land	$	2,508		$	2,508		$	2,508
Buildings, leasehold interests and improvements	34,363			35,664			35,445
Machinery, equipment and other	88,230			88,148			89,538
	125,101			126,320			127,491
Less - Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(98,509		)	(100,827		)	(101,716		)
Net property, plant and equipment	$	26,592		$	25,493		$	25,775

Depreciation expense was $1,389,000 and $1,463,000 for the quarters ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, and was $4,213,000 and $4,500,000 for the nine months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Long-Lived Assets including Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

The Company performs an annual impairment test of the carrying amount of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets in the fourth quarter of its fiscal year. Additionally, the Company would perform its impairment testing at an interim date if events or circumstances indicate that goodwill or intangibles might be impaired. During the nine months ended December 31, 2015, there were no such events or circumstances.

The Company uses a dual approach to determine the fair value of its reporting units, including both a market approach and an income approach. The Company believes the use of multiple valuation techniques results in a more accurate indicator of the fair value of each reporting unit. The first step of the test compares the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying amount, including goodwill, as of the date of the test. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step is performed. The second step compares the carrying amount of the goodwill to the implied fair value of the goodwill. If the implied fair value of the goodwill is less than the carrying amount of the goodwill, an impairment loss would be reported.

Other indefinite-lived intangible assets consist primarily of tradenames, which are also required to be tested annually for impairment. The fair value of the Company’s tradenames is calculated using a “relief from royalty payments” methodology. Long-lived assets (including property, plant and equipment), except for goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, are reviewed for impairment when events or circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset group may not be recoverable. If such asset group is considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset group exceeds the fair value of the asset group. During the nine months ended December 31, 2015, there were no such events or circumstances. See Note 5 for further information on other intangible assets.

Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and 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 temporary differences and 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 income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company records a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized.

The Company recognizes the impact of an uncertain tax position if it is more likely than not that such position will be sustained on audit, based solely on the technical merits of the position.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue from product sales when the goods are shipped, title and risk of loss have been transferred to the customer and collection is reasonably assured. Provisions for returns, allowances, rebates to customers and other adjustments are provided in the same period that the related sales are recorded.

Net Income Per Common Share

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income per common share for the three- and nine months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands, except per share data):



	Three Months Ended December 31,				Nine Months Ended December 31,
	2015		2014		2015		2014
Numerator:
Net income	$	9,664	$	9,768	$	17,825	$	18,290

Denominator:
Weighted average shares outstanding for basic net income per common share	9,037		9,331		9,175		9,321
Effect of dilutive stock options	89		89		96		82
Adjusted weighted average share outstanding for diluted net income per common share	9,126		9,420		9,271		9,403

Basic net income per common share	$	1.07	$	1.05	$	1.94	$	1.96
Diluted net income per common share	$	1.06	$	1.04	$	1.92	$	1.95

The Company has excluded 387,000 shares and 253,000 shares, consisting of outstanding stock options and unearned restricted stock units, in computing diluted net income per common share for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2015, respectively, because their effects were antidilutive. The Company has excluded 223,000 shares, consisting of outstanding stock options and unearned restricted stock units, in computing diluted net income per common share for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2014 because their effects were antidilutive.