ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Feb. 28, 2019

Accounting Principles

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") on a basis consistent with that used in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018 ("2018 Form 10-K") filed by Commercial Metals Company ("CMC," and together with its consolidated subsidiaries, the "Company") with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and include all normal recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets and the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of earnings, comprehensive income, cash flows and stockholders' equity for the periods indicated. These notes should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements included in the 2018 Form 10-K. The results of operations for the three and six month periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year.

Recent accounting pronouncements

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows: Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (Topic 230). ASU 2016-15 is intended to reduce diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented in the statement of cash flows. The new standard provides guidance on eight specific cash flow issues, including the statement of cash flows treatment of beneficial interests in securitized financial transactions, which encompasses activities under the Company's accounts receivable programs in the U.S. and Poland. The Company adopted the standard, which requires retrospective application to all periods presented, in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. As a result of adoption, the Company reported reductions in operating cash flows of $367.5 million and $322.4 million, respectively, with offsetting increases in investing cash flows related to the collection of previously sold trade accounts receivable in the consolidated statements of cash flows for the six months ended February 28, 2019 and 2018. Additionally, upon adoption, the $90.0 million repayment during the first quarter of fiscal 2018 of advances outstanding at August 31, 2017, originally recorded as an outflow from operating activities, was reclassified to investing activities.

On September 1, 2018, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, including the related amendments ("the new revenue standard"). The Company adopted the new revenue standard under the modified retrospective approach and applied the guidance only to contracts that were not completed as of the date of adoption. The Company recognized a total cumulative effect of $2.7 million, net of tax, as a reduction to the opening balance of retained earnings as of September 1, 2018. There was no impact to the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows or other comprehensive income.

In accordance with ASC 606, the disclosure below reflects the impact of adoption to the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of earnings, as compared to what the results would have been under ASC 605, Revenue Recognition. The impact to the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet was immaterial.



	Three Months Ended February 28, 2019
(in thousands)	As Reported		Balances Without Adoption of Topic 606		Effect of Change - Higher (Lower)
Net sales	$	1,402,783	$	1,405,205	$	(2,422	)
Net earnings	$	13,850	$	15,655	$	(1,805	)



	Six Months Ended February 28, 2019
(in thousands)	As Reported		Balances Without Adoption of Topic 606		Effect of Change - Higher (Lower)
Net sales	$	2,680,125	$	2,684,772	$	(4,647	)
Net earnings	$	33,592	$	37,124	$	(3,532	)

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software. The amendments in this ASU align the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software (and hosting arrangements that include an internal-use software license). Accordingly, the amendments require a customer in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract to follow the internal-use software guidance in ASC 350-40, Internal-use Software, to determine which implementation costs to capitalize or to expense as incurred. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in any interim period. This ASU should be applied either retrospectively or prospectively to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. The Company is evaluating the impact of this ASU on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815). The ASU better aligns accounting rules with a company's risk management activities, better reflects economic results of hedging in financial statements, and simplifies hedge accounting treatment. For public companies, this standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods. The standard must be applied to hedging relationships existing on the date of adoption, and the effect of adoption should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The Company is evaluating the impact of this guidance on its consolidated financial statements and the planned adoption date.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), and has modified the standard thereafter. The standard requires a lessee to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on its balance sheet for all leases with terms of twelve months or longer. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842), Targeted Improvements, which provides an additional transition method that allows entities to initially apply the new standard at the adoption date and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption without restating prior periods. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim reporting periods therein, beginning after December 15, 2018 and will be effective for the Company beginning September 1, 2019, at which point the Company plans to adopt the standard. Upon adoption, the Company expects an increase in both right of use assets and right of use liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet. The Company continues to review the effects of ASU 2016-02 and any modifications thereafter, including evaluation of the impact on internal processes and systems, internal controls, and its consolidated financial statements.

Fair value measurement

The Company has established a fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs to the valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three levels. These levels are determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Levels within the hierarchy are defined as follows:

Level 1 - Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities;

Level 2 - Quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets (other than those included in Level 1) which are observable, either directly or indirectly; and

Level 3 - Valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable.

Uncertain income tax positions

The Company's policy classifies interest recognized on an underpayment of income taxes and any statutory penalties recognized on a tax position as income tax expense.