Venezuela Currency Remeasurement

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Foreign Currency [Abstract]

Venezuela Currency Remeasurement

Note 21. Venezuela Currency Remeasurement

As described in Note 2, Acquisitions and Dispositions, on April 29, 2015 the Company sold its 50.1% interest in its Venezuelan operating entity.

Since January 1, 2010, the three-year cumulative inflation for Venezuela using the blended Consumer Price Index and National Consumer Price Index has exceeded 100%. As a result, Venezuela’s economy is considered highly inflationary and the financial statements of the Company’s Venezuelan subsidiaries were remeasured as if the functional currency were the U.S. Dollar. Prior to March 31, 2014, the financial statements were remeasured based on the official rate determined by the government of Venezuela.

During the first quarter of 2014, the Venezuelan government expanded the operation of the Supplementary System for the Administration of Foreign Currency (“SICAD 1”) currency exchange mechanism for use with certain transactions. In addition, the Venezuelan government also began operating the SICAD 2 exchange which the government indicated was available to all entities for all transactions.  The Venezuelan government indicated that the official rate of 6.3 Bolivars per U.S. Dollar would be reserved only for settlement of U.S. Dollar denominated purchases of “essential goods and services.” As of December 31, 2014, the SICAD 1 and SICAD 2 exchange rates were 12.0 and 50.0 Bolivars per U.S. Dollar, respectively. Beginning March 31, 2014, certain assets of the Company’s Venezuelan subsidiaries were remeasured at the SICAD 2 rate as the Company believed those assets would ultimately be utilized to settle U.S. Dollar denominated liabilities using SICAD 2.  Remaining net monetary assets were remeasured at the SICAD 1 rate, as the Company believed SICAD 1 would be applicable for future transactions, and dividend remittances, if any, from the Company’s Venezuelan subsidiaries.  During the three months ended June 30, 2014, certain transactions pending approval at the official rate of 6.3 Bolivars per U.S. Dollar were approved, resulting in foreign exchange gains.  As a result of the remeasurement at the SICAD 1 and SICAD 2 rates and foreign exchange gains resulting from certain transactions approved at the official rate during the year ended December 31, 2014, a net pre-tax loss, net of foreign exchange gains, of $18.4 million ($13.8 million after-tax) was recognized in net investment and other expense, of which $5.6 million was included in loss attributable to noncontrolling interests.  

In February 2015, the Venezuelan government discontinued the SICAD 2 rate and introduced a new currency exchange rate mechanism (“SIMADI”).  As of February 28, 2015, monetary assets and liabilities of the Company’s Venezuelan subsidiaries were remeasured at the SIMADI rate as the Company believed the SIMADI was the exchange rate mechanism most likely to be available to the Company’s Venezuelan subsidiaries to settle U.S. Dollar denominated transactions. As of March 31, 2015, the SIMADI rate was 193 Bolivars per U.S. Dollar.

As a result of the remeasurement at the SIMADI rate and the related impact of the devaluation, during the year ended December 31, 2015, a pre-tax loss of $30.3 million ($27.5 million after-tax) was recognized in net investment and other expense, of which $10.5 million was included in loss attributable to noncontrolling interests.