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Accounting Policies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Accounting Policies
1.
Accounting Policies

In the opinion of Sensient Technologies Corporation (the “Company”), the accompanying unaudited consolidated condensed financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of only normal recurring adjustments) that are necessary to present fairly the financial position of the Company as of September 30, 2017, and the results of operations and comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016.  The results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Expenses are charged to operations in the period incurred.

In July 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) affirmed its proposed one-year deferral of the effective date for Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Under this proposal, the requirements of the new standard are effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The proposal also permits entities to adopt the standard for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016.  The Company currently recognizes revenue (net of estimated discounts, allowances, and returns) when title to goods passes, the customer is obliged to pay the Company, and the Company has no remaining obligations.  Such recognition typically corresponds with the shipment of goods.  The Company created a project team within its Corporate Finance Department, in 2016, to review the potential impact that this ASU may have on the Company. At that time, the Company’s revenue recognition project team began gathering data, including issuing a detailed revenue recognition questionnaire designed to highlight instances of variable consideration, and reviewing existing contracts and other relevant documents across all of the Company’s segments.  In the first quarter of 2017, the Company finalized a detailed project plan and distributed a second revenue recognition questionnaire designed to examine potential instances of variable consideration in greater detail. In the second and third quarters of 2017, the Company reviewed and analyzed the questionnaires and supporting documentation and completed its review and analysis during the current quarter. In addition, the Company has updated its current internal controls and implemented additional controls and monitoring around revenue recognition during the second and third quarters of 2017. The Company also conducted training for all financial personnel on the new standard, controls, and monitoring during this quarter. The Company again updated its Audit Committee on the status of the implementation of this ASU during the current quarter. Based on procedures to date, the Company has not identified any areas that will result in significant changes to the timing of recognition or measurement of revenue. The Company will continue to evaluate the effects of this standard on its consolidated financial statements. As a result of our ongoing assessment, as of June 30, 2017, the Company has changed its planned method to incorporate this new standard and now plans to use the modified retrospective method.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory. Under this guidance, inventory that is accounted for using first-in-first-out, or average cost method, shall be measured at the lower of cost or net realizable value, as opposed to the lower of cost or market measurement under previous guidance. This guidance became effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted this standard in the first quarter of 2017, and it did not have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases, which requires lessees to recognize the lease assets and lease liabilities that arise from leases on the balance sheet and to disclose qualitative and quantitative information about lease transactions. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company continues to evaluate the expected impact of this standard.

In December 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Accounting for Income Taxes: Intra-Entity Asset Transfers of Assets Other than Inventory. Under current GAAP, the tax effects of intra-entity asset transfers are deferred until the transferred asset is sold to a third party or otherwise recovered through use. The new guidance eliminates the exception for all intra-entity sales of assets other than inventory. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those years. The Company continues to evaluate the expected impact of this standard.
 
In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07, Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost. This ASU requires employers to present the service cost component of the net periodic benefit cost in the same income statement line item as the other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period. The other components of net benefit cost are to be presented outside of any subtotal of operating income. This ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the expected impact of this standard.

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-12, Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities, which expands an entity’s ability to hedge nonfinancial and financial risk components and reduce complexity in fair value hedges of interest rate risk. This guidance eliminates the requirement to separately measure and report hedge ineffectiveness and generally requires the entire change in the fair value of a hedging instrument to be presented in the same income statement as the hedged item. This ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the expected impact of this standard.

Please refer to the notes in the Company’s annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2016, for additional details of the Company’s financial condition and a description of the Company’s accounting policies, which have been continued without change.