BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Business—Danaher Corporation (“Danaher” or the “Company”) designs, manufactures and markets professional, medical, industrial and commercial products and services, which are typically characterized by strong brand names, innovative technology and major market positions. The Company operates in four business segments: Life Sciences; Diagnostics; Dental; and Environmental & Applied Solutions.

The Company’s Life Sciences segment offers a broad range of research tools that scientists use to study the basic building blocks of life, including genes, proteins, metabolites and cells, in order to understand the causes of disease, identify new therapies and test new drugs and vaccines. The segment is also a leading provider of filtration, separation and purification technologies to the biopharmaceutical, food and beverage, medical, aerospace, microelectronics and general industrial sectors.

The Company’s Diagnostics segment offers analytical instruments, reagents, consumables, software and services that hospitals, physicians’ offices, reference laboratories and other critical care settings use to diagnose disease and make treatment decisions.

The Company’s Dental segment offers products and services that are used to diagnose, treat and prevent disease and ailments of the teeth, gums and supporting bone, as well as to improve the aesthetics of the human smile. With leading brand names, innovative technology and significant market positions, the Company is a leading worldwide provider of a broad range of dental consumables, equipment and services, and is dedicated to driving technological innovations that help dental professionals improve clinical outcomes and enhance productivity.

The Company’s Environmental & Applied Solutions segment offers products and services that help protect important resources and keep global food and water supplies safe. The Company’s water quality business provides instrumentation, services and disinfection systems to help analyze, treat and manage the quality of ultra-pure, potable, industrial, waste, ground, source and ocean water in residential, commercial, municipal, industrial and natural resource applications. The Company’s product identification business provides equipment, software, services and consumables for various color and appearance management, packaging design and quality management, packaging converting, printing, marking, coding and traceability applications for consumer, pharmaceutical and industrial products.

Refer to Notes 3 and 4 for a discussion of significant acquisitions and discontinued operations.

Accounting Principles—The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation. The Consolidated Financial Statements also reflect the impact of noncontrolling interests. Noncontrolling interests do not have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations, therefore earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests are not presented separately in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Earnings. Earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests have been reflected in selling, general and administrative expenses and were insignificant in all periods presented. Reclassifications of certain prior year amounts have been made to conform to the current year presentation.

Use of Estimates—The preparation of these financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. The Company bases these estimates on historical experience, the current economic environment and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. However, uncertainties associated with these estimates exist and actual results may differ materially from these estimates.

Cash and Equivalents—The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents.

Accounts Receivable and Allowances for Doubtful Accounts—All trade accounts, contract and finance receivables are reported on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets adjusted for any write-offs and net of allowances for doubtful accounts. The allowances for doubtful accounts represent management’s best estimate of the credit losses expected from the Company’s trade accounts, contract and finance receivable portfolios. Determination of the allowances requires management to exercise judgment about the timing, frequency and severity of credit losses that could materially affect the provision for credit losses and, therefore, net earnings. The Company regularly performs detailed reviews of its portfolios to determine if an impairment has occurred and evaluates the collectability of receivables based on a combination of various financial and qualitative factors that may affect customers’ ability to pay, including customers’ financial condition, collateral, debt-servicing ability, past payment experience and credit bureau information. In circumstances where the Company is aware of a specific customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations, a specific reserve is recorded against amounts due to reduce the recognized receivable to the amount reasonably expected to be collected. Additions to the allowances for doubtful accounts are charged to current period earnings, amounts determined to be uncollectible are charged directly against the allowances, while amounts recovered on previously written-off accounts increase the allowances. If the financial condition of the Company’s customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional reserves would be required. The Company does not believe that trade accounts receivable represent significant concentrations of credit risk because of the diversified portfolio of individual customers and geographical areas. The Company recorded $36 million, $33 million and $33 million of expense associated with doubtful accounts for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Included in the Company’s trade accounts receivable and other long-term assets as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 are $219 million and $213 million of net aggregate financing receivables, respectively. All financing receivables are evaluated for impairment based on individual customer credit profiles.

Inventory Valuation—Inventories include the costs of material, labor and overhead. Domestic inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market primarily using the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) method with certain businesses applying the last-in, first-out method (“LIFO”) to value inventory. Inventories held outside the United States are stated at the lower of cost or market primarily using the FIFO method.

Property, Plant and Equipment—Property, plant and equipment are carried at cost. The provision for depreciation has been computed principally by the straight-line method based on the estimated useful lives of the depreciable assets as follows:



Category		Useful Life
Buildings		30 years
Leased assets and leasehold improvements		Amortized over the lesser of the economic life of the asset or the term of the lease
Machinery and equipment		3 – 10 years
Customer-leased instruments		5 – 7 years

Estimated useful lives are periodically reviewed and, when appropriate, changes to estimates are made prospectively.

Investments—Investments over which the Company has a significant influence but not a controlling interest, are accounted for using the equity method of accounting which requires the Company to record its initial investment at cost and adjust the balance each period for the Company’s share of the investee’s income or loss and dividends paid. The Company also invests in innovative start-up companies where the Company has neither control of nor significant influence over the investee. Beginning in 2018 with the adoption of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-01, the Company measures these non-marketable equity securities at fair value and recognizes changes in fair value in net earnings. For securities without readily available fair values, the Company has elected the measurement alternative to record these investments at cost and to adjust for impairments and observable price changes with a same or similar security from the same issuer within net earnings (the “Fair Value Alternative”). Additionally, the Company is a limited partner in a partnership that invests in start-up companies. While the partnership records these investments at fair value, the Company’s investment in the partnership is accounted for under the equity method of accounting. The Company made minority investments in non-marketable equity securities and equity method investments totaling $149 million in 2018. No significant realized or unrealized gains or losses were recorded in 2018 with respect to these investments.

Other Assets—Other assets principally include noncurrent financing receivables, noncurrent deferred tax assets and other investments.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments—The Company’s financial instruments consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, trade accounts receivable, investments in equity securities, available-for-sale debt securities, nonqualified deferred compensation plans, obligations under trade accounts payable and short and long-term debt. Due to their short-term nature, the carrying values for cash and cash equivalents, trade accounts receivable and trade accounts payable approximate fair value. Refer to Note 8 for the fair values of the Company’s investments in equity securities, available-for-sale debt securities and other obligations.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets—Goodwill and other intangible assets result from the Company’s acquisition of existing businesses. In accordance with accounting standards related to business combinations, goodwill is not amortized; however, certain finite-lived identifiable intangible assets, primarily customer relationships and acquired technology, are amortized over their estimated useful lives. Intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized. In-process research and development (“IPR&D”) is initially capitalized at fair value and when the IPR&D project is complete, the asset is considered a finite-lived intangible asset and amortized over its estimated useful life. If an IPR&D project is abandoned, an impairment loss equal to the value of the intangible asset is recorded in the period of abandonment. The Company reviews identified intangible assets and goodwill for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the related carrying amounts may not be recoverable. The Company also tests intangible assets with indefinite lives and goodwill at least annually for impairment. Refer to Notes 3 and 7 for additional information about the Company’s goodwill and other intangible assets.

Revenue Recognition—On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, using the modified retrospective method for all contracts. Results for reporting periods beginning January 1, 2018 are presented under ASC 606, while prior period amounts were not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with the Company’s historic accounting under ASC 605, Revenue Recognition.

The Company recorded a net increase to beginning retained earnings of $3 million as of January 1, 2018 due to the cumulative impact of adopting ASC 606. The impact to beginning retained earnings was primarily driven by the capitalization of certain costs to obtain a contract, primarily sales-related commissions, partially offset by the deferral of revenue for unfulfilled performance obligations. The adoption of ASC 606 did not have a significant impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2018 and, as a result, comparisons of revenues and operating profit performance between periods are not affected by the adoption of this standard. Refer to Note 2 for additional disclosures required by ASC 606.

The Company derives revenues primarily from the sale of Life Sciences, Diagnostics, Dental and Environmental & Applied Solutions products and services. Revenue is recognized when control of the promised products or services is transferred to the Company’s customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those products or services (the transaction price). A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct product or service to a customer and is the unit of account under ASC 606. For equipment, consumables, spare parts and most software licenses sold by the Company, control transfers to the customer at a point in time. To indicate the transfer of control, the Company must have a present right to payment, legal title must have passed to the customer, the customer must have the significant risks and rewards of ownership, and where acceptance is not a formality, the customer must have accepted the product or service. The Company’s principal terms of sale are FOB Shipping Point, or equivalent, and, as such, the Company primarily transfers control and records revenue for product sales upon shipment. Sales arrangements with delivery terms that are not FOB Shipping Point are not recognized upon shipment and the transfer of control for revenue recognition is evaluated based on the associated shipping terms and customer obligations. If a performance obligation to the customer with respect to a sales transaction remains to be fulfilled following shipment (typically installation or acceptance by the customer), revenue recognition for that performance obligation is deferred until such commitments have been fulfilled. Returns for products sold are estimated and recorded as a reduction of revenue at the time of sale. Customer allowances and rebates, consisting primarily of volume discounts and other short-term incentive programs, are recorded as a reduction of revenue at the time of sale because these allowances reflect a reduction in the transaction price. Product returns, customer allowances and rebates are estimated based on historical experience and known trends. For extended warranty, service, post contract support (“PCS”), software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) and other long-term contracts, control transfers to the customer over the term of the arrangement. Revenue for extended warranty, service, PCS, SaaS and certain software licenses is recognized based upon the period of time elapsed under the arrangement. Revenue for other long-term contracts is generally recognized based upon the cost-to-cost measure of progress, provided that the Company meets the criteria associated with transferring control of the good or service over time.

Certain of the Company’s revenues relate to operating-type lease (“OTL”) arrangements. Leases are outside the scope of ASC 606 and are therefore accounted for in accordance with ASC 840, Leases. Equipment lease revenue for OTL agreements is recognized on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease, and the cost of customer-leased equipment is recorded within property, plant and equipment in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets and depreciated over the equipment’s estimated useful life. The depreciation expense is reflected in cost of sales in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Earnings. The OTLs are generally not cancellable until after an initial term and may or may not require the customer to purchase a minimum number of consumables or tests throughout the contract term. Certain of the Company’s lease contracts are customized for larger customers and often result in complex terms and conditions that typically require significant judgment in applying the criteria used to evaluate whether the arrangement should be considered an OTL or a sales-type lease (“STL”). An STL results in earlier recognition of equipment revenue as compared to an OTL.

For a contract with multiple performance obligations, the Company allocates the contract’s transaction price to each performance obligation on a relative standalone selling price basis using the Company’s best estimate of the standalone selling price of each distinct product or service in the contract. The primary method used to estimate standalone selling price is the price observed in standalone sales to customers; however, when prices in standalone sales are not available the Company may use third-party pricing for similar products or services or estimate the standalone selling price. Allocation of the transaction price is determined at the contracts’ inception. The Company does not adjust transaction price for the effects of a significant financing component when the period between the transfer of the promised good or service to the customer and payment for that good or service by the customer is expected to be one year or less. This allocation approach also applies to contracts that include a lease component.

Shipping and Handling—Shipping and handling costs are included as a component of cost of sales. Revenue derived from shipping and handling costs billed to customers is included in sales.

Advertising—Advertising costs are expensed as incurred.

Research and Development—The Company conducts research and development activities for the purpose of developing new products, enhancing the functionality, effectiveness, ease of use and reliability of the Company’s existing products and expanding the applications for which uses of the Company’s products are appropriate. Research and development costs are expensed as incurred.

Income Taxes—The Company’s income tax expense represents the tax liability for the current year, the tax benefit or expense for the net change in deferred tax liabilities and assets during the year, as well as reserves for unrecognized tax benefits and return to provision adjustments. Deferred tax liabilities and assets are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted rates expected to be in effect during the year in which the differences reverse. Deferred tax assets generally represent items that can be used as a tax deduction or credit in the Company’s tax return in future years for which the tax benefit has already been reflected on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Earnings. The Company establishes valuation allowances for its deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. Deferred tax liabilities generally represent items that have already been taken as a deduction on the Company’s tax return but have not yet been recognized as an expense in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Earnings. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities due to a change in tax rates is recognized in income tax expense in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company provides for unrecognized tax benefits when, based upon the technical merits, it is “more likely than not” that an uncertain tax position will not be sustained upon examination. Judgment is required in evaluating tax positions and determining income tax provisions. The Company re-evaluates the technical merits of its tax positions and may recognize an uncertain tax benefit in certain circumstances, including when: (1) a tax audit is completed; (2) applicable tax laws change, including a tax case ruling or legislative guidance; or (3) the applicable statute of limitations expires. The Company recognizes potential accrued interest and penalties associated with unrecognized tax positions in income tax expense. Refer to Note 13 for additional information and discussion of the impact of the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) in the United States.

Productivity Improvement and Restructuring—The Company periodically initiates productivity improvement and restructuring activities to appropriately position the Company’s cost base relative to prevailing economic conditions and associated customer demand as well as in connection with certain acquisitions. Costs associated with productivity improvement and restructuring actions can include one-time termination benefits and related charges in addition to facility closure, contract termination and other related activities. The Company records the cost of the productivity improvement and restructuring activities when the associated liability is incurred. Refer to Note 15 for additional information.

Foreign Currency Translation—Exchange rate adjustments resulting from foreign currency transactions are recognized in net earnings, whereas effects resulting from the translation of financial statements are reflected as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) within stockholders’ equity. Assets and liabilities of subsidiaries operating outside the United States with a functional currency other than U.S. dollars are translated into U.S. dollars using year-end exchange rates and income statement accounts are translated at weighted average rates. Net foreign currency transaction gains or losses were not material in any of the years presented. The Company uses its foreign currency-denominated debt to partially hedge its net investments in foreign operations against adverse movements in exchange rates. In January 2019, the Company entered into cross-currency swap arrangements whereby existing U.S. dollar-denominated borrowings were effectively converted to foreign currency borrowings to partially hedge additional amounts of its net investments in foreign operations against adverse movements in exchange rates.

Derivative Financial Instruments—The Company is neither a dealer nor a trader in derivative instruments. The Company has generally accepted the exposure to transactional exchange rate movements without using derivative instruments to manage this risk, although the Company from time to time partially hedges its net investments in foreign operations against adverse movements in exchange rates through foreign currency-denominated debt and cross-currency swaps. The Company will periodically enter into foreign currency forward contracts not exceeding 12 months to mitigate a portion of its foreign currency exchange risk and forward starting swaps to mitigate interest rate risk related to the Company’s debt. When utilized, the derivative instruments are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as either an asset or liability measured at fair value. To the extent the foreign currency forward contract or forward starting swap qualifies as an effective hedge, changes in fair value are recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders’ equity. Changes in the value of the foreign currency denominated debt and cross-currency swaps designated as hedges of the Company’s net investment in foreign operations based on spot rates are recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders’ equity and offset changes in the value of the Company’s foreign currency denominated operations. The Company’s use of foreign currency forward contracts and forward starting swaps during 2018, 2017 and 2016 and as of the years then ended was not significant. In January 2019, the Company entered into approximately $1.9 billion of cross-currency swap derivative contracts on its U.S. dollar-denominated bonds to effectively convert the Company’s U.S. dollar-denominated bonds to obligations denominated in Danish kroner, Japanese yen, euro and Swiss franc.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)—Foreign currency translation adjustments are generally not adjusted for income taxes as they relate to indefinite investments in non-U.S. subsidiaries. The changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) by component are summarized below ($ in millions):



	Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments			Pension & Postretirement Plan Benefit Adjustments				Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Available-For-Sale Securities Adjustments				Total
Balance, January 1, 2016	$	(1,797.4	)	$	(647.3	)		$	133.5			$	(2,311.2	)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications:
(Decrease) increase	(517.3		)	(115.4		)		39.6				(593.1		)
Income tax impact	—			38.9				(14.8		)		24.1
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications, net of income taxes	(517.3		)	(76.5		)		24.8				(569.0		)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss):
Increase (decrease)	—			28.0			(a)	(223.4		)	(b)	(195.4		)
Income tax impact	—			(9.7		)		83.8				74.1
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of income taxes	—			18.3				(139.6		)		(121.3		)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss), net of income taxes	(517.3		)	(58.2		)		(114.8		)		(690.3		)
Distribution of Fortive Corporation	(83.5		)	63.3			(c)	—				(20.2		)
Balance, December 31, 2016	(2,398.2		)	(642.2		)		18.7				(3,021.7		)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications:
Increase	976.1			62.4				41.7				1,080.2
Income tax impact	—			(13.4		)		(15.7		)		(29.1		)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications, net of income taxes	976.1			49.0				26.0				1,051.1
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss):
Increase (decrease)	—			28.7			(a)	(72.8		)	(b)	(44.1		)
Income tax impact	—			(6.7		)		27.2				20.5
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of income taxes	—			22.0				(45.6		)		(23.6		)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss), net of income taxes	976.1			71.0				(19.6		)		1,027.5
Balance, December 31, 2017	(1,422.1		)	(571.2		)		(0.9		)		(1,994.2		)
Adoption of accounting standards	(43.8		)	(107.2		)		(0.2		)		(151.2		)
Balance, January 1, 2018	(1,465.9		)	(678.4		)		(1.1		)		(2,145.4		)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications:
Decrease	(632.2		)	(44.9		)		(1.1		)		(678.2		)
Income tax impact	—			9.2				0.3				9.5
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications, net of income taxes	(632.2		)	(35.7		)		(0.8		)		(668.7		)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss):
Increase	—			30.3			(a)	—				30.3
Income tax impact	—			(7.3		)		—				(7.3		)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of income taxes	—			23.0				—				23.0
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss), net of income taxes	(632.2		)	(12.7		)		(0.8		)		(645.7		)
Balance, December 31, 2018	$	(2,098.1	)	$	(691.1	)		$	(1.9	)		$	(2,791.1	)


^(a)	This accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) component is included in the computation of net periodic pension and postretirement cost (refer to Notes 11 and 12 for additional details).


^(b)	Included in other income in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Earnings (refer to Note 14 for additional details).


^(c)	This accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) component included an income tax impact of $21 million.

Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation—The Company accounts for stock-based compensation by measuring the cost of employee services received in exchange for all equity awards granted, including stock options, restricted stock units (“RSUs”) and performance stock units (“PSUs”), based on the fair value of the award as of the grant date. Equity-based compensation expense is recognized net of an estimated forfeiture rate on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award, except that in the case of RSUs, compensation expense is recognized using an accelerated attribution method. Refer to Note 18 for additional information on the stock-based compensation plans in which certain employees of the Company participate.

Pension and Postretirement Benefit Plans—The Company measures its pension and postretirement plans’ assets and its obligations that determine the respective plan’s funded status as of the end of the Company’s fiscal year, and recognizes an asset for a plan’s overfunded status or a liability for a plan’s underfunded status in its balance sheet. Changes in the funded status of the plans are recognized in the year in which the changes occur and reported in comprehensive income (loss). Refer to Notes 11 and 12 for additional information on the Company’s pension and postretirement plans including a discussion of the actuarial assumptions, the Company’s policy for recognizing the associated gains and losses and the method used to estimate service and interest cost components.

Accounting Standards Recently Adopted—In March 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2018-05, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118, which allowed SEC registrants to record provisional amounts in earnings for the year ended December 31, 2017 due to the complexities involved in accounting for the enactment of the TCJA. The Company recognized the estimated income tax effects of the TCJA in its 2017 Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB No. 118”). The provisional amounts recorded in 2017 were adjusted to final estimates in 2018 in connection with filing tax returns for 2017. Refer to Note 13 for further information regarding the impact of these provisions for both 2017 and 2018.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, to address a specific consequence of the TCJA by allowing a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the TCJA’s reduction of the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate. The ASU is effective for all entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted, and is to be applied either in the period of adoption or retrospectively to each period in which the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate in the TCJA is recognized. The Company early adopted this ASU on January 1, 2018 and as a result recorded a net increase to beginning retained earnings and decrease to accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) of $151 million to reclassify the income tax effects of the TCJA on the Company’s U.S. pension plans, available-for-sale debt securities and certain foreign currency losses. The ASU also requires the Company to disclose its policy on accounting for income tax effects in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). In general, the Company applies the individual item approach with respect to available-for-sale debt securities and the portfolio approach with respect to pension, postretirement benefit plan obligations and currency translation matters.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting, which provided clarity on which changes to the terms or conditions of share-based payment awards require an entity to apply the modification accounting provisions required in Topic 718. The adoption of this ASU on January 1, 2018 did not have a significant impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07, Compensation—Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost (“ASU No. 2017-07”), which requires employers to disaggregate the service cost component from other components of net periodic benefit costs and to disclose the amounts of net periodic benefit costs that are included in each income statement line item. The standard requires employers to report the service cost component in the same line item as other compensation costs and to report the other components of net periodic benefit costs (which include interest costs, expected return on plan assets, amortization of prior service cost or credits and actuarial gains and losses) separately and outside a subtotal of operating income. The service cost component of net periodic pension cost is included in cost of sales and selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Earnings and the other components of net periodic pension cost are included in nonoperating income (expense). The income statement guidance requires application on a retrospective basis. The ASU was adopted by the Company on January 1, 2018 and as a result, operating profit decreased and other income, net increased by $31 million and $16 million for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Refer to Notes 11 and 12 for further information on the implementation of this ASU.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. The ASU amends guidance on the classification and measurement of financial instruments, including significant revisions in accounting related to the classification and measurement of investments in equity securities and presentation of certain fair value changes for financial liabilities when the Fair Value Alternative is elected. The ASU requires equity securities to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized through net earnings and amends certain disclosure requirements associated with the fair value of financial instruments. In the period of adoption, the Company is required to reclassify the unrealized gains/losses on equity securities within accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to retained earnings. In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-03, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Financial Instruments—Overall (Subtopic 825-10), which clarified certain aspects of the previously issued ASU. The ASU was adopted by the Company on January 1, 2018 and did not have a material effect on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which supersedes nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance. The core principle of the ASU is that revenue should be recognized to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In July 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of the standard by one year which resulted in the new standard being effective for the Company at the beginning of its first quarter of fiscal year 2018. In addition, during March, April, May and December 2016 and September and November 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net), ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, ASU No. 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, ASU No. 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, ASU No. 2017-13, Revenue Recognition (Topic 605), Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), Leases (Topic 840), and Leases (Topic 842), and ASU No. 2017-14, Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220), Revenue Recognition (Topic 605), and Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) respectively, which clarified the guidance on certain items such as reporting revenue as a principal versus agent, identifying performance obligations, accounting for intellectual property licenses, assessing collectability, presentation of sales taxes, impairment testing for contract costs, disclosure of performance obligations, and provided additional implementation guidance. Refer to the discussion above in “—Revenue Recognition” and to Note 2 for additional disclosures required by ASC 606.

Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted—In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-14, Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans, which amends ASC 715 to add, remove and clarify disclosure requirements related to defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans. The ASU is effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. Management has not yet completed its assessment of the impact of the new standard on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820), which modifies the disclosures on fair value measurements by removing the requirement to disclose the amount and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy and the policy for timing of such transfers. The ASU expands the disclosure requirements for Level 3 fair value measurements, primarily focused on changes in unrealized gains and losses included in other comprehensive income (loss). The ASU is effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. Management has not yet completed its assessment of the impact of the new standard on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

In August 2017, the FASB issued No. 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities, which expands and refines hedge accounting for both financial and non-financial risk components, aligns the recognition and presentation of the effects of hedging instruments and hedge items in the financial statements, and includes certain targeted improvements to ease the application of current guidance related to the assessment of hedge effectiveness. The ASU is effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. In January 2019, the Company entered into approximately $1.9 billion of cross-currency swap derivative contracts to hedge its net investment in foreign operations against adverse changes in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the Danish kroner, Japanese yen, euro and the Swiss franc.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which amends the impairment model by requiring entities to use a forward-looking approach based on expected losses rather than incurred losses to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments, including trade receivables. This may result in the earlier recognition of allowances for losses. The ASU is effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses, which provided additional implementation guidance on the previously issued ASU. Management has not yet completed its assessment of the impact of the new standard on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. Currently, the Company believes that the most notable impact of this ASU will relate to its processes around the assessment of the adequacy of its allowance for doubtful accounts on trade accounts receivable and the recognition of credit losses.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset and a lease liability for all leases with terms greater than 12 months. The standard also requires disclosures by lessees and lessors about the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The accounting applied by a lessor is largely unchanged from that applied under the current standard. The standard must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition approach and provides for certain practical expedients. The ASU is effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. In September 2017, January 2018, July 2018 and December 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-13, Revenue Recognition (Topic 605), Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), Leases (Topic 840), and Leases (Topic 842), ASU No. 2018-01, Leases (Topic 842), Land Easement Practical Expedient for Transition to Topic 842, ASU No. 2018-10, Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases, ASU No. 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842), Targeted Improvements and ASU No. 2018-20, Leases (Topic 842), Narrow-Scope Improvements for Lessors, which provided additional implementation guidance on the previously issued ASU. The Company has implemented a new lease system and the related processes and controls for the accounting for leases in accordance with the ASU. On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted this ASU using the modified retrospective method for all lease arrangements at the beginning of the period of adoption. Results for reporting periods beginning January 1, 2019 will be presented under ASC 842, while prior period amounts will not be adjusted and will continue to be reported in accordance with the Company’s historic accounting under ASC 840, Leases. As of January 1, 2019, the standard had a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet, but is expected to have an insignificant impact on the Company’s consolidated net earnings and cash flows. The most significant impact was the recognition of ROU assets and lease liabilities for operating leases, while the accounting for finance leases remained substantially unchanged. For leases that commenced before the effective date of Topic 842, the Company elected the permitted practical expedients to not reassess the following: (i) whether any expired or existing contracts contain leases; (ii) the lease classification for any expired or existing leases; and (iii) capitalization of initial direct costs for any existing leases.

As a result of the cumulative impact of adopting ASC 842, the Company will record operating lease ROU assets of approximately $1.0 billion and operating lease liabilities of approximately $1.0 billion as of January 1, 2019, primarily related to real estate and automobile leases.