Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

BASIS OF PRESENTATION – These notes are an integral part of the accompanying audited financial statements of Spire Inc. presented on a consolidated basis (“Spire” or the “Company”), Spire Missouri Inc. (“Spire Missouri” or the “Missouri Utilities”) and Spire Alabama Inc. (“Spire Alabama”). Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama are wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company. Spire Missouri, Spire Alabama and the subsidiaries of Spire EnergySouth Inc. (“Spire EnergySouth”) are collectively referred to as “the Utilities.” The subsidiaries of Spire EnergySouth are Spire Gulf Inc. and Spire Mississippi Inc. The accompanying audited financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP).

Unless otherwise indicated, references to years herein are references to the fiscal years ending September 30 for the Company and its subsidiaries.

The consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows of Spire include the accounts of the Company and all its subsidiaries. Transactions and balances between consolidated entities have been eliminated from the consolidated financial statements of Spire. In compliance with GAAP, transactions between Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama and their affiliates, as well as intercompany balances on their balance sheets, have not been eliminated from their separate financial statements.

Use of Estimates

USE OF ESTIMATES – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP 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 periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

System of Accounts

SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS – The accounts of the Utilities are maintained in accordance with the Uniform System of Accounts prescribed by the applicable state public service commissions, which systems substantially conform to that prescribed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Property, Plant, and Equipment

PROPERTY, PLANT, AND EQUIPMENT –

Utility Plant – Utility plant is stated at original cost. The cost of additions to utility plant includes contracted work, direct labor and materials, allocable overheads and an allowance for funds used during construction. The costs of units of property retired, replaced or renewed are removed from utility plant and are charged to accumulated depreciation. Maintenance and repairs of property and replacement and renewal of items determined to be less than units of property are charged to maintenance expenses.

For Spire Missouri, utility plant is depreciated on a straight-line basis at rates based on estimated service lives of the various classes of property. In fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, annual depreciation and amortization expense averaged 3.0% of the original cost of depreciable and amortizable property.

For Spire Alabama, depreciation is provided using the composite method of depreciation on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of utility property at rates approved by the Alabama Public Service Commission (APSC). The composite depreciation rate in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017 was approximately 3.1%.

Non-utility Property – Non-utility property is recorded at the original cost of acquisition or construction, which includes material, labor, contractor services and, for FERC-regulated projects, an allowance for funds used during construction. Repairs, replacements and renewals of items of property determined to be less than a unit of property or that do not increase the property’s life or functionality are charged to maintenance expense. Upon retirement or sale of non-utility property, the original cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any gain or loss is included in the income statements. Costs related to software developed or obtained for internal use are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the related software. If software is retired prior to being fully amortized, the difference is recorded as a loss in the income statements.

Accrued Capital Expenditures

Accrued Capital Expenditures – Accrued capital expenditures, shown in the following table, are excluded from capital expenditures in the statements of cash flows until paid.

September 30	2019		2018		2017
Spire	$	80.6	$	62.1	$	41.0
Spire Missouri		40.1		36.7		28.9
Spire Alabama		11.9		8.9		9.4

Asset Retirement Obligations

ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS – Spire, Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama record legal obligations associated with the retirement of long-lived assets in the period in which the obligations are incurred, if sufficient information exists to reasonably estimate the fair value of the obligations. Obligations are recorded as both a cost of the related long-lived asset and as a corresponding liability. Subsequently, the asset retirement costs are depreciated over the life of the asset and the asset retirement obligations are accreted to the expected settlement amounts. The Company, Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama record asset retirement obligations associated with certain safety requirements to purge and seal gas distribution mains upon retirement, the plugging and abandonment of storage wells and other storage facilities, specific service line obligations, and certain removal and disposal obligations related to components of Spire Missouri’s, Spire Alabama’s and Spire Gulf’s distribution systems and general plant. Asset retirement obligations recorded by Spire’s other subsidiaries are not material. As authorized by the Missouri Public Service Commission (MoPSC) and APSC, Spire Missouri, Spire Alabama and Spire Gulf accrue future asset removal costs associated with their property, plant and equipment even if a legal obligation does not exist. Such accruals are provided for through depreciation expense and are recorded with corresponding credits to regulatory liabilities or regulatory assets. When those utilities retire depreciable utility plant and equipment, they charge the associated original costs to accumulated depreciation and amortization, and any related removal costs incurred are charged to regulatory liabilities or regulatory assets. The difference between removal costs recognized in depreciation rates and the accretion expense and depreciation expense recognized for financial reporting purposes is a timing difference between recovery of these costs in rates and their recognition for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, these differences are deferred as regulatory liabilities or regulatory assets. In the rate setting process, the regulatory liabilities or regulatory assets are excluded from the rate base upon which those utilities have the opportunity to earn their allowed rates of return. The costs associated with asset retirement obligations of Spire Missouri, Spire Alabama and Spire Gulf are either currently being recovered in rates or are probable of recovery in future rates.

The following table presents a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of asset retirement obligations at September 30, as reported in the balance sheets.

	Spire						Spire Missouri						Spire Alabama
	2019			2018			2019			2018			2019			2018
Asset retirement obligations, beginning of year	$	321.1		$	296.6		$	174.1		$	158.6		$	135.7		$	128.4
Liabilities incurred during the period		10.8			5.5			1.6			0.6			8.8			3.5
Liabilities settled during the period		(8.3	)		(11.2	)		(6.8	)		(8.9	)		(0.8	)		(1.8	)
Accretion		13.0			12.7			7.4			6.6			5.0			5.6
Revisions in estimated cash flows		1.0			16.9			(2.8	)		17.2			—			—
Business combinations		—			0.6			—			—			—			—
Asset retirement obligations, end of year	$	337.6		$	321.1		$	173.5		$	174.1		$	148.7		$	135.7

Regulated Operations

REGULATED OPERATIONS – The Utilities account for their regulated operations in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 980, Regulated Operations. This Topic sets forth the application of GAAP for those companies whose rates are established by or are subject to approval by an independent third-party regulator. The provisions of this accounting guidance require, among other things, that financial statements of a regulated enterprise reflect the actions of regulators, where appropriate. These actions may result in the recognition of revenues and expenses in time periods that are different than non-regulated enterprises. When this occurs, costs are deferred as assets in the balance sheet (regulatory assets) and recorded as expenses when those amounts are reflected in rates. In addition, regulators can impose liabilities upon a regulated company for amounts previously collected from customers and for recovery of costs that are expected to be incurred in the future (regulatory liabilities). Management believes that the current regulatory environment supports the continued use of these regulatory accounting principles and that all regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities are recoverable or refundable through the regulatory process. See additional discussion on regulated operations in Note 15, Regulatory Matters.

Natural Gas and Propane Gas

NATURAL GAS AND PROPANE GAS – For Spire Missouri East, inventory of natural gas in storage is priced on a last in, first out (LIFO) basis and inventory of propane gas in storage is priced on a first in, first out (FIFO) basis. For the rest of the Gas Utility segment, inventory of natural gas in storage is priced on the weighted average cost basis. The replacement cost of Spire Missouri’s natural gas for current use in eastern Missouri at September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018 was less than the LIFO cost by $17.0 and $14.5, respectively. The carrying value of the Utilities’ inventory is never adjusted to a lower net realizable value or market value because, pursuant to Purchased Gas Adjustment (PGA) clauses or a Gas Supply Adjustment (GSA) rider, actual gas costs are recovered in customer rates. Natural gas and propane gas storage inventory in Spire’s other operating segments is recorded at the lower of average cost or net realizable value.

Business Combinations

BUSINESS COMBINATIONS – Spire’s acquisitions were accounted for using business combination accounting. Under this method, the purchase price paid by the acquirer is allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date based on their fair value.

In December 2017, the Company acquired an 80% voting interest in a natural gas storage facility in Wyoming. The transaction was valued at $24.8, consisting of $16.0 in cash and a $10.0 non-interest-bearing note valued at $8.8.  In October 2018, the Company completed the exercise of its right to call the remaining 20% voting interest in that facility and settled the related note for a combined total of $17.0. In May 2018, the Company expanded its operations by acquiring 100% of a neighboring natural gas storage facility for $12.2 in cash. Together, these storage operations are referred to herein as “Spire Storage.”

Goodwill

GOODWILL – Goodwill is measured as the excess of the acquisition-date fair value of the consideration transferred over the amount of acquisition-date identifiable assets acquired net of assumed liabilities. Spire and Spire Missouri evaluate goodwill for impairment as of July 1 of each year, or more frequently if events and circumstances indicate that goodwill might be impaired. At July 1, 2018 and 2017, Spire and Spire Missouri each applied a quantitative goodwill evaluation model to their reporting units and concluded goodwill was not impaired because the fair value exceeded the carrying amount. At July 1, 2019, Spire and Spire Missouri conducted a qualitative assessment and determined goodwill was not more likely than not impaired. At September 30, 2019, goodwill included in Spire’s Gas Utility and Gas Marketing segments was $210.2 and zero, respectively, with the remainder held at the corporate level. Goodwill amounts have not changed since fiscal 2017, and there are no accumulated impairment losses.

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

IMPAIRMENT OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS – Long-lived assets classified as held and used are evaluated for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of such assets may not be recoverable. Whether impairment has occurred is determined by comparing the estimated undiscounted cash flows attributable to the assets with the carrying value of the assets. If the carrying value exceeds the undiscounted cash flows, the Company recognizes an impairment charge equal to the amount of the carrying value that exceeds the estimated fair value of the assets. In the period in which the Company determines an asset meets held-for-sale criteria, an impairment charge is recorded to the extent the book value exceeds its fair value less cost to sell.

Derivatives

DERIVATIVES – In the course of their business, certain subsidiaries of Spire enter into commitments associated with the purchase or sale of natural gas. Certain of their derivative natural gas contracts are designated as normal purchases or normal sales and, as such, are excluded from the scope of FASB ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging. Those contracts are accounted for as executory contracts and recorded on an accrual basis. Revenues and expenses from such contracts are recorded gross. Contracts not designated as normal purchases or normal sales are recorded as derivatives with changes in fair value recognized in earnings in the periods prior to physical delivery. Certain of Spire Marketing’s wholesale purchase and sale transactions are classified as trading activities for financial reporting purposes. Under GAAP, revenues and expenses associated with trading activities are presented on a net basis in Gas Marketing operating revenues (or expenses, if negative) in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. This net presentation has no effect on operating income or net income. Refer to Note 10, Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, for more information about derivatives.

Income Taxes

INCOME TAXES – Spire and its subsidiaries account for income taxes 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 amount of existing assets and liabilities and the respective tax basis and for tax 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 are expected to be realized or settled. The effects on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in enacted tax rates is recognized in income or loss for non-regulated operations, and in a regulatory asset or regulatory liability for regulated operations. A valuation allowance is established when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

The Company accounts for uncertain tax positions in accordance with authoritative guidance. The authoritative guidance addresses the determination of whether tax benefits claimed, or expected to be claimed, on a tax return should be recorded in the financial statements. Spire may recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination by the taxing authority, based on the technical merits of the position. Tax-related interest and penalties, if any, are classified as a liability on the balance sheets. For additional information on the accounting for income taxes, refer to Note 12, Income Taxes.

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash

CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH – All highly liquid debt instruments purchased with original maturities of three months or less are considered to be cash equivalents. Such instruments are carried at cost, which approximates market value. Outstanding checks on the Company’s and Utilities’ bank accounts in excess of funds on deposit create book overdrafts (which are funded at the time checks are presented for payment) and are classified as Other in the Current Liabilities section of the balance sheets. Changes in book overdrafts are reflected as Operating Activities in the statements of cash flows. In Spire’s statements of cash flows, total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash included $17.0 of restricted cash reported in “Other” current assets on Spire’s balance sheet as of September 30, 2018 (in addition to amounts shown as “Cash and cash equivalents”). This restricted cash was an escrow deposit for the purchase of the remaining 20% interest in a natural gas storage business and the settlement of the related note payable, and the transaction was completed on October 25, 2018.

Natural Gas Receivable

NATURAL GAS RECEIVABLE – Spire Marketing enters into natural gas transactions with natural gas pipeline and storage companies known as park and loan arrangements. Under the terms of the arrangements, Spire Marketing purchases natural gas from a third party and delivers that natural gas to the pipeline or storage company for the right to receive the same quantity of natural gas from that company at the same location in a future period. These arrangements are accounted for as non-monetary transactions under GAAP and are recorded at the carrying amount. As such, natural gas receivables are reflected on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at cost, which includes related fees associated with the transactions. In the period that the natural gas is returned to Spire Marketing, concurrent with the sale of the natural gas to a third party, the related natural gas receivable is expensed in the Consolidated Statements of Income. In conjunction with these transactions, Spire Marketing usually enters into New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) natural gas futures, options, and swap contracts or fixed price sales agreements to protect against market changes in future sales prices.

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE AND ALLOWANCE FOR DOUBTFUL ACCOUNTS – Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the amounts due from customers, including unbilled amounts. Estimates of the collectability of trade accounts receivable are based on historical trends, age of receivables, economic conditions, credit risk of specific customers, and other factors. Accounts receivable are written off against the allowance for doubtful accounts when they are deemed to be uncollectible. 

	Spire									Spire Missouri									Spire Alabama
	2019			2018			2017			2019			2018			2017			2019			2018			2017
Allowance at beginning of year	$	22.4		$	18.3		$	20.5		$	16.0		$	14.1		$	16.1		$	3.9		$	2.6		$	3.3
Additions charged to expense		16.9			14.6			10.6			12.3			11.9			10.1			4.7			2.1			0.2
Net deductions		(16.3	)		(10.5	)		(12.8	)		(13.4	)		(10.0	)		(12.1	)		(2.3	)		(0.8	)		(0.9	)
Allowance at end of year	$	23.0		$	22.4		$	18.3		$	14.9		$	16.0		$	14.1		$	6.3		$	3.9		$	2.6

Earnings per Common Share

EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE – GAAP requires dual presentation of basic and diluted earnings per share (EPS). EPS is computed using the two-class method, which is an earnings allocation method for computing EPS that treats a participating security as having rights to earnings that would otherwise have been available to common shareholders. Certain of the Company’s stock-based compensation awards pay non-forfeitable dividends to the participants during the vesting period and, as such, are deemed participating securities. Basic EPS is computed by dividing net income available to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net income available to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding that are increased for additional shares that would be outstanding if potentially dilutive non-participating securities were converted to common shares, pursuant to the treasury stock method. Shares attributable to equity units, non-participating stock options and time-vested restricted stock/units are excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share if the effect would be antidilutive. Shares attributable to non-participating performance-contingent restricted stock awards are only included in the calculation of diluted earnings per share to the extent the underlying performance and/or market conditions are satisfied (a) prior to the end of the reporting period or (b) would be satisfied if the end of the reporting period were the end of the related contingency period and the result would be dilutive. The Company’s EPS computations are presented in Note 4, Earnings Per Common Share.

Transactions with Affiliates

TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES – Transactions between affiliates of the Company have been eliminated from the consolidated financial statements of Spire. Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama borrowed funds from the Company and incurred related interest, as reflected in their separate financial statements, and they participated in normal intercompany shared services transactions. In addition, Spire Missouri’s other transactions with affiliates included:

	2019		2018		2017
Purchases of natural gas from Spire Marketing	$	95.3	$	71.5	$	74.4
Sales of natural gas to Spire Marketing		1.7		0.3		7.8
Transportation services received from Spire NGL Inc.		1.0		1.0		1.0

Finance Receivables

FINANCE RECEIVABLES – Spire Alabama finances third party contractor sales of merchandise including gas furnaces and appliances. At September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018, the Company’s finance receivable totaled approximately $11.7 and $13.1, respectively. Financing is available only to qualified customers who meet creditworthiness thresholds for customer payment history and external agency credit reports. Spire Alabama relies upon ongoing payments as the primary indicator of credit quality during the term of each contract. The allowance for credit losses is recognized using an estimate of write-off percentages based on historical experience. Delinquent accounts are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and, absent evidence of debt repayment, after 90 days are due in full and assigned to a third-party collection agency. The remaining finance receivable is written off approximately 12 months after being assigned to the third-party collection agency. Spire Alabama had finance receivables past due 90 days or more of $0.4 at September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018.

Group Medical and Workers' Compensation Reserves

GROUP MEDICAL AND WORKERS’ COMPENSATION RESERVES – The Company self-insures its group medical and workers’ compensation costs and carries stop-loss coverage in relation to medical claims and workers’ compensation claims. Reserves for amounts incurred but not reported are established based on historical cost levels and lags between occurrences and reporting.

Fair Value Measurements

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS – Certain assets and liabilities are recognized or disclosed at fair value, which is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (exit price). GAAP establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value.

The levels of the hierarchy are described below:

• Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

• Level 2 – Pricing inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1, which are either directly or indirectly observable for the asset or liability as of the reporting date. These inputs are derived principally from, or corroborated by, observable market data.

• Level 3 – Pricing that is based upon inputs that are generally unobservable that are based on the best information available and reflect management’s assumptions about how market participants would price the asset or liability.

Assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurements may require judgment and may affect the valuation of the asset or liability and its placement within the fair value hierarchy. Additional information about fair value measurements is provided in Note 8, Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Note 9, Fair Value Measurements, and Note 13, Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Benefits.

Stock-based Compensation

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION – The Company accounts for share-based compensation arrangements in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation. The Company measures stock-based compensation awards at fair value at the date of grant and recognizes the compensation cost of the awards over the requisite service period. Forfeitures are recognized in the period they occur. Refer to Note 3, Stock-Based Compensation, for further discussion of the accounting for the Company’s stock-based compensation plans.

New Accounting Pronouncements

NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS – Spire, Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama adopted the guidance in ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, and related amendments (collectively, “ASC 606”), in the first quarter of fiscal year 2019 using the modified retrospective method applied to all contracts at October 1, 2018. The core principle of ASC 606 is that revenue should be recognized to depict the transfer of control 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. Under the new standard, an entity must identify the performance obligations in a contract, determine the transaction price and allocate the price to specific performance obligations to recognize revenue when the obligation is completed. In addition, ASC 606 requires disclosure of the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The adoption of ASC 606 resulted in no change to how Spire, Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama recognize revenue, and therefore, no cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings was required, and there was no significant impact to financial results after adoption. The adoption did result in changes to the disclosures about revenue, which are included in Note 2, Revenue. Some revenue arrangements, such as alternative revenue programs and certain derivative contracts, are excluded from the scope of ASC 606 and, therefore, are presented separately in disclosures.

Also effective October 1, 2018, Spire, Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama adopted ASU No. 2017-07, Compensation – Retirement Benefits: Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost, with no material impact on interim or annual financial statements. The amended guidance requires that the service cost component of net periodic pension and postretirement benefit costs be presented within the same line item in the income statement as other compensation costs (except for the amount being capitalized), while other components are to be presented outside the subtotal of operating income and are no longer eligible for capitalization (e.g., as part of utility plant). The amended guidance is applied retrospectively for income statement presentation and prospectively for capitalization. The Company, Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama elected the practical expedient permitting the use of the amounts disclosed in its pension and other postretirement benefit plan note for the prior comparative periods as the estimation basis for applying the retrospective presentation requirements. Accordingly, for the year ended September 30, 2018, the Company, Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama reclassified net benefit costs (income) of $14.4, $17.2 and $(2.0), respectively, from “operation and maintenance” to “other income (expense), net.” The corresponding amounts for the year ended September 30, 2017 were $19.2, $17.2 and $2.2, respectively. For Spire Missouri, Spire Alabama, and the Company’s other rate-regulated entities, all components of net benefit cost have historically been recovered from customers as a component of utility plant and will continue to be recovered in the same manner over the depreciable lives of the related plant assets; therefore, for those entities, the components that are no longer eligible to be capitalized as a component of plant under GAAP will be reported as regulatory assets.

Effective January 1, 2019, the Company, Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama adopted ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other – Internal-Use Software: Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. Previous GAAP did not specifically address the accounting for implementation costs of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract. The amendments in this update clarify that accounting and align the accounting for implementation costs for hosting arrangements, regardless of whether they convey a license to the hosted software. As a result, certain categories of implementation costs that previously would have been charged to expense as incurred are now capitalized as prepayments and amortized over the term of the arrangement. The new guidance is being applied prospectively to implementation costs incurred after adoption. Related amounts capitalized were not material.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows: Restricted Cash. This guidance requires the statement of cash flows to present changes in the total of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash. Prior to the adoption of this ASU, the relevant accounting guidance did not require the statement of cash flows to include changes in restricted cash. The Company, Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama adopted the standard retrospectively in 2018 with no impact to 2017.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. This guidance permits companies to make an election to reclassify stranded income tax effects from the recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act included in accumulated other comprehensive income or loss (AOCI) to retained earnings. ASU 2018-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The Company, Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama elected to early adopt this guidance in the quarter ended September 30, 2018. The reclassifications from the adoption of this standard are shown on the statements of shareholders’ equity of the Company and Spire Missouri. There was no effect for Spire Alabama.

The Company, Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama adopted ASU No. 2016-02, Leases, along with related ASU Nos. 2018-01, 2018-10, 2018-11, 2018-20 and 2019-01 (collectively, “ASC 842”), using a modified retrospective transition method for leases existing at, or entered into after, October 1, 2019. Under the selected transition method, comparative periods in the financial statements will be presented under ASC 840 (previous lease accounting guidance). ASC 842 requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and lease liability for almost all lease contracts based on the present value of lease payments. It provides new guidelines for identifying and classifying a lease, and classification affects the pattern and income statement line item for the related expense. The Company and its subsidiaries elected to a package of three practical expedients permitted by the standard, allowing them not to reassess existing contracts for (1) whether it is or contains a lease, (2) lease classification and (3) initial direct costs. They also elected to use the benefit of hindsight in determining both the lease term and impairments associated with any existing leases, which resulted in lease terms that best represent management’s expectations with respect to use of the underlying asset but did not result in recognition of any impairment. Finally, they elected not to assess whether existing land easements are leases under ASC 842. The adoption of ASC 842 will impact the balance sheets through recognition of approximately $71.1 of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for operating leases (including approximately $1.9 and $10.0 for Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama, respectively) but will not result in a cumulative effect adjustment or significant impacts to income or cash flows.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging: Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities. The amendments in this ASU more closely align the results of hedge accounting with risk management activities through changes to both the designation and measurement guidance for qualifying hedging relationships and the presentation of hedge results in the financial statements. The Company, Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama do not expect the adoption of this new guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 to have a significant impact on the financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which was later supplemented by ASU Nos. 2018-19, 2019-04 and 2019-05. The standard introduces new guidance for the accounting for credit losses on instruments within its scope, including trade receivables. The new guidance will be initially applied through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. The Company, Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama are currently assessing the impacts of adopting this standard in the first quarter of fiscal 2021.