Basis of Presentation	6 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation Basis of Presentation The accompanying Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements of HP and its wholly-owned subsidiaries are prepared in conformity with United States (“U.S.”) generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The interim financial information is unaudited but reflects all normal adjustments that are necessary to provide a fair statement of results for the interim periods presented. This interim information should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2019 in the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed on December 12, 2019. The Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheet for October 31, 2019 was derived from audited financial statements. Principles of Consolidation The Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements include the accounts of HP and its subsidiaries and affiliates in which HP has a controlling financial interest or is the primary beneficiary. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in HP’s Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements and accompanying notes. Actual results may differ materially from those estimates. As of April 30, 2020, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will impact our business going forward depends on numerous dynamic factors which we cannot reliably predict. As a result, many of our estimates and assumptions required increased judgment and carry a higher degree of variability and volatility. As the events continue to evolve with respect to the pandemic, our estimates may materially change in future periods. Separation Transaction On November 1, 2015, Hewlett-Packard Company completed the separation of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (“Hewlett Packard Enterprise”), Hewlett-Packard Company’s former enterprise technology infrastructure, software, services and financing businesses (the “Separation”). In connection with the Separation, HP and Hewlett Packard Enterprise entered into a separation and distribution agreement, an employee matters agreement and various other agreements which remain enforceable and provide a framework for the continuing relationships between the parties. For more information on the impacts of these agreements, see Note 6, “Supplementary Financial Information”, Note 12, “Litigation and Contingencies” and Note 13, “Guarantees, Indemnifications and Warranties”. Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In August 2017, the FASB issued guidance, which amends the existing accounting standards for derivatives and hedging. The amendment improves the financial reporting of hedging relationships to better represent the economic results of an entity’s risk management activities in its financial statements and made certain targeted improvements to simplify the application of the hedge accounting guidance in current U.S. GAAP. HP adopted this guidance in the first quarter of fiscal year 2020. The implementation of this guidance did not have a material impact on its Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued amended guidance on the accounting for leasing transactions. The primary objective of this update is to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by requiring lessees to recognize a lease liability for the obligation to make lease payments and a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset for the right to use the underlying asset over the lease term. The guidance also results in some changes to lessor accounting and requires additional disclosures about all leasing arrangements. HP adopted the standard (the “new lease standard”) as of November 1, 2019 using a modified retrospective approach, with the cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of accumulated deficit as of the adoption date. HP elected to apply the practical expedient using the transition option whereby prior comparative periods were not retrospectively adjusted in the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements. HP also elected the package of practical expedients, which does not require reassessment of initial direct costs, classification of a lease, and definition of a lease. The Company has elected not to record leases with an initial term of 12 months or less on the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets. Lease expense on such leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. HP has also elected the lessee practical expedient to combine lease and non-lease components for certain asset classes. The adoption of the new lease standard resulted in the recognition of $1.2 billion in operating lease liabilities and $1.2 billion of related ROU assets on the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets. The net impact of adoption to accumulated deficit as on November 1, 2019 is not considered material. As of November 1, 2019, there were no material finance leases for which HP was a lessee. The new lease standard also made some changes to lessor accounting, including alignment with the new revenue recognition standard. HP now records revenue upfront on certain aspects of its as-a-service offerings and reflects financing of these offerings as cash flows from financing activities on the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Cash Flows. These changes did not have a material impact on the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements. Refer to Note 14 “Leases” for additional disclosures related to leases. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted In June 2016, the FASB issued guidance, which requires credit losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost basis to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected, not based on incurred losses. Further, credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities should be recorded through an allowance for credit losses limited to the amount by which fair value is below amortized cost. HP will adopt the guidance in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021 using a modified retrospective approach. HP is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements. Revenue Recognition General HP recognizes revenues at a point in time or over time depicting the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which HP expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. HP follows the five-step model for revenue recognition as summarized below: 1. Identify the contract with a customer - A contract with customer exists when (i) it is approved and signed by all parties, (ii) each party’s rights and obligations can be identified, (iii) payment terms are defined, (iv) it has commercial substance and (v) the customer has the ability and intent to pay. HP evaluates customers’ ability to pay based on various factors like historical payment experience, financial metrics and customer credit scores. While the majority of our sales contracts contain standard terms and conditions, there are certain contracts with non-standard terms and conditions. 2. Identify the performance obligations in the contract - HP evaluates each performance obligation in an arrangement to determine whether it is distinct, such as hardware and/or service. A performance obligation constitutes distinct goods or services when the customer can benefit from such goods or services either on its own or together with other resources that are readily available to the customer and the performance obligation is distinct within the context of the contract. 3. Determine the transaction price - Transaction price is the amount of consideration to which HP expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring goods or services to the customer. If the transaction price includes a variable amount, HP estimates the amount it expects to be entitled to using either the expected value or the most likely amount method. HP reduces the transaction price at the time of revenue recognition for customer and distributor programs and incentive offerings, rebates, promotions, other volume-based incentives and expected returns. HP uses estimates to determine the expected variable consideration for such programs based on factors like historical experience, expected consumer behavior and market conditions. HP has elected the practical expedient of not accounting for significant financing components if the period between revenue recognition and when the customer pays for the product or service is one year or less. 4. Allocate the transaction price to performance obligations in the contract - When a sales arrangement contains multiple performance obligations, such as hardware and/or services, HP allocates revenue to each performance obligation in proportion to their selling price. The selling price for each performance obligation is based on its Standalone Selling Price (“SSP”). HP establishes SSP using the price charged for a performance obligation when sold separately (“observable price”) and, in some instances, using the price established by management having the relevant authority. When observable price is not available, HP establishes SSP based on management judgment considering internal factors such as margin objectives, pricing practices and controls, customer segment pricing strategies and the product life cycle. Consideration is also given to market conditions such as competitor pricing strategies and technology industry life cycles. 5. Recognize revenue when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied - Revenue is recognized when, or as, a performance obligation is satisfied by transferring control of a promised good or service to a customer. HP generally invoices the customer upon delivery of the goods or services and the payments are due as per contract terms. For fixed price support or maintenance contracts that are in the nature of stand-ready obligations, payments are generally received in advance from customers and revenue is recognized on a straight-line basis over the duration of the contract. HP reports revenue net of any taxes collected from customers and remitted to government authorities, and the collected taxes are recorded as other current liabilities until remitted to the relevant government authority. HP includes costs related to shipping and handling in cost of revenue. HP records revenue on a gross basis when HP is a principal in the transaction and on a net basis when HP is acting as an agent between the customer and the vendor. HP considers several factors to determine whether it is acting as a principal or an agent, most notably whether HP is the primary obligor to the customer, has established its own pricing and has inventory and credit risks. Hardware HP transfers control of the products to the customer at the time the product is delivered to the customer and recognizes revenue accordingly, unless customer acceptance is uncertain or significant obligations to the customer remain unfulfilled. HP records revenue from the sale of equipment under sales-type leases as revenue at the commencement of the lease. Services HP recognizes revenue from fixed-price support, maintenance and other service contracts over time depicting the pattern of service delivery and recognizes the costs associated with these contracts as incurred. Contract Assets and Liabilities Contract assets are rights to consideration in exchange for goods or services that HP has transferred to a customer when such right is conditional on something other than the passage of time. Such contract assets are not material to HP’s Consolidated Financial Statements. Contract liabilities are recorded as deferred revenues when amounts invoiced to customers are more than the revenues recognized or when payments are received in advance for fixed price support or maintenance contracts. The short-term and long-term deferred revenues are reported within the other current liabilities and other non-current liabilities respectively. Cost to obtain a contract and fulfillment cost Incremental direct costs of obtaining a contract primarily consist of sales commissions. HP has elected the practical expedient to expense as incurred the costs to obtain a contract with a benefit period equal to or less than one year. For contracts with a period of benefit greater than one year, HP capitalizes incremental costs of obtaining a contract with a customer and amortizes these costs over their expected period of benefit provided such costs are recoverable. Fulfillment costs consist of set-up and transition costs related to other service contracts. These costs generate or enhance resources of HP that will be used in satisfying the performance obligation in the future and are capitalized and amortized over the expected period of the benefit, provided such costs are recoverable. See Note 6, “Supplementary Financial Information” for details on net revenue by region, cost to obtain a contract and fulfillment cost, contract liabilities and value of remaining performance obligations. Leases At the inception of a contract, HP assesses whether the contract is, or contains, a lease. The assessment is based on (1) whether the contract involves the use of a distinct identified asset, (2) whether HP obtains the right to substantially all the economic benefit from the use of the asset throughout the period, and (3) whether HP has the right to direct the use of the asset. All significant lease arrangements are recognized at lease commencement. Leases with a lease term of 12 months or less at inception are not recorded on the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets and are expensed on a straight-line basis over the lease term in the Consolidated Condensed Statement of Earnings. HP determines the lease term by assuming the exercise of renewal options that are reasonably certain. As most of the leases do not provide an implicit interest rate, HP uses the unsecured borrowing rate and risk-adjusts that rate to approximate a collateralized rate at the commencement date to determine the present value of future payments that are reasonably certain.

The accompanying Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements of HP and its wholly-owned subsidiaries are prepared in conformity with United States (“U.S.”) generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The interim financial information is unaudited but reflects all normal adjustments that are necessary to provide a fair statement of results for the interim periods presented. This interim information should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2019 in the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed on December 12, 2019. The Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheet for October 31, 2019 was derived from audited financial statements.

The Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements include the accounts of HP and its subsidiaries and affiliates in which HP has a controlling financial interest or is the primary beneficiary. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in HP’s Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements and accompanying notes. Actual results may differ materially from those estimates. As of April 30, 2020, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will impact our business going forward depends on numerous dynamic factors which we cannot reliably predict. As a result, many of our estimates and assumptions required increased judgment and carry a higher degree of variability and volatility. As the events continue to evolve with respect to the pandemic, our estimates may materially change in future periods.

On November 1, 2015, Hewlett-Packard Company completed the separation of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (“Hewlett Packard Enterprise”), Hewlett-Packard Company’s former enterprise technology infrastructure, software, services and financing businesses (the “Separation”). In connection with the Separation, HP and Hewlett Packard Enterprise entered into a separation and distribution agreement, an employee matters agreement and various other agreements which remain enforceable and provide a framework for the continuing relationships between the parties. For more information on the impacts of these agreements, see Note 6, “Supplementary Financial Information”, Note 12, “Litigation and Contingencies” and Note 13, “Guarantees, Indemnifications and Warranties”.

In August 2017, the FASB issued guidance, which amends the existing accounting standards for derivatives and hedging. The amendment improves the financial reporting of hedging relationships to better represent the economic results of an entity’s risk management activities in its financial statements and made certain targeted improvements to simplify the application of the hedge accounting guidance in current U.S. GAAP. HP adopted this guidance in the first quarter of fiscal year 2020. The implementation of this guidance did not have a material impact on its Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued amended guidance on the accounting for leasing transactions. The primary objective of this update is to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by requiring lessees to recognize a lease liability for the obligation to make lease payments and a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset for the right to use the underlying asset over the lease term. The guidance also results in some changes to lessor accounting and requires additional disclosures about all leasing arrangements.

HP adopted the standard (the “new lease standard”) as of November 1, 2019 using a modified retrospective approach, with the cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of accumulated deficit as of the adoption date. HP elected to apply the practical expedient using the transition option whereby prior comparative periods were not retrospectively adjusted in the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements. HP also elected the package of practical expedients, which does not require reassessment of initial direct costs, classification of a lease, and definition of a lease. The Company has elected not to record leases with an initial term of 12 months or less on the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets. Lease expense on such leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. HP has also elected the lessee practical expedient to combine lease and non-lease components for certain asset classes.

The adoption of the new lease standard resulted in the recognition of $1.2 billion in operating lease liabilities and $1.2 billion of related ROU assets on the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets. The net impact of adoption to accumulated deficit as on November 1, 2019 is not considered material. As of November 1, 2019, there were no material finance leases for which HP was a lessee.

The new lease standard also made some changes to lessor accounting, including alignment with the new revenue recognition standard. HP now records revenue upfront on certain aspects of its as-a-service offerings and reflects financing of these offerings

as cash flows from financing activities on the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Cash Flows. These changes did not have a material impact on the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued guidance, which requires credit losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost basis to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected, not based on incurred losses. Further, credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities should be recorded through an allowance for credit losses limited to the amount by which fair value is below amortized cost. HP will adopt the guidance in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021 using a modified retrospective approach. HP is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.

HP recognizes revenues at a point in time or over time depicting the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which HP expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. HP follows the five-step model for revenue recognition as summarized below:

(ii) each party’s rights and obligations can be identified, (iii) payment terms are defined, (iv) it has commercial substance and (v) the customer has the ability and intent to pay. HP evaluates customers’ ability to pay based on various factors like historical payment experience, financial metrics and customer credit scores. While the majority of our sales contracts contain standard terms and conditions, there are certain contracts with non-standard terms and conditions.

determine whether it is distinct, such as hardware and/or service. A performance obligation constitutes distinct goods or services when the customer can benefit from such goods or services either on its own or together with other resources that are readily available to the customer and the performance obligation is distinct within the context of the contract.

exchange for transferring goods or services to the customer. If the transaction price includes a variable amount, HP estimates the amount it expects to be entitled to using either the expected value or the most likely amount method.

offerings, rebates, promotions, other volume-based incentives and expected returns. HP uses estimates to determine the expected variable consideration for such programs based on factors like historical experience, expected consumer behavior and market conditions.

performance obligations, such as hardware and/or services, HP allocates revenue to each performance obligation in proportion to their selling price. The selling price for each performance obligation is based on its Standalone Selling Price (“SSP”). HP establishes SSP using the price charged for a performance obligation when sold separately (“observable price”) and, in some instances, using the price established by management having the relevant authority. When observable price is not available, HP establishes SSP based on management judgment considering internal factors such as margin objectives, pricing practices and controls, customer segment pricing strategies and the product life cycle. Consideration is also given to market conditions such as competitor pricing strategies and technology industry life cycles.

performance obligation is satisfied by transferring control of a promised good or service to a customer. HP generally invoices the customer upon delivery of the goods or services and the payments are due as per contract terms. For fixed price support or maintenance contracts that are in the nature of stand-ready obligations, payments are generally received in advance from customers and revenue is recognized on a straight-line basis over the duration of the contract.

HP reports revenue net of any taxes collected from customers and remitted to government authorities, and the collected taxes are recorded as other current liabilities until remitted to the relevant government authority. HP includes costs related to shipping and handling in cost of revenue.

HP records revenue on a gross basis when HP is a principal in the transaction and on a net basis when HP is acting as an agent between the customer and the vendor. HP considers several factors to determine whether it is acting as a principal or an agent, most notably whether HP is the primary obligor to the customer, has established its own pricing and has inventory and credit risks.

HP transfers control of the products to the customer at the time the product is delivered to the customer and recognizes revenue accordingly, unless customer acceptance is uncertain or significant obligations to the customer remain unfulfilled. HP records revenue from the sale of equipment under sales-type leases as revenue at the commencement of the lease.

HP recognizes revenue from fixed-price support, maintenance and other service contracts over time depicting the pattern of service delivery and recognizes the costs associated with these contracts as incurred.

Contract assets are rights to consideration in exchange for goods or services that HP has transferred to a customer when such right is conditional on something other than the passage of time. Such contract assets are not material to HP’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

Contract liabilities are recorded as deferred revenues when amounts invoiced to customers are more than the revenues recognized or when payments are received in advance for fixed price support or maintenance contracts. The short-term and long-term deferred revenues are reported within the other current liabilities and other non-current liabilities respectively.

Incremental direct costs of obtaining a contract primarily consist of sales commissions. HP has elected the practical expedient to expense as incurred the costs to obtain a contract with a benefit period equal to or less than one year. For contracts with a period of benefit greater than one year, HP capitalizes incremental costs of obtaining a contract with a customer and amortizes these costs over their expected period of benefit provided such costs are recoverable.

Fulfillment costs consist of set-up and transition costs related to other service contracts. These costs generate or enhance resources of HP that will be used in satisfying the performance obligation in the future and are capitalized and amortized over the expected period of the benefit, provided such costs are recoverable.

See Note 6, “Supplementary Financial Information” for details on net revenue by region, cost to obtain a contract and fulfillment cost, contract liabilities and value of remaining performance obligations.

At the inception of a contract, HP assesses whether the contract is, or contains, a lease. The assessment is based on (1) whether the contract involves the use of a distinct identified asset, (2) whether HP obtains the right to substantially all the economic benefit from the use of the asset throughout the period, and (3) whether HP has the right to direct the use of the asset.

All significant lease arrangements are recognized at lease commencement. Leases with a lease term of 12 months or less at inception are not recorded on the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets and are expensed on a straight-line basis over the lease term in the Consolidated Condensed Statement of Earnings. HP determines the lease term by assuming the exercise of renewal options that are reasonably certain. As most of the leases do not provide an implicit interest rate, HP uses the unsecured borrowing rate and risk-adjusts that rate to approximate a collateralized rate at the commencement date to determine the present value of future payments that are reasonably certain.