Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Accounting Policies

ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and do not include all the information and notes required by United States generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP) for complete financial statements. In our opinion, the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments, which are of a normal and recurring nature, necessary to present fairly the financial position and the results of operations for the interim periods presented. The consolidated balance sheet as of August 31, 2019 includes a reclassification of $59.8 million of capitalized software from property, plant and equipment, net, to other long-term assets to conform to our current presentation.

The results of consolidated operations for the nine-month period ended August 31, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. Historically, our net sales, net income and cash flow from operations have been lower in the first half of the fiscal year and higher in the second half. The historical increase in net sales, net income and cash flow from operations in the second half of the year has largely been due to the consumer business cycle in the U.S., where customers typically purchase more products in the fourth quarter due to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons.

For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2019.

Impact of COVID-19

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization designated a new coronavirus (“COVID-19”) as a global pandemic. Governments around the world mandated orders to slow the transmission of the virus that included shelter-in-place orders, quarantines, and significant restrictions on travel, as well as work restrictions that prohibited many employees from going to work. The extent and nature of government actions have varied during the nine months ended August 31, 2020 based upon the then-current extent and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic within their respective countries and localities. Uncertainty with respect to the economic effects of the pandemic has introduced significant volatility in the financial markets.

We are partnering with our customers to react to consumer demand changes associated with COVID-19. The effects of COVID-19 on consumer behavior have, on a net basis, favorably impacted the operating results of our consumer segment and unfavorably impacted the operating results of our flavor solutions segment in the three months and nine months ended August 31, 2020. The impact of COVID-19 on our consumer segment during those periods resulted in a significant increase in at-home consumption and related demand for our products. The unfavorable impact on our flavor solutions segment during the same periods was principally attributable to decreased demand from certain customers that were affected by government mandates related to COVID-19 in many of our markets. Those measures included closures of dine-in restaurants or restrictions on the operations of those restaurants to carry-out or delivery only as well as restrictions on the operations of quick service restaurants to drive-through pick-up or delivery. Those negative demand impacts in our flavor solutions segment were partially offset by increased at-home consumption from certain customers in our flavor solutions segment that use our products to flavor their own brands for at-home consumption.

Accounting Pronouncements Adopted in 2020

As more fully described in note 1 of notes to consolidated financial statements included in our Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2019, we were required to adopt the new accounting standard for leases, Accounting Standards Codification Topic 842 Leases (ASC 842), as of December 1, 2019 and we elected to do so using a modified retrospective transition method. That modified retrospective transition method allowed us to initially apply the new standard at the adoption date and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings in the opening balance sheet in the period of adoption without restating prior periods. ASC 842 revised prior practice related to accounting for leases under Accounting Standards Codification Topic 840 Leases (ASC 840) for both lessees and lessors and requires lessees to recognize most leases on their balance sheets as lease liabilities with corresponding right-of-use ("ROU") assets. Under ASC 842, the lease liability is equal to the present value of lease payments, and the ROU asset is based on the lease liability, subject to adjustments, such as for deferred rent and initial direct costs. For income statement purposes, ASC 842 retains a dual model similar to ASC 840, requiring leases to be classified as either operating or finance. For lessees, operating leases will result in straight-line expense (similar to prior accounting by

lessees for operating leases under ASC 840) while finance leases will result in a front-loaded expense pattern (similar to prior accounting by lessees for capital leases under ASC 840).

We elected the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance, which, among other things, allows us to carry forward the historical lease classification. In addition, we made accounting policy elections to combine the lease and non-lease components for all asset categories other than real estate. We also made elections to exclude from balance sheet reporting those leases with initial terms of 12 months or less ("short-term leases").

Adoption of the new standard resulted in the recording of operating lease ROU assets and lease liabilities of $136.5 million and $140.0 million, respectively, with the difference due to prepaid and deferred rents that were reclassified to the ROU asset value. No cumulative-effect adjustment to opening retained earnings was required as of December 1, 2019. The standard did not materially affect our consolidated net income or cash flows for the three- and nine-month periods ended August 31, 2020. See note 4 for further details.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements — Pending Adoption

In January 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU No. 2017-04 Intangibles—Goodwill and Other Topics (Topic 350)—Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. This guidance eliminates the requirement to calculate the implied fair value of goodwill of a reporting unit to measure a goodwill impairment charge. Instead, a company will record an impairment charge based on the excess of a reporting unit's carrying amount over its fair value. The new standard will be effective for the first quarter of our fiscal year ending November 30, 2021. Early adoption is permitted for all entities for annual and interim goodwill impairment testing dates after January 1, 2017. We currently do not expect this guidance to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which institutes a new model for recognizing credit losses on financial instruments that are not measured at fair value. The ASU is effective for the first quarter of our fiscal year ending November 30, 2021, and we anticipate that it will primarily impact our credit losses recognized for trade accounts receivable. We currently do not expect this guidance to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.