Basis of Presentation

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2018

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of Operations: Actuant Corporation (“Actuant” or the “Company”) is a global manufacturer of a broad range of industrial products and systems, organized into two reportable segments. The Industrial Tools & Services segment is primarily engaged in the design, manufacture and distribution of branded hydraulic and mechanical tools and in providing joint integrity services and tool rental to the industrial, maintenance, infrastructure, oil & gas, energy and other markets. The Engineered Components & Systems segment provides highly engineered components for on-highway, off-highway, agriculture, energy, medical, construction and other vertical markets.

Consolidation and Presentation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries, all of which are wholly-owned. The results of companies acquired or disposed of during the year are included in the consolidated financial statements from the effective date of acquisition or until the date of divestiture. All intercompany balances, transactions and profits have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation, as discussed in the New Accounting Pronouncements section.

As part of our ongoing assessment of segment reporting, during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018, the Company’s financial reporting segments were modified to reflect changes in the operating structure of the Company, with the combination of our tools and services businesses and all OEM-related businesses into two operating segments: Industrial Tools & Services and Engineered Components & Systems. All prior period disclosures have been adjusted to reflect the two reportable segments.

Cash Equivalents: The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of 90 days or less to be cash equivalents.

Inventories: Inventories are comprised of material, direct labor and manufacturing overhead, and are stated at the lower of cost or market. Inventory cost is determined using the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method for a portion of the U.S. owned inventory (16.8% and 18.0% of total inventories in 2018 and 2017, respectively). The first-in, first-out or average cost methods are used for all other inventories. If the LIFO method were not used, inventory balances would be higher than reported amounts in the consolidated balance sheets by $6.0 million and $3.9 million at August 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

The nature of the Company’s products is such that they generally have a very short production cycle. Consequently, the amount of work-in-process at any point in time is minimal. In addition, many parts or components are ultimately either sold individually or assembled with other parts making a distinction between raw materials and finished goods impractical to determine. Other locations maintain and manage their inventories using a job cost system where the distinction of categories of inventory by state of completion is also not available. As a result of these factors, it is neither practical nor cost effective to segregate the amounts of raw materials, work-in-process or finished goods inventories at the respective balance sheet dates, as segregation would only be possible as the result of physical inventories which are taken at dates different from the balance sheet dates.

Property, Plant and Equipment: Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost. Plant and equipment are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets, ranging from ten to forty years for buildings and improvements and two to fifteen years for machinery and equipment. Equipment includes assets (joint integrity tools) which are rented to customers of our Industrial Tools & Services segment businesses. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the life of the related asset or the term of the lease, whichever is shorter. Depreciation expense was $20 million, $23 million and $25 million for the years ended August 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets: Other intangible assets with definite lives, consisting primarily of purchased customer relationships, patents, trademarks and non-compete agreements, are amortized over periods from one to twenty-five years. Goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives are not subject to amortization, but are subject to annual impairment testing.

The Company’s goodwill is tested for impairment annually, during the fourth quarter, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that goodwill might be impaired. The Company performs impairment reviews for its reporting units using a fair value method based on management’s judgments and assumptions. In estimating the fair value, the Company utilizes a discounted cash flow model, which is dependent on a number of assumptions including estimated future revenues and expenses, weighted average cost of capital, capital expenditures and other variables. The estimated fair value of the reporting unit is compared to the carrying amount of the reporting unit, including goodwill. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recorded and should not exceed the total amount of the goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. Indefinite lived intangible assets are also subject to an annual impairment test. On an annual basis, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired, the fair value of the indefinite lived intangible assets are evaluated by the Company to determine if an impairment charge is required. A considerable amount of management judgment is required in performing impairment tests, principally in determining the fair value of each reporting unit and the indefinite lived intangible assets.

Product Warranty Costs: The Company generally offers its customers a warranty on products sold, although warranty periods may vary by product type and application. The reserve for future warranty claims, which is recorded within the "Other current liabilities" line on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, is based on historical claim rates and current warranty cost experience. The following is a rollforward of the changes in product warranty reserves for fiscal years 2018 and 2017 (in thousands):



	2018			2017
Beginning balance	$	6,616		$	5,592
Provision for warranties	5,522			5,608
Warranty payments and costs incurred	(7,263		)	(4,714		)
Acquisitions/divestitures	(376		)	—
Impact of changes in foreign currency rates	(82		)	130
Ending balance	$	4,417		$	6,616

Revenue Recognition: The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the sales price is fixed or determinable and collectability of the sales price is reasonably assured. For product sales, delivery does not occur until the passage of title and risk of loss have transferred to the customer (generally when products are shipped). Revenue from services and rental contracts are recognized when the services are provided or ratably over the contract term. Revenue for highly custom product sales with a project duration greater than three months and exceeding a value of approximately $0.5 million is generally recognized under the percentage-of-completion method utilizing efforts expended or cost-to-cost input measures. Revenues for long-term contracts that do not meet these criteria are recognized under the completed contract method once delivery has occurred and passage of title and risk of loss have transferred to the customer. Unearned revenue related to long-term customer contracts, which is recorded within the "Other current liabilities" line on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, was $16.5 million and $10.1 million at August 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Customer sales are recorded net of allowances for returns and discounts, which are recognized as a deduction from sales at the time of sale. The Company commits to one-time or on-going trade discounts and promotions with customers that require the Company to estimate and accrue the ultimate costs of such programs. The Company generally does not require collateral or other security for receivables and provides for an allowance for doubtful accounts based on historical experience and a review of its existing receivables. Accounts receivable are stated net of an allowance for doubtful accounts of $5.4 million and $11.2 million at August 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Shipping and Handling Costs: The Company records costs associated with shipping its products in cost of products sold.

Research and Development Costs: Research and development costs consist primarily of an allocation of overall engineering and development resources and are expensed as incurred. Such costs incurred in the development of new products or significant improvements to existing products were $25.9 million, $21.9 million and $18.3 million in fiscal 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The Company also incurs significant costs in connection with fulfilling custom orders and developing solutions for unique customer needs which are not included in these research and development expense totals.

Other Income/Expense: Other income and expense primarily consists of net foreign currency exchange transaction gains of $0.4 million in fiscal 2018 and losses of $3.1 million and $1.3 million in fiscal 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Financing Costs: Financing costs represent interest expense, financing fees and amortization of debt issuance costs, net of interest income. Interest income was $1.2 million, $1.2 million and $1.7 million for fiscal 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Income Taxes: The provision for income taxes includes federal, state, local and non-U.S. taxes on income. Tax credits, primarily for non-U.S. earnings, are recognized as a reduction of the provision for income taxes in the year in which they are available for U.S. tax purposes. Deferred taxes are provided on temporary differences between assets and liabilities for financial and tax reporting purposes as measured by enacted tax rates expected to apply when temporary differences are settled or realized. Future tax benefits are recognized to the extent that realization of those benefits is considered to be more likely than not. A valuation allowance is established for deferred tax assets for which realization is not more likely than not of being realized. Prior to tax reform and through August 31, 2018, the Company has not provided for any residual U.S. income taxes on unremitted earning of non-U.S. subsidiaries, as such, earnings are intended to be indefinitely reinvested. The Company is currently reviewing the impact of tax reform on the policy for unremitted earnings and considers our position to be a provisional estimate. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense.

Foreign Currency Translation: The financial statements of the Company’s foreign operations are translated into U.S. dollars using the exchange rate at each balance sheet date for assets and liabilities and an appropriate weighted average exchange rate for each applicable period for revenues and expenses. Translation adjustments are reflected in the consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of shareholders' equity caption “Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss.”

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss: The following is a summary of the components included within accumulated other comprehensive loss (in thousands):



	August 31,
	2018		2017
Foreign currency translation adjustments	$	158,497	$	207,804
Pension and other postretirement benefit plans, net	15,748		19,457
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	$	174,245	$	227,261

Use of Estimates: The Company has recorded reserves for customer rebates, returns and discounts, doubtful accounts, inventory, incurred but not reported medical claims, environmental matters, warranty claims, workers compensation claims, product and non-product litigation and incentive compensation. These reserves require the use of estimates and judgment. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The Company believes that such estimates are made with consistent and appropriate assumptions. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which simplified several aspects of accounting for share-based payment transactions. The guidance required, among other items, that all excess tax deficiencies or benefits be recorded as income tax expense or benefit in the consolidated statement of operations and not in additional paid-in capital (shareholder's equity). This guidance was adopted on September 1, 2017 and the impact of adopting this guidance had the following effects:


•	for the year-ended August 31, 2018, we recorded $1.5 million in excess tax deficiency as an increase to our income tax expense. This requirement was applied prospectively;

•

excess tax benefits are now presented as operating activities in the statement of cash flows, rather than as financing activities. The Company chose to apply this requirement retrospectively, and as a result, reclassified approximately $0.6 million of excess tax benefits during the year-ended August 31, 2017 from financing activities to operating activities in the consolidated statement of cash flows;


•	our computation of diluted earnings per share now excludes the excess tax benefits or deficiencies from the assumed proceeds available to repurchase shares. This requirement was applied prospectively.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Under ASU 2014-09 and subsequent updates included in ASU 2016-10, ASU 2016-12, ASU 2017-13 and ASU 2017-14, an entity will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects what it expects to receive in exchange for the goods or services. It also requires more detailed disclosures to enable users of financial statements to understand the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning on or after December 15, 2017 (fiscal 2019 for the Company). The Company has completed its assessment of its various revenue streams to identify performance obligations under these ASUs and the key aspects of the standard that impact the Company’s revenue recognition process. Based upon our assessment, the impact to allocation of contract revenue between various products and services and the timing of when those revenues are recognized is not materially significant. In conjunction with the evaluation, the Company has identified and implemented changes to its current accounting policies, business processes, systems and controls as necessary to support the new guidance. The guidance will be adopted by the Company beginning September 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach. As such, we will recognize the cumulative effect of the adoption, which is not material, as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, Compensation-Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost, which changes how employers that sponsor defined benefit pension or other postretirement benefit plans present the net periodic benefit cost in the income statement. The new guidance requires the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost to be presented in the same income statement line items as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period. Other components of the net periodic benefit cost are to be stated separately from service cost and outside of operating income. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 (fiscal 2019 for the Company) and interim periods within those annual periods. The amendment is to be applied retrospectively. Due to a majority of the Company's defined benefit pension or other postretirement benefit plans being frozen and the net periodic benefit pension cost not being significant, the adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on the financial statements of the Company.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016‑15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230), Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, to address how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. This update addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 (fiscal 2019 for the Company), including interim periods within those fiscal years. This update will require adoption on a retrospective basis unless it is impracticable to apply. The Company does not believe that this guidance will have a material impact on its presentation of the statement of cash flows.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (and subsequently ASU 2018-01), to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing all lease transactions (with terms in excess of 12 months) on the balance sheet as a lease liability and a right-of-use asset. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 (fiscal 2020 for the Company), including interim periods within those fiscal years. Upon adoption, the lessee will apply the new standard retrospectively to all periods presented under a modified retrospective approach using a cumulative effect adjustment in the year of adoption. The Company is currently gathering, documenting and analyzing lease agreements subject to this ASU and anticipates material additions to the balance sheet (upon adoption) of right-of-use assets, offset by the associated liabilities, due to our routine use of operating leases over time.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, which allows companies to reclassify stranded income tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings in their consolidated financial statements. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 (fiscal 2020 for the Company), including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this new standard and whether we will elect to reclassify the stranded income taxes.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block]

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy

New Accounting Pronouncements


•	for the year-ended August 31, 2018, we recorded $1.5 million in excess tax deficiency as an increase to our income tax expense. This requirement was applied prospectively;

•


•	our computation of diluted earnings per share now excludes the excess tax benefits or deficiencies from the assumed proceeds available to repurchase shares. This requirement was applied prospectively.