Impact of Recently Issued Accounting Standards

9 Months Ended

Oct. 01, 2011

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Impact of Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements [Text Block]

Impact of Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In May 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-04, "Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs" ("ASU No. 2011-04"), which amends current guidance to result in common fair value measurement and disclosures between accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and International Financial Reporting Standards. The amendments explain how to measure fair value. They do not require additional fair value measurements and are not intended to establish valuations standards or affect valuation practices outside of financial reporting. The amendments change the wording used to describe fair value measurement requirements and disclosures, but often do not result in a change in the application of current guidance. The amendments in ASU No. 2011-04 are effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The company does not believe that the adoption of the provisions of ASU No. 2011-04 will have a material impact on the company's consolidated financial position or results of operations.

In June 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05, "Presentation of Comprehensive Income" ("ASU No. 2011-05"), which improves the comparability, consistency, and transparency of financial reporting and increases the prominence of items reported in other comprehensive income ("OCI") by eliminating the option to present components of OCI as part of the statement of changes in stockholders' equity. The amendments in this standard require that all nonowner changes in stockholders' equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. Under either method, an entity is required to present on the face of the financial statements reclassification adjustments for items that are reclassified from OCI to net income in the statement(s) where the components of net income and the components of OCI are presented. The amendments in this standard do not change the items that must be reported in OCI, when an item of OCI must be reclassified to net income, or change the option for an entity to present components of OCI gross or net of the effect of income taxes. The amendments in ASU No. 2011-05 are effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011 and are to be applied retrospectively. The adoption of the provisions of ASU No. 2011-05 will not have a material impact on the company's consolidated financial position or results of operations.

In September 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-08, "Testing Goodwill for Impairment" ("ASU No. 2011-08"), which allows entities to use a qualitative approach to test goodwill for impairment. ASU No. 2011-08 permits an entity to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If it is concluded that this is the case, it is necessary to perform the currently prescribed two-step goodwill impairment test. Otherwise, the two-step goodwill impairment test is not required. ASU No. 2011-08 is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. The company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting the provisions of ASU No. 2011-08.