Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 26, 2015

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Accounting Policy

The accompanying consolidated financial statements of Arrow Electronics, Inc. (the "company") were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and reflect all adjustments of a normal recurring nature, which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial position and results of operations at and for the periods presented.  The consolidated results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year.

These consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information or notes necessary for a complete presentation and, accordingly, should be read in conjunction with the company's Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended June 27, 2015 and March 28, 2015, as well as the audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes for the year ended December 31, 2014, as filed in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Fiscal Period Policy

The company operates on a quarterly calendar that closes on the Saturday closest to the end of the calendar quarter, except for the third quarter of 2015 which closed on September 26, 2015.

Comparability of Prior Year Financial Data Policy

Certain prior period amounts were reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Policy

Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquisition over the fair value of the net assets acquired. The company tests goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually as of the first day of the fourth quarter, or more frequently if indicators of potential impairment exist.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Policy

The company maintains allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments.  The allowances for doubtful accounts are determined using a combination of factors, including the length of time the receivables are outstanding, the current business environment, and historical experience.

Fair Value of Debt Policy

The carrying amount of the company's short-term borrowings in various countries, revolving credit facility, asset securitization program, and other obligations approximate their fair value.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments Policy

Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date.  The company utilizes a fair value hierarchy, which maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value.  The fair value hierarchy has three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

Level 1 Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities.

Level 2 Quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.

Level 3 Prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.