Defined Benefit Pension Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Defined Benefit Pension Plans

Defined Benefit Pension PlansWe sponsor both funded and unfunded defined benefit pension plans offering death and disability, retirement, and special termination benefits for certain of our international employees, primarily in Germany, France, Indonesia, India, and Italy. The defined benefit obligation is calculated annually by using the projected unit credit method. The measurement date for the pension plans was December 31, 2021.

The following tables set forth the components of the changes in benefit obligations and fair value of plan assets:

	Year Ended December 31,
In thousands	2021		2020
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at January 1,	$	132,732	$	114,218
Service cost	4,479		4,027
Interest cost	1,383		1,817
Actuarial (gain) loss	(13,986)		9,323
Benefits paid	(3,381)		(2,820)
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	(8,505)		9,594
Curtailment	(579)		(589)
Settlement	(171)		(78)
Other	101		(2,760)
Benefit obligation at December 31,	$	112,073	$	132,732
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at January 1,	$	10,206	$	12,665
Actual return on plan assets	308		389
Company contributions	102		349
Benefits paid	(329)		(298)
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	(678)		(177)
Release for divestiture	—		(2,722)
Fair value of plan assets at December 31,	9,609		10,206
Net pension benefit obligation at fair value	$	102,464	$	122,526

Amounts recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheets consist of:

	December 31,
In thousands	2021		2020
Liabilities
Current portion of pension benefit obligation in wages and benefits payable	$	3,088	$	3,069
Pension benefit obligation held for sale within other current liabilities	11,513		—
Long-term portion of pension benefit obligation	87,863		119,457
Pension benefit obligation, net	$	102,464	$	122,526

On November 2, 2021, Itron entered into an agreement to sell certain of its Gas device businesses and operations to Dresser. The related disposal group was classified as held for sale during the fourth quarter of 2021. Refer to Note 18: Sale of Businesses for additional information on the transaction.

Amounts recognized in OCI (pre-tax) are as follows:

	Year Ended December 31,
In thousands	2021		2020		2019
Net actuarial (gain) loss	$	(14,565)	$	8,734	$	8,762
Settlement (gain) loss	2		(286)		(250)
Curtailment loss	557		—		—
Plan asset (gain) loss	38		64		(526)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	(2,183)		(2,255)		(1,648)
Amortization of prior service cost	(71)		(68)		(68)
Other	101		—		(160)
Other comprehensive (income) loss	$	(16,121)	$	6,189	$	6,110

If actuarial gains and losses exceed ten percent of the greater of plan assets or plan liabilities, we amortize them over the employees' average future service period. The estimated net actuarial loss and prior service cost that will be amortized from AOCI into net periodic benefit cost during 2022 is $1.1 million.

Net periodic pension benefit cost for our plans include the following components:

	Year Ended December 31,
In thousands	2021		2020		2019
Service cost	$	4,479	$	4,027	$	3,711
Interest cost	1,383		1,817		2,278
Expected return on plan assets	(346)		(453)		(608)
Amortization of prior service costs	71		68		68
Amortization of actuarial net loss	2,183		2,255		1,648
Settlement	(2)		286		250
Curtailment	(557)		—		—
Net periodic benefit cost	$	7,211	$	8,000	$	7,347

The components of net periodic benefit cost, other than the service cost component, are included in total other income (expense) on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The significant actuarial weighted average assumptions used in determining the benefit obligations and net periodic benefit cost for our benefit plans are as follows:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2021		2020		2019
Actuarial assumptions used to determine benefit obligations at end of period:
Discount rate	1.66	%	1.10	%	1.76	%
Expected annual rate of compensation increase	3.88	%	3.68	%	3.76	%
Actuarial assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost for the period:
Discount rate	1.10	%	1.76	%	2.24	%
Expected rate of return on plan assets	3.45	%	4.89	%	5.19	%
Expected annual rate of compensation increase	3.68	%	3.76	%	3.60	%

We determine a discount rate for our plans based on the estimated duration of each plan's liabilities. For euro denominated defined benefit pension plans, which represent 91% of our projected benefit obligation, we use discount rates with consideration of the duration of each of the plans, using a hypothetical yield curve developed from euro-denominated AA-rated corporate bond issues. These bonds are assigned different weights to adjust their relative influence on the yield curve, and the highest and lowest yielding 10% of bonds are excluded within each maturity group. The discount rates used, depending on the duration of the plans, were between 0.50% and 1.25%.

Our expected rate of return on plan assets is derived from a study of actual historic returns achieved and anticipated future long-term performance of plan assets, specific to plan investment asset category. While the study primarily gives consideration to recent insurers' performance and historical returns, the assumption represents a long-term prospective return.

The total accumulated benefit obligation for our defined benefit pension plans was $103.4 million and $121.7 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020.

The total obligations and fair value of plan assets for plans with projected benefit obligations and accumulated benefit obligations exceeding the fair value of plan assets are as follows:

In thousands	December 31,
	2021		2020
Projected benefit obligation	$	112,073	$	132,732
Accumulated benefit obligation	103,437		121,747
Fair value of plan assets	9,609		10,206

Our asset investment strategy focuses on maintaining a portfolio using primarily insurance funds, which are accounted for as investments and measured at fair value, in order to achieve our long-term investment objectives on a risk adjusted basis. Our general funding policy for these qualified pension plans is to contribute amounts sufficient to satisfy regulatory funding standards of the respective countries for each plan.

The fair values of our plan investments by asset category are as follows:

	Total		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
In thousands	December 31, 2021
Cash	$	1,075	$	1,075	$	—
Insurance funds	8,534		—		8,534
Total fair value of plan assets	$	9,609	$	1,075	$	8,534
In thousands	December 31, 2020
Cash	$	1,050	$	1,050	$	—
Insurance funds	9,156		—		9,156
Total fair value of plan assets	$	10,206	$	1,050	$	9,156

The following tables present a reconciliation of Level 3 assets held during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

In thousands	Balance at January 1, 2021		Net Realized and Unrealized Gains		Net Purchases, Issuances, Settlements, and Other		Release for Divestiture		Effect of Foreign Currency		Balance at December 31, 2021
Insurance funds	$	9,156	$	289	$	(242)	$	—	$	(669)	$	8,534

In thousands	Balance at January 1, 2020		Net Realized and Unrealized Gains		Net Purchases, Issuances, Settlements, and Other		Release for Divestiture		Effect of Foreign Currency		Balance at December 31, 2020
Insurance funds	$	8,133	$	237	$	15	$	—	$	771	$	9,156
Other securities	3,606		117		(61)		(2,722)		(940)		—
Total	$	11,739	$	354	$	(46)	$	(2,722)	$	(169)	$	9,156

As the plan assets and contributions are not significant to our total company assets, no further disclosures are considered material.

Annual benefit payments for the next 10 years, including amounts to be paid from our assets for unfunded plans and reflecting expected future service, as appropriate, are expected to be paid as follows:

Year Ending December 31,	Estimated Annual Benefit Payments
In thousands
2022	$	4,294
2023	3,456
2024	4,392
2025	4,686
2026	4,755
2027-2031	26,825