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Basis of presentation
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of presentation Basis of presentation
 
The Brink’s Company (along with its subsidiaries, “Brink’s” or “we”) has three operating segments:
North America
South America
Rest of World

Our unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial reporting and applicable quarterly reporting regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).  Accordingly, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included.  Operating results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year.  These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

We have made a number of estimates and assumptions relating to the reporting of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities to prepare these condensed consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates.  The most significant estimates are related to goodwill and other long-lived assets, pension and other retirement benefit obligations, legal contingencies, allowance for doubtful accounts, deferred tax assets, purchase price allocations and foreign currency translation. Our estimates could be materially adversely affected in future periods by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which began to have an adverse impact on our results of operations in the quarter ended March 31, 2020 through a reduction in global commerce, reducing the demand for our services and lowering volumes. As a result, we have experienced reduced revenues as some of our customers canceled or suspended service. Consequently we began to align our cost structure to the reduced demand for our services.

We expect a negative impact on volumes, revenues and operating results while the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Because of the significant uncertainty with respect to the magnitude of the impact and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, future developments associated with the COVID-19 pandemic could materially adversely affect our financial position, results of operations, cash flows or our long-term liquidity position. We will continue to monitor developments affecting our condensed consolidated financial statements, including indicators that goodwill or other long-lived assets may be impaired, increases in valuation allowances for doubtful accounts or deferred tax assets may be necessary or other accruals that may increase or be necessary resulting from actions taken to reduce our cost structure or conserve our liquidity.

Consolidation
The condensed consolidated financial statements include our controlled subsidiaries.  Control is determined based on ownership rights or, when applicable, based on whether we are considered to be the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity.  See "Venezuela" section below for further information. For controlled subsidiaries that are not wholly-owned, the noncontrolling interests are included in net income and in total equity.

Investments in businesses that we do not control, but for which we have the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies, are accounted for under the equity method and our proportionate share of income or loss is recorded in other operating income (expense).  Investments in businesses for which we do not have the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies are accounted for at fair value, if readily determinable, with changes in fair value recognized in net income. For equity investments that do not have a readily determinable fair value, we measure these investments at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes from observable price changes. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Foreign Currency Translation
Our condensed consolidated financial statements are reported in U.S. dollars.  Our foreign subsidiaries maintain their records primarily in the currency of the country in which they operate. The method of translating local currency financial information into U.S. dollars depends on whether the economy in which our foreign subsidiary operates has been designated as highly inflationary or not.  Economies with a three-year cumulative inflation rate of more than 100% are considered highly inflationary.

Assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries in non-highly inflationary economies are translated into U.S. dollars using rates of exchange at the balance sheet date.  Translation adjustments are recorded in other comprehensive income (loss).  Revenues and expenses are translated at rates of exchange in effect during the year.  Transaction gains and losses are recorded in net income.

Foreign subsidiaries that operate in highly inflationary countries use the U.S. dollar as their functional currency.  Local currency monetary assets and liabilities are remeasured into U.S. dollars using rates of exchange as of each balance sheet date, with remeasurement adjustments
and other transaction gains and losses recognized in earnings.  Other than nonmonetary equity securities, nonmonetary assets and liabilities do not fluctuate with changes in local currency exchange rates to the dollar. For nonmonetary equity securities traded in highly inflationary economies, the fair market value of the equity securities are remeasured at the current exchange rates to determine gain or loss to be recorded in net income. Revenues and expenses are translated at rates of exchange in effect during the year.

Argentina
We operate in Argentina through wholly owned subsidiaries and a smaller controlled subsidiary (together "Brink's Argentina"). Revenues from Brink's Argentina represented approximately 5% of our consolidated revenues for the first six months of 2020 and 6% of our consolidated revenues for the first six months of 2019.

The operating environment in Argentina continues to present business challenges, including ongoing devaluation of the Argentine peso and significant inflation. In the first six months of 2020 and 2019, the Argentine peso declined approximately 15% (from 59.9 to 70.4 pesos to the U.S. dollar) and approximately 12% (from 37.6 to 42.6 pesos to the U.S. dollar), respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2019, the Argentine peso declined approximately 37% (from 37.6 to 59.9 pesos to the U.S. dollar).

Beginning July 1, 2018, we designated Argentina's economy as highly inflationary for accounting purposes. As a result, we consolidated Brink's Argentina using our accounting policy for subsidiaries operating in highly inflationary economies beginning with the third quarter of 2018. Argentine peso-denominated monetary assets and liabilities are remeasured at each balance sheet date using the currency exchange rate then in effect, with currency remeasurement gains and losses recognized in earnings. In the first six months of 2020, we recognized a $3.5 million pretax remeasurement loss. In the first six months of 2019, we recognized a $3.4 million pretax remeasurement loss.

At June 30, 2020, Argentina's economy remains highly inflationary for accounting purposes. At June 30, 2020, we had net monetary assets denominated in Argentine pesos of $25.0 million (including cash of $21.1 million). At June 30, 2020, we had net nonmonetary assets of $149.2 million (including $99.8 million of goodwill). At June 30, 2020, we had no equity securities denominated in Argentine pesos.

During September 2019, the Argentine government announced currency controls on both companies and individuals. The Argentine central bank issued details as to how the exchange control procedures would operate in practice. Under these procedures, central bank approval is required for many transactions, including dividend repatriation abroad.

We have in the past and may elect in the future to utilize other market mechanisms to convert Argentine pesos into U.S. dollars.  Conversions under these other market mechanisms have settled at rates that are generally less favorable than the rates at which we remeasured the financial statements of Brink's Argentina.  We did not have any such conversions losses in the six months ended June 30, 2020.

Although the Argentine government has implemented currency controls, Brink’s management continues to provide guidance and strategic oversight, including budgeting and forecasting for Brink’s Argentina. We continue to control our Argentina business for purposes of consolidation of our financial statements and continue to monitor the situation in Argentina.
 
Venezuela
Our Venezuelan operations offer transportation and route-based logistics management services for cash and valuables throughout Venezuela. Currency exchange regulations, combined with other government regulations, such as price controls and strict labor laws, significantly limit our ability to make and execute operational decisions at our Venezuelan subsidiaries. As a result of these conditions, we do not meet the accounting criteria for control over our Venezuelan operations and, as a result, we report the results of our investment in our Venezuelan subsidiaries using the cost method of accounting, the basis of which approximates zero. Prior to the imposition of the U.S. government sanctions in 2019, we provided immaterial amounts of financial support to our Venezuela operations. We continue to monitor the situation in Venezuela, including the imposition of sanctions by the U.S. government targeting Venezuela.

Internal loss
A former non-management employee in our U.S. global services operations embezzled funds from Brink's in prior years. Except for a small deductible amount, the amount of the internal loss related to the embezzlement was covered by our insurance. In an effort to cover up the embezzlement, the former employee intentionally misstated the underlying accounts receivable subledger data. In 2019, we incurred $4.5 million in costs (primarily third party expenses) to reconstruct the accounts receivables subledger. In the first six months of 2020, we incurred an additional $0.2 million in costs related to this activity. In the third quarter of 2019, we were able to identify $4.0 million of revenues billed and collected in prior periods which had never been recorded in the general ledger. We also identified and recorded $0.3 million in bank fees, which had been incurred in prior periods. The rebuild of the subledger was completed during the third quarter of 2019. Based on the reconstructed subledger, we were able to analyze and quantify the uncollected receivables from prior periods. Although we plan to attempt to collect these receivables, we estimated an increase to bad debt expense of $13.7 million in the third quarter of 2019.

The estimate of the allowance for doubtful accounts was adjusted in the fourth quarter of 2019 for an additional $6.4 million and again in the first six months of 2020 for an additional $10.6 million. This estimate will be adjusted in future periods, if needed, as assumptions related to the collectability of these accounts receivable change. At June 30, 2020, we have recorded a $21.6 million allowance on $25.0 million of accounts receivable, or 86%. We have defined accounts receivable impacted by the embezzlement as accounts receivable recorded as of and prior to the third quarter of 2019. Due to the unusual nature of this internal loss and the related errors in the subledger data, along with the fact that management has excluded these amounts when evaluating internal performance, we have excluded these net charges from segment results.

Goodwill
Goodwill is recognized for the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of tangible and identifiable intangible net assets of businesses acquired. We review goodwill for impairment annually, as of October 1, and whenever events or circumstances in interim periods indicate that it is more likely than not that an impairment may have occurred. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, impairment indicators were reviewed as of June 30, 2020 and we concluded that, due to decreases in our forecasted results, an impairment evaluation for all reporting units was necessary. We performed the interim impairment test as of April 30, 2020 and elected to forego the optional qualitative assessment and performed a quantitative goodwill impairment test instead. We estimated the fair value of each reporting unit using a weighting of three valuation methodologies: the Income Approach, the Public Company Market Multiple Method, and the Similar Transactions Method with greatest weight placed on the Income Approach. The resulting reporting unit fair values were compared to each reporting unit's carrying value. As a result of the evaluation, we concluded that the fair value of each reporting unit exceeded its carrying value for all reporting units, other than France, by a range of 21% to 199%. For the France reporting unit, although fair value exceeded carrying value by only 8%, goodwill related to the France reporting unit was not impaired. We assessed whether there were new events or circumstances as of the quarter end date of June 30, 2020 to roll forward the interim test conclusion and determined there was no impairment at that date. The France reporting unit had $86.7 million of goodwill at June 30, 2020.

Restricted Cash
In France and Malaysia, we offer services to certain of our customers where we manage some or all of their cash supply chains. In connection with these offerings, we take temporary title to certain customers' cash, which is included as restricted cash in our financial statements due to customer agreement or regulation. In addition, in accordance with a revolving credit facility, we are required to maintain a restricted cash reserve of $5.0 million and, due to this contractual restriction, we have classified this amount as restricted cash.

New Accounting Standards
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires the recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities by lessees for certain leases classified as operating leases and also requires expanded disclosures regarding leasing activities. The accounting for financing leases (previously "capital leases") remains substantially unchanged. We adopted the standard effective January 1, 2019 and elected to adopt the new standard at the adoption date through a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. Under this approach, we will continue to report comparative periods under ASC 840. We elected the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within the new standard, which among other things, allowed us to carry forward the historical lease classification. We also made an accounting policy election to exclude leases with an initial term of 12 months or less from the condensed consolidated balance sheet. We recognize those lease payments in the condensed consolidated statements of operations on a straight-line basis over the lease term. As part of this adoption, we implemented internal controls and key system functionality to enable the preparation of financial information. The adoption of the standard resulted in recording right-of-use assets of $310.1 million and lease liabilities of $320.3 million as of January 1, 2019. The right-of-use assets are lower than the lease liabilities as existing deferred rent and lease incentive liabilities were recorded as a reduction of the right-of-use assets at adoption in accordance with the standard. The standard did not affect our condensed consolidated statements of operations or our condensed consolidated statements of cash flows and did not result in a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. The standard had no impact on our debt-covenant compliance under our current agreements.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, which allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“Tax Reform Act”). We adopted ASU 2018-02 effective January 1, 2019 and elected to recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment increasing retained earnings by $28.8 million related to the change in the U.S. federal corporate tax rate.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, which changes the fair value measurement disclosure requirements. The amendments in this ASU eliminate some disclosures that are no longer considered cost beneficial, modify/clarify the specific requirements of certain disclosures and add disclosure requirements for Level 3 fair value measurements. We adopted ASU 2018-13 effective January 1, 2020 and the standard did not have a significant impact on our financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which changes the way entities recognize impairment of many financial assets. This new guidance requires immediate recognition of estimated credit losses expected to occur over the life of the asset and incorporates estimated, forward-looking data when measuring lifetime Estimated Credit Losses (ECL). The standard was designed to provide greater transparency and understanding of credit risk by requiring enhanced financial statement disclosures which fall into three general categories: ECL estimate methodology and assumptions, quantitative information and metrics, and policy and process explanations. We adopted the standard using the modified retrospective transition method. Results for the reporting period beginning January 1, 2020 are presented under ASC 326 while prior period amounts continue to be reported in accordance with previously applicable GAAP. We recognized a cumulative-effect adjustment decreasing retained earnings by $1.7 million on January 1, 2020. The adoption of the standard also resulted in expanded disclosures related to credit losses (see Note 10).

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes, which removes certain exceptions for recognizing deferred taxes for investments, performing intraperiod tax allocations and calculating income taxes in interim periods. The ASU also adds guidance to reduce complexity in certain areas, including recognizing deferred taxes for tax goodwill and allocating taxes to members of a consolidated group. ASU 2019-12 will be effective for us on January 1, 2021. We are currently evaluating the impact it will have on our financial statements.