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Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

Footnote 1 — Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Newell Brands Inc. (formerly, Newell Rubbermaid Inc., and collectively with its subsidiaries, the “Company”) have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments (including normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position and the results of operations of the Company. It is recommended that these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the financial statements, and the footnotes thereto, included in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016 has been derived from the audited financial statements as of that date, but it does not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. Certain reclassifications have been made in the Company’s financial statements of the prior year to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications have no impact on previously reported net income.

Seasonal Variations

Sales of the Company’s products tend to be seasonal, with sales, operating income and operating cash flow in the first quarter generally lower than any other quarter during the year, driven principally by reduced volume and the mix of products sold in the first quarter. The seasonality of the Company’s sales volume combined with the accounting for fixed costs, such as depreciation, amortization, rent, personnel costs and interest expense, impacts the Company’s results on a quarterly basis. In addition, the Company tends to generate the majority of its operating cash flow in the second, third and fourth quarters of the year due to seasonal variations in operating results, the timing of annual performance-based compensation payments, customer program payments, working capital requirements and credit terms provided to customers. Accordingly, the Company’s results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2017 may not necessarily be indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2017.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Changes to U.S. GAAP are established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) in the form of accounting standards updates (“ASUs”) to the FASB’s Accounting Standards Codification. The Company considers the applicability and impact of all ASUs.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Accounting Standard Codification 606 — Revenue Recognition,” which established Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“ASC 606”). ASC 606 will replace existing revenue recognition requirements in U.S.GAAP and will require entities to recognize revenue at an amount that reflects the consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for transferring goods or services to a customer. To achieve this core principle, the standard provides a five-step analysis of transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized. Other major provisions include the capitalization and amortization of certain contract costs, ensuring the time value of money is considered in the transaction price, and allowing estimates of variable consideration to be recognized before contingencies are resolved in certain circumstances. ASC 606 will also require significantly expanded disclosures regarding the qualitative and quantitative information of the Company’s nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers.

In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-12, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients,” which updated ASU 2014-09. ASU 2016-12 clarifies certain core recognition principles including collectability, sales tax presentation, noncash consideration, contract modifications and completed contracts at transition and disclosures no longer required if the full retrospective transition method is adopted.

ASU 2014-09 and ASU 2016-12 are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those annual periods.

The standard permits two methods of adoption, either retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented (full retrospective method), or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying the guidance recognized at the date of initial application (the modified retrospective method). The Company tentatively plans to use the modified retrospective transition method and to adopt ASC 606 on January 1, 2018.

The Company is currently evaluating the effect that the updated standard will have on the Company’s financial statements and related disclosures. To that end, the Company has identified a project manager as well as an implementation project team. The Company has completed the assessment process for many of its business units and expects to complete this process during the second quarter of 2017.

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “ Leases (Topic 842) ,” which requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and lease liability for all leases with terms of more than 12 months. Recognition, measurement and presentation of expenses will depend on classification as a finance or operating lease. ASU 2016-02 is effective for the Company on January 1, 2019. The Company is beginning to evaluate the impact the adoption of ASU 2016-02 will have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07, “Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost.” ASU 2017-07 changes how employers that sponsor defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement plans present the net periodic benefit cost in the income statement. ASU 2017-07 requires that the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost be reported in the same line item or items as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the pertinent employees during the period. Other components of net benefit cost are required to be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of income from operations, if one is presented. ASU 2017-07 also allows only the service cost component to be eligible for capitalization, when applicable. This guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. ASU 2017-07 is to be applied retrospectively for the income statement presentation requirements and prospectively for the capitalization requirements of the service cost component. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this ASU will have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Other recently issued ASUs were assessed and determined to be either not applicable or are expected to have a minimal impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Adoption of New Accounting Guidance

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, “Compensation-Stock Compensation: Improvement to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.” ASU 2016-09 provides guidance intended to simplify accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and classification on the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The new standard requires: (1) excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies related to share-based awards to be recognized as income tax benefit or expense on a prospective basis in the reporting period in which they vest; (2) excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements to be presented within operating activities and withholding tax payments upon vesting of restricted stock units to be presented within financing activities within the cash flow statement; (3) permits the employer to repurchase more of an employee’s shares for tax withholding purposes and not classify the award as a liability that requires valuation on a mark-to-market basis; and (4) allows for a policy election to account for forfeitures as they occur. The Company adopted this guidance in the first quarter of 2017 and decided to continue its policy of estimating forfeitures. The Company has also elected to retrospectively reclassify the prior year cash flows related to excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements from financing activities to operating activities within the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. The Company adopted this guidance in the first quarter of 2017 and it did not have a material effect on the consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, “Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory,” which modifies existing requirements regarding measuring first-in, first-out and average cost inventory at the lower of cost or market. Under existing standards, the market amount requires consideration of replacement cost, net realizable value (“NRV”), and NRV less an approximately normal profit margin. ASU 2015-11 replaces market with NRV, defined as estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. This eliminates the need to determine and consider replacement cost or NRV less an approximately normal profit margin when measuring inventory. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted this guidance in the first quarter of 2017 and it did not have a material effect on the consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.

Other Items

The Company holds a 23.4% investment in Sprue Aegis (“Sprue”). During the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company’s related party sales to Sprue were $6.7 million. During the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company provided notification to Sprue of its election to terminate the distribution agreement on March 31, 2018.