Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

IDEX is an applied solutions company specializing in fluid and metering technologies, health and science technologies, and fire, safety and other diversified products built to its customers’ specifications. IDEX’s products are sold in niche markets to a wide range of industries throughout the world. The Company’s products include industrial pumps, compressors, flow meters, injectors and valves, and related controls for use in a wide variety of process applications; precision fluidics solutions, including pumps, valves, degassing equipment, corrective tubing, fittings, and complex manifolds, optical filters and specialty medical equipment and devices used in life science applications; precision-engineered equipment for dispensing, metering and mixing paints; and engineered products for industrial and commercial markets, including fire and rescue, transportation equipment, oil & gas, electronics, and communications. These activities are grouped into three reportable segments: Fluid & Metering Technologies, Health & Science Technologies and Fire & Safety/Diversified Products.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the Company and its subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The principal areas of estimation reflected in the financial statements are revenue recognition, sales returns and allowances, allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory valuation, recoverability of long-lived assets, income taxes, product warranties, contingencies and litigation, insurance-related items, defined benefit retirement plans and purchase accounting related to acquisitions.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the sales price is fixed or determinable, and collectability of the sales price is reasonably assured. For product sales, delivery does not occur until the products have been shipped and risk of loss has been transferred to the customer. Revenue from services is recognized when the services are provided or ratably over the contract term. Some arrangements with customers may include multiple deliverables, including the combination of products and services. In such cases the Company has identified these as separate elements in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 605-25, Revenue Recognition-Multiple-Element Arrangements, and recognizes revenue consistent with the policy for each separate element based on the relative selling price method. Revenues from certain long-term contracts are recognized on the percentage-of-completion method. Percentage-of-completion is measured principally by the percentage of costs incurred to date for each contract to the estimated total costs for such contract at completion. Provisions for estimated losses on uncompleted long-term contracts are made in the period in which such losses are determined. Due to uncertainties inherent in the estimation process, it is reasonably possible that completion costs, including those arising from contract penalty provisions and final contract settlements, will be revised in the near-term. Such revisions to costs and income are recognized in the period in which the revisions are determined.

The Company records allowances for discounts, product returns and customer incentives at the time of sale as a reduction of revenue as such allowances can be reliably estimated based on historical experience and known trends. The Company also offers product warranties and accrues its estimated exposure for warranty claims at the time of sale based upon the length of the warranty period, warranty costs incurred and any other related information known to the Company.

Shipping and Handling Costs

Shipping and handling costs are included in cost of sales and are recognized as a period expense during the period in which they are incurred.

Advertising Costs

Advertising costs of $16.1 million, $14.5 million and $14.6 million for 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively, are expensed as incurred within Selling, general and administrative expenses.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid instruments purchased with an original maturity of 90 days or less to be cash and cash equivalents.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The Company maintains allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses as a result of customer’s inability to make required payments. Management evaluates the aging of the accounts receivable balances, the financial condition of its customers, historical trends and the time outstanding of specific balances to estimate the amount of accounts receivables that may not be collected in the future and records the appropriate provision.

Inventories

The Company states inventories at the lower of cost or market. Cost, which includes material, labor, and factory overhead, is determined on a FIFO basis. We make adjustments to reduce the cost of inventory to its net realizable value, if required, at the business unit level for estimated excess, obsolescence or impaired balances. Factors influencing these adjustments include changes in market demand, product life cycle and engineering changes.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment upon the occurrence of events or changes in circumstances that indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable, as measured by comparing their net book value to the projected undiscounted future cash flows generated by their use. Impaired assets are recorded at their estimated fair value based on a discounted cash flow analysis. A long-lived asset impairment exists when the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its fair value. Assessments of possible impairments of long-lived assets are made when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable through future operations.

Goodwill and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets

In accordance with ASC 350, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, the Company reviews the carrying value of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets annually on October 31, or upon the occurrence of events or changes in circumstances that indicate that the carrying value of the goodwill or intangible assets may not be recoverable. The Company evaluates the recoverability of these assets based on the estimated fair value of each of the fifteen reporting units and the indefinite-lived intangible asset. See Note 4 for a further discussion on goodwill and intangible assets.

Borrowing Expenses

Expenses incurred in securing and issuing debt are capitalized and included as a reduction of Long-term borrowings. These amounts are amortized over the life of the related borrowing and the related amortization is included in Interest expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Earnings per Common Share

Earnings per common share (“EPS”) is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of shares of common stock (basic) plus common stock equivalents (diluted) outstanding during the year. Common stock equivalents consist of stock options, which have been included in the calculation of weighted average shares outstanding using the treasury stock method, restricted stock, performance share units, and shares issuable in connection with certain deferred compensation agreements (“DCUs”).

ASC 260, Earnings per Share, concludes that all outstanding unvested share-based payment awards that contain rights to nonforfeitable dividends participate in undistributed earnings with common shareholders. If awards are considered participating securities, the Company is required to apply the two-class method of computing basic and diluted earnings per share. The Company has determined that its outstanding shares of restricted stock are participating securities. Accordingly, earnings per common share were computed using the two-class method prescribed by ASC 260. Net income attributable to common shareholders was reduced by $0.8 million, $1.3 million and $1.2 million in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Basic weighted average shares outstanding reconciles to diluted weighted average shares outstanding as follows:



	2015	2014	2013
	(In thousands)
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding	77,126	79,715	81,517
Dilutive effect of stock options, restricted stock, performance share units and DCUs	846	1,013	972
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	77,972	80,728	82,489

Options to purchase approximately 0.9 million, 0.5 million and zero shares of common stock in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively, were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because the effect of their inclusion would have been antidilutive.

Share-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for share-based payments in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation. Accordingly, the Company expenses the fair value of awards made under its share-based compensation plans. That cost is recognized in the consolidated financial statements over the requisite service period of the grants. See Note 13 for further discussion on share-based compensation.

Depreciation and Amortization

Property and equipment are stated at cost, with depreciation and amortization provided using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:



Land improvements	8 to 12 years
Buildings and improvements	8 to 30 years
Machinery, equipment and other	3 to 12 years
Office and transportation equipment	3 to 10 years

Certain identifiable intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives using the straight-line method. The estimated useful lives used in the computation of amortization of identifiable intangible assets are as follows:



Patents	5 to 17 years
Trade names	10 to 20 years
Customer relationships	5 to 20 years
Non-compete agreements	3 years
Unpatented technology and other	5 to 20 years

Research and Development Expenditures

Costs associated with research and development are expensed in the period incurred and are included in Cost of sales within the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Research and development expenses, which include costs associated with developing new products and major improvements to existing products, were $33.6 million, $36.8 million and $33.0 million in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Foreign Currency

The functional currency of substantially all operations outside the United States is the respective local currency. Accordingly, those foreign currency balance sheet accounts have been translated using the exchange rates in effect as of the balance sheet date. Income statement amounts have been translated using the average exchange rate for the year. The gains and losses resulting from changes in exchange rates from year to year have been reported in Accumulated other comprehensive loss in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Income Taxes

Income tax expense includes United States, state, local and international income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and the tax basis of existing assets and liabilities and for loss carryforwards. The tax rate used to determine the deferred tax assets and liabilities is the enacted tax rate for the year and manner in which the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are recorded to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that will more likely than not be realized.

Concentration of Credit Risk

The Company is not dependent on a single customer as its largest customer accounted for less than 2% of net sales for all years presented.

New Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In November 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, requiring all deferred tax assets and liabilities, and any related valuation allowance, to be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet. The classification change for all deferred taxes as noncurrent simplifies entities’ processes as it eliminates the need to separately identify the net current and net noncurrent deferred tax asset or liability in each jurisdiction and allocate valuation allowances. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company elected to prospectively adopt the accounting standard in the beginning of the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2015. Prior periods in our Consolidated Financial Statements were not adjusted.

In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-16, Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments, that eliminates the requirement for an acquirer in a business combination to account for measurement-period adjustments retrospectively. Instead, acquirers must recognize measurement-period adjustments during the period in which they determine the amounts, including the effect on earnings of any amounts they would have recorded in previous periods if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company elected to adopt this guidance early, effective in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2015. The impact of the early adoption did not impact the consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, Interest-Imputation of Interest: Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, which simplifies the presentation of debt issuance costs. Under ASU 2015-03, an entity presents such costs in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the related debt liability rather than as an asset. Amortization of the costs is reported as interest expense. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company elected to early adopt this guidance effective in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2015. The retroactive impact of the early adoption resulted in a decrease to Other noncurrent assets and Long-term debt of $4.6 million on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2014.

In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-08, Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity, which includes amendments that change the requirements for reporting discontinued operations. Under the new guidance, only disposals representing a strategic shift in operations with a major effect on the organization’s operations and financial results should be presented as discontinued operations. Additionally, the ASU requires expanded disclosures about disposal transactions that do not meet the discontinued operations criteria. The Company adopted the standard effective January 1, 2015 and the adoption did not impact the consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company. The Company concluded that the divestiture of the Ismatec product line did not quality for reporting as discontinued operations; however, the Company did include required disclosures in Note 2.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which introduces a new five-step revenue recognition model. Under ASU 2014-09, an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. This ASU also requires disclosures sufficient to enable users to understand the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers, including qualitative and quantitative disclosures about contracts with customers, significant judgments and changes in judgments, and assets recognized from the costs to obtain or fulfill a contract. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, using either of the following transition methods: (i) a full retrospective approach reflecting the application of the standard in each prior reporting period with the option to elect certain practical expedients, or (ii) a retrospective approach with the cumulative effect of initially adopting ASU 2014-09 recognized at the date of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on our consolidated financial statements and have not yet determined the method by which we will adopt the standard in 2018.