Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. (the “Company”) have been prepared pursuant to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for Form 10-Q, including Article 10 of Regulation S-X. The year-end condensed consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in annual financial statements have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. In the opinion of management, all normal, recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair statement have been included. Management suggests that these Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 31, 2015. The results for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 and 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for the entire fiscal year.

Segment Reporting

Prior to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015, the Company's internal organizational and reporting structure supported three operating and reportable segments: the Metals Recycling Business ("MRB"), the Auto Parts Business ("APB") and the Steel Manufacturing Business ("SMB"). In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015, in accordance with its plan announced in April 2015, the Company combined and integrated its auto parts and metals recycling businesses into a single operating platform. The change in the Company's internal organizational and reporting structure resulted in the formation of a new operating and reportable segment, the Auto and Metals Recycling ("AMR") business, replacing the former MRB and APB segments. The Company began reporting on this new segment in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 as reflected in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 31, 2015. The segment data for the comparable periods presented herein has been recast to conform to the current period presentation for all activities of AMR. Recasting this historical information did not have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial performance for any of the periods presented.

Accounting Changes

In April 2014, an accounting standard update was issued that amends the requirements for reporting discontinued operations, which may include a component of an entity or a group of components of an entity. The amendments limit discontinued operations reporting to disposals of components of an entity that represent strategic shifts that have, or will have, a major effect on an entity's operations and financial results. The amendments require expanded disclosure about the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses of discontinued operations. Further, the amendments require an entity to disclose the pretax profit or loss of an individually significant component that is being disposed of that does not qualify for discontinued operations reporting. The Company adopted the new requirement in the first quarter of fiscal 2016 with no impact to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. The standard is to be applied prospectively to all disposals or classifications as held for sale of components that occur beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2016, and interim periods within that fiscal year, and all businesses that, on acquisition, are classified as held for sale that occur beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2016, and interim periods within that fiscal year.

In November 2015, an accounting standard update was issued that requires deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. To simplify the presentation of the Company's deferred tax liabilities and assets, along with valuation allowances against deferred tax assets, the Company early-adopted the new requirement as of the beginning of the first quarter of fiscal 2016 and is applying the amendments prospectively. Adoption of the new requirement impacted the classification of the Company's deferred tax liabilities and assets reported in its Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet beginning as of November 30, 2015, and had no impact on its consolidated results of operations and cash flows. The comparative period balance sheet has not been retrospectively adjusted.

In April 2015, an accounting standard update was issued that clarifies the accounting for cloud computing arrangements that include software licenses. The guidance requires that a cloud computing arrangement that includes a software license be accounted for in the same manner as the acquisition of other software licenses. If the cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, then it should be accounted for as a service contract. To reduce the complexity of evaluating the accounting for fees paid in a cloud computing arrangement, the Company early-adopted the new requirement as of the beginning of the third quarter of fiscal 2016 and is applying the amendments prospectively to all arrangements entered into or materially modified after adoption. Adoption of the new requirement results in the recognition of software licenses acquired as part of a cloud computing arrangement within property, plant and equipment in the Company's Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet and recognition of amortization expense within either cost of goods sold or selling, general and administrative expense, depending on the nature of the software license, in the Company's Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. The new requirement does not represent a substantial change from the manner in which the Company accounted for fees paid in cloud computing arrangements prior to adoption.

Discontinued Operations

The results of discontinued operations are presented separately, net of tax, from the results of ongoing operations for all periods presented. The expenses included in the results of discontinued operations are the direct operating expenses incurred by the disposed components that may be reasonably segregated from the costs of the ongoing operations of the Company. Asset impairments related to the disposed components are also included in the results of discontinued operations. See Note 10 - Discontinued Operations and the Asset Impairment Charges section of this Note for further detail.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include short-term securities that are not restricted by third parties and have an original maturity date of 90 days or less. Included in accounts payable are book overdrafts representing outstanding checks in excess of funds on deposit of $13 million and $11 million as of May 31, 2016 and August 31, 2015, respectively.

Other Assets

The Company’s other assets, exclusive of prepaid expenses, consist primarily of receivables from insurers, notes and other contractual receivables, and assets held for sale. Other assets are reported within either prepaid expenses and other current assets or other assets in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets based on their expected use either during or beyond the current operating cycle of one year from the reporting date.

As of May 31, 2016 and August 31, 2015, the Company reported less than $1 million and $2 million, respectively, of assets held for sale within prepaid expenses and other current assets in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. An asset is classified as held for sale upon meeting certain criteria specified in the accounting standards. An asset classified as held for sale is measured at the lower of its carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell. See the Asset Impairment Charges section of this Note for tabular presentation of impairment charges recorded by the Company during the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 and 2015 for the initial and subsequent write-down of certain equipment held for sale to its fair value less cost to sell. The Company determined fair value using Level 3 inputs under the fair value hierarchy consisting of information provided by brokers and other external sources along with management's own assumptions.

Long-Lived Assets

The Company tests long-lived tangible and intangible assets for impairment at the asset group level, which is determined based on the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other groups of assets and liabilities. For the Company's metals recycling operations, an asset group is generally comprised of the regional shredding and export operation along with surrounding feeder yards. For regions with no shredding and export operations, each metals recycling yard is an asset group. For the Company's auto parts operations, generally each auto parts store is an asset group. The Company's steel manufacturing business is a single asset group. The Company tests its asset groups for impairment when certain triggering events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the asset group may be impaired. If the carrying value of the asset group is not recoverable because it exceeds the Company’s estimate of future undiscounted cash flows from the use and eventual disposition of the asset group, an impairment loss is recognized by the amount the carrying value exceeds its fair value, if any. The impairment loss is allocated to the long-lived assets of the group on a pro rata basis using the relative carrying amounts of those assets, except that the loss allocated to an individual long-lived asset of the group shall not reduce the carrying amount of that asset below its fair value. Fair value is determined primarily using the cost and market approaches.

During the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company recorded impairment charges on long-lived tangible and intangible assets associated with certain regional metals recycling operations and used auto parts store locations.

With respect to individual long-lived assets, changes in circumstances may merit a change in the estimated useful lives or salvage values of the assets, which are accounted for prospectively in the period of change. For such assets, the useful life is shortened based on the Company's current plans to dispose of or abandon the asset before the end of its original useful life and depreciation is accelerated beginning when that determination is made. During the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company recognized accelerated depreciation due to shortened useful lives in connection with site closures and idled equipment.

See the Asset Impairment Charges section of this Note for tabular presentation of long-lived asset impairment charges and accelerated depreciation. Long-lived asset impairment charges and accelerated depreciation are reported in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations within (1) other asset impairment charges; (2) restructuring charges and other exit-related costs, if related to a site closure not qualifying for discontinued operations reporting; or (3) discontinued operations, if related to a component of the Company qualifying for discontinued operations reporting.

Investments in Joint Ventures

A loss in value of an investment in a joint venture that is other than a temporary decline is recognized. Management considers all available evidence to evaluate the realizable value of its investments including the length of time and the extent to which the fair value has been less than cost, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the joint venture business, and the Company’s intent and ability to retain the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in fair value. Once management determines that an other-than-temporary impairment exists, the investment is written down to its fair value, which establishes a new cost basis. The Company determines fair value using Level 3 inputs under the fair value hierarchy using an income approach based on a discounted cash flow analysis. During the second quarter of fiscal 2016, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $2 million related to an investment in a joint venture, which is reported within other asset impairment charges in the Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Asset Impairment Charges

The following asset impairment charges, excluding goodwill impairment charges discussed below in this Note, were recorded in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands):



	Three Months Ended May 31,				Nine Months Ended May 31,
	2016		2015		2016		2015
Reported within other asset impairment charges⁽¹⁾:
Long-lived assets	$	—	$	132	$	7,336	$	41,676
Accelerated depreciation	—		—		6,208		—
Investment in joint venture	—		—		1,968		—
Assets held for sale	—		1,009		1,659		2,558
Other assets⁽¹⁾	—		140		1,287		885
	—		1,281		18,458		45,119
Reported within restructuring charges and other exit-related costs:
Long-lived assets	119		—		448		—
Accelerated depreciation	—		150		630		3,836
Other assets	—		—		1,102		—
	119		150		2,180		3,836
Reported within discontinued operations:
Long-lived assets	—		—		673		2,666
Accelerated depreciation	—		—		274		—
	—		—		947		2,666
Total	$	119	$	1,431	$	21,585	$	51,621

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(1)	Other asset impairment charges were incurred in the AMR reportable segment, except for $79 thousand and $745 thousand of impairment charges on Other Assets related to Corporate recorded in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the net amount of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination measured at fair value. The Company evaluates goodwill for impairment annually on July 1 and upon the occurrence of certain triggering events or substantive changes in circumstances that indicate that the fair value of goodwill may be impaired. Impairment of goodwill is tested at the reporting unit level. A reporting unit is an operating segment or one level below an operating segment (referred to as a component). A component of an operating segment is required to be identified as a reporting unit if the component is a business for which discrete financial information is available and segment management regularly reviews its operating results.

In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015, the Company changed its internal organizational and reporting structure to combine the auto and metals recycling businesses, which resulted in the formation of a new operating and reportable segment, AMR, replacing the former MRB and APB operating segments. This change led to the identification of components within AMR based on the disaggregation of financial information regularly reviewed by segment management by geographic area. Components with similar economic characteristics were aggregated into reporting units and goodwill was reassigned to the affected reporting units using the relative fair value approach as of the date of the reassessment, July 1, 2015. Beginning on that date, the Company's goodwill was carried by two regionally-defined reporting units, one consisting of a single component with $168 million of allocated goodwill, and the other consisting of two components with similar economic characteristics aggregated into a reporting unit with $9 million of allocated goodwill.

When testing goodwill for impairment, the Company has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the estimated fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the Company elects to perform a qualitative assessment and determines that an impairment is more likely than not, the Company is then required to perform the two-step quantitative impairment test, otherwise no further analysis is required. The Company also may elect not to perform the qualitative assessment and, instead, proceed directly to the two-step quantitative impairment test.

In the first step of the two-step quantitative impairment test, the fair value of a reporting unit is compared to its carrying value. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step of the impairment test is performed for purposes of measuring the impairment. In the second step, the fair value of the reporting unit is allocated to all of the assets and liabilities of the reporting unit to determine an implied goodwill value. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit’s goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of goodwill, an impairment loss will be recognized in an amount equal to that excess.

The Company estimates the fair value of its reporting units using an income approach based on the present value of expected future cash flows, including terminal value, utilizing a market-based weighted average cost of capital (“WACC”) determined separately for each reporting unit. The determination of fair value involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including revenue growth rates driven by future commodity prices and volume expectations, operating margins, capital expenditures, working capital requirements, tax rates, terminal growth rates, discount rates, benefits associated with a taxable transaction and synergistic benefits available to market participants. In addition, to corroborate the reporting units’ valuation, the Company uses a market approach based on earnings multiple data and a reconciliation of the Company’s estimate of the aggregate fair value of the reporting units to the Company’s market capitalization, including consideration of a control premium. See Note 4 - Goodwill for further detail including the recognition of goodwill impairment charges of $9 million and $141 million during the second quarter of fiscal 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The Company tests indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment by first assessing qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform a quantitative impairment test. If the Company believes, as a result of its qualitative assessment, that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset is less than its carrying amount, the quantitative impairment test is required. Otherwise, no further testing is required. The Company did not record any impairment charges on indefinite-lived intangible assets in any of the periods presented.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentration of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, notes and other contractual receivables and derivative financial instruments. The majority of cash and cash equivalents is maintained with major financial institutions. Balances with these institutions exceeded the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insured amount of $250,000 as of May 31, 2016. Concentration of credit risk with respect to accounts receivable is limited because a large number of geographically diverse customers make up the Company’s customer base. The Company controls credit risk through credit approvals, credit limits, credit insurance, letters of credit or other collateral, cash deposits and monitoring procedures. The Company is exposed to a residual credit risk with respect to open letters of credit by virtue of the possibility of the failure of a bank providing a letter of credit. The Company had $30 million and $33 million of open letters of credit relating to accounts receivable as of May 31, 2016 and August 31, 2015, respectively. The counterparties to the Company's derivative financial instruments are major financial institutions.

Financial Instruments

The Company’s financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, debt and derivative contracts. The Company uses the market approach to value its financial assets and liabilities, determined using available market information. The net carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate fair value due to the short-term nature of these instruments. For long-term debt, which is primarily at variable interest rates, fair value is estimated using observable inputs (Level 2) and approximates its carrying value. Derivative contracts are reported at fair value. See Note 11 - Derivative Financial Instruments for further detail.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is measured using inputs from the three levels of the fair value hierarchy. Classification within the hierarchy is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The three levels are described as follows:


•	Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.


•	Level 2 – Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the determination of the fair value of the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly.


•	Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are significant to the determination of the fair value of the asset or liability.

When developing the fair value measurements, the Company uses quoted market prices whenever available or seeks to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when quoted market prices are not available.

Restructuring Charges

Restructuring charges consist of severance, contract termination and other restructuring-related costs. A liability for severance costs is typically recognized when the plan of termination has been communicated to the affected employees and is measured at its fair value at the communication date. Contract termination costs consist primarily of costs that will continue to be incurred under operating leases for their remaining terms without economic benefit to the Company. A liability for contract termination costs is recognized at the date the Company ceases using the rights conveyed by the lease contract and is measured at its fair value, which is determined based on the remaining contractual lease rentals reduced by estimated sublease rentals. A liability for other restructuring-related costs is measured at its fair value in the period in which the liability is incurred. Restructuring charges that directly involve a discontinued operation are included in the results of discontinued operations in all periods presented. See Note 7 - Restructuring Charges and Other Exit-Related Costs for further detail.