Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Apr. 01, 2018

The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include Belden Inc. and all of its subsidiaries (the Company, us, we, or our). We eliminate all significant affiliate accounts and transactions in consolidation.

The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements presented as of any date other than December 31, 2017:


•	Are prepared from the books and records without audit, and


•	Are prepared in accordance with the instructions for Form 10-Q and do not include all of the information required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for complete statements, but


•	Include all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial statements.

These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data contained in our 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K

Business Description

We are a signal transmission solutions provider built around two global business platforms – Enterprise Solutions and Industrial Solutions. Our comprehensive portfolio of signal transmission solutions provides industry leading secure and reliable transmission of data, sound, and video for mission critical applications.

Reporting Periods

Our fiscal year and fiscal fourth quarter both end on December 31. Our fiscal first quarter ends on the Sunday falling closest to 91 days after December 31, which was April 1, 2018, the 91st day of our fiscal year 2018. Our fiscal second and third quarters each have 91 days. The three months ended April 2, 2017 included 9

Operating Segments

Effective January 1, 2018, we changed our organizational structure and, as a result, now are reporting two segments. The segments formerly known as Broadcast Solutions and Enterprise Solutions now are presented as the Enterprise Solutions segment, and the segments formerly known as Industrial Solutions and Network Solutions now are presented as the Industrial Solutions segment. The reorganization allows us to further accelerate progress in key strategic areas and the segment consolidation properly aligns our external reporting with the way the businesses are now managed. We have recast the prior period segment information to conform to the change in the composition of these reportable segments.

Reclassifications

We have made certain reclassifications to the 2017 Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements including for the adoption of ASU 2017-07 and for our segment change with no impact to reported net income in order to conform to the 2018 presentation. See Note 5.

Fair Value Measurement

Accounting guidance for fair value measurements specifies a hierarchy of valuation techniques based upon whether the inputs to those valuation techniques reflect assumptions other market participants would use based upon market data obtained from independent sources or reflect our own assumptions of market participant valuation. The hierarchy is broken down into three levels based on the reliability of the inputs as follows:


•	Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets that are unadjusted and accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities;


•	Level 2 – Quoted prices for identical assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, or financial instruments for which significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly; and


•	Level 3 – Prices or valuations that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.

As of and during the three months ended April 1, 2018 and April 2, 2017, we utilized Level 1 inputs to determine the fair value of cash equivalents, and we utilized Level 2 and Level 3 inputs to determine the fair value of net assets acquired in business combinations (see Note 3).

Cash and Cash Equivalents

We classify cash on hand and deposits in banks, including commercial paper, money market accounts, and other investments with an original maturity of three months or less, that we hold from time to time, as cash and cash equivalents. We periodically have cash equivalents consisting of short-term money market funds and other investments. As of April 1, 2018, we did not have any such cash equivalents on hand. The primary objective of our investment activities is to preserve our capital for the purpose of funding operations. We do not enter into investments for trading or speculative purposes.

Contingent Liabilities

We have established liabilities for environmental and legal contingencies that are probable of occurrence and reasonably estimable, the amounts of which are currently not material. We accrue environmental remediation costs based on estimates of known environmental remediation exposures developed in consultation with our environmental consultants and legal counsel. We are, from time to time, subject to routine litigation incidental to our business. These lawsuits primarily involve claims for damages arising out of the use of our products, allegations of patent or trademark infringement, and litigation and administrative proceedings involving employment matters and commercial disputes. Based on facts currently available, we believe the disposition of the claims that are pending or asserted will not have a materially adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flow.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue consistent with the principles as outlined in the following five step model: (1) identify the contract with the customer, (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (3) determine the transaction price, (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) each performance obligation is satisfied.

Our contracts with customers may include multiple performance obligations. For such arrangements, we allocate revenues to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. Generally, the standalone selling prices are determined based upon the prices charged to customers.

The transaction price for certain contracts are subject to variable consideration for estimated rebates, price allowances, invoicing adjustments, and product returns. We use the most likely amount method for estimating rebates and the expected value method for estimating price allowances, invoicing adjustments, and product returns. We record revisions to these estimates in the period in which the facts that give rise to each revision become known. Taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are not included in our revenues.

We record deferred revenues when cash payments are received or due in advance of our performance. Our payment terms vary by the type and location of our customer and the products or services offered. The term between invoicing and when payment is due is generally not significant. For certain products or services and customer types, we require payment before the products or services are delivered to the customer.

Sales commissions for which the related service or support contract extends beyond one year are capitalized in other current or long-lived assets and recognized as expense over the related service or support period. In the event the related service or support period is twelve months or less, we apply the practical expedient and expense the sales commissions when incurred. These costs are recorded within selling, general and administrative expenses.

Subsequent Events

We have evaluated subsequent events after the balance sheet date through the financial statement issuance date for appropriate accounting and disclosure.

New Accounting Pronouncements

Current-Year Adoption of Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASU 2014-09), which replaced most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP. The core principle of the ASU is that an entity should recognize revenue for the transfer of goods or services equal to the amount that it expects to be entitled to receive for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments. We adopted ASU 2014-09 on January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective method of adoption. Adoption resulted in a $2.6 million, net of tax increase to retained earnings. This adjustment primarily relates to the deferral of costs to obtain a contract that were previously expensed at the beginning of the contract period.

In August 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. The new guidance addresses how the following eight specific cash flow items are to be presented: Debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs; settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments or other debt instruments with coupon interest rates that are insignificant in relation to the effective interest rate of the borrowing; contingent consideration payments made after a business combination; proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims; proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies (including bank-owned life insurance policies); distributions received from equity method investees; beneficial interests in securitization transactions; and separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle. We adopted ASU 2016-15 on January 1, 2018. Adoption had no material impact on our statement of cash flows during the quarter ended April 1, 2018.

In October 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-16, Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory (ASU 2016-16), which requires recognition of the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. Consequently, the standard eliminates the exception to the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for an intra-entity asset transfer other than for inventory until the asset has been sold to an outside party. We adopted ASU 2016-16 on January 1, 2018. Adoption resulted in a $3.0 million and $46.9 million decrease to other current assets and other long-lived assets, respectively, as well as an $18.2 million increase in deferred income tax assets and a $31.7 million decrease to retained earnings on January 1, 2018. Adoption had no material impact on our results of operations.

In March 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-07, Compensation - Retirement Benefits: Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost (ASU 2017-07), which requires an entity to report the service cost component in the same line item or items as other compensation costs arising from the service rendered by their employees during the period. The other components of net benefit cost are required to be presented in the Statement of Operations separately from the service cost component after Operating Income. Additionally, only the service cost component is eligible for capitalization, when applicable. The standard requires the amendments to be applied retrospectively for the presentation of the service cost component and the other cost components of net periodic pension cost and net periodic OPEB cost in the Statement of Operations and prospectively, on and after the effective date, for the capitalization of the service cost component of net periodic pension and OPEB costs. We adopted ASU 2017-07 on January 1, 2018, and elected to use the practical expedient related to the retrospective presentation requirements. Adoption resulted in a $0.3 million increase to operating income, but no change to net income during the quarter ended April 2, 2017.

Pending Adoption of Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases (ASU 2016-02), a leasing standard for both lessees and lessors. Under its core principle, a lessee will recognize lease assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for all arrangements with terms longer than 12 months. Lessor accounting remains largely consistent with existing U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The new standard will be effective for us beginning January 1, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. The standard requires the use of a modified retrospective transition method. We are still evaluating the effect that ASU 2016-02 will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures, but our initial assessment indicates that it will have a material impact to total assets and liabilities as we will be required to recognize lease assets and liabilities for all operating leases in which we are the lessee.

In August 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities. The new guidance better aligns an entity’s risk management activities and financial reporting for hedging relationships through changes to both the designation and measurement guidance for qualifying hedging relationships and the presentation of hedge results. The new guidance also makes certain targeted improvements to simplify the application of hedge accounting guidance and ease the administrative burden of hedge documentation requirements and assessing hedge effectiveness. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and early adoption is permitted. We do not expect the standard to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In January 2018, the FASB released guidance on the accounting for tax on the global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”) provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”). The GILTI provisions impose a tax on foreign income in excess of a deemed return on tangible assets of foreign corporations. The guidance indicates that either accounting for deferred taxes related to GILTI inclusions or to treat any taxes on GILTI inclusions as a period cost are both acceptable methods subject to an accounting policy election. Pending further anticipated clarification and guidance related to the application of the GILTI provisions and their impact to Belden, we intend to further assess the materiality of the anticipated GILTI inclusion before making a policy election.