Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of consolidation - The financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries in which it has a controlling interest. All intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated upon consolidation.

Unclassified balance sheet - The balance sheets of the Company are presented in an unclassified format as a result of significant leasing activities for which the current or non-current distinction is not relevant. In addition, the activities of the Manufacturing; Wheels, Repair & Parts; and Leasing & Services segments are so intertwined that in the opinion of management, any attempt to separate the respective balance sheet categories would not be meaningful and may lead to the development of misleading conclusions by the reader.

Foreign currency translation - Certain operations outside the U.S., primarily in Europe, prepare financial statements in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar. Revenues and expenses are translated at monthly average exchange rates during the year, while assets and liabilities are translated at year-end exchange rates. Translation adjustments are accumulated as a separate component of equity in other comprehensive income (loss). The net foreign currency translation adjustment balances were $21.5 million, $5.4 million and $20.8 million as of August 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Cash and cash equivalents - Cash may temporarily be invested primarily in money market funds. All highly-liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less at the date of acquisition are considered cash equivalents.

Restricted cash - Restricted cash primarily relates to amounts associated with funds temporarily held in connection with a performance guarantee as part of a 2016 transaction, amounts held to support a target minimum rate of return on certain agreements and a pass through account for activity related to management services provided for certain third party customers.

Accounts receivable - Accounts receivable includes receivables from related parties (see Note 17 – Related Party Transactions) and is stated net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $2.7 million and $1.8 million as of August 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.


	As of August 31,
(In thousands)	2018			2017			2016
Allowance for doubtful accounts
Balance at beginning of period	$	1,768		$	2,215		$	2,449
Additions, net of reversals		938			370			70
Usage		(54	)		(891	)		(277	)
Currency translation effect		49			74			(27	)

Balance at end of period	$	2,701		$	1,768		$	2,215

Inventories - Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market using the first-in first-out method. Work-in-process includes material, labor and overhead. Finished goods includes completed wheels, parts and railcars not on lease or in transit.

Leased railcars for syndication -Leased railcars for syndication consist of newly-built railcars manufactured at one of the Company’s facilities or railcars purchased from third parties, which have been placed on lease to a customer and which the Company intends to sell to an investor with the lease attached. These railcars are generally anticipated to be sold within six months of delivery of the last railcar in a group or six months from when the Company acquires the railcar from a third party and are typically not depreciated during that period as the Company does not believe any economic value of a railcar is lost in the first six months. In the event the railcars are not sold in the first six months, the railcars are either held in Leased railcars for syndication and are depreciated or are transferred to Equipment on operating leases and are depreciated. As of August 31, 2018, Leased railcars for syndication was $130.9 million compared to $91.3 million as of August 31, 2017.

Equipment on operating leases, net - Equipment on operating leases is stated net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation to estimated salvage value is provided on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of up to thirty-five years. Management periodically reviews salvage value estimates based on current scrap prices and what the Company expects to receive upon disposal.

Investment in unconsolidated affiliates - Investment in unconsolidated affiliates includes the Company’s interests which are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. See Note 7 - Investments in Unconsolidated Affiliates for additional information.

Property, plant and equipment - Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is provided on the straight-line method over estimated useful lives which are as follows:


	Depreciable Life
Buildings and improvements		10 – 25 years
Machinery and equipment		3 – 15 years
Other		3 – 7 years

Goodwill - Goodwill is recorded when the purchase price of an acquisition exceeds the fair market value of the net assets acquired. Goodwill is not amortized and is tested for impairment at least annually and more frequently if material changes in events or circumstances arise. The provisions of ASC 350, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other, require the Company to perform an annual impairment test on goodwill. The Company compares the fair value of each reporting unit with its carrying value. An impairment loss is recorded to the extent that the reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. An impairment loss cannot exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit.

Intangible and other assets, net - Intangible assets are recorded when a portion of the purchase price of an acquisition is allocated to assets such as customer contracts and relationships and trade names. Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized using the straight line method over their estimated useful lives and primarily include long-term customer agreements which are amortized over 5 to 20 years. Other assets include revolving note fees and debt acquisition costs which are capitalized and amortized as interest expense over the life of the related borrowings.

Impairment of long-lived assets - When changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of certain long-lived assets may not be recoverable, the assets are evaluated for impairment. If the forecasted undiscounted future cash flows are less than the carrying amount of the assets, an impairment charge to reduce the carrying value of the assets to estimated realizable value is recognized in the current period. No impairment was recorded in the years ended August 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016.

Maintenance obligations - The Company is responsible for maintenance on a portion of the managed and owned lease fleet under the terms of maintenance obligations defined in the underlying lease or management agreement. The estimated liability is based on maintenance histories for each type and age of railcar. The liability, included in Accounts payable and accrued liabilities, is reviewed periodically and updated based on maintenance trends and known future repair or refurbishment requirements.

Warranty accruals - Warranty costs are estimated and charged to operations to cover a defined warranty period. The estimated warranty cost is based on history of warranty claims for each particular product type. For new product types without a warranty history, preliminary estimates are based on historical information for similar product types. The warranty accruals, included in Accounts payable and accrued liabilities, are reviewed periodically and updated based on warranty trends.

Income taxes - The liability method is used to account for income taxes. Deferred income taxes are provided for the temporary effects of differences between assets and liabilities recognized for financial statement and income tax reporting purposes. Valuation allowances reduce deferred tax assets to an amount that will more likely than not be realized. We recognize liabilities for uncertain tax positions based on whether evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on audit. It is inherently difficult and subjective to estimate such amounts, as this requires us to estimate the probability of various possible outcomes. The Company reevaluates these uncertain tax positions on a quarterly basis. Changes in assumptions may result in the recognition of a tax benefit or an additional charge to the tax provision.

Deferred revenue - Cash payments received prior to meeting revenue recognition criteria are recorded in Deferred revenue. Amounts are reclassified out of Deferred revenue once the revenue recognition criteria have been met. Deferred revenue primarily consists of customer prepayments and the unrecognized portion of the $40 million upfront fee from MUL. The Company also has a 40% interest in the common equity of an entity that buys and sells railcar assets that are leased to third parties. Deferred revenue includes 40% of the revenue and margin of railcars sold to this entity until the railcars are ultimately sold to a third party. The Deferred revenue balance was $106.0 million and $129.3 million as of August 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Noncontrolling interest and Contingently redeemable noncontrolling interest - The Company has a joint venture with Grupo Industrial Monclova, S.A. (GIMSA) that manufactures new railroad freight cars for the North American marketplace at GIMSA’s existing manufacturing facility located in Frontera, Mexico. Each party owns a 50% interest in the joint venture. The financial results of this operation are consolidated for financial reporting purposes as the Company maintains a controlling interest as evidenced by the right to appoint the majority of the Board of Directors, control over accounting, financing, marketing and engineering and approval and design of products. The noncontrolling interest related to the partner’s 50% interest in the joint venture is included in Noncontrolling interest in the equity section of the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Greenbrier-Astra Rail was formed in 2017 between the Company’s existing European operations headquartered in Swidnica, Poland and Astra Rail, based in Arad, Romania. Greenbrier-Astra Rail is controlled by the Company with an approximate 75% interest. The Company consolidates Greenbrier-Astra Rail for financial reporting purposes and includes the noncontrolling interest in the mezzanine section of the Consolidated Balance Sheet in Contingently redeemable noncontrolling interest (see Note 3 – Acquisitions).

In August 2018, Greenbrier-Astra Rail entered into an agreement to take an approximately 68% ownership stake in Rayvag, a railcar manufacturing company based in Adana, Turkey. Rayvag is controlled by the Company. The Company consolidates Rayvag for financial reporting purposes. The noncontrolling interest related to the partner’s interest is included in Noncontrolling interest in the equity section of the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.

The Company has a joint venture with Summit Railroad Products, Inc. to provide axle services. Each party owns a 50% interest in the joint venture. The financial results of this operation are consolidated for financial reporting purposes as the Company has the power to direct the activities which most significantly impact the economic performance of the entity. The noncontrolling interest related to the partner’s 50% interest in the joint venture is included in Noncontrolling interest in the equity section of the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest on the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Income represents the Company’s partners’ share of results from operations.

Accumulated other comprehensive loss - Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax as appropriate, consisted of the following:


(In thousands)	Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Financial Instruments			Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment			Other			Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
Balance, August 31, 2017	$	181		$	(5,366	)	$	(1,094	)	$	(6,279	)
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications		(197	)		(16,140	)		(335	)		(16,672	)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss		(415	)		–			–			(415	)

Balance, August 31, 2018	$	(431	)	$	(21,506	)	$	(1,429	)	$	(23,366	)

The amounts reclassified out of Accumulated other comprehensive loss into the Consolidated Statements of Income, with the financial statement caption, were as follows:


	Year Ended August 31,						Financial Statement Caption
(In thousands)	2018			2017			Financial Statement Caption
(Gain) loss on derivative financial instruments:
Foreign exchange contracts	$	(716	)	$	3,644		Revenue and Cost of revenue
Interest rate swap contracts		298			1,057		Interest and foreign exchange

		(418	)		4,701		Total before tax
		3			(972	)	Tax benefit

	$	(415	)	$	3,729		Net of tax

Revenue recognition - Revenue is recognized when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, the price is fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably assured.

Railcars are generally manufactured, repaired or refurbished under firm orders from third parties. Revenue is recognized when new, used, refurbished or repaired railcars are completed, accepted by an unaffiliated customer and contractual contingencies removed. Marine revenue is either recognized on the percentage of completion method during the construction period or on the completed contract method based on the terms of the contract. Under the percentage of completion method, revenue is recognized based on the progress toward contract completion measured by actual costs incurred to date in relation to the estimate of total expected costs. Under the completed contract method, revenue is not recognized until the project has been fully completed. Cash payments received prior to meeting revenue recognition criteria are accounted for in Deferred revenue. Operating lease revenue is recognized as earned under the lease terms. Certain leases are operated under car hire arrangements whereby revenue is earned based on utilization, car hire rates and terms specified in the lease agreement.

The Company sells railcars with attached leases to financial investors. Revenue and cost of revenue associated with railcars that the Company has manufactured are recognized in Manufacturing once sold. Revenue and cost of revenue associated with railcars which were obtained from a third party with the intent to resell them and subsequently sold are recognized in Leasing & Services. In addition the Company will often perform management or maintenance services at market rates for these railcars. The Company evaluates the terms of any remarketing agreements and any contractual provisions that represent retained risk and the level of retained risk based on those provisions. The Company applies a 10% threshold to determine whether the level of retained risk exceeds 10% of the individual fair value of the rail cars delivered. If retained risk exceeded 10%, the transaction would not be recognized as a sale until such time as the retained risk declined to 10% or less. For any contracts with multiple elements (i.e. railcars, maintenance, management services, etc.) the Company allocates revenue among the deliverables primarily based upon objective and reliable evidence of the fair value of each element in the arrangement. If objective and reliable evidence of fair value of any element is not available, the Company will use its estimated selling price for purposes of allocating the total arrangement consideration among the elements.

Interest and foreign exchange - Interest and foreign exchange includes foreign exchange transaction gains and losses, amortization of loan fee expense, accretion of debt discounts and external interest expense.


(In thousands)	Years ended August 31,
(In thousands)	2018			2017		2016
Interest and foreign exchange:
Interest and other expense	$	30,946		$	23,519	$	17,268
Foreign exchange (gain) loss		(1,578	)		673		(3,766	)

	$	29,368		$	24,192	$	13,502

Research and development - Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development costs incurred for new product development during the years ended August 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 were $6.0 million, $4.2 million and $2.7 million, respectively, included in Selling and administrative expenses.

Forward exchange contracts - Foreign operations give rise to risks from changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Forward exchange contracts with established financial institutions are used to hedge a portion of such risk. Realized and unrealized gains and losses on effective hedges are deferred in other comprehensive income (loss) and recognized in earnings concurrent with the hedged transaction or when the occurrence of the hedged transaction is no longer considered probable. Ineffectiveness is measured and any gain or loss is recognized in foreign exchange gain or loss. Even though forward exchange contracts are entered into to mitigate the impact of currency fluctuations, certain exposure remains, which may affect operating results. In addition, there is risk for counterparty non-performance.

Interest rate instruments - Interest rate swap agreements are used to reduce the impact of changes in interest rates on certain debt. The net cash amounts paid or received under the agreements are recognized as an adjustment to interest expense.

Net earnings per share - Basic earnings per common share (EPS) excludes the potential dilution that would occur if additional shares were issued upon conversion of bonds. Restricted share grants are treated as outstanding when issued and restricted stock units are not treated as outstanding when issued. Restricted share grants and restricted stock units that are considered participating securities, including some grants subject to certain performance criteria, are included in weighted average basic common shares outstanding when calculating EPS when the Company is in a net earnings position.

Diluted EPS is calculated using the more dilutive of two approaches. The first approach includes the dilutive effect, using the treasury stock method, associated with shares underlying the 2024 Convertible notes, restricted stock units that are not considered participating securities and performance based restricted stock units subject to performance criteria, for which actual levels of performance above target have been achieved. The second approach supplements the first by including the “if converted” effect of the 2018 Convertible notes during the periods in which they were outstanding. Under the “if converted” method, debt issuance and interest costs, both net of tax, associated with the convertible notes are added back to net earnings and the share count is increased by the shares underlying the convertible notes. The 2024 Convertible notes are included in the calculation of both approaches using the treasury stock method when the average stock price is greater than the applicable conversion price.

Stock-based compensation - The value of stock based compensation awards is amortized as compensation expense from the date of grant through the earlier of the vesting period or the recipient’s eligible retirement date. Awards are expensed upon grant when the recipient’s eligible retirement date precedes the grant date. Stock based compensation expense consists of restricted stock units, restricted stock and phantom stock units awards. Stock based compensation expense for the years ended August 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 was $29.3 million, $26.4 million and $24.0 million, respectively and was recorded in Selling and administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Restricted stock units and restricted stock are accounted for as equity based awards (see Note 15 – Equity). Phantom stock units are accounted for as liability based awards.

The Company began granting phantom stock units during the year ended August 31, 2016. Every phantom stock unit entitles the participant to receive a cash payment equal to the value of a single share of the Company’s common stock upon vesting. The holders of unvested phantom stock units are entitled to participate in dividend equivalents.

There were no phantom stock units awarded during the year ended August 31, 2018. During the years ended August 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company awarded 151,634 and 268,161 phantom stock units, respectively, which include performance-based grants. As of August 31, 2018, there were a total of 200,686 phantom stock units associated with unvested performance-based grants. The actual number of phantom stock units that will vest associated with performance-based phantom stock units will vary depending on the Company’s performance. Approximately 200,686 additional phantom stock units may be granted if performance-based phantom stock units vest at stretch levels of performance. These additional units are associated with phantom stock unit awards granted during the years ended August 31, 2016 and 2017. The grant date fair value of phantom stock awards was $6.7 million and $7.9 million for the years ended August 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Our phantom stock unit grants are considered liability based awards and therefore are re-measured at the end of each reporting period. Compensation expense is recognized through the earlier of the vesting period or the recipient’s eligible retirement date. Time-based awards to employees are expensed upon grant when the recipient’s eligible retirement date precedes the grant date or during the vesting period if the grantee becomes retirement eligible before the vesting period is complete. Compensation expense related to phantom stock unit grants is recorded in Selling and administrative expense and Cost of revenue on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income. Compensation expense recognized related to phantom stock units for the years ended August 31, 2018, August 31, 2017 and 2016 was $12.1 million, $6.2 million and $1.5 million, respectively. Unamortized compensation cost related to phantom stock unit grants was $5.9 million, $10.9 million and $7.5 million as of August 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Management estimates - The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires judgment on the part of management to arrive at estimates and assumptions on matters that are inherently uncertain. These estimates may affect the amount of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities within the financial statements. Estimates and assumptions are periodically evaluated and may be adjusted in future periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Initial Adoption of Accounting Policies - In the first quarter of 2018, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (ASU 2016-09). This changes how companies account for certain aspects of share-based payments to employees. Excess tax benefits or deficiencies related to vested awards which were previously recognized in stockholders’ equity are now recognized in the income statement when awards vest. For the year ended August 31, 2018, the impact of adopting this new guidance was immaterial. Prior to adopting the updated standard, excess tax benefits were reported as financing activities and are now reported as operating activities in the statement of cash flows. In addition, cash paid by an employer when directly withholding shares for tax withholding purposes were reported as operating activities and are now classified as financing activities.

Prospective Accounting Changes - In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASU 2014-09), providing a common revenue recognition model under U.S. GAAP. Under ASU 2014-09, an entity recognizes revenue in a way that depicts 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 the goods or services. It also requires additional disclosures to sufficiently describe the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The FASB issued a one year deferral and the new standard is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those years beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company plans to adopt this new standard beginning September 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method. The Company has substantially completed our evaluation of the requirements of the new standard and is implementing slight modifications to our affected processes and controls in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. The majority of our revenue recognition timing will remain unchanged, while we expect certain minor changes related to maintenance and repair services. Costs incurred while fulfilling maintenance contracts will now be recognized as incurred while the related revenue will continue to be recognized over time. Additionally, our repair service revenue, while previously recognized upon completion of a repair order, will now be recognized as costs are incurred. As a result of these changes, the Company expects to record an increase to retained earnings of approximately $5.4 million and a reclassification from accrued maintenance to contract liabilities of $2.4 million as of September 1, 2018.

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-02, Leases (ASU 2016-02). The new guidance supersedes existing guidance on accounting for leases in Topic 840 and is intended to increase the transparency and comparability of accounting for lease transactions. ASU 2016-02 requires most leases to be recognized on the balance sheet. Lessees will need to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for virtually all leases. The liability will be equal to the present value of lease payments. The asset will be based on the liability, subject to adjustment, such as for initial direct costs. For income statement purposes, the FASB retained a dual model, requiring leases to be classified as either operating or finance. Lessor accounting remains similar to the current model, but updated to align with certain changes to the lessee model and the new revenue recognition standard. The ASU will require both quantitative and qualitative disclosures regarding key information about leasing arrangements. The standard is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The new standard must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition, and provides for certain practical expedients. Transition will include a cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. The Company plans to adopt this guidance beginning September 1, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In December 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-18, Restricted Cash (ASU 2016-18). This update requires additional disclosure and that the Statement of Cash Flow explain the change during the period in the total cash, cash equivalents and amounts generally described as restricted cash. Therefore, amounts generally described as restricted cash should be included with cash & cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the Statement of Cash Flows. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017 with early adoption permitted. The Company plans to adopt this guidance beginning September 1, 2018.

In August 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging: Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities (ASU 2017-12). This update improves the financial reporting of hedging relationships to better portray the economic results of an entity’s risk management activities in its financial statements and make certain targeted improvements to simplify the application of the hedge accounting guidance. The guidance expands the ability to hedge non-financial and financial risk components, reduces complexity in fair value hedges of interest rate risk, eliminates the requirement to separately measure and report hedge ineffectiveness, as well as eases certain hedge effectiveness assessment requirements. The new guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company plans to adopt this guidance beginning September 1, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.