Hedging Activities

12 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

In the normal course of business, the Company is exposed to interest rate and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. At times, the Company limits these risks through the use of derivatives such as cross-currency swaps, foreign currency forward contracts and interest rate swaps. In accordance with the Company’s policy, derivatives are only used for hedging purposes. It does not use derivatives for trading or speculative purposes.

Foreign currency exchange risk

The Company conducts its business worldwide in U.S. dollars and the functional currencies of its foreign subsidiaries, including Euro, British pound sterling and Canadian dollars. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial results that are reported in U.S. dollars. The Company is also exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risk related to its foreign subsidiaries, including intercompany loans denominated in non-functional currencies. The Company has certain foreign currency exchange rate risk programs that use foreign currency forward contracts and cross-currency swaps. These forward contracts and cross-currency swaps are generally used to offset the potential income statement effects from intercompany loans and other obligations denominated in non-functional currencies. These programs reduce but do not entirely eliminate foreign currency exchange rate risk.

Non-Derivative Instruments Designated as Hedges

At March 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company had €1.7 billion and €1.95 billion of Euro-denominated notes designated as non-derivative net investment hedges. These hedges are utilized to hedge portions of the Company’s net investments in non-U.S. subsidiaries against the effect of exchange rate fluctuations on the translation of foreign currency balances to the U.S. dollar. For all notes that are designated as net investment hedges and meet effectiveness requirements, the changes in carrying value of the notes attributable to the change in spot rates are recorded in foreign currency translation adjustments in accumulated other comprehensive loss in the consolidated statement of stockholders’ equity where they offset foreign currency translation gains and losses recorded on the Company’s net investments. To the extent foreign currency denominated notes designated as net investment hedges are ineffective, changes in carrying value attributable to the change in spot rates are recorded in earnings. In December 2019, the Company prospectively de-designated from net investment hedges €250 million of its Euro-denominated notes which matured in February 2020.

At March 31, 2019, the Company also had £450 million British pound sterling-denominated notes designated as non-derivative net investment hedges. On September 30, 2019, the Company de-designated its £450 million British pounding sterling-denominated notes prospectively from net investment hedges as the hedging relationship ceased to be effective.

Gains or losses from net investment hedges recorded in other comprehensive income were gains of $39 million and $259 million in 2020 and 2019 and a loss of $268 million in 2018. Ineffectiveness on the Company’s non-derivative net investment hedges during 2020 resulted in gains of $34 million which were recorded in earnings in other income (expense), net in the consolidated statements of operations. There was no ineffectiveness in the Company’s net investment hedges for the years ended March 31, 2019 and 2018.

Derivatives Designated as Hedges

At March 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company had cross-currency swaps designated as net investment hedges with a total gross notional amount of $1.5 billion Canadian dollars. Under the terms of the cross-currency swap contracts, the Company agrees with third parties to exchange fixed interest payments in one currency for fixed interest payments in another currency at specified intervals and to exchange principal in one currency for principal in another currency, calculated by reference to agreed-upon notional amounts. These swaps are utilized to hedge portions of the Company’s net investments denominated in Canadian dollars against the effect of exchange rate fluctuations on the translation of foreign currency balances to the U.S. dollar. The changes in the fair value of these derivatives attributable to the changes in spot currency exchange rates and differences between spot and forward interest rates are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss in the consolidated statement of stockholders’ equity where they offset foreign currency translation gains and losses recorded on the Company’s net investments denominated in Canadian dollars. To the extent cross-currency swaps designated as hedges are ineffective, changes in carrying value attributable to the change in spot rates are recorded in earnings. There was no ineffectiveness in the Company’s net investment hedges for the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019.

At March 31, 2019, the Company also had cross-currency swaps designated as net investment hedges with a total gross notional amount of £932 million British pound sterling. In 2020, the Company terminated these swaps due to ineffectiveness in its British pound sterling hedging program that arose due to 2019 impairments of goodwill and certain long-lived assets in its U.K. businesses. Proceeds from the termination of these swaps totaled $84 million and resulted in a settlement gain of $34 million in 2020. This gain was recorded in earnings in other income (expense), net.

Gains or losses from the Company’s cross-currency swaps designated as net investment hedges recorded in other comprehensive income were gains of $76 million and $53 million in 2020 and 2019 and losses of $7 million in 2018. There was no ineffectiveness in the Company’s hedges for the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. These cross-currency swaps will mature between November 2020 and November 2024.

On September 30, 2019, the Company entered into a number of cross-currency swaps designated as fair value hedges with total notional amounts of £450 million British pound sterling. Under the terms of the cross-currency swap contracts, the Company agreed with third parties to exchange fixed interest payments in British pound sterling for floating interest payments in U.S. dollars based on three-month LIBOR plus a spread. These swaps are utilized to hedge the changes in the fair value of the underlying £450 million British pound sterling notes resulting from changes in benchmark interest rates and foreign exchange rates. The changes in the fair value of these derivatives, which are designated as fair value hedges, and the offsetting changes in the fair value of the hedged notes are recorded in earnings. Gains from these fair value hedges recorded in earnings were $6 million in 2020, largely offsetting the losses recorded in earnings related to the hedged notes. The swaps will mature in February 2023.

At March 31, 2019, the Company had a forward contract to hedge the U.S. dollar against cash flows denominated in Canadian dollars with a total gross notional amount of $81 million, which was designated as a cash flow hedge. The contract matured in March 2020.

From time to time, the Company also enters into cross-currency swaps to hedge intercompany loans denominated in non-functional currencies. For our cross-currency swap transactions, we agree with third parties to exchange fixed interest payments in one currency for fixed interest payments in another currency at specified intervals and to exchange principal in one currency for principal in another currency, calculated by reference to agreed-upon notional amounts. These cross-currency swaps are designed to reduce the income statement effects arising from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and have been designated as cash flow hedges. At March 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company had cross-currency swaps with total gross notional amounts of approximately $2.9 billion, which are designated as cash flow hedges. These swaps will mature between April 2020 and January 2024.

For forward contracts and cross-currency swaps that are designated as cash flow hedges, the effective portion of changes in the fair value of the hedges is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income and reclassified into earnings in the same period in which the hedged transaction affects earnings. Changes in fair values representing hedge ineffectiveness are recognized in current earnings. Gains or losses from cash flow hedges recorded in other comprehensive income were gains of $98 million and $28 million in 2020 and 2019 and losses of $30 million in 2018. Gains or losses reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income and recorded in operating expenses in the consolidated statements of operations were not material in 2020, 2019 and 2018. There was no ineffectiveness in the Company’s cash flow hedges for the years ended March 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018.

Derivatives Not Designated as Hedges

Derivative instruments not designated as hedges are marked-to-market at the end of each accounting period with the change in value included in earnings.

The Company has a number of forward contracts to hedge the Euro against cash flows denominated in British pound sterling and other European currencies. At March 31, 2020 and 2019, the total gross notional amounts of these contracts were $29 million and $28 million. These contracts will mature through December 2020 and none of these contracts were designated for hedge accounting. Changes in the fair values for contracts not designated as hedges are recorded directly into earnings in operating expenses. Changes in the fair values were not material in 2020, 2019 and 2018. Gains or losses from these contracts are largely offset by changes in the value of the underlying intercompany obligations.

In 2020, the Company also entered into a number of forward contracts and swaps to offset a portion of the earnings impacts from the ineffectiveness of net investment hedges discussed above. These contracts matured through January 2020 and none of these contracts were designated for hedge accounting. In December 2019, the Company entered into a series of forward contracts with a total notional amount of €250 million to offset the earnings impact from its Euro-denominated notes. These contracts and the notes against which they are offsetting matured in February 2020 and were not designated for hedge accounting. Changes in the fair value for contracts not designated as hedges are recorded directly in earnings. In 2020, losses of $44 million were recorded in earnings in other income (expense), net, which offsets the ineffectiveness on the Company’s non-derivative net investment hedges noted above.

Information regarding the fair value of derivatives on a gross basis is as follows:



	Balance Sheet Caption	March 31, 2020						March 31, 2019
		Fair Value of Derivative				U.S. Dollar Notional		Fair Value of Derivative				U.S. Dollar Notional
(In millions)		Asset		Liability		U.S. Dollar Notional		Asset		Liability		U.S. Dollar Notional
Derivatives designated for hedge accounting
Foreign exchange contracts (current)	Prepaid expenses and other	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	17	$	—	$	81
Cross-currency swaps (current)	Prepaid expenses and other/Other accrued liabilities	112		19		1,279		—		18		—
Cross-currency swaps (non-current)	Other Noncurrent Assets/Liabilities	182		—		3,313		91		33		5,283
Total		$	294	$	19			$	108	$	51
Derivatives not designated for hedge accounting
Foreign exchange contracts (current)	Prepaid expenses and other	$	2	$	—	$	24	$	—	$	—	$	14
Foreign exchange contracts (current)	Other accrued liabilities	—		—		5		—		—		14
Total		$	2	$	—			$	—	$	—

Refer to Financial Note 19, “Fair Value Measurements,” for more information on these recurring fair value measurements.