Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and all majority-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated. Equity investments in which the Company exercises significant influence but does not control and is not the primary beneficiary are accounted for using the equity method of accounting.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates are associated with accounts receivable, inventories, intangible assets other than goodwill, goodwill, long-lived assets, derivative financial instruments, deferred income taxes, warranty obligations, revenue recognized using the percentage of completion method, pension obligations and stock-based compensation expense. Although the Company regularly assesses these estimates, actual results could differ from those estimates. Changes in estimates are recorded in the period in which they become known.

Foreign Currency Translation

Some transactions of the Company and its subsidiaries are made in currencies different from their functional currency. Foreign currency gains (losses) on these transactions or balances are recorded in “Other income, net” when incurred. Net foreign currency transaction losses totaled $1.2 million, $0.9 million and $0.4 million for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. For non-U.S. subsidiaries, assets and liabilities are translated at period-end exchange rates, and statements of operations items are translated at the average exchange rates for the period. The local currency is considered to be the functional currency for all of the Company's foreign subsidiaries and, accordingly, translation adjustments are reported in “Accumulated other comprehensive income.” Foreign currency translation adjustments are one of the components of comprehensive income (loss).

Derivative Financial Instruments

All derivatives, whether designated in a hedging relationship or not, are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value. The accounting for changes in fair value of a derivative instrument depends on whether it has been designated and qualifies as part of a hedging relationship and further, on the type of hedging relationship. For those derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as hedging instruments, the Company must designate the hedging instrument, based on the exposure being hedged, as a fair value hedge, cash flow hedge or a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation. Certain derivatives held by the Company are not designated as hedges but are used in managing exposure to changes in foreign exchange rates.

A fair value hedge is a derivative instrument designated for the purpose of hedging the exposure of changes in fair value of an asset or a liability resulting from a particular risk. If the derivative is designated as a fair value hedge, the changes in the fair value of the derivative and of the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk are both recognized in the same caption in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).

A cash flow hedge is a derivative instrument designated for the purpose of hedging the exposure to variability in future cash flows resulting from a particular risk. If the derivative is designated as a cash flow hedge, the effective portions of changes in the fair value of the derivative are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income and are recognized in the results of operations when the hedged item affects earnings. Ineffective portions of changes in the fair value of cash flow hedges are recognized in the results of operations.

A hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation is achieved through a derivative instrument designated for the purpose of hedging the exposure of changes in value of investments in foreign subsidiaries. If the derivative is designated as a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation, the effective portions of changes in the fair value of the derivative are recorded in other comprehensive income as a part of the currency translation adjustment. Ineffective portions of net investment hedges are recognized in the results of operations.

For derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments, changes in fair value are recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as gains and losses consistent with the classification of the underlying risk.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash and highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less. At September 30, 2014 and 2013, cash equivalents were $6.4 million and $7.8 million, respectively. Cash equivalents are held at cost which approximates fair value due to their short-term maturities and varying interest rates.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments, which potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk, are cash deposits and cash equivalents, marketable securities, derivative instruments and accounts receivable. All of the Company’s cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities and derivative instruments are maintained by major financial institutions. The Company invests cash not required for use in operations in high credit quality securities based on the Company's investment policy. The Company's investment policy provides guidelines and limits regarding credit quality, investment concentration, investment type, and maturity that the Company believes will provide liquidity and reduce risk of loss of capital. The Company’s customers are concentrated in the semiconductor industry, and relatively few customers account for a significant portion of the Company’s revenue. The Company regularly monitors the creditworthiness of its customers and believes that it has adequately provided for exposure to potential credit losses. The Company's top ten largest customers account for approximately 37%, 40% and 45% of revenue for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. One of the Company's customers accounted for 11% of revenue for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014. At September 30, 2014, no single customer represented 10% of the Company’s accounts receivable.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company's financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, marketable securities, derivative instruments, accounts receivable, note receivable and accounts payable. In the case of marketable securities and derivative instruments, measurement is based on quoted market prices for identical or similar securities or instruments which represent fair value. The carrying amounts of other financial instruments reported in the Consolidated Balance Sheets approximate their fair value because of their short-term nature.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts and Sales Returns

Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. The allowance for doubtful accounts is the Company's best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in its existing accounts receivable. The Company determines the allowance based on a number of factors, including an evaluation of customer credit worthiness, the age of the outstanding receivable, economic trends and historical experience. The Company reviews its allowance for doubtful accounts on a quarterly basis and changes in estimates are reflected in the period in which they become known. Accounts receivable balances are written-off against the allowance for doubtful accounts when the Company determines that the receivable is not recoverable. Provisions for doubtful accounts are recorded in "Selling, general and administrative expenses" in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The allowance for sales returns is the Company's best estimate of probable returns from its customers. Provisions for sales returns are recorded in "Revenue" in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company does not have any off-balance-sheet credit exposure related to its customers.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, cost being determined using a standard costing system which approximates cost based on a first-in, first-out method. The Company provides inventory reserves for excess, obsolete or damaged inventory based on changes in customer demand, technology and other economic factors.

Fixed Assets, Intangible Assets and Impairment of Long-lived Assets

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method. Depreciable lives are summarized below:



Buildings	20 - 40 years
Computer equipment and software	2 - 7 years
Machinery and equipment	2 - 10 years
Furniture and fixtures	3 - 10 years

Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the term of the respective leases. Equipment used for demonstrations to customers is included in machinery and equipment and is depreciated over its estimated useful life. Repair and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.

The Company has developed software for internal use. Internal and external labor costs incurred during the application development stage of a project are capitalized. Costs incurred prior to application development and post implementation are expensed as incurred. Training and data conversion costs are also expensed as incurred.

When an asset is retired, the cost of the asset disposed of and the related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts, and any resulting gain or loss is included in the determination of operating income (loss).

As a result of the Company's acquisitions, the Company has identified finite-lived intangible assets other than goodwill. Finite-lived intangible assets are valued based on estimates of future cash flows and amortized over their estimated useful life using methods that approximate the pattern in which the economic benefits are expected to be realized.

Finite-lived intangibles assets and fixed assets are tested for impairment when indicators of impairment are present. For purposes of this test, long-lived assets are grouped with other assets and liabilities at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities. When the Company determines that indicators of potential impairment exist, the next step of the impairment test requires that the potentially impaired long-lived asset group is tested for recoverability. The test for recoverability compares the undiscounted future cash flows of the long-lived asset group to its carrying value. The future cash flow period is based on the future service life of the primary asset within the long-lived asset group. If the carrying values of the long-lived asset group exceed the future cash flows, the assets are considered to be potentially impaired. The next step in the impairment process is to determine the fair value of the individual net assets within the long-lived asset group. If the aggregate fair values of the individual net assets of the group are less than their carrying values, an impairment is recorded equal to the excess of the aggregate carrying value of the group over the aggregate fair value. The loss is allocated to each asset within the group based on their relative carrying values, with no asset reduced below its fair value.

The amortizable lives of intangible assets, including those identified as a result of purchase accounting, are summarized as follows:



Patents	7 - 15 years
Completed technology	5 - 10 years
Customer relationships	5 - 13 years

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over the fair value of net tangible and identifiable intangible assets of the businesses the Company acquired. The Company performs an annual impairment test of its goodwill on September 30 of each fiscal year unless interim indicators of impairment exist. Management's judgments are based on market and operational conditions at the time of the evaluation and can include management's best estimate of future business activity, which in turn drives estimates of future cash flows from these assets and the reporting units with associated goodwill. These periodic evaluations could cause management to conclude that impairment factors exist, requiring an adjustment of these assets to their then-current fair market value. Future business conditions and/or activity could differ materially from the projections made by management causing the need for additional adjustments and impairment charges.

The testing of goodwill for impairment is performed at a level referred to as a reporting unit. A reporting unit is either the “operating segment level” or one level below, which is referred to as a “component.” The level at which the impairment test is performed requires an assessment as to whether the operations below the operating segment constitute a self-sustaining business, in which case testing is generally required to be performed at this level. The Company currently has four reporting units that have goodwill, including two components that are part of the Brooks Product Solutions operating segment, one reporting unit that is the Brooks Global Services operating segment and one reporting unit that is the Brooks Life Science Systems operating segment.

The Company determines the fair value of its reporting units using an Income Approach, specifically the Discounted Cash Flow Method (“DCF Method”). The DCF Method includes future cash flow projections, which are discounted to present value, and an estimate of terminal values, which are also discounted to present value. Terminal values represent the present value an investor would pay today for the rights to the cash flows of the business for the fiscal years subsequent to the discrete cash flow projection period. The Company considers the DCF Method to be the most appropriate valuation indicator as the DCF analyses are based on management's long-term financial projections. Given the dynamic nature of the cyclical semiconductor equipment market, management's projections as of the valuation date are considered more objective than comparisons to market metrics for peer companies, which fluctuate over the cycle. However, the Company also uses market-based valuation techniques to test the reasonableness of the reporting unit fair values determined by the DCF Method and compares the aggregate fair value of its reporting units plus its net corporate assets to its overall market capitalization.

Goodwill impairment testing is a two-step process. The first step of the goodwill impairment test, used to identify potential impairment, compares the fair value of each reporting unit to its respective carrying amount, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is not considered impaired. If the reporting unit's carrying amount exceeds the fair value, the second step of the goodwill impairment test must be completed to measure the amount of the impairment loss, if any. The second step compares the implied fair value of goodwill with the carrying value of goodwill. The implied fair value is determined by allocating the fair value of the reporting unit to all of the assets and liabilities of that unit, the excess of the fair value over amounts assigned to its assets and liabilities is the implied fair value of goodwill. The implied fair value of goodwill determined in this step is compared to the carrying value of goodwill. If the implied fair value of goodwill is less than the carrying value of goodwill, an impairment loss is recognized equal to the difference.

Pension Plans

The cost and obligations of the Company's defined benefit pension plans are calculated using many assumptions to estimate the benefits that the employee earns while working, the amount of which cannot be completely determined until the benefit payments cease. Major assumptions used in the accounting for these employee benefit plans include the discount rate, expected return on plan assets and rate of increase in employee compensation levels. Assumptions are determined based on Company data and appropriate market indicators in consultation with third-party actuaries, and are evaluated each year as of the plans' measurement date.

Revenue Recognition

Product revenue is associated with the sale of hardware systems, components and spare parts as well as product license revenue. Service revenue is associated with service contracts, repairs, upgrades and field service. Shipping and handling fees, billed to customers, if any, are recognized as revenue. The related shipping and handling costs are recognized in cost of revenue.

The Company recognizes revenue when the following criteria have been met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists with the customer; delivery of the specified products has occurred or services have been rendered; fees are fixed or determinable; and collection of the related receivable is reasonably assured. The arrangements for the sale of certain of the Company's products include customer acceptance provisions. These provisions are included in these arrangements to ensure that the product delivered to the customer meets published specifications. Prior to shipment of its products, the Company typically inspects the product, tests its functionality and documents that it meets the published specifications. In general, the Company's inspections and testing replicate the testing that will be performed at the customer site prior to final acceptance by the customer. In situations where the Company has sufficient history of objectively demonstrating that the acceptance criteria in the arrangement has been achieved prior to delivery, which are typically for products with limited customization, revenue is recognized in advance of final customer acceptance because there are no remaining substantive contingencies. Arrangements with certain customers also include contingent revenue provisions, in which a portion of the selling price of a delivered item is contingent on the delivery of other items or on the delivered items meeting specified performance criteria. In arrangements that include contingent revenue, the amount of revenue that the Company recognizes is limited to the lower of either: the amount billed that is not contingent on acceptance; or the value of the arrangement consideration allocated to the delivered elements, if the product is part of a multiple-element arrangement. When significant on-site customer acceptance provisions are present in the arrangement, or the Company is not able to objectively demonstrate that the acceptance criteria have been met, revenue is recognized upon receiving acceptance from the customer.

Revenue from product sales that include significant customization, which primarily include life science automation systems, is recorded using the percentage of completion method. Under the percentage of completion method revenue is recorded as work progresses based on a percentage that incurred labor effort to date bears to total projected labor effort. Profit estimates on long-term contracts are revised periodically based on changes in circumstances, and any losses on contracts are accrued in the same period the Company determines that the loss is probable. If the Company determines that a loss is probable, it estimates the amount of the loss by comparing total estimated contract revenue to the total estimated contract costs. Significant judgment is required when estimating total labor costs and progress to completion on these arrangements, as well as whether a loss is expected to be incurred on the contract due to several factors, including the degree of customization required and the customer’s existing environment. The Company uses historical experience, project plans, and an assessment of the risks and uncertainties inherent in the arrangement to establish these estimates. Uncertainties in these arrangements include implementation delays or performance issues that may or may not be within the Company's control. The Company also has certain arrangements for products with significant customization that include contractual terms that prohibit use of the percentage of completion method. In some circumstances, percentage of completion is not appropriate, as it relates to the contractual rights of the customer, and in these cases the Company uses the completed-contract method. Under the completed-contract method, income is recognized only when a contract is completed or substantially completed.

Revenue associated with service agreements is generally recognized ratably over the term of the contract, with payments from customers being recorded as deferred revenue. Revenue from repair services or upgrades of customer-owned equipment is recognized upon completion of the repair effort and upon the shipment of the repaired item back to the customer. In instances where the repair or upgrade includes installation, revenue is recognized when the installation is completed.

A portion of the revenue arrangements for the Company's products, particularly in sales of life science automation systems, are multiple element arrangements that can include product, service and other elements. For revenue arrangements with multiple elements, arrangement consideration is allocated to each element based upon their relative selling price using vendor-specific objective evidence (“VSOE”), or third-party evidence (“TPE”) or based upon the relative selling price using estimated selling prices if VSOE or TPE does not exist. The Company relies primarily on estimated selling prices because it generally does not have VSOE or TPE. The Company recognizes revenue on each element of the arrangement in accordance with its policies for revenue recognition. The fair value of any undelivered elements is deferred until the undelivered element is delivered and all other criteria for revenue recognition have been met.

Warranty

The Company offers warranties on the sales of certain of its products and records an accrual for estimated future claims. Such accruals are based upon historical experience and management's estimate of the level of future claims.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development costs are charged to expense when incurred.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company measures compensation cost for all employee stock awards at fair value on the date of grant and recognizes compensation expense over the service period for awards expected to vest. The fair value of restricted stock is determined based on the number of shares granted and the closing price of the Company's common stock quoted on NASDAQ on the date of grant, and the fair value of stock options is determined using the Black-Scholes valuation model. Such value is recognized as expense ratably over the service period, net of estimated forfeitures. The estimation of stock awards that will ultimately vest requires significant judgment. The Company considers many factors when estimating expected forfeitures, including types of awards, employee class, and historical experience. In addition, for stock-based awards where vesting is dependent upon achieving certain operating performance goals, the Company estimates the likelihood of achieving the performance goals. Actual results, and future changes in estimates, may differ substantially from the Company's current estimates.

The following table reflects stock-based compensation expense, excluding amounts related to discontinued operations, recorded during the fiscal years ended September 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands):



	Year ended September 30,
	2014		2013		2012
Restricted stock	$	10,469	$	7,112	$	7,949
Employee stock purchase plan	445		496		549
	$	10,914	$	7,608	$	8,498

Valuation Assumptions for Employee Stock Purchase Plan

The fair value of shares issued under the employee stock purchase plan was estimated on the commencement date of each offering period using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012:



	Year ended September 30,
	2014		2013		2012
Risk-free interest rate	0.1	%	0.1	%	0.1	%
Volatility	25	%	32	%	45	%
Expected life	6 months		6 months		6 months
Dividend yield	3.40%		3.30% - 3.40%		2.75% - 3.30%

The risk-free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant for periods corresponding with the expected life of the share; expected volatilities are based on historical volatilities of the Company's common stock; and the expected life represents the weighted average period of time that employee stock purchase plan shares are expected to be purchased. Dividend yields are projected based on the Company's history of dividends declared, and management's intention for future dividend declarations.

Equity Incentive Plans

The Company's equity incentive plans are intended to attract and retain employees and to provide an incentive for them to assist the Company to achieve long-range performance goals and to enable them to participate in the long-term growth of the Company. The equity incentive plans consist of plans under which employees may be granted options to purchase shares of the Company's stock, restricted stock and other equity incentives. Stock options generally had a vesting period of 4 years and are exercisable for a period not to exceed 10 years from the date of issuance. Restricted stock awards generally vest over 3 years. At September 30, 2014, a total of 2,486,983 shares were reserved and available for the issuance of awards under the plans.

Income Taxes

The Company records income taxes using the asset and liability method. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective income tax bases, and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. The Company's consolidated financial statements contain certain deferred tax assets which have arisen primarily as a result of operating losses, as well as other temporary differences between financial and tax accounting. A valuation allowance is established if the likelihood of realization of the deferred tax assets is not considered more likely than not based on an evaluation of positive and negative evidence and the extent to which that evidence is objectively verifiable. Significant management judgment is required in determining the Company's provision for income taxes, the Company's deferred tax assets and liabilities and any valuation allowance recorded against those net deferred tax assets. The Company evaluates the weight of all available evidence to determine whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the net deferred income tax assets will not be realized.

The calculation of the Company's tax liabilities involves dealing with uncertainties in the application of complex tax regulations. The Company recognizes liabilities for uncertain tax positions based on a two-step process. The first step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes, if any. If the Company determines that a tax position will more likely than not be sustained on audit, the second step requires the Company to estimate and measure the tax benefit as the largest amount that is more than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement. It is inherently difficult and subjective to estimate such amounts, as the Company has to determine the probability of various possible outcomes. The Company re-evaluates these uncertain tax positions on a quarterly basis. This evaluation is based on factors such as changes in facts or circumstances, changes in tax law, new audit activity, and effectively settled issues. Determining whether an uncertain tax position is effectively settled requires judgment. Such a change in recognition or measurement would result in the recognition of a tax benefit or an additional charge to the tax provision.

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share is calculated based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is calculated based on the weighted average number of common shares and dilutive common equivalent shares assumed outstanding during the period. Shares used to compute diluted earnings per share exclude common share equivalents if their inclusion would have an anti-dilutive effect.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In July 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued an amendment to the accounting guidance for presentation of unrecognized tax benefits. The prior guidance related to unrecognized tax benefits did not explicitly address financial statement presentation of unrecognized tax benefits when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss or a tax credit carryforward exists. The amended guidance eliminates the existing diversity in practice in the presentation of unrecognized tax benefits in these instances. Under the amended guidance, an unrecognized tax benefit, or a portion of an unrecognized tax benefit, will be presented in the financial statements as a reduction of a deferred tax asset when an operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss or a tax credit carryforward exists, with limited exceptions. This amended guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning on or after December 15, 2013. The adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations.

In April 2014, the FASB issued an amendment to the accounting guidance for reporting discontinued operations. The amended guidance raises the threshold for disposals to qualify as a discontinued operation by requiring a component of an entity that is held for sale, or has been disposed of by sale, to represent a strategic shift that has or will have a major effect on operations and financial results. Under the amended guidance, a strategic shift could include the disposal of a major line of business, a major geographical area, a major equity method investment or other major parts of an entity. In addition, the new guidance allows companies to have significant continuing involvement and continuing cash flows with the discontinued operation. The amended guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning on or after December 15, 2014. Early adoption is permitted but not required for disposals, or classifications as held for sale, that have not been previously reported in financial statements. The Company has elected not to adopt this amended guidance in regard to the Granville-Phillips discontinued operation.

In May 2014, the FASB issued new accounting guidance for reporting revenue recognition. The guidance recognizes revenue when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that is expected to be received for those goods or services. The five step process may make it possible that more judgment and estimation will be required within the revenue recognition process than required under existing GAAP, including identifying performance obligations in the contract, estimating the amount of variable consideration to include in the transaction price and allocating the transaction price to each separate performance obligation. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is not permitted. The Company is evaluating the impact that the adoption of this guidance will have on its financial position and results of operations.