Recent Accounting Standards and Pronouncements

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]

Recent Accounting Standards and Pronouncements

2. Recent Accounting Standards and Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2014-09”), which supersedes nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under GAAP. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is to recognize revenues when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which an entity expects to be entitled for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 defines a five-step process to achieve this core principle and, in doing so, more judgment and estimates may be required within the revenue recognition process than are required under existing GAAP. The standard’s effective date has been deferred by the issuance of ASU No. 2015-14, and is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods therein. The guidance permits using either of the following transition methods: (i) a full retrospective approach reflecting the application of the standard in each prior reporting period with the option to elect certain practical expedients, or (ii) a retrospective approach with the cumulative effect of initially adopting ASU 2014-09 recognized at the date of adoption (which includes additional footnote disclosures). Early application is permitted but not before December 15, 2016, the ASU’s original effective date. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-02, which amends FASB ASU Topic 810, Consolidations. This ASU amends the current consolidation guidance, including introducing a separate consolidation analysis specific to limited partnerships and other similar entities. This ASU requires that limited partnerships and similar legal entities provide partners with either substantive kick-out rights or substantive participating rights over the general partner in order to be considered a voting interest entity. The specialized consolidation model and guidance for limited partnerships and similar legal entities have been eliminated. There is no longer a presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership. For limited partnerships and similar legal entities that qualify as voting interest entities, a limited partner with a controlling financial interest should consolidate a limited partnership. A controlling financial interest may be achieved through holding a limited partner interest that provides substantive kick-out rights. The standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company has adopted this guidance as of October 1, 2016, and its adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory. This ASU does not apply to inventory that is measured using last-in, first-out (LIFO) or the retail inventory method. The amendments apply to all other inventory, which includes inventory that is measured using first-in, first-out (FIFO) or average cost. This ASU eliminates from GAAP the requirement to measure inventory at the lower of cost or market. Market under the previous requirement could be replacement cost, net realizable value, or net realizable value less an approximately normal profit margin. Entities within scope of this update will now be required to measure inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. Subsequent measurement is unchanged for inventory using LIFO or the retail inventory method. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted, and should be applied prospectively. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-16, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments. The ASU requires an acquirer to recognize adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. Acquirers must recognize, in the same reporting period, the effect on earnings of changes in depreciation, amortization, or other income effects, if any, as a result of the change to the provisional amounts, calculated as if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company has adopted this guidance as of October 1, 2016, and its adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), on accounting for leases which requires lessees to recognize most leases on their balance sheets for the rights and obligations created by those leases. The guidance requires enhanced disclosures regarding the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases, and will be effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The guidance requires the use of a modified retrospective approach. We are evaluating the impact of the guidance on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and related disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued amended guidance ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation–Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvement to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The guidance requires all income tax effects of awards to be recognized in the income statement on a prospective basis. The guidance also requires presentation of excess tax benefits as an operating activity on the statement of cash flows rather than as a financing activity, and can be applied retrospectively or prospectively. The guidance increases the amount companies can withhold to pay income taxes on awards without triggering liability classification for shares used to satisfy statutory income tax withholding obligations, and requires application of a modified retrospective transition method. The amended guidance will be effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016; early adoption is permitted if all provisions are adopted in the same period. As of March 31, 2017, we do not have any stock-based compensation awards outstanding. We will adopt ASU 2016-09 when the Company grants stock-based compensation awards in the future.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force). The ASU intends to reduce diversity in practice on how the following cash activities are presented in the statement of cash flows: (1) debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs; (2) settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments; (3) contingent considerations payments made after a business combination; (4) proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims; (5) proceeds from the settlement of corporate and bank-owned life insurance policies; (6) distributions received from equity method investments; and (7) beneficial interests in securitization transactions. The guidance also describes a predominance principle in which cash flows with aspects of more than one class that cannot be separated should be classified based on the activity that is likely to be the predominant source or use of cash flow. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted, provided that all of the amendments are adopted in the same period, and must be applied using a retrospective transition method. We early adopted this guidance as of October 1, 2016. Our adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-01, Business Combination (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business. According to the guidance, when substantially all of the fair value of gross assets acquired is concentrated in a single asset (or a group of similar assets), the assets acquired would not represent a business. If met, this initial screen eliminates the need for further assessment. To be considered a business, an acquisition would have to include an input and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to create outputs. ASU 2017-01 provides a framework to evaluate when an input and a substantive process are present. To be a business without outputs, there will now need to be an organized workforce. The FASB noted that outputs are a key element of a business and included more stringent criteria for aggregated sets of assets and activities without outputs. Finally, the guidance narrows the definition of the term “outputs” to be consistent with how it is described in Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Under the final definition, an output is the result of inputs and substantive processes that provide goods and services to customers, other revenue, or investment income, such as dividends and interest. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The amendments can be applied to transactions occurring before the guidance was issued as long as the applicable financial statements have not been issued. We are evaluating the impact of the guidance on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and related disclosures.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. The guidance removes Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test, which requires a hypothetical purchase price allocation. The amount of goodwill impairment will now be the excess of a reporting unit’s carrying value over its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill. All other goodwill impairment guidance will remain largely unchanged. Entities will continue to have the option to perform a qualitative assessment (Step 0) to determine if a quantitative impairment test is necessary. The same one-step test will be applied to goodwill at all reporting units, even those with zero or negative carrying amounts. Entities will be required to disclose the amount of goodwill at reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts. The revised guidance will be applied prospectively, and is effective for calendar year-end SEC filers in 2020; other public business entities will have an additional year. Early adoption is permitted for any impairment tests performed after January 1, 2017. The Company plans to early adopt this ASU during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017.