A. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

BASIS OF PRESENTATION — The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. and its majority-owned subsidiaries (collectively the “Company”) which require consolidation, after the elimination of intercompany accounts and transactions. The Company’s fiscal year ends on the Saturday nearest to December 31. There were 52 weeks in the fiscal years 2011, 2010, and 2009.

On March 12, 2010 a wholly owned subsidiary of The Stanley Works was merged with and into The Black & Decker Corporation (“Black & Decker”), with the result that Black & Decker became a wholly owned subsidiary of The Stanley Works (the “Merger”). In connection with the Merger, The Stanley Works changed its name to Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. The results of the operations and cash flows of Black & Decker have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements from the time of the consummation of the Merger on March 12, 2010 (see Note E, Merger and Acquisitions).

The Company sold three small businesses during 2011 for total cash proceeds of $27.1 million. The largest of these businesses was part of the Company’s Industrial segment, with the two smaller businesses being part of the Company’s Security segment. The operating results of these three businesses have been reported as discontinued operations in the Consolidated Statement of Operations for all periods presented.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements. While management believes that the estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of the financial statements are appropriate, actual results could differ from these estimates.

FOREIGN CURRENCY — For foreign operations with functional currencies other than the U.S. dollar, asset and liability accounts are translated at current exchange rates; income and expenses are translated using weighted-average exchange rates. Translation adjustments are reported in a separate component of shareowners’ equity and exchange gains and losses on transactions are included in earnings.

CASH EQUIVALENTS — Highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less are considered cash equivalents.

ACCOUNTS AND FINANCING RECEIVABLE — Trade receivables are stated at gross invoice amount less discounts, other allowances and provision for uncollectible accounts. Financing receivables are initially recorded at fair value, less impairments or provisions for credit losses. Interest income earned from financing receivables that are not delinquent is recorded on the effective interest method. The Company considers any financing receivable that has not been collected within 90 days of original billing date as past-due or delinquent. Additionally, the Company considers the credit quality of all past-due or delinquent financing receivables as nonperforming.

ALLOWANCE FOR DOUBTFUL ACCOUNTS — The Company estimates its allowance for doubtful accounts using two methods. First, a specific reserve is established for individual accounts where information indicates the customers may have an inability to meet financial obligations. Second, a reserve is determined for all customers based on a range of percentages applied to aging categories. These percentages are based on historical collection and write-off experience. Actual write-offs are charged against the allowance when collection efforts have been unsuccessful.

INVENTORIES — U.S inventories are predominantly valued at the lower of Last-In First-Out (“LIFO”) cost or market because the Company believes it results in better matching of costs and revenues. Other inventories are valued at the lower of First-In, First-Out (“FIFO”) cost or market because LIFO is not permitted for statutory reporting outside the U.S. See Note C, Inventories, for a quantification of the LIFO impact on inventory valuation.

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT — The Company generally values property, plant and equipment (“PP&E”), including capitalized software, at historical cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Costs related to maintenance and repairs which do not prolong the assets useful life are expensed as incurred. Depreciation and amortization are provided using straight-line methods over the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows:


		Useful Life (Years)
Land improvements		10 —20
Buildings		40
Machinery and equipment		3 — 15
Computer software		3 — 5

Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of the estimated useful life or the term of the lease.

The Company reports depreciation and amortization of property, plant and equipment in cost of sales and selling, general and administrative expenses based on the nature of the underlying assets. Depreciation and amortization related to the production of inventory and delivery of services are recorded in cost of sales. Depreciation and amortization related to distribution center activities, selling and support functions are reported in selling, general and administrative expenses.

The Company assesses its long-lived assets for impairment when indicators that the carrying values may not be recoverable are present. In assessing long-lived assets for impairment, the Company groups its long-lived assets with other assets and liabilities at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are generated (“asset group”) and estimates the undiscounted future cash flows that are directly associated with and expected to be generated from the use of and eventual disposition of the asset group. If the carrying value is greater than the undiscounted cash flows, an impairment loss must be determined and the asset group is written down to fair value. The impairment loss is quantified by comparing the carrying amount of the asset group to the estimated fair value, which is determined using weighted-average discounted cash flows that consider various possible outcomes for the disposition of the asset group.

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS — Goodwill represents costs in excess of fair values assigned to the underlying net assets of acquired businesses. Intangible assets acquired are recorded at estimated fair value. Goodwill and intangible assets deemed to have indefinite lives are not amortized, but are tested for impairment annually during the third quarter, and at any time when events suggest an impairment more likely than not has occurred. To assess goodwill for impairment, the Company determines the fair value of its reporting units, which are primarily determined using management’s assumptions about future cash flows based on long-range strategic plans. This approach incorporates many assumptions including future growth rates, discount factors and tax rates. In the event the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeded its fair value, an impairment loss would be recognized to the extent the carrying amount of the reporting unit’s goodwill exceeded the implied fair value of the goodwill.

Indefinite-lived intangible asset carrying amounts are tested for impairment by comparing to current fair market value, usually determined by the estimated cost to lease the asset from third parties. Intangible assets with definite lives are amortized over their estimated useful lives generally using an accelerated method. Under this accelerated method, intangible assets are amortized reflecting the pattern over which the economic benefits of the intangible assets are consumed. Definite-lived intangible assets are also evaluated for impairment when impairment indicators are present. If the carrying value exceeds the total undiscounted future cash flows, a discounted cash flow analysis is performed to determine the fair value of the asset. If the carrying value of the asset were to exceed the fair value, it would be written down to fair value. No goodwill or other significant intangible asset impairments were recorded during 2011, 2010, or 2009.

FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS — Derivative financial instruments are employed to manage risks, including foreign currency, interest rate exposures and commodity prices and are not used for trading or speculative purposes. The Company recognizes all derivative instruments, such as interest rate swap agreements, foreign currency options, commodity contracts and foreign exchange contracts, in the Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value. Changes in the fair value of derivatives are recognized periodically either in earnings or in Shareowners’ Equity as a component of other comprehensive income, depending on whether the derivative financial instrument is undesignated or qualifies for hedge accounting, and if so, whether it represents a fair value, cash flow, or net investment hedge. Changes in the fair value of derivatives accounted for as fair value hedges are recorded in earnings in the same caption as the changes in the fair value of the hedged items. Gains and losses on derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, to the extent they are effective, are recorded in other comprehensive income, and subsequently reclassified to earnings to offset the impact of the hedged items when they occur.

In the event it becomes probable the forecasted transaction to which a cash flow hedge relates will not occur, the derivative would be terminated and the amount in other comprehensive income would generally be recognized in earnings. Changes in the fair value of derivatives used as hedges of the net investment in foreign operations, to the extent they are effective, are reported in other comprehensive income and are deferred until the subsidiary is sold. Changes in the fair value of derivatives not designated as hedges under ASC 815 “Derivatives and Hedging” (“ASC 815”), and any portion of a hedge that is considered ineffective, are reported in earnings in the same caption where the hedged items are recognized.

The net interest paid or received on interest rate swaps is recognized as interest expense. Gains and losses resulting from the early termination of interest rate swap agreements are deferred and amortized as adjustments to interest expense over the remaining period of the debt originally covered by the terminated swap.

REVENUE RECOGNITION — General: The majority of the Company’s revenues result from the sale of tangible products, where revenue is recognized when the earnings process is complete, collectability is reasonably assured, and the risks and rewards of ownership have transferred to the customer, which generally occurs upon shipment of the finished product, but sometimes is upon delivery to customer facilities.

Provisions for customer volume rebates, product returns, discounts and allowances are recorded as a reduction of revenue in the same period the related sales are recorded. Consideration given to customers for cooperative advertising is recognized as a reduction of revenue except to the extent that there is an identifiable benefit and evidence of the fair value of the advertising, in which case the expense is classified as Selling, general, and administrative expense.

Multiple Element Arrangements: Approximately six percent of the Company’s revenues are generated by multiple element arrangements, primarily in the Security segment. When a sales agreement involves multiple elements, deliverables are separately identified and consideration is allocated based on their relative selling price in accordance with ASC 605-25, “Revenue Recognition — Multiple-Element Arrangements”.

Sales of security monitoring systems may have multiple elements, including equipment, installation and monitoring services. For these arrangements, the Company assesses its revenue arrangements to determine the appropriate units of accounting, and with each deliverable provided under the arrangement considered a separate unit of accounting. Amounts assigned to each unit of accounting are based on an allocation of total arrangement consideration using a hierarchy of estimated selling price for the deliverables. The selling price used for each deliverable will be based on Vendor Specific Objective Evidence (“VSOE”) if available, Third Party Evidence (“TPE”) if VSOE is not available, or estimated selling price if neither VSOE nor TPE is available. Revenue recognized for equipment and installation is limited to the lesser of their allocated amounts under the estimated selling price hierarchy or the non-contingent up-front consideration received at the time of installation, since collection of future amounts under the arrangement with the customer is contingent upon the delivery of monitoring services.

For short duration and less complex installation contracts revenue is recognized upon contract completion and customer acceptance. The Company’s more complex contract sales for the installation of security intruder systems and other construction-related projects are recorded under the percentage-of-completion method. Profits recognized on contracts in process are based upon estimated contract revenue and related total cost of the project at completion. The extent of progress toward completion is generally measured using input methods based on labor metrics. Revisions to these estimates as contracts progress have the effect of increasing or decreasing profits each period. Provisions for anticipated losses are made in the period in which they become determinable. The revenue for monitoring and monitoring-related services are recognized as services are rendered over the contractual period.

Customer billings for services not yet rendered are deferred and recognized as revenue as the services are rendered and the associated deferred revenue is included in current liabilities or long-term liabilities, as appropriate.

COST OF SALES AND SELLING, GENERAL & ADMINISTRATIVE — Cost of sales includes the cost of products and services provided reflecting costs of manufacturing and preparing the product for sale. These costs include expenses to acquire and manufacture products to the point that they are allocable to be sold to customers and costs to perform services pertaining to service revenues (e.g. installation of security systems, automatic doors, and security monitoring costs). Cost of sales is primarily comprised of inbound freight, direct materials, direct labor as well as overhead which includes indirect labor, facility and equipment costs. Cost of sales also includes quality control, procurement and material receiving costs as well as internal transfer costs. SG&A costs include the cost of selling products as well as administrative function costs. These expenses generally represent the cost of selling and distributing the products once they are available for sale and primarily include salaries and commissions of the Company’s sales force, distribution costs, notably salaries and facility costs, as well as administrative expenses for certain support functions and related overhead.

ADVERTISING COSTS — Television advertising is expensed the first time the advertisement airs, whereas other advertising is expensed as incurred. Advertising costs are classified in SG&A and amounted to $143.8 million in 2011, $120.1 million in 2010, and $29.3 million in 2009. Expense pertaining to cooperative advertising with customers reported as a reduction of net sales was $192.5 million in 2011, $200.0 million in 2010, and $23.3 million in 2009. Cooperative advertising with customers classified as SG&A expense amounted to $7.5 million in 2011, $5.5 million in 2010, and $5.7 million in 2009.

SALES TAXES — Sales and value added taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are excluded from Net sales reported in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

SHIPPING AND HANDLING COSTS — The Company generally does not bill customers for freight. Shipping and handling costs associated with inbound freight are reported in cost of sales. Shipping costs associated with outbound freight are reported as a reduction of net sales and amounted to $184.8 million, $160.4 million, and $86.1 million in 2011, 2010, and 2009, respectively. Distribution costs are classified as SG&A and amounted to $240.4 million, $197.1 million, and $101.0 million in 2011, 2010, and 2009, respectively.

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION — Compensation cost relating to stock-based compensation grants is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period, which is generally four years. The expense for stock options and restricted stock units awarded to retirement eligible employees (those aged 55 and over, and with 10 or more years of service) is recognized on the grant date, or (if later) by the date they become retirement-eligible.

POSTRETIREMENT DEFINED BENEFIT PLAN — The Company uses the corridor approach to determine expense recognition for each defined benefit pension and other postretirement plan. The corridor approach defers actuarial gains and losses resulting from variances between actual and expected results (based on economic estimates or actuarial assumptions) and amortizes them over future periods. For pension plans, these unrecognized gains and losses are amortized when the net gains and losses exceed 10% of the greater of the market-related value of plan assets or the projected benefit obligation at the beginning of the year. For other postretirement benefits, amortization occurs when the net gains and losses exceed 10% of the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation at the beginning of the year. For ongoing, active plans, the amount in excess of the corridor is amortized on a straight-line basis over the average remaining service period for active plan participants. For plans with primarily inactive participants, the amount in excess of the corridor is amortized on a straight-line basis over the average remaining life expectancy of inactive plan participants.

INCOME TAXES — The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method in accordance with ASC 740, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial statements and tax basis of assets and liabilities using the enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Any changes in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

The Company records net deferred tax assets to the extent that it is more likely than not that these assets will be realized. In making this determination, Management considers all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. In the event that it is determined that an asset is not more likely that not to be realized, a valuation allowance is recorded against the asset.

The Company records uncertain tax positions in accordance with ASC 740 which requires a two step process, first management determines whether it is more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained based on the technical merits of the position and second, for those tax positions that meet the more likely than not threshold, management recognizes the largest amount of the tax benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement with the related taxing authority. The Company maintains an accounting policy of recording interest and penalties on uncertain tax positions as a component of the income tax expense on continuing operations in the Consolidated Statement of Operations.

EARNINGS PER SHARE — Basic earnings per share equals net earnings attributable to Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., less earnings allocated to restricted stock units with non-forfeitable dividend rights, divided by weighted-average shares outstanding during the year. Diluted earnings per share include the impact of common stock equivalents using the treasury stock method when the effect is dilutive.