Financial Instruments

12 Months Ended

Jan. 30, 2021

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

As a result of its operating and financing activities, TJX is exposed to market risks from changes in interest and foreign currency exchange rates and fuel costs. These market risks may adversely affect TJX’s operating results and financial position. TJX seeks to minimize risk from changes in interest and foreign currency exchange rates and fuel costs through the use of derivative financial instruments when and to the extent deemed appropriate. TJX does not use derivative financial instruments for trading or other speculative purposes and does not use any leveraged derivative financial instruments. TJX recognizes all derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities in the statements of financial position and measures those instruments at fair value. The fair values of the derivatives are classified as assets or liabilities, current or non-current, based upon valuation results and settlement dates of the individual contracts. Changes to the fair value of derivative contracts that do not qualify for hedge accounting are reported in earnings in the period of the change. For derivatives that qualify for hedge accounting, changes in the fair value of the derivatives are either recorded in shareholders’ equity as a component of other comprehensive income or are recognized currently in earnings, along with an offsetting adjustment against the basis of the item being hedged.

Diesel Fuel Contracts

TJX hedges portions of its estimated notional diesel requirements based on the diesel fuel expected to be consumed by independent freight carriers transporting TJX’s inventory. Independent freight carriers transporting TJX’s inventory charge TJX a mileage surcharge based on the price of diesel fuel. The hedge agreements are designed to mitigate the volatility of diesel fuel pricing (and the resulting per mile surcharges payable by TJX) by setting a fixed price per gallon for the period being hedged. During fiscal 2021, TJX entered into agreements to hedge a portion of its estimated notional diesel requirements for fiscal 2022. The hedge agreements outstanding at January 30, 2021 relate to approximately 42% of TJX’s estimated notional diesel requirements for fiscal 2022. These diesel fuel hedge agreements will settle throughout fiscal 2022 and the first month of fiscal 2023. TJX elected not to apply hedge accounting rules to these contracts.

Foreign Currency Contracts

TJX enters into forward foreign currency exchange contracts to obtain economic hedges on portions of merchandise purchases made and anticipated to be made by the Company’s operations in currencies other than their respective functional currencies, primarily in TJX International and TJX Canada. These contracts typically have a term of twelve months or less. The contracts outstanding at January 30, 2021 cover a portion of such actual and anticipated merchandise purchases throughout fiscal 2022. Additionally, TJX’s operations in Europe are subject to foreign currency exposure as a result of their buying function being centralized in the U.K. All merchandise is purchased centrally in the U.K. and then shipped and billed to the retail entities in other countries. This intercompany billing to TJX’s European businesses’ Euro denominated operations creates exposure to the buying entity for changes in the exchange rate between the Euro and British Pound. The inflow of Euros to the central buying entity provides a natural hedge for merchandise purchased from third-party vendors that is denominated in Euros. However, with the growth of TJX’s Euro denominated retail operations, the intercompany billings committed to the Euro denominated operations may sometimes generate Euros in excess of those needed to meet merchandise commitments to outside vendors. TJX calculates this excess Euro exposure each month and enters into forward contracts of approximately 30 days duration to mitigate the exposure. TJX elected not to apply hedge accounting rules to these contracts.

TJX also enters into derivative contracts, generally designated as fair value hedges, to hedge intercompany debt and intercompany interest payable. The changes in fair value of these contracts are recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses and are offset by marking the underlying item to fair value in the same period. Upon settlement, the realized gains and losses on these contracts are offset by the realized gains and losses of the underlying item in Selling, general and administrative expenses.

TJX periodically reviews its net investments in foreign subsidiaries. During the fiscal quarter ended May 5, 2018, TJX entered into net investment hedge contracts related to a portion of its investment in TJX Canada. During the fiscal quarter ended August 4, 2018, TJX de-designated the net investment hedge contracts. The remaining life of the foreign currency contracts provided a natural hedge to the declared cash dividend from TJX Canada. The contracts settled during the second quarter of fiscal 2019 resulting in a pre-tax gain of $27 million while designated as a net investment hedge and subsequent to de-designation, a pre-tax gain of $19 million. The $27 million gain is reflected in shareholders equity as a component of other comprehensive income. The $19 million gain subsequent to de-designation is reflected in the income statement offsetting a foreign currency loss of $18 million on the declared dividends.

The following is a summary of TJX’s derivative financial instruments, related fair value and balance sheet classification at January 30, 2021:


In thousands		Pay	Receive		Blended Contract Rate	Balance Sheet Location	Current Asset U.S.$		Current (Liability) U.S.$		Net Fair Value in U.S.$ at January 30, 2021
Fair value hedges:
Intercompany balances, primarily debt and related interest:
	zł	45,000	£	8,846	0.1966	Prepaid Exp	$	11	$	—	$	11
	A$	80,000	U.S.$	62,032	0.7754	Prepaid Exp	738		—		738
	U.S.$	75,102	£	55,000	0.7323	Prepaid Exp	357		—		357
	£	200,000	U.S.$	274,853	1.3743	Prepaid Exp	32		—		32
	€	200,000	U.S.$	244,699	1.2235	Prepaid Exp / (Accrued Exp)	427		(182)		245
Economic hedges for which hedge accounting was not elected:
Diesel contracts	Diesel fuel contracts	Fixed on 1.5M - 3.8M gal per month		Float on 1.5M - 3.8M gal per month	N/A	Prepaid Exp	4,880		—		4,880


Merchandise purchase commitments:
	C$	384,679	U.S.$	296,000	0.7695	Prepaid Exp / (Accrued Exp)	430		(5,627)		(5,197)
	C$	5,391	€	3,500	0.6492	Prepaid Exp	24		—		24
	£	203,264	U.S.$	263,950	1.2986	(Accrued Exp)	—		(15,086)		(15,086)
	zł	30,000	£	5,865	0.1955	(Accrued Exp)	—		(29)		(29)
	A$	46,985	U.S.$	35,250	0.7502	Prepaid Exp / (Accrued Exp)	144		(837)		(693)
	U.S.$	99,810	€	83,700	0.8386	Prepaid Exp / (Accrued Exp)	1,986		(160)		1,826
Total fair value of financial instruments							$	9,029	$	(21,921)	$	(12,892)

The following is a summary of TJX’s derivative financial instruments, related fair value and balance sheet classification at February 1, 2020:


In thousands		Pay	Receive		Blended Contract Rate	Balance Sheet Location	Current Asset U.S.$		Current (Liability) U.S.$		Net Fair Value in U.S.$ at February 1, 2020
Fair value hedges:
Intercompany balances, primarily debt and related interest:
	zł	45,000	£	8,930	0.1984	Prepaid Exp	$	270	$	—	$	270

	A$	50,000	U.S.$	33,911	0.6782	Prepaid Exp	275		—		275
	U.S.$	72,475	£	55,000	0.7589	Prepaid Exp	743		—		743
Economic hedges for which hedge accounting was not elected:
	Diesel fuel contracts	Fixed on 2.9M - 3.5M gal per month		Float on 2.9M - 3.5M gal per month	N/A	(Accrued Exp)	—		(9,927)		(9,927)
Intercompany billings in TJX International, primarily merchandise related:
	€	58,700	£	49,848	0.8492	Prepaid Exp	655		—		655
Merchandise purchase commitments:
	C$	609,340	U.S.$	463,200	0.7602	Prepaid Exp / (Accrued Exp)	2,877		(207)		2,670
	C$	37,051	€	25,200	0.6801	Prepaid Exp / (Accrued Exp)	61		(44)		17
	£	265,653	U.S.$	341,880	1.2869	Prepaid Exp / (Accrued Exp)	11		(9,792)		(9,781)
	zł	362,700	£	72,217	0.1991	Prepaid Exp	1,903		—		1,903
	A$	29,400	U.S.$	20,151	0.6854	Prepaid Exp	435		—		435
	U.S.$	49,849	€	44,635	0.8954	Prepaid Exp / (Accrued Exp)	10		(235)		(225)
Total fair value of financial instruments							$	7,240	$	(20,205)	$	(12,965)

The impact of derivative financial instruments on the Consolidated Statements of Income during fiscal 2021, fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2019 are as follows:


		Amount of Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income by Derivative
In thousands	Location of Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income by Derivative	January 30, 2021		February 1, 2020		February 2, 2019

Fair value hedges:
Intercompany balances, primarily debt and related interest	Selling, general and administrative expenses	$	(59,829)	$	4,788	$	(2,674)
Economic hedges for which hedge accounting was not elected:
Intercompany receivable	Selling, general and administrative expenses	—		3,257		18,823
Diesel fuel contracts	Cost of sales, including buying and occupancy costs	(5,638)		(9,780)		1,373
Intercompany billings in TJX International, primarily merchandise related	Cost of sales, including buying and occupancy costs	(4,249)		2,652		1,137
International lease liabilities	Cost of sales, including buying and occupancy costs	—		(1,113)		—
Merchandise purchase commitments	Cost of sales, including buying and occupancy costs	(4,468)		10,484		60,407
(Loss) gain recognized in income		$	(74,184)	$	10,288	$	79,066

Included in the table above are realized losses of $74 million in fiscal 2021 and realized gains of $20 million in fiscal 2020 and $74 million in fiscal 2019, all of which were largely offset by gains and losses on the underlying hedged item.