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Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 12 Months Ended
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May 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | NOTE 1: DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS. FedEx Corporation (“FedEx”) provides a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services through companies competing collectively, operating independently and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Our primary operating companies are Federal Express Corporation (“FedEx Express”), the world’s largest express transportation company; TNT Express B.V. (“TNT Express”), an international express, small-package ground delivery and freight transportation company; FedEx Ground Package System, Inc. (“FedEx Ground”), a leading North American provider of small-package ground delivery services; and FedEx Freight, Inc. (“FedEx Freight”), a leading U.S. provider of less-than-truckload (“LTL”) freight services. These companies represent our major service lines and, along with FedEx Corporate Services, Inc. (“FedEx Services”), form the core of our reportable segments. Our FedEx Services segment provides sales, marketing, information technology, communications, customer service, technical support, billing and collection services, and certain back-office functions that support our transportation segments. In addition, the FedEx Services segment provides customers with retail access to FedEx Express and FedEx Ground shipping services through FedEx Office and Print Services, Inc. (“FedEx Office”). FISCAL YEARS. Except as otherwise specified, references to years indicate our fiscal year ended May 31, 2017 or ended May 31 of the year referenced. RECLASSIFICATIONS. Reclassifications have been made to the May 31, 2016 consolidated balance sheet to conform to the current year’s presentation of debt issuance costs. See Note 2 below for additional information regarding recent accounting guidance. PRINCIPLES OF CONSOLIDATION. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of FedEx and its subsidiaries, substantially all of which are wholly owned. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. We are not the primary beneficiary of, nor do we have a controlling financial interest in, any variable interest entity. Accordingly, we have not consolidated any variable interest entity. REVENUE RECOGNITION. We recognize revenue upon delivery of shipments for our transportation businesses and upon completion of services for our business services, logistics and trade services businesses. Transportation services are provided with the use of employees and independent contractors. FedEx is the principal to the transaction for most of these services and revenue from these transactions is recognized on a gross basis. Costs associated with independent contractor settlements are recognized as incurred and included in the caption “Purchased transportation” in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. For shipments in transit, revenue is recorded based on the percentage of service completed at the balance sheet date. Estimates for future billing adjustments to revenue and accounts receivable are recognized at the time of shipment for money-back service guarantees and billing corrections. Delivery costs are accrued as incurred. Our contract logistics, global trade services and certain transportation businesses engage in some transactions wherein they act as agents. Revenue from these transactions is recorded on a net basis. Net revenue includes billings to customers less third-party charges, including transportation or handling costs, fees, commissions and taxes and duties. Certain of our revenue-producing transactions are subject to taxes, such as sales tax, assessed by governmental authorities. We present these revenues net of tax. CREDIT RISK. We routinely grant credit to many of our customers for transportation and business services without collateral. The risk of credit loss in our trade receivables is substantially mitigated by our credit evaluation process, short collection terms and sales to a large number of customers, as well as the low revenue per transaction for most of our services. Allowances for potential credit losses are determined based on historical experience and the impact of current economic factors on the composition of accounts receivable. Historically, credit losses have been within management’s expectations. ADVERTISING. Advertising and promotion costs are expensed as incurred and are classified in other operating expenses. Advertising and promotion expenses were $458 million in 2017, $417 million in 2016 and $403 million in 2015. CASH EQUIVALENTS. Cash in excess of current operating requirements is invested in short-term, interest-bearing instruments with maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase and is stated at cost, which approximates market value. SPARE PARTS, SUPPLIES AND FUEL. Spare parts (principally aircraft-related) are reported at weighted-average cost. Allowances for obsolescence are provided for spare parts currently identified as excess or obsolete as well as expected to be on hand at the date the aircraft are retired from service. These allowances are provided over the estimated useful life of the related aircraft and engines. The majority of our supplies and fuel are reported at weighted-average cost. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT. Expenditures for major additions, improvements and flight equipment modifications are capitalized when such costs are determined to extend the useful life of the asset or are part of the cost of acquiring the asset. Expenditures for equipment overhaul costs of engines or airframes prior to their operational use are capitalized as part of the cost of such assets as they are costs required to ready the asset for its intended use. Maintenance and repairs costs are charged to expense as incurred, except for certain aircraft engine maintenance costs incurred under third-party service agreements. These agreements result in costs being expensed based on cycles or hours flown and are subject to annual escalation. These service contracts transfer risk to third-party service providers and generally fix the amount we pay for maintenance to the service provider as a rate per cycle or flight hour, in exchange for maintenance and repairs under a predefined maintenance program. We capitalize certain direct internal and external costs associated with the development of internal-use software. Gains and losses on sales of property used in operations are classified within operating expenses and historically have been nominal. For financial reporting purposes, we record depreciation and amortization of property and equipment on a straight-line basis over the asset’s service life or related lease term, if shorter. For income tax purposes, depreciation is computed using accelerated methods when applicable. The depreciable lives and net book value of our property and equipment are as follows (dollars in millions):
|  |  |  | Net Book Value at May 31, |
|  | Range |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Wide-body aircraft and related equipment |  | 15 to 30 years |  | $ | 9,103 |  |  | $ | 8,356 |
Narrow-body and feeder aircraft and related equipment |  | 5 to 18 years |  |  | 3,099 |  |  |  | 3,180 |
Package handling and ground support equipment |  | 3 to 30 years |  |  | 3,862 |  |  |  | 3,249 |
Information technology |  | 2 to 10 years |  |  | 1,114 |  |  |  | 1,051 |
Vehicles |  | 3 to 15 years |  |  | 3,400 |  |  |  | 3,084 |
Facilities and other |  | 2 to 40 years |  |  | 5,403 |  |  |  | 5,364 |
Substantially all property and equipment have no material residual values. The majority of aircraft costs are depreciated on a straight-line basis over 15 to 30 years. We periodically evaluate the estimated service lives and residual values used to depreciate our property and equipment. In May 2015, we adjusted the depreciable lives of 23 aircraft and 57 engines. Depreciation and amortization expense, excluding gains and losses on sales of property and equipment used in operations, was $2.9 billion in 2017 and $2.6 billion in 2016 and 2015. Depreciation and amortization expense includes amortization of assets under capital lease. CAPITALIZED INTEREST. Interest on funds used to finance the acquisition and modification of aircraft, including purchase deposits, construction of certain facilities, and development of certain software up to the date the asset is ready for its intended use is capitalized and included in the cost of the asset if the asset is actively under construction. Capitalized interest was $41 million in 2017, $42 million in 2016 and $37 million in 2015. IMPAIRMENT OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS. Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment when circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. For assets that are to be held and used, an impairment is recognized when the estimated undiscounted cash flows associated with the asset or group of assets is less than their carrying value. If impairment exists, an adjustment is made to write the asset down to its fair value, and a loss is recorded as the difference between the carrying value and fair value. Fair values are determined based on quoted market values, discounted cash flows or internal and external appraisals, as applicable. Assets to be disposed of are carried at the lower of carrying value or estimated net realizable value. We operate integrated transportation networks, and accordingly, cash flows for most of our operating assets to be held and used are assessed at a network level, not at an individual asset level, for our analysis of impairment. In the normal management of our aircraft fleet, we routinely idle aircraft and engines temporarily due to maintenance cycles and adjustments of our network capacity to match seasonality and overall customer demand levels. Temporarily idled assets are classified as available-for-use, and we continue to record depreciation expense associated with these assets. These temporarily idled assets are assessed for impairment on a quarterly basis. The criteria for determining whether an asset has been permanently removed from service (and, as a result, is potentially impaired) include, but are not limited to, our global economic outlook and the impact of our outlook on our current and projected volume levels, including capacity needs during our peak shipping seasons; the introduction of new fleet types or decisions to permanently retire an aircraft fleet from operations; and changes to planned service expansion activities. At May 31, 2017, we had seven aircraft temporarily idled. These aircraft have been idled for an average of 12 months and are expected to return to revenue service. In May 2015, we retired from service seven Boeing MD11 aircraft and 12 related engines, four Airbus A310-300 aircraft and three related engines, three Airbus A300-600 aircraft and three related engines and one Boeing MD10-10 aircraft and three related engines, and related parts. As a consequence, impairment and related charges of $276 million ($175 million, net of tax, or $0.61 per diluted share) were recorded in the fourth quarter of 2015. Of this amount, $246 million was non-cash. The decision to permanently retire these aircraft and engines aligns with FedEx Express’s plans to rationalize capacity and modernize its aircraft fleet to more effectively serve its customers. GOODWILL. Goodwill is recognized for the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of tangible and identifiable intangible net assets of businesses acquired. Several factors give rise to goodwill in our acquisitions, such as the expected benefit from synergies of the combination and the existing workforce of the acquired business. Goodwill is reviewed at least annually for impairment. In our evaluation of goodwill impairment, we perform a qualitative assessment to determine if it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the qualitative assessment is not conclusive, we proceed to a two-step process to test goodwill for impairment, including comparing the fair value of the reporting unit to its carrying value (including attributable goodwill). Fair value for our reporting units is determined using an income or market approach incorporating market participant considerations and management’s assumptions on revenue growth rates, operating margins, discount rates and expected capital expenditures. Fair value determinations may include both internal and third-party valuations. Unless circumstances otherwise dictate, we perform our annual impairment testing in the fourth quarter. INTANGIBLE ASSETS. Intangible assets primarily include customer relationships, technology assets and trademarks acquired in business combinations. Intangible assets are amortized over periods ranging from 3 to 15 years, either on a straight-line basis or on a basis consistent with the pattern in which the economic benefits are realized. PENSION AND POSTRETIREMENT HEALTHCARE PLANS. Our defined benefit plans are measured using actuarial techniques that reflect management’s assumptions for discount rate, investment returns on plan assets, salary increases, expected retirement, mortality, employee turnover and future increases in healthcare costs. We determine the discount rate (which is required to be the rate at which the projected benefit obligation could be effectively settled as of the measurement date) with the assistance of actuaries, who calculate the yield on a theoretical portfolio of high-grade corporate bonds (rated Aa or better) with cash flows that are designed to match our expected benefit payments in future years. We use the fair value of plan assets to calculate the expected return on plan assets (“EROA”) for interim and segment reporting purposes. Our EROA is a judgmental matter which is reviewed on an annual basis and revised as appropriate. The accounting guidance related to employers’ accounting for defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans requires recognition in the balance sheet of the funded status of defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans. We use “mark-to-market” or MTM accounting and immediately recognize changes in the fair value of plan assets and actuarial gains or losses in our operating results annually in the fourth quarter each year. The annual MTM adjustment is recognized at the corporate level and does not impact segment results. The remaining components of pension and postretirement healthcare expense, primarily service and interest costs and the EROA, are recorded on a quarterly basis. INCOME TAXES. Deferred income taxes are provided for the tax effect of temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements. The liability method is used to account for income taxes, which requires deferred taxes to be recorded at the statutory rate expected to be in effect when the taxes are paid. We recognize liabilities for uncertain income 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. The second step requires us 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 we must determine the probability of various possible outcomes. We reevaluate these uncertain tax positions on a quarterly basis or when new information becomes available to management. These reevaluations are based on factors including, but not limited to, changes in facts or circumstances, changes in tax law, successfully settled issues under audit and new audit activity. Such a change in recognition or measurement could result in the recognition of a tax benefit or an increase to the related provision. We classify interest related to income tax liabilities as interest expense, and if applicable, penalties are recognized as a component of income tax expense. The income tax liabilities and accrued interest and penalties that are due within one year of the balance sheet date are presented as current liabilities. The noncurrent portion of our income tax liabilities and accrued interest and penalties are recorded in the caption “Other liabilities” in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. SELF-INSURANCE ACCRUALS. We are self-insured for costs associated with workers’ compensation claims, vehicle accidents and general business liabilities, and benefits paid under employee healthcare and disability programs. Accruals are primarily based on the actuarially estimated cost of claims, which includes incurred-but-not-reported claims. Current workers’ compensation claims, vehicle and general liability, employee healthcare claims and long-term disability are included in accrued expenses. We self-insure up to certain limits that vary by operating company and type of risk. Periodically, we evaluate the level of insurance coverage and adjust insurance levels based on risk tolerance and premium expense. LEASES. We lease certain aircraft, facilities, equipment and vehicles under capital and operating leases. The commencement date of all leases is the earlier of the date we become legally obligated to make rent payments or the date we may exercise control over the use of the property. In addition to minimum rental payments, certain leases provide for contingent rentals based on equipment usage, principally related to aircraft leases at FedEx Express and copier usage at FedEx Office. Rent expense associated with contingent rentals is recorded as incurred. Certain of our leases contain fluctuating or escalating payments and rent holiday periods. The related rent expense is recorded on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The cumulative excess of rent payments over rent expense is accounted for as a deferred lease asset and recorded in “Other assets” in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The cumulative excess of rent expense over rent payments is accounted for as a deferred lease obligation. Leasehold improvements associated with assets utilized under capital or operating leases are amortized over the shorter of the asset’s useful life or the lease term. DEFERRED GAINS. Gains on the sale and leaseback of aircraft and other property and equipment are deferred and amortized ratably over the life of the lease as a reduction of rent expense. Substantially all of these deferred gains are related to aircraft transactions. DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS. Our TNT Express segment maintains a risk management strategy that includes the use of derivative instruments to reduce the effects of volatility in foreign currency exchange exposure on operating results and cash flows. In accordance with our risk management policies, we do not hold or issue derivative instruments for trading or speculative purposes. We account for derivative instruments under the provisions of the accounting guidance related to derivatives and hedging, which requires all derivative instruments to be recognized in the financial statements and measured at fair value, regardless of the purpose or intent for holding them. Derivatives are recognized in our consolidated balance sheets at their fair values. When we become a party to a derivative instrument and intend to apply hedge accounting, we formally document the hedge relationship and the risk management objective for undertaking the hedge, which includes designating the instrument for financial reporting purposes as a fair value hedge, a cash flow hedge, or a net investment hedge. If a derivative is designated as a cash flow or net investment hedge, changes in its fair value are considered to be effective and are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income until the hedged item is recorded in income. Any portion of a change in the fair value of a derivative that is considered to be ineffective, along with the change in fair value of any derivatives not designated in a hedging relationship, is immediately recorded in the income statement. We do not have derivatives designated as a cash flow or net investment hedge as of May 31, 2017 and 2016. Accordingly, additional disclosures have been excluded from this report. For derivative instruments designated as hedges, we assess, both at hedge inception and on an ongoing basis, whether the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in fair values or cash flows of hedged items. In addition, when we determine that a derivative is not highly effective as a hedge, hedge accounting is discontinued. When a hedging instrument expires or is sold, or when the hedge no longer meets the criteria for hedge accounting, any cumulative gains or losses existing in equity at that time, remain in equity until the forecasted transaction is ultimately recognized in the income statement. When a forecasted transaction is no longer expected to occur, the cumulative gains or losses that were reported in equity are immediately transferred to the income statement. The financial statement impact of derivative transactions was immaterial for the years ended May 31, 2017 and 2016. Accordingly, additional disclosures have been excluded from this report. FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSLATION. Translation gains and losses of foreign operations that use local currencies as the functional currency are accumulated and reported, net of applicable deferred income taxes, as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income within common stockholders’ investment. Transaction gains and losses that arise from exchange rate fluctuations on transactions denominated in a currency other than the local currency are included in the caption “Other, net” in the accompanying consolidated statements of income and were immaterial for each period presented. EMPLOYEES UNDER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ARRANGEMENTS. The pilots of FedEx Express, who represent a small number of its total employees, are employed under a collective bargaining agreement that took effect on November 2, 2015. This collective bargaining agreement is scheduled to become amendable in November 2021. In addition to our pilots at FedEx Express, FedEx Supply Chain Distribution System, Inc. (“FedEx Supply Chain”) has a small number of employees who are members of unions, and certain non-U.S. employees are unionized. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION. We recognize compensation expense for stock-based awards under the provisions of the accounting guidance related to share-based payments. This guidance requires recognition of compensation expense for stock-based awards using a fair value method. We issue new shares or treasury shares from stock repurchases to cover employee stock option exercises and restricted stock grants. TREASURY SHARES. In January 2016, our Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program of up to 25 million shares. During 2017, we repurchased 3.0 million shares of FedEx common stock at an average price of $172.13 per share for a total of $509 million. As of May 31, 2017, 16 million shares remained under the share repurchase authorization. Shares under the current repurchase program may be repurchased from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. The timing and volume of repurchases are at the discretion of management, based on the capital needs of the business, the market price of FedEx common stock and general market conditions. No time limit was set for the completion of the program, and the program may be suspended or discontinued at any time. In 2016, we repurchased 18.2 million shares of FedEx common stock at an average price of $149.35 per share for a total of $2.7 billion. In 2015, we repurchased 8.1 million shares of FedEx common stock at an average price of $154.03 per share for a total of $1.3 billion. DIVIDENDS DECLARED PER COMMON SHARE. On June 12, 2017, our Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share of common stock. The dividend was paid on July 6, 2017 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 22, 2017. Each quarterly dividend payment is subject to review and approval by our Board of Directors, and we evaluate our dividend payment amount on an annual basis at the end of each fiscal year. USE OF ESTIMATES. The preparation of our consolidated financial statements requires the use of estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the reported amounts of revenues and expenses and the disclosure of contingent liabilities. Management makes its best estimate of the ultimate outcome for these items based on historical trends and other information available when the financial statements are prepared. Changes in estimates are recognized in accordance with the accounting rules for the estimate, which is typically in the period when new information becomes available to management. Areas where the nature of the estimate makes it reasonably possible that actual results could materially differ from amounts estimated include: self-insurance accruals; retirement plan obligations; long-term incentive accruals; tax liabilities; loss contingencies; litigation claims; impairment assessments on long-lived assets (including goodwill); and purchase price allocations.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for the organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure, and significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. May be provided in more than one note to the financial statements, as long as users are provided with an understanding of (1) the significant judgments and assumptions made by an enterprise in determining whether it must consolidate a VIE and/or disclose information about its involvement with a VIE, (2) the nature of restrictions on a consolidated VIE's assets reported by an enterprise in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets, (3) the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with an enterprise's involvement with the VIE, and (4) how an enterprise's involvement with the VIE affects the enterprise's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Describes procedure if disclosures are provided in more than one note to the financial statements. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64851502&loc=d3e6003-108592 + Details
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