2. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In November 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2015-17 Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, to simplify accounting for deferred taxes. Beginning on November 1, 2017 and including the interim periods following that date, we will be required to present all deferred tax balances as non-current. Existing GAAP guidance requires us to record deferred tax balances as either current or non-current in accordance with the classification of the underlying attributes. Early adoption of this guidance is permitted and may be applied either prospectively or retrospectively to all periods presented. We adopted this guidance at the end of the period ended April 30, 2016 prospectively and therefore, the October 31, 2016 consolidated balance sheet reflects the new disclosure requirements but prior periods have not been adjusted.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09 Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, that changes the accounting for certain aspects of share-based payments to employees. The new guidance requires excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies to be recorded in the income statement when the awards vest or are settled. In addition, cash flows related to excess tax benefits will no longer be separately classified as a financing activity apart from other income tax cash flows. The standard also allows us to repurchase more of an employee’s shares for tax withholding purposes without triggering liability accounting, clarifies that all cash payments made on an employee’s behalf for withheld shares should be presented as a financing activity on our cash flows statement, and provides an accounting policy election to account for forfeitures as they occur. The amendments also remove the requirement to delay the recognition of an excess tax benefit until it reduces current taxes payable. Under the new guidance the benefit will be recorded when it arises with a cumulative effect adjustment to opening retained earnings for previously unrecognized benefits. The new guidance is effective for us beginning November 1, 2017. We elected to early adopt the new guidance in the third quarter of fiscal year 2016, on a retrospective basis.

The impact of adoption was the recognition of tax shortfalls of $2 million in our provision for income taxes for fiscal year 2016. Additional amendments to the accounting for income taxes was the recognition of the windfall tax benefits as a cumulative effect adjustment to opening retained earnings of $196 million together with an increase in deferred tax assets included in other assets of $98 million, an increase in additional paid in capital of $4 million, a reduction in other accrued liabilities of $1 million and a decrease of $99 million in other long term liabilities. There was no impact from minimum statutory withholding tax requirements to retained earnings as of November 1, 2015. We have elected to continue to estimate forfeitures expected to occur to determine the amount of compensation cost to be recognized in each period. The adoption of the new guidance did not have a significant impact on the calculation of diluted weighted average shares.

We elected to apply the presentation requirements for cash flows related to excess tax benefits and employee taxes paid for withheld shares retrospectively to all periods presented. The presentation requirements for cash flows impacted our previously reported consolidated statement of cash flows for fiscal years 2015 and 2014 as follows:



	Year Ended October 31, 2015						Year Ended October 31, 2014
	As Reported			As Adjusted			As Reported			As Adjusted
	(in millions)
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows:
Net cash provided by operating activities	$	491		$	512		$	711		$	731
Net cash used in financing activities	$	(1,068	)	$	(1,089	)	$	(97	)	$	(117	)

New Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In April 2014, the FASB issued amendments to the guidance on discontinued operations. The guidance changes the criteria for reporting discontinued operations while enhancing disclosures in this area. Under the new guidance, only disposals representing a strategic shift in operations should be presented as discontinued operations. Those strategic shifts should have a major effect on the organization’s operations and financial results. Examples include a disposal of a major geographic area, a major line of business, or a major equity method investment. Additionally, the new guidance requires expanded disclosures about discontinued operations that will provide financial statement users with more information about the assets, liabilities, income, expenses of discontinued operations and of the pre-tax income attributable to a disposal of a significant part of an organization that does not qualify for discontinued operations reporting. The new guidance is effective for Agilent prospectively for all disposals (or classifications as held for sale) of components of an entity that occur after November 1, 2016.

The disposal of Keysight meets the definition of a discontinued operation under both the existing and amended accounting guidance. The historical results of operations and the financial position of Keysight are included in the consolidated financial statements of Agilent and are reported as discontinued operations within this Form 10-K.

In May 2014, the FASB issued amendments to the accounting guidance related to revenue recognition, Topic 606, Revenue from contracts with customers. The objective of the amendments was to significantly enhance comparability and clarify principles of revenue recognition practices across entities, industries, jurisdictions and capital markets. In July 2015, the FASB amended the effective date. In March 2016, the FASB clarified the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations. In April 2016, the FASB clarified certain aspects of identifying performance obligations and licensing implementation guidance. In May 2016, the FASB provided additional guidance related to disclosure of remaining performance obligations, as well as other amendments to guidance on collectibility, non-cash consideration and the presentation of sales and other similar taxes collected from customers. The amendments are effective for us beginning fiscal 2019. Early adoption is permitted for us beginning November 1, 2017. The company expects to adopt this guidance on November 1, 2018. We are currently in the assessment phase to determine the adoption method and are evaluating the impact of these amendments on our consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In April 2015, the FASB issued amendments to simplify the presentation of debt issuance costs. The amendments require that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability to presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs remain unchanged. The amendments are effective for us beginning November 1, 2016, and for interim periods within that year. We do not expect the impact of adopting the amendments to be material on our consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In September 2015, the FASB issued guidance intended to simplify accounting for adjustments to provisional amounts recorded in connection with business combinations. Beginning in November 1, 2017 and in the interim periods from November 1, 2018, adjustments will be recorded in the period that they are determined rather than applied retrospectively via revision to the period of acquisition and each period thereafter. We do not expect this guidance to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In January 2016, the FASB issued amendments to address certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. The standard requires entities to measure equity investments that do not result in consolidation and are not accounted for under the equity method at fair value and recognize any changes in fair value in net income. The provisions under this amendment are effective for us beginning November 1, 2018, and for interim periods within that year. Early adoption is not permitted. We are evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance on our consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance which amends the existing accounting standards for leases. Consistent with existing guidance, the recognition, measurement, and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from a lease by a lessee primarily will depend on its classification. Under the new guidance, a lessee will be required to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet. The new guidance is effective for us beginning November 1, 2020, and for interim periods within that year. Early adoption is permitted and we will be required to adopt using a modified retrospective approach. We are evaluating the timing of adoption and the impact of this guidance on our consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued amendments to simplify the transition to the equity method of accounting. The amendments require that the equity method investor add the cost of acquiring the additional interest in the investee to the current basis of the investor’s previously held interest and adopt the equity method of accounting as of the date the investment becomes qualified for equity method accounting. The amendments are effective for us beginning November 1, 2017, and for interim periods within that year. We currently do not expect material impact of this amendment on our consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In August 2016, the FASB issued amendments to address eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice. The amendments are effective for us beginning November 1, 2018, and for interim periods within that year. Early adoption is permitted. If we decide to early adopt the amendments, we will be required to adopt all of the amendments in the same period. We are evaluating the timing of our adoption and the impact of the amendments on our consolidated statement of cash flows and disclosures.

In October 2016, the FASB issued amendments to improve the accounting for the income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. The amendments are effective for us beginning November 1, 2018, and for interim periods within that year. Early adoption is permitted and should be applied on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. We are evaluating the timing of our adoption and the impact of the amendments on our consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In November 2016, the FASB issued amendments to require amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. The amendments are effective for us beginning November 1, 2018, and for interim periods within that year. Early adoption is permitted. We are evaluating the timing of our adoption and the impact of the amendments on our consolidated statement of cash flows and disclosures.

Other amendments to GAAP in the U.S. that have been issued by the FASB or other standards-setting bodies that do not require adoption until a future date are not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements upon adoption.