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Basis of Presentation | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Basis of Presentation |
1. | Basis of Presentation
Loews Corporation is a holding company. Its subsidiaries are engaged in the following lines of business: commercial property and casualty insurance (CNA Financial Corporation (“CNA”), an 89% owned subsidiary); the operation of offshore oil and gas drilling rigs (Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. (“Diamond Offshore”), a 53% owned subsidiary); transportation and storage of natural gas and natural gas liquids (Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP (“Boardwalk Pipeline”), a wholly owned subsidiary); the operation of a chain of hotels (Loews Hotels Holding Corporation (“Loews Hotels & Co”), a wholly owned subsidiary); and the manufacture of rigid plastic packaging solutions (Consolidated Container Company LLC (“Consolidated Container”), a 99% owned subsidiary). Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “Company,” “Loews” and “Registrant” as used herein mean Loews Corporation excluding its subsidiaries and the term “Net income attributable to Loews Corporation” as used herein means Net income attributable to Loews Corporation shareholders. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and results of operations, comprehensive income and changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018. Net income for the first quarter of each of the years is not necessarily indicative of net income for that entire year. These Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. The Company presents basic and diluted net income per share on the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Income. Basic net income per share excludes dilution and is computed by dividing net income attributable to common stock by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net income per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock. There were no shares attributable to employee stock-based compensation awards excluded from the diluted weighted average shares outstanding amounts for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 because the effect would have been antidilutive. Accounting changes – In February of 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” (“ASU 2016-02”). On January 1, 2019, the updated guidance requires lessees to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities for most operating leases. The Company adopted the updated accounting guidance using the modified retrospective method. Prior period amounts have not been adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with the previous accounting guidance. The Company utilized the package of practical expedients allowing the Company to not reassess whether any expired or existing contracts contain a lease, the classification for any expired or existing leases or the initial direct costs for any existing leases. The Company has also elected to apply an exemption for short term leases whereby leases with initial lease terms of one year or less are not recorded on the balance sheet. For leases where the Company is a lessee we have elected to account for lease and non-lease components as a single lease component, except subsea equipment leases. For leases where the Company is a lessor we have elected to combine the lease and non-lease components of our offshore drilling contracts, if certain conditions are met, and account for the combined component in accordance with the accounting treatment for the predominant component of the contract. At adoption, the cumulative effect adjustment increased Other assets and Other liabilities by $642 million reflecting operating lease right of use assets, lease liabilities and the derecognition of deferred rent related primarily to lease agreements for office space and machinery and equipment. Subsequent to the adoption of ASU 2016-02, Other assets and Other liabilities were adjusted to $3.1 billion and $5.1 billion as of January 1, 2019, as compared to $2.4 billion and $4.5 billion as of December 31, 2018. See Note 5 for additional information on leases. Recently issued ASUs – In June of 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.” The updated accounting guidance requires changes to the recognition of credit losses on financial instruments not accounted for at fair value through net income. The guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The guidance will be applied using the modified retrospective method with a cumulative effect adjustment to beginning retained earnings. A prospective transition method is required for debt securities that have recognized an other-than-temporary impairment prior to the effective date. The Company is currently evaluating the effect the guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements, and expects the primary changes to be the use of the expected credit loss model for the mortgage loan portfolio, reinsurance and insurance receivables and other financing receivables and the use of the allowance method rather than the write-down method for credit losses within the available-for-sale fixed maturities portfolio. The expected credit loss model will require a financial asset to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. Under the allowance method for available-for-sale debt securities the Company will record reversals of credit losses if the estimate of credit losses declines. In August of 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-12, “Financial Services – Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts.” The updated accounting guidance requires changes to the measurement and disclosure of long-duration contracts. The guidance requires entities to annually update cash flow assumptions, including morbidity and persistency and update discount rate assumptions quarterly using an upper-medium grade fixed-income instrument yield. The effect of changes in cash flow assumptions will be recorded in Net income and the effect of changes in discount rate assumptions will be recorded in Other comprehensive income (“OCI”). This guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020, and requires restatement of the prior periods presented. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the method and timing of adoption and the effect the updated guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements. The annual updating of cash flow assumptions is expected to increase income statement volatility. The quarterly change in the discount rate is expected to increase volatility in the Company’s Shareholders’ equity, but that will be somewhat mitigated because Shadow Adjustments are eliminated under the new guidance. See Note 2 for further information on Shadow Adjustments. While the requirements of the new guidance represent a material change from existing accounting guidance, the underlying economics of CNA’s business and related cash flows will be unchanged.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for the basis of presentation and significant accounting policies concepts. Basis of presentation describes the underlying basis used to prepare the financial statements (for example, US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Other Comprehensive Basis of Accounting, IFRS). Accounting policies describe all significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2122369 + Details
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