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ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies) | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Basis of Presentation | Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of WESCO have been prepared in accordance with Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The unaudited condensed consolidated financial information should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in WESCO’s 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the SEC on February 22, 2016. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2015 was derived from the audited Consolidated Financial Statements as of that date, but does not include all of the disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2016, the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of (Loss) Income and Comprehensive (Loss) Income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, in the opinion of management, have been prepared on the same basis as the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and include all adjustments necessary for the fair statement of the results of the interim periods presented herein. All adjustments reflected in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial information are of a normal recurring nature unless indicated. The results for the interim periods presented herein are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.
Reclassification | During the first quarter of 2016, the Company adopted certain accounting pronouncements that were effective beginning this fiscal year. The adoption of such guidance, as described below, resulted in certain reclassifications to amounts previously reported in the Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2015.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments | Fair Value of Financial Instruments The Company measures the fair value of financial assets and liabilities in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 820, "Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures," which defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. ASC 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value and requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to measurements involving significant unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
• | Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that are accessible at the measurement date.
• | Level 2 inputs include inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets and liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of assets or liabilities.
• | Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions.
Except for WESCO’s previously outstanding 6.0% Convertible Senior Debentures due 2029 (the "2029 Debentures"), the reported carrying amounts of WESCO’s debt instruments approximate their fair values. As described in Note 7, the 2029 Debentures have been fully redeemed as of September 30, 2016. At December 31, 2015, the carrying value of WESCO’s 2029 Debentures was $177.8 million and the fair value was approximately $514.2 million. The Company uses a market approach to fair value all of its debt instruments, utilizing quoted prices in active markets, interest rates and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving similar instruments. Therefore, all of the Company's debt instruments are classified as Level 2 within the valuation hierarchy. For all of the Company's remaining financial instruments, consisting of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and other accrued liabilities, carrying values are considered to approximate fair value due to the short maturity of these instruments.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In April 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, which simplifies the presentation of debt issuance costs by requiring that debt issuance costs related to a recognized liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The Company adopted this new guidance on a retrospective basis effective January 1, 2016. Accordingly, the Company reclassified approximately $17.7 million of debt issuance costs from other noncurrent assets to long-term debt in the balance sheet as of December 31, 2015. In May 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-07, Disclosures for Investments in Certain Entities That Calculate Net Asset Value per Share (or Its Equivalent). This updated guidance removes the requirement to categorize investments for which fair value is measured using the net asset value (NAV) per share practical expedient within the fair value hierarchy. The amendments in this ASU are effective beginning in the first quarter of 2016 and will be applied retrospectively. The adoption of this ASU is not expected to have an impact on WESCO's financial position, results of operations or cash flows; however, this updated guidance will impact the Company's defined benefit plan disclosure in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016. Specifically, investments for which fair value is measured using the NAV per share practical expedient will be removed from the fair value hierarchy in all periods presented. In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. This ASU simplifies the presentation of deferred income taxes by requiring that all deferred tax assets and liabilities, along with any related valuation allowance, be classified as noncurrent in the balance sheet. The Company elected to early adopt this ASU on a prospective basis during the first quarter of 2016. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on WESCO's financial position and it had no impact on its results of operations or cash flows. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of Effective Date. The Company previously reported that in May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which provides a framework for addressing revenue recognition issues and replaces almost all existing revenue recognition guidance in current U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is for companies to recognize revenue for the transfer of goods or services to customers in amounts that reflect the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 will also result in enhanced disclosures about revenue, provide guidance for transactions that were not previously addressed comprehensively, and improve guidance for multiple-element arrangements. The amendments in ASU 2015-14 defer the effective date of the new revenue recognition guidance to annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. During 2016, the FASB issued three ASUs that address implementation issues related to certain aspects of the new revenue recognition guidance, including ASU 2016-08, Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net), ASU 2016-10, Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, and ASU 2016-12, Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients. The amendments in these ASUs do not change the core principles in the revenue recognition standard outlined above. Management is currently evaluating the future impact of this guidance on WESCO's consolidated financial statements and notes thereto. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, a comprehensive new standard that amends various aspects of existing accounting guidance for leases, including the recognition of a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The new leasing standard requires modified retrospective transition, which requires application of the new guidance at the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the year of adoption. Management is currently evaluating the impact of this new standard on WESCO's consolidated financial statements and notes thereto. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which simplifies several aspects of accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this ASU affect all entities that issue share-based payment awards to their employees. Management is currently evaluating the impact of this accounting standard on WESCO's consolidated financial statements and notes thereto. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which introduces new guidance for the accounting for credit losses on certain financial instruments. The amendments in ASU 2016-13 are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years and early adoption is permitted. Management is currently evaluating the impact of this accounting standard on WESCO's consolidated financial statements and notes thereto. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force). This ASU provides guidance on eight specific cash flow issues where there is diversity in practice. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. Management is currently evaluating the impact of this accounting standard on WESCO's consolidated financial statements and notes thereto. In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory. The purpose of ASU 2016-16 is to simplify the income tax accounting of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory and to record its effect when the transfer occurs. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within those annual reporting periods and early adoption is permitted. Management is currently evaluating the impact of this accounting standard on WESCO's consolidated financial statements and notes thereto. Other pronouncements issued by the FASB or other authoritative accounting standards groups with future effective dates are either not applicable or are not expected to be significant to WESCO’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

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- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for basis of accounting, or basis of presentation, used to prepare the financial statements (for example, US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Other Comprehensive Basis of Accounting, IFRS). + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66048111&loc=d3e19207-110258 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 30 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957238&loc=d3e14172-108612 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 28 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957238&loc=d3e14064-108612 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 21 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73719730&loc=d3e13537-108611 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 16 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73719730&loc=d3e13504-108611 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73719730&loc=d3e13433-108611 + Details
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