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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | 12 Months Ended
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Aug. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned and majority owned subsidiaries and certain variable interest entities ("VIEs") for which the Company is the primary beneficiary. Intercompany account balances and transactions have been eliminated. Use of Estimates The preparation of the Company's consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and reported amounts of net sales and expenses during the reporting period. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include revenue recognition, income taxes, carrying value of inventory, acquisitions, goodwill, long-lived assets and contingencies. Actual results could differ significantly from these estimates and assumptions. Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents include cash on deposit and short-term, highly-liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase. Revenue Recognition and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Revenue is recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to the customer in an amount that reflects the consideration received or expected to be received in exchange for those goods or services. The Company's performance obligations arise from (i) sales of raw materials, steel products and downstream products and (ii) services such as steel fabrication and installation by its fabrication operations. The shipment of products to customers is considered a fulfillment activity and amounts billed to customers for shipping and freight are included in net sales, and the related costs are included in cost of goods sold. Net sales are presented net of taxes. R evenue related to raw materials and steel products is recognized at a point in time concurrent with the transfer of control, which usually occurs, depending on shipping terms, upon shipment or customer receipt. Revenue related to steel fence posts and other downstream products not described below is recognized equal to billing under an available practical expedient. Each fabrication product contract sold by the North America segment represents a single performance obligation and revenue is recognized over time. For contracts where the Company provides fabricated product and installation services, revenue is recognized over time using an input measure of progress based on contract costs incurred to date compared to total estimated contract costs ("input measure"). This input measure provides a reasonable depiction of the Company’s progress towards satisfaction of the performance obligation as there is a direct relationship between costs incurred by the Company and the transfer of the fabricated product and installation services. Revenue from contracts where the Company does not provide installation services is recognized over time using an output measure of progress based on tons shipped compared to total estimated tons ("output measure"). This output measure provides a reasonable depiction of the transfer of contract value to the customer, as there is a direct relationship between the units shipped by the Company and the transfer of the fabricated product. If estimated total consolidated costs on any contract are greater than the net contract revenues, the Company recognizes the entire estimated loss in the period the loss becomes known. The cumulative effect of revisions to estimates related to net contract revenues, costs to complete or total planned quantity is recorded in the period in which such revisions are identified. The timing of revenue recognition may differ from the timing of invoicing to customers. The Company records an asset when revenue is recognized prior to invoicing and a liability when revenue is recognized subsequent to invoicing. Payment terms and conditions vary by contract type, although the Company generally requires customers to pay 30 days after the Company satisfies the performance obligations. In instances where the timing of revenue recognition differs from the timing of invoicing, the Company has determined the contracts do not include a significant financing component. The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts to reflect its estimate of the uncollectability of accounts receivable. These reserves are based on historical trends, current market conditions and customers' financial condition. The Company reviews and sets credit limits for each customer. The Europe segment uses credit insurance to ensure payment in accordance with the terms of sale. Generally, collateral is not required. Approximately 13% of total receivables at August 31, 2020 and 2019 were secured by credit insurance. Inventories Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value determined by the weighted average cost method. Elements of cost in finished goods inventory in addition to the cost of material include depreciation, amortization, utilities, consumable production supplies, maintenance, production, wages and transportation costs. Additionally, the costs of departments that support production, including materials management and quality control, are allocated to inventory. Property, Plant and Equipment Property, plant and equipment are recorded at cost. Maintenance is expensed as incurred. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the lease term. Depreciation and amortization is recorded on a straight-line basis over the following estimated useful lives:
Buildings | 7 | to | 40 | years
Land improvements | 3 | to | 25 | years
Leasehold improvements | 3 | to | 15 | years
Equipment | 3 | to | 25 | years
The Company evaluates impairment of its property, plant and equipment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. For each asset or group of assets held for use with indicators of impairment, the Company compares the sum of the expected future cash flows generated by the asset or group of assets with its associated net carrying value. If the net carrying value of the asset or group of assets exceeds expected undiscounted future cash flows, the excess of the net book value over estimated fair value is charged to impairment loss. Properties held for sale are reported at the lower of their carrying amount or their estimated sales price, less estimated costs to sell. Leases The Company's leases are primarily for real property and equipment. The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception of a contract if the terms state the Company has the right to direct the use of, and obtain substantially all the economic benefits from, a specific asset identified in the contract. The right-of-use ("ROU") assets represent the Company's right to use the underlying assets for the lease term, and the lease liabilities represent the obligation to make lease payments arising from the leases. The Company records its ROU assets in other noncurrent assets, its current lease liabilities in accrued expenses and other payables and its noncurrent lease liabilities in other noncurrent liabilities. ROU assets and lease liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments to be made over the lease term. Certain of the Company's lease agreements contain options to extend the lease. The Company evaluates these options on a lease-by-lease basis, and if the Company determines it is reasonably certain to be exercised, the lease term includes the extension. The Company uses its incremental borrowing rate at lease commencement to determine the present value of lease payments, and lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The incremental borrowing rate is the rate of interest the Company could borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term with similar payments. The Company does not record leases with an initial term of twelve months or less (“short-term leases”). Certain of the Company's lease agreements include payments for certain variable costs not determinable upon lease commencement, including mileage, utilities, fuel and inflation adjustments. These variable lease payments are recognized in cost of goods sold and selling, general and administrative expenses, but are not included in the ROU asset or lease liability balances. The Company's lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees, restrictions or covenants. Government Assistance Government assistance, including non-monetary grants, herein collectively referred to as grants, are not recognized until there is reasonable assurance that the Company will comply with the conditions of the grant and the Company will receive the grant. Generally, government grants fall into two categories: grants related to assets and grants related to income. Grants related to assets are government grants for the purchase, construction or other acquisition of long-lived assets. The Company accounts for grants related to assets as deferred income with the offset to an asset account, such as fixed assets, on the consolidated balance sheets. Non-monetary grants are recognized at fair value. The Company recognizes the deferred income in profit or loss on a systematic basis over the useful life of the asset, which, consistent with the Company's fixed assets policy, is straight-line. The period over which grants are recognized depends on the terms of the agreement. Grants related to specific expenses already incurred are recognized in profit or loss in the period in which the grant becomes receivable. A grant related to depreciable assets is recognized in profit or loss over the life of the depreciable asset. Grants related to non-depreciable assets may require the fulfillment of certain obligations. In such cases, these grants are recognized in profit or loss over the periods that bear the cost of meeting the obligations. Grants related to income are any grants that are not considered grants related to assets, such as grants to compensate for certain expenses. Grants related to income are recognized as a reduction in the related expense in the period that the recognition criteria are met. See Note 11, New Markets Tax Credit Transactions. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level annually and whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. To evaluate goodwill for impairment, the Company utilizes a quantitative test that compares the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is indicated in the amount that the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, not to exceed the goodwill value for the reporting unit. The Company's reporting units represent an operating segment or one level below an operating segment. The Company estimates the fair value of its reporting units using a weighting of fair values derived from the income and market approaches. Under the income approach, the Company determines the fair value of a reporting unit based on the present value of estimated future cash flows. Cash flow projections are based on management's estimates of revenue growth rates and operating margins, taking into account industry and market conditions. The discount rate is based on a weighted average cost of capital adjusted for the relevant risk associated with the characteristics of the reporting unit. The market approach estimates fair value based on market multiples of revenue and earnings derived from comparable publicly-traded companies with similar operating and investment characteristics as the reporting unit. See Note 8, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, for additional information on the Company's annual goodwill impairment analysis. Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives and are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Impairment charges are recorded on finite-lived intangible assets when indicators of impairment are present and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the assets' carrying amounts. Contingencies The Company accrues for claims and litigation, including environmental investigation and remediation costs, when they are both probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. Environmental costs are based upon estimates regarding the sites for which the Company will be responsible, the scope and cost of work to be performed at each site, the portion of costs that will be shared with other parties and the timing of remediation. Where timing and amounts cannot be reasonably determined, a range is estimated and the lower end of the range is recorded. Stock-Based Compensation The Company recognizes stock-based equity and liability awards at fair value. The fair value of each stock-based equity award is estimated at the grant date using the Black-Scholes or Monte Carlo pricing model. Total compensation cost of the stock-based equity award is amortized over the requisite service period using the accelerated method of amortization for grants with graded vesting or the straight-line method for grants with cliff vesting. Stock-based liability awards are measured at fair value at the end of each reporting period and will fluctuate based on the price of CMC common stock and performance relative to the targets. Income Taxes CMC and its U.S. subsidiaries file a consolidated federal income tax return. Deferred income taxes are provided for temporary differences between financial statement and income tax bases of assets and liabilities. The principal differences are described in Note 14, Income Tax. Benefits from income tax credits are reflected currently in earnings. The Company records income tax positions based on a more likely than not threshold that the tax positions will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities having full knowledge of all relevant information. The Company classifies interest and any statutory penalties recognized on a tax position as income tax expense. Foreign Currencies The functional currency of the Company's Polish operations is the local currency, the Polish zloty ("PLN"). Translation adjustments are reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income or loss. Transaction gains (losses) from transactions denominated in currencies other than the functional currency related to continuing operations were immaterial for 2020, 2019 and 2018. Derivative Financial Instruments The Company recognizes derivatives as either assets or liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets and measures those instruments at fair value. Derivatives that are not designated as hedges are adjusted to fair value through net earnings. Changes in the fair value of derivatives that are designated as hedges are recognized depending on the nature of the hedge. In the case of fair value hedges, changes are recognized as an offset against the change in fair value of the hedged balance sheet item. When the derivative is designated as a cash flow hedge and is highly effective, changes are recognized in other comprehensive income. The ineffective portion of a change in fair value for derivatives designated as hedges is recognized in net earnings. When a derivative instrument is sold, terminated, exercised or expires, the gain or loss is recorded in the consolidated statement of earnings for fair value hedges, and the cumulative unrealized gain or loss, which had been recognized in the statement of comprehensive income, is reclassified to the consolidated statement of earnings for cash flow hedges. Additionally, when hedged items are sold or extinguished, or the anticipated transaction being hedged is no longer expected to occur, the Company recognizes the gain or loss on the designated hedged financial instrument. Fair Value The Company has established a fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs to the valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three levels. These levels are determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Level 1 represents unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities. Level 2 represents quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets (other than those included in Level 1) which are observable, either directly or indirectly. Level 3 represents valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable. Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements On September 1, 2019, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), as amended, (“ASU 2016-02”), using the modified retrospective transition approach. ASU 2016-02 requires a lessee to recognize a ROU asset and a lease liability on its balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than twelve months. The Company’s financial statements for periods prior to September 1, 2019 were not modified for the application of this ASU. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-02, the Company recorded the following amounts associated with operating leases in its consolidated balance sheet at September 1, 2019: $113.4 million of ROU assets in other noncurrent assets, $30.9 million of lease liabilities in accrued expenses and other payables and $84.9 million of lease liabilities in other noncurrent liabilities. There was no impact to the opening balance of retained earnings as a result of implementing ASU 2016-02. The Company elected the package of three practical expedients available under the ASU. Additionally, the Company implemented appropriate changes to internal processes and controls to support recognition, subsequent measurement and disclosures. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In December 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes ("ASU 2019-12"). ASU 2019-12 eliminates certain exceptions to the general principles in Accounting Standards Codification 740 and also clarifies and amends existing guidance to improve consistent application. This standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020, including interim periods therein. The Company currently does not expect ASU 2019-12 to have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements; however, the Company will continue to evaluate the impact of this guidance.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for 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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