Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Consolidation

Lear consolidates all entities, including variable interest entities, in which it has a controlling financial interest. Investments in affiliates in which Lear does not have control, but does have the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies, are accounted for under the equity method (Note 5, "Investments in Affiliates and Other Related Party Transactions").

Fiscal Period Reporting

The Company’s annual financial results are reported on a calendar year basis, and quarterly interim results are reported using a thirteen week reporting calendar.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

Cash and cash equivalents include all highly liquid investments with original maturities of ninety days or less. Restricted cash includes cash that is legally restricted as to use or withdrawal.

Accounts Receivable

The Company records accounts receivable as title is transferred to its customers. The Company’s customers are the world’s major automotive manufacturers. The Company records accounts receivable reserves for known collectibility issues, as such issues relate to specific transactions or customer balances. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, accounts receivable are reflected net of reserves of $33.2 million and $41.8 million, respectively. The Company writes off accounts receivable when it becomes apparent, based upon age or customer circumstances, that such amounts will not be collected. Generally, the Company does not require collateral for its accounts receivable.

The Company receives bank notes from its customers, which are classified as other current assets in the consolidated balance sheets, for certain amounts of accounts receivable, primarily in Asia. The Company may hold such bank notes until maturity, exchange them with suppliers to settle liabilities or sell them to third-party financial institutions in exchange for cash.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined using the first-in, first-out method. Finished goods and work-in-process inventories include material, labor and manufacturing overhead costs. The Company records reserves for inventory in excess of production and/or forecasted requirements and for obsolete inventory in production and service inventories. A summary of inventories is shown below (in millions):



December 31,	2018			2017
Raw materials	$	859.4		$	869.3
Work-in-process	104.6			120.8
Finished goods	346.0			324.8
Reserves	(113.2		)	(109.2		)
Inventories	$	1,196.8		$	1,205.7

Pre-Production Costs Related to Long-Term Supply Agreements

The Company incurs pre-production engineering and development ("E&D") and tooling costs related to the products produced for its customers under long-term supply agreements. The Company expenses all pre-production E&D costs for which reimbursement is not contractually guaranteed by the customer. In addition, the Company expenses all pre-production tooling costs related to customer-owned tools for which reimbursement is not contractually guaranteed by the customer or for which the Company does not have a non-cancelable right to use the tooling.

During 2018 and 2017, the Company capitalized $230.6 million and $257.4 million, respectively, of pre-production E&D costs for which reimbursement is contractually guaranteed by the customer. During 2018 and 2017, the Company also capitalized $198.1 million and $115.4 million, respectively, of pre-production tooling costs related to customer-owned tools for which reimbursement is contractually guaranteed by the customer or for which the Company has a non-cancelable right to use the tooling. These amounts are included in other current and long-term assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2018 and 2017. During 2018 and 2017, the Company collected $487.5 million and $311.1 million, respectively, of cash related to E&D and tooling costs.

The classification of recoverable customer E&D and tooling costs related to long-term supply agreements is shown below (in millions):



December 31,	2018		2017
Current	$	160.9	$	248.1
Long-term	80.4		59.3
Recoverable customer E&D and tooling	$	241.3	$	307.4

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost. Costs associated with the repair and maintenance of the Company’s property, plant and equipment are expensed as incurred. Costs associated with improvements which extend the life, increase the capacity or improve the efficiency or safety of the Company’s property, plant and equipment are capitalized and depreciated over the remaining useful life of the related asset. Depreciable property is depreciated over the estimated useful lives of the assets, using principally the straight-line method as follows:



Buildings and improvements	10 to 40 years
Machinery and equipment	5 to 10 years

A summary of property, plant and equipment is shown below (in millions):



December 31,	2018			2017
Land	$	116.8		$	118.8
Buildings and improvements	809.3			797.7
Machinery and equipment	3,463.3			3,077.4
Construction in progress	389.3			355.6
Total property, plant and equipment	4,778.7			4,349.5
Less – accumulated depreciation	(2,180.6		)	(1,890.1		)
Net property, plant and equipment	$	2,598.1		$	2,459.4

For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, depreciation expense was $433.0 million, $380.1 million and $325.2 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, capital expenditures recorded in accounts payable totaled $156.2 million, $119.7 million and $117.8 million, respectively.

Impairment of Goodwill

Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment on at least an annual basis. Impairment testing is required more often than annually if an event or circumstance indicates that an impairment is more likely than not to have occurred. In conducting its annual impairment testing, the Company may first perform a qualitative assessment of whether it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying amount. If not, no further goodwill impairment testing is required. If it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying amount, or if the Company elects not to perform a qualitative assessment of a reporting unit, the Company then compares the fair value of the reporting unit to the related net book value. If the net book value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is measured and recognized. The Company conducts its annual impairment testing as of the first day of its fourth quarter.

The Company utilizes an income approach to estimate the fair value of each of its reporting units and a market valuation approach to further support this analysis. The income approach is based on projected debt-free cash flow which is discounted to the present value using discount factors that consider the timing and risk of cash flows. The Company believes that this approach is appropriate because it provides a fair value estimate based upon the reporting unit’s expected long-term operating cash flow performance. This approach also mitigates the impact of cyclical trends that occur in the industry. Fair value is estimated using recent automotive industry and specific platform production volume projections, which are based on both third-party and internally developed forecasts, as well as commercial and discount rate assumptions. The discount rate used is the value-weighted average of the Company’s estimated cost of equity and of debt ("cost of capital") derived using both known and estimated customary market metrics. The Company’s weighted average cost of capital is adjusted by reporting unit to reflect a risk factor, if necessary. Other significant assumptions include terminal value growth rates, terminal value margin rates, future capital expenditures and changes in future working capital requirements. While there are inherent uncertainties related to the assumptions used and to management’s application of these assumptions to this analysis, the Company believes that the income approach provides a reasonable estimate of the fair value of its reporting units. The market valuation approach is used to further support the Company’s analysis and is based on recent transactions involving comparable companies.

In 2018, the Company performed a qualitative assessment of its reporting units. The assessment was completed as of the first day of our fourth quarter. The assessment indicated that it was more likely than not that the fair value of each of the reporting units exceeded its respective carrying value. The Company does not believe that any of our reporting units are at risk for impairment.

A summary of the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for each of the periods in the two years ended December 31, 2018, is shown below (in millions):



	Seating			E-Systems		Total
Balance as of December 31, 2016	$	1,091.2		$	30.1	$	1,121.3
Acquisitions	123.3			—		123.3
Affiliate transaction	—			94.4		94.4
Foreign currency translation and other	59.9			2.4		62.3
Balance as of December 31, 2017	1,274.4			126.9		1,401.3
Affiliate transaction	—			22.4		22.4
Foreign currency translation and other	(30.1		)	11.7		(18.4		)
Balance as of December 31, 2018	$	1,244.3		$	161.0	$	1,405.3

For further information related to acquisitions and affiliate transactions, see Note 3, "Acquisitions," and Note 5, "Investments in Affiliates and Other Related Party Transactions."

Intangible Assets

As of December 31, 2018, intangible assets consist primarily of certain intangible assets recorded in connection with the acquisitions of Guilford Mills in 2012, the parent company of Eagle Ottawa, LLC in 2015, AccuMED in 2016 and Grupo Antolin's automotive seating business ("Antolin Seating") in 2017 (Note 3, "Acquisitions"). These intangible assets were recorded at their estimated fair value, based on independent appraisals, as of the transaction or acquisition date. The value assigned to technology intangibles is based on the royalty savings method, which applies a hypothetical royalty rate to projected revenues attributable to the identified technologies. Royalty rates were determined based primarily on analysis of market information. The customer-based intangible asset includes the acquired entity's established relationships with its customers and the ability of these customers to generate future economic profits for the Company. The value assigned to customer-based intangibles is based on the present value of future earnings attributable to the asset group after recognition of required returns to other contributory assets.

A summary of intangible assets as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, is shown below (in millions):



	Gross Carrying Value		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Value		Weighted Average Useful Life (years)
Amortized intangible assets:
Technology	$	20.1	$	(11.8	)	$	8.3	8.5
Customer-based	533.4		(156.3		)	377.1		11.6
Other	1.4		(1.1		)	0.3		2.5
	$	554.9	$	(169.2	)	$	385.7	11.5
Unamortized intangible assets:
In-process research and development	10.8		$	—		$	10.8
Balance as of December 31, 2018	$	565.7	$	(169.2	)	$	396.5



	Gross Carrying Value		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Value		Weighted Average Useful Life (years)
Technology	$	22.2	$	(9.3	)	$	12.9	8.6
Customer-based	544.6		(113.9		)	430.7		11.6
Other	1.4		(0.9		)	0.5		5.2
Balance as of December 31, 2017	$	568.2	$	(124.1	)	$	444.1	11.5

Intangible assets with a gross carrying value of $17.0 million became fully amortized in 2017 and are no longer included in the intangible asset gross carrying value or accumulated amortization as of December 31, 2017.

Excluding the impact of any future acquisitions, the Company’s estimated annual amortization expense for the five succeeding years is shown below (in millions):



Year	Expense
2019	$	49.6
2020	47.9
2021	46.5
2022	45.8
2023	44.3

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company monitors its long-lived assets for impairment indicators on an ongoing basis in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"). If impairment indicators exist, the Company performs the required impairment analysis by comparing the undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated from the long-lived assets to the related net book values. If the net book value exceeds the undiscounted cash flows, an impairment loss is measured and recognized. An impairment loss is measured as the difference between the net book value and the fair value of the long-lived assets. Fair value is estimated based upon a combination of market and cost approaches, as appropriate.

For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, the Company recognized fixed asset impairment charges of $4.7 million, $1.3 million and $4.7 million respectively, in conjunction with its restructuring actions (Note 4, "Restructuring"), as well as additional fixed asset impairment charges of $1.4 million, $2.1 million and $0.7 million, respectively. Fixed asset impairment charges are recorded in cost of sales in the accompanying consolidated statements of income for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016.

Impairment of Investments in Affiliates

The Company monitors its investments in affiliates for indicators of other-than-temporary declines in value on an ongoing basis in accordance with GAAP. If the Company determines that an other-than-temporary decline in value has occurred, it recognizes an impairment loss, which is measured as the difference between the recorded book value and the fair value of the investment. Fair value is generally determined using an income approach based on discounted cash flows or negotiated transaction values.

Revenue Recognition and Sales Commitments

On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 606, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers," using the modified retrospective method as applied to customer contracts that were not completed as of January 1, 2018. As a result, financial information for reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018, are presented in accordance with ASC 606. Comparative financial information for reporting periods beginning prior to January 1, 2018, has not been adjusted and continues to be reported in accordance with the Company's revenue recognition policies prior to the adoption of ASC 606. The Company did not record a cumulative adjustment related to the adoption of ASC 606, and the effects of adoption were not significant.

The Company enters into contracts with its customers to provide production parts generally at the beginning of a vehicle’s life cycle. Typically, these contracts do not provide for a specified quantity of products, but once entered into, the Company is often expected to fulfill its customers’ purchasing requirements for the production life of the vehicle. Many of these contracts may be terminated by the Company’s customers at any time. Historically, terminations of these contracts have been minimal. The Company receives purchase orders from its customers, which provide the commercial terms for a particular production part, including price (but not quantities). Contracts may also provide for annual price reductions over the production life of the vehicle, and prices may be adjusted on an ongoing basis to reflect changes in product content/cost and other commercial factors.

Revenue is recognized at a point in time when control of the product is transferred to the customer under standard commercial terms, as the Company does not have an enforceable right to payment prior to such transfer. The amount of revenue recognized reflects the consideration that the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those products based on the annual purchase orders, annual price reductions and ongoing price adjustments (some of which is accounted for as variable consideration). The Company does not believe that there will be significant changes to its estimates of variable consideration. The Company's customers pay for products received in accordance with payment terms that are customary within the industry. The Company's contracts with its customers do not have significant financing components.

The Company records a contract liability for advances received from its customers. As of December 31, 2018, there were no significant contract liabilities recorded. Further, there were no significant contract liabilities recognized in revenue during the year ended December 31, 2018.

Amounts billed to customers related to shipping and handling costs are included in net sales in the consolidated statements of income. Shipping and handling costs are accounted for as fulfillment costs and are included in cost of sales in the consolidated statements of income.

Taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are both imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction that are collected by the Company from a customer are excluded from revenue.

Cost of Sales and Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Cost of sales includes material, labor and overhead costs associated with the manufacture and distribution of the Company’s products. Distribution costs include inbound freight costs, purchasing and receiving costs, inspection costs, warehousing costs and other costs of the Company’s distribution network. Selling, general and administrative expenses include selling, engineering and development and administrative costs not directly associated with the manufacture and distribution of the Company’s products.

Restructuring Costs

Restructuring costs include employee termination benefits, fixed asset impairment charges and contract termination costs, as well as other incremental costs resulting from the restructuring actions. These incremental costs principally include equipment and personnel relocation costs. In addition to restructuring costs, the Company also incurs incremental manufacturing inefficiency costs at the operating locations impacted by the restructuring actions during the related restructuring implementation period. Restructuring costs are recognized in the Company’s consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP. Generally, charges are recorded as restructuring actions are approved and/or implemented.

Engineering and Development

Costs incurred in connection with product launches, to the extent not recoverable from the Company’s customers, are charged to cost of sales as incurred. All other engineering and development costs are charged to selling, general and administrative expenses when incurred. Engineering and development costs charged to selling, general and administrative expenses totaled $153.5 million, $147.9 million and $143.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Other (Income) Expense, Net

Other (income) expense, net includes non-income related taxes, foreign exchange gains and losses, gains and losses related to certain derivative instruments and hedging activities, losses on the extinguishment of debt, gains and losses on the disposal of fixed assets, the non-service cost components of net periodic benefit cost and other miscellaneous income and expense. A summary of other (income) expense, net is shown below (in millions):



For the year ended December 31,	2018			2017			2016
Other expense	$	43.8		$	57.2		$	76.4
Other income	(12.2		)	(61.3		)	(35.8		)
Other (income) expense, net	$	31.6		$	(4.1	)	$	40.6

Other (income) expense, net for the year ended December 31, 2016, was restated in connection with the 2018 adoption of Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2017-07, "Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost," to include the non-cash settlement charge of $34.2 million related to the Company's lump-sum payout to certain terminated vested plan participants of its U.S. defined benefit pension plans (Note 8, "Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans").

Income Taxes

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and tax loss and credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled.

The Company’s current and future provision for income taxes is impacted by the initial recognition of and changes in valuation allowances in certain countries. The Company intends to maintain these allowances until it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will be realized. The Company’s future provision for income taxes will include no tax benefit with respect to losses incurred and, except for certain jurisdictions, no tax expense with respect to income generated in these countries until the respective valuation allowances are eliminated. Accordingly, income taxes are impacted by changes in valuation allowances and the mix of earnings among jurisdictions. The Company evaluates the realizability of its deferred tax assets on a quarterly basis. In completing this evaluation, the Company considers all available evidence in order to determine whether, based on the weight of the evidence, a valuation allowance for its deferred tax assets is necessary. Such evidence includes historical results, future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences and expectations for future taxable income (exclusive of the reversal of temporary differences and carryforwards), as well as the implementation of feasible and prudent tax planning strategies. If, based on the weight of the evidence, it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the Company’s deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is recorded. If operating results improve or decline on a continual basis in a particular jurisdiction, the Company’s decision regarding the need for a valuation allowance could change, resulting in either the initial recognition or reversal of a valuation allowance in that jurisdiction, which could have a significant impact on income tax expense in the period recognized and subsequent periods. In determining the provision for income taxes for financial statement purposes, the Company makes certain estimates and judgments, which affect its evaluation of the carrying value of its deferred tax assets, as well as its calculation of certain tax liabilities.

The calculation of the Company’s gross unrecognized tax benefits and liabilities includes uncertainties in the application of, and changes in, complex tax regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions across its global operations. The Company recognizes tax benefits and liabilities based on its estimates of whether, and the extent to which, additional taxes will be due. The Company adjusts these benefits and liabilities based on changing facts and circumstances; however, due to the complexity of these uncertainties and the impact of tax audits, the ultimate resolutions may differ significantly from the Company’s estimates.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Act") was enacted on December 22, 2017. The Act reduces the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% beginning in 2018, requires companies to pay a one-time transition tax on all offshore earnings that were previously tax deferred and creates new taxes on certain foreign sourced earnings.

Provisional Amounts

In March 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2018-05, "Income Taxes - Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118" ("SAB 118"). The guidance provided for a provisional one-year measurement period for entities to finalize their accounting for certain tax effects related to the Act. In 2017 and during the first nine months of 2018, the Company recorded provisional amounts for certain enactment-date effects of the Act, for which the accounting had not been finalized, by applying the guidance in SAB 118. Accordingly, the Company completed its accounting for the effects of the Act in 2018 and recognized a net favorable adjustment to the 2017 provisional income tax expense of $5.3 million. The $5.3 million net tax benefit is comprised of a tax benefit of $15.1 million related to the one-time transition tax on offshore earnings, partially offset by a tax expense of $9.8 million related to the remeasurement of the December 31, 2017 deferred tax balances and numerous other items included in the Act.

Transition Tax on Deferred Foreign Earnings

The one-time transition tax is based on the Company’s post-1986 earnings and profits ("E&P") of its foreign subsidiaries, for which U.S. income taxes were previously deferred. The transition tax is based, in part, on the amount of E&P held in cash and other specified assets. For the year ended December 31, 2017, the provision for income taxes included provisional income tax expense of $131.0 million related to the one-time transition tax liability. In 2018, the Company completed its calculation of the post-1986 E&P and related foreign taxes of its foreign subsidiaries, as well as the classification of the E&P as cash or non-cash. Based on the completed calculation and consideration of proposed regulations and other guidance issued during 2018, the Company recorded a tax benefit of $15.1 million in 2018, reducing the one-time transition tax to $115.9 million.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities

In the fourth quarter of 2017, the Company remeasured its U.S. deferred tax assets and liabilities to reflect the effects of the Act, including the reduction in the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% beginning in 2018. For the year ended December 31, 2017, the provision for income taxes included provisional income tax expense of $42.5 million related to the remeasurement of deferred tax balances. In 2018, the Company finalized its analysis of certain aspects of the Act and refined its calculations. Based on the completed analysis and calculations and consideration of proposed regulations and other guidance issued during 2018, the Company recorded tax expense of $9.8 million, increasing the tax expense related to the remeasurement of deferred tax balances to $52.3 million.

Global Intangible Low-Tax Income ("GILTI")

The Act created a provision known as global intangible low-tax income ("GILTI") that imposes a U.S. tax on certain earnings of foreign subsidiaries that are subject to foreign tax below a certain threshold. The Company has made an accounting policy election to reflect GILTI taxes, if any, as a current income tax expense in the period incurred.

Foreign Currency

Assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries that use a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar are translated into U.S. dollars at the foreign exchange rates in effect at the end of the period. Revenues and expenses of foreign subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars using an average of the foreign exchange rates in effect during the period. Translation adjustments that arise from translating a foreign subsidiary’s financial statements from the functional currency to the U.S. dollar are reflected in accumulated other comprehensive loss in the consolidated balance sheets.

Transaction gains and losses that arise from foreign exchange rate fluctuations on transactions denominated in a currency other than the functional currency, except certain long-term intercompany transactions, are included in the consolidated statements of income as incurred. For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, other (income) expense, net includes net foreign currency transaction losses of $14.4 million, $5.1 million and $7.6 million, respectively.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company measures stock-based employee compensation expense at fair value in accordance with GAAP and recognizes such expense over the vesting period of the stock-based employee awards.

Net Income Per Share Attributable to Lear

Basic net income per share available to Lear common stockholders is computed using the two-class method by dividing net income attributable to Lear, after deducting the redemption adjustment related to redeemable noncontrolling interest, by the average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Common shares issuable upon the satisfaction of certain conditions pursuant to a contractual agreement are considered common shares outstanding and are included in the computation of basic net income per share available to Lear common stockholders.

Diluted net income per share available to Lear common stockholders is computed using the two-class method by dividing net income attributable to Lear, after deducting the redemption adjustment related to redeemable noncontrolling interest, by the average number of common shares outstanding, including the dilutive effect of common stock equivalents computed using the treasury stock method and the average share price during the period.

A summary of information used to compute basic and diluted net income per share available to Lear common stockholders is shown below (in millions, except share and per share data):



For the year ended December 31,	2018			2017			2016
Net income attributable to Lear	$	1,149.8		$	1,313.4		$	975.1
Less: Redeemable noncontrolling interest adjustment	(10.4		)	(25.5		)	—
Net income available to Lear common stockholders	$	1,139.4		$	1,287.9		$	975.1

Average common shares outstanding	65,672,164			68,542,363			72,345,436
Dilutive effect of common stock equivalents	489,652			735,618			779,513
Average diluted shares outstanding	66,161,816			69,277,981			73,124,949

Basic net income per share available to Lear common stockholders	$	17.35		$	18.79		$	13.48

Diluted net income per share available to Lear common stockholders	$	17.22		$	18.59		$	13.33

For further information related to the redeemable noncontrolling interest adjustment, see Note 5, "Investments in Affiliates and Other Related Party Transactions."

Product Warranty

Losses from warranty obligations are accrued when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the related amounts are reasonably estimable.

Segment Reporting

The Company has two reportable operating segments: Seating, which includes complete seat systems and all major seat components, including seat covers and surface materials such as leather and fabric, seat structures and mechanisms, seat foam and headrests, and E-Systems, which includes complete electrical distribution systems, as well as sophisticated electronic control modules, electrification products and connectivity products. Key components in the Company's electrical distribution portfolio include wire harnesses, terminals and connectors and junction boxes for both internal combustion engine and electrification architectures that require management of higher voltage and power. Key components in the Company's electronic control module portfolio include body control modules, wireless receiver and transmitter technology and lighting and audio control modules, as well as portfolios specific to electrification and connectivity trends. Electrification products include charging systems (onboard charging modules, cord set charging equipment and wireless charging systems), battery electronics (battery disconnect units, cell monitoring supervisory systems and integrated total battery control modules) and other power management modules, including converter and inverter systems. Connectivity products include gateway modules, connected gateways and independent communication modules to manage both wired and wireless networks and data in vehicles. The other category includes unallocated costs related to corporate headquarters, regional headquarters and the elimination of intercompany activities, none of which meets the requirements for being classified as an operating segment. Corporate and regional headquarters costs include various support functions, such as information technology, corporate finance, legal, executive administration and human resources, as well as advanced engineering expenses.

Each of the Company’s operating segments reports its results from operations and makes its requests for capital expenditures directly to the chief operating decision maker. The economic performance of each operating segment is driven primarily by automotive production volumes in the geographic regions in which it operates, as well as by the success of the vehicle platforms for which it supplies products. Also, each operating segment operates in the competitive Tier 1 automotive supplier environment and is continually working with its customers to manage costs and improve quality. The Company’s production processes generally make use of hourly labor, dedicated facilities, sequential manufacturing and assembly processes and commodity raw materials.

The Company evaluates the performance of its operating segments based primarily on (i) revenues from external customers, (ii) pretax income before equity in net income of affiliates, interest expense and other expense ("segment earnings") and (iii) cash flows, being defined as segment earnings less capital expenditures plus depreciation and amortization.

The accounting policies of the Company’s operating segments are the same as those described in this note to the consolidated financial statements.

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

The Company has used derivative financial instruments, including forwards, futures, options, swaps and other derivative contracts, to reduce the effects of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and interest rates and the resulting variability of the Company’s operating results. The Company is not a party to leveraged derivatives. The Company’s derivative financial instruments are subject to master netting arrangements that provide for the net settlement of contracts, by counterparty, in the event of default or termination. On the date that a derivative contract for a hedging instrument is entered into, the Company designates the derivative as either (1) a hedge of the exposure to changes in the fair value of a recognized asset or liability or of an unrecognized firm commitment (a fair value hedge), (2) a hedge of the exposure of a forecasted transaction or of the variability in the cash flows of a recognized asset or liability (a cash flow hedge), (3) a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation (a net investment hedge) or (4) a contract not designated as a hedging instrument.

For a fair value hedge, the change in the fair value of the derivative is recorded in earnings and reflected in the consolidated statement of income on the same line as the gain or loss on the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk. For a cash flow hedge, the change in the fair value of the derivative is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss in the consolidated balance sheet. When the underlying hedged transaction is realized, the gain or loss included in accumulated other comprehensive loss is recorded in earnings and reflected in the consolidated statement of income on the same line as the gain or loss on the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk. For a net investment hedge, the change in the fair value of the derivative is recorded in cumulative translation adjustment, which is a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in the consolidated balance sheet. Changes in the fair value of contracts not designated as hedging instruments are recorded in earnings and reflected in the consolidated statements of income as other (income) expense, net.

The Company formally documents its hedge relationships, including the identification of the hedging instruments and the related hedged items, as well as its risk management objectives and strategies for undertaking the hedge transaction. Derivatives are recorded at fair value in other current and long-term assets and other current and long-term liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet. The Company also formally assesses whether a derivative used in a hedging transaction is highly effective in offsetting changes in either the fair value or the cash flows of the hedged item. When it is determined that a hedged transaction is no longer probable to occur, the Company discontinues hedge accounting.

On January 1, 2018, the Company early adopted ASU 2017-12, "Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities." The new standard eliminates the requirement to separately measure and report hedge ineffectiveness, due to a difference between the economic terms of the hedge instrument and the underlying transaction, and generally requires, for qualifying hedges, the entire change in the fair value of a hedging instrument to be presented in the same line as the hedged item in the consolidated statement of income. The standard also modifies the accounting for components excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness and simplifies the application of hedge accounting in certain situations. The provisions of the standard were applied on a modified retrospective basis, and the effects of adoption were not significant.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. During 2018, there were no material changes in the methods or policies used to establish estimates and assumptions. Other matters subject to estimation and judgment include amounts related to accounts receivable realization, inventory obsolescence, asset impairments, useful lives of fixed and intangible assets and unsettled pricing discussions with customers and suppliers (Note 2, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies"); acquisitions (Note 3, "Acquisitions"); restructuring accruals (Note 4, "Restructuring"); deferred tax asset valuation allowances and income taxes (Note 7, "Income Taxes"); pension and other postretirement benefit plan assumptions (Note 8, "Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans"); accruals related to litigation, warranty and environmental remediation costs (Note 12, "Commitments and Contingencies"); and self-insurance accruals. Actual results may differ significantly from the Company’s estimates.

Reclassifications

Certain amounts in prior years’ financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the presentation used in the year ended December 31, 2018.