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Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Notes to Financial Statements

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

2.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

(a)

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Harvard Bioscience, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

(b)

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires the use of management estimates. Such estimates include the determination and establishment of certain accruals and provisions, including those for inventory excess and obsolescence, income tax and reserves for bad debts. In addition, certain estimates are required in order to determine the value of assets and liabilities associated with acquisitions, as well as the Company’s defined benefit pension obligations. Estimates are also required to evaluate the value and recoverability of existing long-lived and intangible assets, including goodwill. On an ongoing basis, the Company reviews its estimates based upon currently available information. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

(c)

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid instruments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and amounts due from banks. The Company maintains a portion of its cash in bank deposits, which at times, may exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts. The Company does not believe it is exposed to any significant risk with respect to these accounts.

(d)

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The allowance for doubtful accounts reflects the Company’s best estimate of probable losses inherent in the accounts receivable balance. The Company determines the allowance based on considering factors such as historical experience, credit quality, known troubled accounts, historical experience, factors that may affect a customer’s ability to pay and other currently available evidence.

(e)

Inventories

The Company values its inventories at the lower of the actual cost to purchase (first-in, first-out method) and/or manufacture the inventories or the net realizable value of the inventories. The Company regularly reviews inventory quantities on hand and records a provision to write down excess and obsolete inventories to its estimated net realizable value if less than cost, based primarily on historical inventory usage and estimated forecast of product demand.

(f)

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows:

Machinery and equipment (years)	3	-	10
Computer equipment and software (years)	3	-	7
Furniture and fixtures (years)	5	-	10

Property and equipment held under capital leases and leasehold improvements are amortized using the straight-line method over the shorter of the lease term or estimated useful life of the asset.

(g)

Leases

The Company accounts for its leases in accordance with ASC 842 Leases. The Company leases office space, manufacturing facilities, automobiles and equipment. The Company concludes on whether an arrangement is a lease at inception. This determination as to whether an arrangement contains a lease is based on an assessment as to whether a contract conveys the right to the Company to control the use of identified property, plant or equipment for period of time in exchange for consideration. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet. The Company recognizes these lease expenses on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

The Company has assessed its contracts and concluded that its leases consist of operating leases. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use (ROU) assets, current portion of operating lease liabilities, and operating lease liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

ROU assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As most of the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company determines an incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The incremental borrowing rate represents a significant judgment that is based on an analysis of the Company’s credit rating, country risk, treasury and corporate bond yields, as well as comparison to the Company’s borrowing rate on its most recent loan. The Company uses the implicit rate when readily determinable. The operating lease ROU asset also includes any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company has lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, which are generally accounted for separately. Additionally, for its leases, the Company applies a portfolio approach to effectively account for the operating lease ROU assets and liabilities.

(h)

Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to be applied to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

The Company recognizes the effect of income tax positions only if those positions are more likely than not of being sustained. Recognized income tax positions are measured at the largest amount that is more than 50% likely of being realized. Changes in recognition are reflected in the period in which the judgement occurs.

(i)

Foreign Currency Translation

The functional currency of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries is generally their local currency. All assets and liabilities of its foreign subsidiaries are translated at exchange rates in effect at period-end. Income and expenses are translated at rates which approximate those in effect on the transaction dates. The resulting translation adjustment is recorded as a separate component of stockholders’ equity in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income (“AOCI”) in the consolidated balance sheets. Gains and losses resulting from foreign currency transactions are included in net (loss) income.

(j)

Earnings per Share

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the periods presented. The computation of diluted earnings per share is similar to the computation of basic earnings per share, except that the denominator is increased for the assumed exercise of dilutive options and other potentially dilutive securities using the treasury stock method unless the effect is antidilutive.

(k)

Comprehensive (Loss) Income

In accordance with ASC 220, the Company reports all changes in equity during a period, resulting from net (loss) income and transactions from non-owner sources, in a financial statement in the period in which they are recognized. The Company has chosen to disclose comprehensive (loss) income, which encompasses net (loss) income, foreign currency translation adjustments, gains and losses on derivatives, the underfunded status of its pension plans, and pension minimum additional liability adjustments, net of tax, in the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income.

(l)

Revenue Recognition

Nature of contracts and customers

The Company’s contracts are primarily of short duration and are mostly based on the receipt and fulfilment of purchase orders. The purchase orders are binding and include pricing and all other relevant terms and conditions.

The Company’s customers are primarily research scientists at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities, hospitals, government laboratories, including the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) and contract research organizations. The Company also has global and regional distribution partners, and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers who incorporate its products into their products under their own brands.

Performance obligations

The Company’s performance obligations under its revenue contracts consist of its instruments, equipment, accessories, services, maintenance and extended warranties. Equipment also includes software that functions together with the tangible equipment to deliver its essential functionality. Contracts with customers may contain multiple promises such as delivery of hardware, software, professional services or post-contract support services. These promises are accounted for as separate performance obligations if they are distinct. For contracts with customers that contain multiple performance obligations, the transaction price is allocated to the separate performance obligations based on estimated relative standalone selling price, which does not materially differ from the stated price in the contract. In general, the Company’s list prices are indicative of standalone selling price.

Instruments, equipment and accessories consist of a range of products that are used in life sciences research. Revenues from the sales of these items are recognized when transfer of control of these products to the customer occurs. Transfer of control occurs when the Company has a right to payment, and the customer has legal title to the asset and the customer or their selected carrier has possession, which is typically upon shipment. Sales on these items are therefore generally recognized at a point in time.

The Company’s equipment revenue also includes the sale of wireless implantable monitors that are used for life science research purposes. The Company sells these wireless implantable monitors to pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations and academic laboratories. In addition to sales generated from new and existing customers, these implantable devices are also sold under a program called the “exchange program.” Under this program, customers may return an implantable monitor to the Company after use, and if the returned monitor can be reprocessed and resold, they may, in exchange, purchase a replacement implantable monitor of the same model at a lower price than a new monitor. The implantable monitors that are returned by customers are reprocessed and made available for future sale. The initial sale of implantable monitors and subsequent sale of replacement implantable monitors are independent transactions. The Company has no obligation in connection with the initial sale to sell replacement implantable monitors at any future date under any fixed terms and may refuse returned implantable monitors that cannot be recovered or are obsolete. The Company has concluded that the offer to its customers that they may purchase a discounted product in the future is not a material right based on the applicable guidance within ASC 606.

Service revenues consist of installation, training, data analysis, and surgeries performed on research animals. Maintenance revenue consists of post-contract support provided in relation to software that is embedded within the equipment that is sold to the customer. The Company provides standard warranties that promise the customer that the product will work as promised. These standard warranties are not a separate performance obligation. Extended warranties relate to warranties that are separately priced, and purchased in addition to a standard warranty, and are therefore a separate performance obligation. The Company has made the judgment that the customer benefits as the Company performs over the period of the contract, and therefore revenues from service, maintenance and warranty contracts are recognized over time. The Company uses the input method to recognize revenue over time, based on time elapsed, which is generally on a straight-line basis over the service period. The period over which maintenance and warranty contracts is recognized is typically one year. The period over which service revenues is recognized is generally less than one month.

For sales for which transfer of control occurs upon shipment, the Company accounts for shipping and handling costs as fulfilment costs. As such, the Company records the amounts billed to the customer for shipping costs as revenue and the costs within cost of revenues upon shipment. For sales, for which control transfers to customers after shipment, the Company has elected to account for shipping and handling as activities to fulfill the promise to transfer the goods to the customer. The Company therefore accrues for the costs of shipping undelivered items in the period of shipment.

Revenues expected to be recognized related to any and all remaining performance obligations are generally expected to be recognized in one year or less, as the majority of the Company's contracts have a term of less than one year.

Variable Consideration

The nature of the Company's contracts gives rise to certain types of variable consideration, including in limited cases volume and payment discounts. The Company analyzes sales that could include variable consideration and estimates the expected or most likely amount of revenue after returns, trade-ins, discounts, rebates, credits, and incentives. Product returns are estimated and accrued for, based on historical information. In making these estimates, the Company considers whether the amount of variable consideration is constrained and is included in revenue only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal of the revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved. Variable consideration, and its impact on the Company’s revenue recognition, was not material in any of the periods presented.

The Company’s payment terms are generally from zero to sixty days from the time of invoicing, which generally occurs at the time of shipment or prior to services being performed. Payment terms vary by the type of its customers and the products or services offered.

Sales taxes, value added taxes, and certain excise taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are accounted for on a net basis and are therefore excluded from revenues.

Deferred revenue

The Company records deferred revenue when cash is collected from customers prior to satisfaction of the Company’s performance obligation to the customer. Deferred revenue consists of amounts deferred related to service contracts and revenue deferred as a result of payments received in advance from customers. Deferred revenue is generally expected to be recognized within one year.

The amounts included in deferred revenue from advanced payments relate to amounts that are prepaid for wireless implantable monitors under the exchange program. The Company has made the judgment that these payments do not represent a significant financing component as the customer can exercise their discretion as to when they can obtain the products that they have made a prepayment for.

Advanced payments received from customers are recorded as a liability, and revenue is recognized when the Company’s performance obligations are completed. Performance obligations are completed when the product is shipped or delivered to the customer, or at the end of the exchange program if goods are not acquired prior to the termination of the contract period.

Disaggregation of revenue

Refer to Note 13 for revenue disaggregated by type as well as further information about the deferred revenue balances and to Note 16 for revenue disaggregated by geographic region.

(m)

Valuation of Identifiable Intangible Assets Acquired in Business Combinations

The determination of the fair value of intangible assets, which represents a significant portion of the purchase price in the Company’s acquisitions, requires the use of significant judgment with regard to (i) the fair value; and (ii) whether such intangibles are amortizable or not amortizable and, if the former, the period and the method by which the intangibles asset will be amortized. The Company estimates the fair value of acquisition-related intangible assets principally based on projections of discounted cash flows that will arise from identifiable assets of acquired businesses. Amortizable intangible assets include existing technology, trade names, distribution agreements, customer relationships and patents, and are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives.

(n)

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill and unamortizable intangible assets acquired in a business combination and determined to have an indefinite useful life are not amortized, but instead are tested for impairment annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired, in accordance with the provisions of ASC 350, “Intangibles—Goodwill and Other.”

For the purpose of its goodwill analysis, the Company has one reporting unit. The Company conducts its annual impairment analysis in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year and more frequently if there is an indicator of impairment. The Company assesses qualitative factors of the reporting unit to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If the qualitative assessment indicates a potential impairment, a quantitative analysis is performed. The Company compares the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying amount. The Company estimates fair value using under the income approach using the discounted cash flows model, which indicates the fair value of the reporting unit based on the present value of the cash flows that the Company expects the reporting unit to generate in the future. The Company's significant estimates in the discounted cash flows model include weighted average cost of capital, long-term rate of growth and profitability of the reporting unit’s business, and working capital effects. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, goodwill is impaired and the Company would recognize a loss equal to the excess. For indefinite-lived intangible assets if the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the asset, the Company would write down the indefinite-lived intangible asset to fair value. At December 31, 2020, the Company concluded that none of its goodwill was impaired.

The Company evaluates indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually and when events occur, or circumstances change that may reduce the fair value of the asset below its carrying amount. Events or circumstances that might require an interim evaluation include unexpected adverse business conditions, economic factors, unanticipated technological changes or competitive activities, loss of key personnel and acts by governments and courts. Refer to Note 4 for further details regarding impairment of indefinite-lived intangible assets.

(o)

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company assesses recoverability of its long-lived assets that are held for use, such as property, plant and equipment and amortizable intangible assets in accordance with ASC 360, “Property, Plant and Equipment” when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset or asset group may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets or an asset group to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset or asset group to estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset or the asset group. Cash flow projections are based on trends of historical performance and management’s estimate of future performance. If the carrying amount of the asset or asset group exceeds the estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized by the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset or asset group exceeds its estimated fair value. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company concluded that none of its long-lived assets were impaired.

(p)

Derivatives

The Company uses interest-rate-related derivative instruments to manage its exposure related to changes in interest rates on its variable-rate debt instruments. The Company does not enter into derivative instruments for any purpose other than cash flow hedging. The Company does not speculate using derivative instruments. The Company recognizes all derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities in the balance sheet at their respective fair values. For derivatives designated in hedging relationships, changes in the fair value are either offset through earnings against the change in fair value of the hedged item attributable to the risk being hedged or recognized in AOCI, to the extent the derivative is effective at offsetting the changes in cash flows being hedged until the hedged item affects earnings.

The Company only enters into derivative contracts that it intends to designate as a hedge of a forecasted transaction or the variability of cash flows to be received or paid related to a recognized asset or liability (cash flow hedge). For all hedging relationships, the Company formally documents the hedging relationship and its risk-management objective and strategy for undertaking the hedge, the hedging instrument, the hedged transaction, the nature of the risk being hedged, how the hedging instrument’s effectiveness in offsetting the hedged risk will be assessed prospectively and retrospectively, and a description of the method used to measure ineffectiveness. The Company also formally assesses, both at the inception of the hedging relationship and on an ongoing basis, whether the derivatives that are used in hedging relationships are highly effective in offsetting changes in cash flows of hedged transactions. For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as part of a cash flow hedging relationship, the effective portion of the gain or loss on the derivative is reported as a component of other comprehensive income and reclassified into earnings in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. Gains and losses on the derivative representing either hedge ineffectiveness or hedge components excluded from the assessment of effectiveness are recognized in current earnings.

The Company discontinues hedge accounting prospectively when it determines that the derivative is no longer effective in offsetting cash flows attributable to the hedged risk, the derivative expires or is sold, terminated, or exercised, the cash flow hedge is de-designated because a forecasted transaction is not probable of occurring, or management determines to remove the designation of the cash flow hedge.

In all situations in which hedge accounting is discontinued and the derivative remains outstanding, the Company continues to carry the derivative at its fair value on the balance sheet and recognizes any subsequent changes in its fair value in earnings. When it is probable that a forecasted transaction will not occur, the Company discontinues hedge accounting and recognizes immediately in earnings gains and losses that were accumulated in other comprehensive income related to the hedging relationship.

(q)

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The carrying values of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents, trade accounts receivable and trade accounts payable and short-term debt approximate their fair values because of the short maturities of those instruments. The fair value of the Company’s long-term debt approximates its carrying value and is based on the amount of future cash flows associated with the debt discounted using current borrowing rates for similar debt instruments of comparable maturity.

Financial reporting standards define a fair value hierarchy that consists of three levels:

§

Level 1 includes instruments for which quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities accessible to the Company at the measurement date.

§

Level 2 includes instruments for which the valuations are based on quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

§

Level 3 includes valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

(r)

Stock-based Compensation

The Company accounts for stock-based payment awards in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718, “Compensation—Stock Compensation”, which requires it to recognize compensation expense for all stock-based payment awards made to employees and directors including stock options, restricted stock units, and restricted stock units with a market condition related to our Fourth Amended and Restated 2000 Stock Option and Incentive Plan (as amended, the “Incentive Plan”) as well as employee stock purchases (“employee stock purchases”) related to its Employee Stock Purchase Plan (as amended, the “ESPP”). The Company issues new shares upon stock option exercises, upon vesting of restricted stock units and restricted stock units with a market condition, and under the Company’s ESPP.

Stock-based compensation expense recognized is based on the value of the portion of stock-based payment awards that is ultimately expected to vest. The Company values stock-based payment awards, except restricted stock units at grant date using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Company values restricted stock units with a market condition using a Monte-Carlo valuation simulation. The determination of fair value of stock-based payment awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model or Monte-Carlo valuation simulation is affected by the Company’s stock price as well as assumptions regarding certain variables. These variables include, but are not limited to, the Company’s expected stock price volatility over the term of the awards and actual and projected stock option exercise behaviors.

The fair value of restricted stock units is based on the market price of the Company’s stock on the date of grant and are recorded as compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the applicable service period, which ranges from one to four years. Unvested restricted stock units are forfeited in the event of termination of employment with the Company.

Stock-based compensation expense recognized under ASC 718 for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 consisted of stock-based compensation expense related to stock options, the ESPP, and restricted stock units and was recorded as a component of cost of product revenues, sales and marketing expenses, general and administrative expenses, and research and development expenses. Refer to Note 10 for further details.

(s)

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Accounting Pronouncements to be Adopted

In September 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (ASU 2016-13), which amends the impairment model by requiring entities to use a forward-looking approach based on expected losses rather than incurred losses to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments, including trade receivables. This may result in the earlier recognition of allowances for losses. The FASB issued several ASUs after ASU 2016-13 to clarify implementation guidance and to provide transition relief for certain entities. ASU 2016-13 is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, with early adoption permitted. The Company is evaluating the impact that adopting ASU 2016-13 and related amendments will have on its consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (ASU 2019-12), which enhances and simplifies various aspects of the income tax accounting guidance related to intra-period tax allocation, interim period accounting for enacted changes in tax law, and the year-to-date loss limitation in interim period tax accounting. ASU 2019-12 also amends other aspects of the guidance to reduce complexity in certain areas. ASU 2019-12 is effective for the Company on January 1, 2021. The Company has determined that the adoption of this new accounting guidance will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.