Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

v3.19.3
Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial information of the Company has been prepared in accordance with Article 10 of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s, or the SEC, Regulation S-X. Accordingly, as permitted by Article 10 of the SEC’s Regulation S-X, it does not include all of the information required by generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S., or U.S. GAAP, for complete financial statements. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2018 was derived from the audited financial statements at that date and does not include all the disclosures required by U.S. GAAP, as permitted by Article 10 of the SEC’s Regulation S-X. The Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2019 and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 include Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. and all of its direct and indirect subsidiaries. In the opinion of management, the accompanying financial information contains all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to present fairly the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2019 and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, or the 2018 10-K. Operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2019.

Recently Adopted Pronouncements

Recently Adopted Pronouncements

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued Accounting Standards Update, or ASU, No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), and subsequently issued additional updates to Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, Topic 842, or ASC 842. The updated guidance requires lessees to recognize a lease liability and a right-of-use asset, measured at the present value of the future minimum lease payments, at the lease commencement date. The amendments also require certain quantitative and qualitative disclosures. ASU 2016-02 is effective for all interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The update requires entities to recognize and measure leases at the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach or allows entities to initially apply the new lease standard at the adoption date and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. The Company adopted ASC 842 at the adoption date with the initial application date as of January 1, 2019. Under this adoption method, prior period amounts have not been adjusted. The Company elected to apply the package of practical expedients which allows entities to not reassess whether expired or existing contracts contain leases, not reassess the classification of existing leases, and not reassess initial direct costs for existing leases. Additionally, the Company did not apply hindsight in the determination of the lease term and assessing impairment of right-of-use assets for existing leases. As a result, the Company did not make any adjustments to beginning retained earnings. As part of the Company’s updated lease accounting policies, leases with an initial term of twelve months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet. Additionally, the Company elected to account for lease and non-lease components as a single lease component in the measurement of its lease liabilities and right-of-use assets. On January 1, 2019, the Company recorded total operating lease liabilities of $189.1 million and total operating lease right-of-use assets of $176.9 million, net of certain deferred rent liabilities and prepaid rent, which had no impact to the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. See Note 4, Leases, for additional information.

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging: Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities. This ASU improves the financial reporting of hedging relationships to better portray the economic results of an entity’s risk management activities in its financial statements and makes certain targeted improvements to simplify the application of existing hedge accounting guidance. The Company has elected to record changes in the fair value of amounts excluded from the assessment of effectiveness currently in earnings. The adoption of this guidance during the first quarter of 2019 did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, Income Statement — Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220). This ASU allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for tax effects of items within accumulated other comprehensive income, or stranded tax effects, resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and requires certain disclosures about those stranded tax effects. The Company has elected to not reclassify the income tax effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings. The adoption of this guidance during the first quarter of 2019 did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-07, Compensation — Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting. This ASU expands the scope of Topic 718 to include share-based payment transactions for acquiring goods and services from nonemployees. The adoption of this guidance during the first quarter of 2019 did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

In November 2018, SEC Release No. 33-10532, Disclosure Update and Simplification, which amended and simplified certain disclosure requirements including the requirement to present an analysis of changes in shareholders’ equity for interim periods, became effective. The Company has included a reconciliation of the changes in its shareholders' deficit in Note 11, Shareholders’ Deficit.

New Accounting Pronouncements

New Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments — Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This ASU changes the impairment model for most financial assets, requiring the use of an expected loss model which requires entities to estimate the lifetime expected credit loss on financial assets measured at amortized cost. Such credit losses will be recorded as an allowance to offset the amortized cost of the financial asset, resulting in a net presentation of the amount expected to be collected on the financial asset. In addition, credit losses relating to available-for-sale debt securities will now be recorded through an allowance for credit losses rather than as a direct write-down to the security. The amendments in this update are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is evaluating the potential impact of this adoption on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles — Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. This ASU simplifies the test for goodwill impairment by removing Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Companies will now perform the goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, recognizing an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. An entity still has the option to perform the qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. The amendments in this update are effective for goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted for goodwill impairment tests performed after January 1, 2017. The adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework — Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. This ASU modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements in Topic 820 based on the consideration of costs and benefits to promote the appropriate exercise and discretion by entities when considering fair value measurement disclosures and to clarify that materiality is an appropriate consideration of entities and their auditors when evaluating disclosure requirements. The amendments in this update are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-14, Compensation — Retirement Benefits — Defined Benefit Plans — General (Subtopic 715-20): Disclosure Framework — Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans. This ASU removes disclosures that are no longer considered cost beneficial, clarifies the specific requirements of disclosures, and adds disclosure requirements identified as relevant. The amendments in this update are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. The Company is evaluating the potential impact of this adoption on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles — Goodwill and Other — Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. This ASU clarifies the accounting for implementation costs of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract and aligns that accounting, regardless of whether the arrangement conveys a license to the hosted software. The amendments in this update are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The Company is evaluating the potential impact of this adoption on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

The Company’s net sales consist of product sales. In general, the Company's performance obligation is to transfer its products to its Members. The Company generally recognizes revenue when product is delivered to its Members. For China independent service providers and for third-party importers utilized in certain other countries where sales historically have not been material, the Company recognizes revenue based on the Company’s estimate of when the service provider or third-party importer sells the products because the Company is deemed to be the principal party of these product sales due to the additional selling and operating requirements relating to pricing of products, conducting business with physical locations, and other selling and marketing activities required of the service providers and third-party importers.

The Company’s Members, excluding its China independent service providers, may receive distributor allowances, which are comprised of discounts, rebates, and wholesale commission payments from the Company. Distributor allowances resulting from the Company’s sales of its products to its Members are recorded against net sales because the distributor allowances represent discounts from the suggested retail price.

The Company compensates its sales leader Members with royalty overrides for services rendered, relating to the development, retention, and management of their sales organizations. Royalty overrides are payable based on achieved sales volume. Royalty overrides are classified as an operating expense reflecting the services provided to the Company. The Company compensates its China independent service providers and third-party importers utilized in certain other countries for providing marketing, selling, and customer support services. As the Company is the principal party of the product sales as described above, the service fees payable to China independent service providers and the compensation received by third-party importers for the services they provide are recorded in selling, general, and administrative expenses within the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of income.

The Company recognizes revenue when it delivers products to its United States Members; distributor allowances, inclusive of discounts and wholesale commissions, are recorded as a reduction to net sales; and royalty overrides are classified as an operating expense.

Shipping and handling services relating to product sales are recognized as fulfillment activities on the Company’s performance obligation to transfer products and are therefore recorded within net sales as part of product sales and are not considered as separate revenues. Shipping and handling costs paid by the Company are included in cost of sales.

The Company presents sales taxes collected from customers on a net basis.

The Company generally receives the net sales price in cash or through credit card payments at the point of sale. Accounts receivable consist principally of credit card receivables arising from the sale of products to the Company’s Members, and its collection risk is reduced due to geographic dispersion. Credit card receivables were $76.7 million and $52.7 million as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. Substantially all credit card receivables were current as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018. The Company recorded $1.2 million and $0.2 million during the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $2.3 million and $0.7 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, in bad-debt expense related to allowances for the Company’s receivables. As of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the Company’s allowance for doubtful accounts was $2.4 million and $1.5 million, respectively. As of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the majority of the Company’s total outstanding accounts receivable were current.

The Company records advance sales deposits when payment is received but revenue has not yet been recognized. In the majority of the Company’s markets, advance sales deposits are generally recorded to income when the product is delivered to its Members. Additionally, advance sales deposits also include deferred revenues due to the timing of revenue recognition for products sold through China independent service providers. The estimated deferral period for advance sales deposits is generally within one week. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company recognized substantially all of the revenues that were included within advance sales deposits as of December 31, 2018 and any remaining such balance was not material as of September 30, 2019. Advance sales deposits are included in Other current liabilities on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets. See Note 14, Detail of Certain Balance Sheet Accounts, for further information.

In general, if a Member returns product to the Company on a timely basis, they may obtain replacement product from the Company for such returned products. In addition, in general the Company maintains a buyback program pursuant to which it will repurchase products sold to a Member who has decided to leave the business. Allowances for product returns, primarily in connection with the Company’s buyback program, are provided at the time the sale is recorded. This accrual is based upon historical return rates for each country and the relevant return pattern, which reflects anticipated returns to be received over a period of up to 12 months following the original sale. Allowances for product returns were $4.7 million and $4.9 million as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively.

The Company’s products are grouped in five principal categories: weight management; targeted nutrition; energy, sports, and fitness; outer nutrition; and literature and promotional items. However, the effect of economic factors on the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue recognition and cash flows are similar among all five product categories. The Company defines its operating segments through six geographic regions. The effect of economic factors on the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue recognition and cash flows are similar among the regions with the Company’s Primary Reporting Segment. See Note 7, Segment Information, for further information on the Company’s reportable segments and the Company’s presentation of disaggregated revenue by reportable segment.

Distributor Compensation - U.S.

Distributor Compensation – U.S.

In the U.S., distributor compensation, including Royalty overrides, is capped if the Company does not meet an annual requirement as described in the consent order discussed in more detail in Note 6, Contingencies. On a periodic basis, the Company evaluates if this requirement will be achieved by year end to determine if a cap on distributor compensation will be required, and then determines the appropriate amount of distributor compensation expense, which may vary in each reporting period. As of September 30, 2019, the Company believes that the cap to distributor compensation will not be applicable for the current year.

Other Operating Income

Other Operating Income

To encourage local investment and operations, governments in various China provinces conduct grant programs. The Company applied for and received several such grants in China. Government grants are recorded into income when a legal right to the grant exists, there is a reasonable assurance that the grant proceeds will be received, and the substantive conditions under which the grants were provided have been met. Generally, these substantive conditions are the Company maintaining operations and paying certain taxes in the relevant province and obtaining government approval by completing an annual application process. The Company believes the continuing obligation with respect to the funds is a general requirement that they are used only for its business in China. The Company recognized government grant income related to its regional headquarters and distribution centers within China of approximately $6.4 million and $6.0 million during the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $27.7 million and $23.9 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, in other operating income within its condensed consolidated statements of income. The Company intends to continue applying for government grants in China when programs are available; however, there is no assurance that the Company will receive grants in future periods.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company also recognized $6.0 million in other operating income related to the finalization of insurance recoveries in connection with the flooding at one of its warehouses in Mexico during September 2017, which damaged certain of the Company’s inventory stored within the warehouse. See Note 7, Contingencies, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the 2018 10-K for further discussion.

Other (Income) Expense, Net

Other (Income) Expense, Net

During the three months ended September 30, 2019, the Company recognized a gain of $1.3 million on the revaluation of the non-transferable contractual contingent value right, or CVR, provided for each share tendered in the October 2017 modified Dutch auction tender offer (See Note 11, Shareholders’ Deficit, for further information on the CVR) in other (income) expense, net within its condensed consolidated statements of income. During the three months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recognized a gain of $4.6 million on the revaluation of the CVR and a $35.4 million loss on extinguishment of the Company’s 2017 senior secured credit facility (See Note 5, Long-Term Debt) in other (income) expense, net within its condensed consolidated statements of income.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company recognized a gain of $15.7 million on the revaluation of the CVR in other (income) expense, net within its condensed consolidated statements of income. During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recognized a loss of $11.4 million on the revaluation of the CVR, a $13.1 million loss on extinguishment of $475.0 million aggregate principal amount of the Company’s convertible senior notes due 2019 (See Note 5, Long-Term Debt), and a $35.4 million loss on extinguishment of the Company’s 2017 senior secured credit facility (See Note 5, Long-Term Debt) in other (income) expense, net within its condensed consolidated statements of income.

These non-cash expenses are included as non-cash adjustments to net income in the Company’s cash flows from operating activities within its condensed consolidated statements of cash flows.

Restricted Cash

Restricted Cash

The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the same such amounts shown in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of cash flows:

 

 

 

September 30,

2019

 

 

December 31,

2018

 

 

 

(in millions)

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

715.2

 

 

$

1,198.9

 

Restricted cash included in Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

 

2.5

 

 

 

3.3

 

Restricted cash included in Other assets

 

 

5.5

 

 

 

12.8

 

Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown in the statement of cash flows

 

$

723.2

 

 

$

1,215.0

 

 

The majority of the Company’s consolidated restricted cash is held by certain of its foreign entities and consists of cash deposits that are required due to the business operating requirements in those jurisdictions.

Segment Reporting

The Company is a nutrition company that sells a wide range of weight management; targeted nutrition; energy, sports, and fitness; and outer nutrition products. The Company’s products are manufactured by the Company in its Changsha, Hunan, China extraction facility; Suzhou, China facility; Nanjing, China facility; Lake Forest, California facility; and Winston-Salem, North Carolina facility, as well as by third-party providers, and then are sold to Members who consume and sell Herbalife products to retail consumers or other Members. Revenues reflect sales of products by the Company to its Members and are categorized based on geographic location.

As of September 30, 2019, the Company sold products in 94 countries throughout the world and was organized and managed by six geographic regions: North America, Mexico, South and Central America, EMEA, Asia Pacific, and China. The Company defines its operating segments as those geographical operations. The Company aggregates its operating segments, excluding China, into a reporting segment, or the Primary Reporting Segment, as management believes that the Company’s operating segments have similar operating characteristics and similar long-term operating performance. In making this determination, management believes that the operating segments are similar in the nature of the products sold, the product acquisition process, the types of customers to whom products are sold, the methods used to distribute the products, the nature of the regulatory environment, and their economic characteristics. China has been identified as a separate reporting segment as it does not meet the criteria for aggregation. The Company reviews its net sales and contribution margin by operating segment and reviews its assets and capital expenditures on a consolidated basis and not by operating segment. Therefore, net sales and contribution margin are presented by reportable segment and assets and capital expenditures by segment are not presented.

Derivatives and Hedging Policies

Foreign Currency Instruments

The Company designates certain foreign currency derivatives, primarily comprised of foreign currency forward contracts, as freestanding derivatives for which hedge accounting does not apply. The changes in the fair market value of these freestanding derivatives are included in selling, general, and administrative expenses in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of income. The Company primarily uses freestanding foreign currency derivatives to hedge foreign currency-denominated intercompany transactions and to partially mitigate the impact of foreign currency fluctuations. The fair value of the freestanding foreign currency derivatives is based on third-party quotes. The Company’s foreign currency derivative contracts are generally executed on a monthly basis.

The Company designates as cash flow hedges those foreign currency forward contracts it enters into to hedge forecasted inventory purchases and intercompany management fees that are subject to foreign currency exposures. Forward contracts are used to hedge forecasted inventory purchases over specific months. Changes in the fair value of these forward contracts, excluding forward points, designated as cash flow hedges are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss within shareholders’ deficit, and are recognized in cost of sales in the condensed consolidated statement of income during the period which approximates the time the hedged inventory is sold. The Company also hedges forecasted intercompany management fees over specific months. These contracts allow the Company to sell Euros in exchange for U.S. dollars at specified contract rates. Changes in the fair value of these forward contracts, excluding forward points, designated as cash flow hedges are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss within shareholders’ deficit, and are recognized in selling, general, and administrative expenses within the Company’s condensed consolidated statement of income during the period when the hedged item and underlying transaction affect earnings.

Fair Value Measurement

The Company applies the provisions of FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, or ASC 820, for its financial and non-financial assets and liabilities. ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value into three broad levels as follows:

Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the reporting entity has the ability to access at the measurement date.

Level 2 inputs include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means.

Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.

The Company measures certain assets and liabilities at fair value as discussed throughout the notes to its condensed consolidated financial statements. Foreign exchange currency contracts are valued using standard calculations and models primarily based on inputs such as observable forward rates, spot rates and foreign currency exchange rates at the reporting period ended date.