Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Basis of Presentation

v3.19.3.a.u2
Basis of Presentation
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation

2. Basis of Presentation

The Company’s consolidated financial statements refer to Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. and its subsidiaries.

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 lease payments not yet paid, 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 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 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 of 2017 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 of 2017 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 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 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 implemented these requirements as of the first quarter of 2019.

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 consolidated financial statements and preliminarily believes the adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on the Company’s 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 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 consolidated financial statements and preliminarily believes the adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In November 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-08, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718) and Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Codification Improvements—Share-Based Consideration Payable to a Customer. This ASU clarifies the accounting for measuring share-based payment awards granted to a customer. 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 December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. This ASU simplifies the accounting for income taxes by eliminating some exceptions to the general approach in ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes, and clarifies certain aspects of the existing guidance to promote more consistent application, among other things. 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 consolidated financial statements.

Significant Accounting Policies

Consolidation Policy

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated.

Foreign Currency Translation and Transactions

In the majority of the countries that the Company operates, the functional currency is the local currency. The Company’s foreign subsidiaries’ asset and liability accounts are translated for consolidated financial reporting purposes into U.S. dollar amounts at year-end exchange rates. Revenue and expense accounts are translated at the average rates during the year. Foreign exchange translation adjustments are included in accumulated other comprehensive loss on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses, which include the cost of foreign currency derivative contracts and the related settlement gains and losses but excluding certain foreign currency derivatives designated as cash flow hedges as discussed in Note 11, Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, are included in selling, general, and administrative expenses within the accompanying consolidated statements of income. The Company recorded net foreign currency transaction losses of $2.0 million, $17.3 million, and $13.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively.

Forward Exchange Contracts

The Company enters into foreign currency derivatives, primarily comprised of foreign currency forward contracts, in managing its foreign exchange risk on sales to Members, inventory purchases denominated in foreign currencies, and intercompany transactions and loans. The Company does not use the contracts for trading purposes.

In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, or ASC 815, the Company designates certain of its derivative instruments as cash flow hedges and formally documents its hedge relationships, including identification of the hedging instruments and the hedged items, as well as its risk management objectives and strategies for undertaking the hedge transaction, at the time the derivative contract is executed. The Company assesses the effectiveness of the hedge both at inception and on an ongoing basis and determines whether the hedge is highly or perfectly effective in offsetting changes in cash flows of the hedged item. The Company records the effective portion of changes in the estimated fair value in accumulated other comprehensive loss and subsequently reclassifies the related amount of accumulated other comprehensive loss to earnings when the hedged item and underlying transaction impacts earnings. If it is determined that a derivative has ceased to be a highly effective hedge, the Company will discontinue hedge accounting for such transaction. For derivatives that are not designated as hedges, all changes in estimated fair value are recognized in the consolidated statements of income.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with a maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents are comprised primarily of domestic and foreign bank accounts and money market funds. These cash and cash equivalents are valued based on Level 1 inputs, which consist of quoted prices in active markets. To reduce its credit risk, the Company monitors the credit standing of the financial institutions that hold the Company’s cash and cash equivalents.

The Company has a cash pooling arrangement with a financial institution for cash management purposes. This cash pooling arrangement allows certain of the Company’s participating subsidiaries to withdraw cash from this financial institution based upon the Company’s aggregate cash deposits held by subsidiaries who participate in the cash pooling arrangement. To the extent any participating location on an individual basis is in an overdraft position, these overdrafts will be recorded as liabilities and reflected as financing activities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows, respectively. The Company did not owe any amounts to this financial institution as of December 31, 2019 and 2018.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable consist principally of receivables from credit card companies, arising from the sale of products to the Company’s Members, and receivables from importers, who are utilized in a limited number of countries to sell products to Members. The Company believes the concentration of its collection risk related to its credit card receivables is reduced due to geographic dispersion. Credit card receivables were $56.0 million and $52.7 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Substantially all credit card receivables were current as of December 31, 2019 and 2018. For the Company’s receivables from its importers, the Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its importers and maintains an allowance for potential credit losses. The Company considers customer credit-worthiness, past and current transaction history with the customer, contractual terms, current economic industry trends, and changes in customer payment terms when determining whether collectability is reasonably assured and

whether to record allowances for its receivables. If the financial condition of the Company’s customers deteriorates and adversely affects their ability to make payments, additional allowances will be recorded. The Company believes that it provides adequate allowances for receivables from its Members and importers which are not material to its consolidated financial statements. The Company recorded $3.0 million, $1.2 million, and $0.9 million during the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively, in bad-debt expense related to allowances for the Company’s receivables. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company’s allowance for doubtful accounts was $2.5 million and $1.5 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the majority of the Company’s total outstanding accounts receivable were current.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company applies the provisions of FASB authoritative guidance as it applies to its financial and non-financial assets and liabilities. The FASB authoritative guidance clarifies the definition of fair value, prescribes methods for measuring fair value, establishes a fair value hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value, and expands disclosures about fair value measurements.

The Company has estimated the fair value of its financial instruments using the following methods and assumptions:

 

The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, receivables and accounts payable approximate fair value due to the short-term maturities of these instruments;

 

The fair value of option and forward contracts are based on dealer quotes;

 

The Company’s variable rate revolving credit facility is recorded at carrying value and is considered to approximate its fair value;

 

The outstanding borrowings on the Company’s term loan A under its senior secured credit facility are recorded at carrying value, and their fair value is determined by utilizing over-the-counter market quotes for similar instruments;

 

The outstanding borrowings on the Company’s term loan B under its senior secured credit facility are recorded at carrying value, and their fair value is determined by utilizing over-the-counter market quotes;

 

The Company’s convertible senior notes are recorded at carrying value and their fair value is determined using two valuation methods as described further in Note 5, Long-Term Debt; and

 

The Company’s senior notes issued in August 2018, or the 2026 Notes, are recorded at carrying value, and their fair value is determined by utilizing over-the-counter market quotes and yield curves.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at lower of cost (primarily on the first-in, first-out basis) and net realizable value.

Debt Issuance Costs

Debt issuance costs represent fees and expenses related to the borrowing of the Company’s long-term debt and are generally amortized over the term of the related debt using the effective interest method. Debt issuance costs, except for those related to the Company’s revolving credit facility, are recorded as a reduction to debt (contra-liability) within the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Total amortization expense related to debt issuance costs were $5.3 million, $7.3 million, and $8.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company’s remaining unamortized debt issuance costs were $21.2 million and $26.5 million, respectively.

Long-Lived Assets

As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company’s net property, plant, and equipment consisted of the following:

 

 

 

December 31,

 

 

 

2019

 

 

2018

 

 

 

(in millions)

 

Property, plant, and equipment, at cost:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Land and buildings

 

$

51.1

 

 

$

51.1

 

Furniture and fixtures

 

 

26.2

 

 

 

26.1

 

Equipment

 

 

931.3

 

 

 

849.4

 

Building and leasehold improvements

 

 

208.2

 

 

 

198.5

 

Total property, plant, and equipment, at cost

 

 

1,216.8

 

 

 

1,125.1

 

Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization

 

 

(845.3

)

 

 

(765.1

)

Property, plant, and equipment, at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization

 

$

371.5

 

 

$

360.0

 

 

In December 2012, the Company purchased an approximate 800,000 square foot facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for approximately $22.2 million. The Company allocated $18.8 million and $3.4 million between buildings and land respectively, based on their relative fair values. In April 2016, the Company purchased one of its office buildings in Torrance, California, which it had previously leased, for approximately $29.6 million. The Company allocated $16.9 million and $11.6 million, which was net of the deferred rent liability of $1.1 million, between buildings and land, respectively, based on their relative fair values. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, these amounts have been reflected in property, plant, and equipment within the Company’s accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Depreciation of furniture, fixtures, and equipment (including computer hardware and software) is computed on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, which range from three to ten years. The Company capitalizes eligible costs to acquire or develop internal-use software that are incurred subsequent to the preliminary project stage. Computer hardware and software, the majority of which is comprised of capitalized internal-use software costs, were $177.4 million and $163.2 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, net of accumulated depreciation. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the life of the related asset or the term of the lease, whichever is shorter. Buildings are depreciated over 40 years. Building improvements are generally depreciated over ten to fifteen years. Land is not depreciated. Depreciation and amortization expenses recorded to selling, general, and administrative expenses totaled $78.8 million, $80.8 million, and $80.1 million, for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively.

Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment based on undiscounted cash flows whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. Measurement of an impairment loss is based on the estimated fair value of the asset.

Goodwill and marketing-related intangible assets with indefinite lives are evaluated on an annual basis for impairment or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. For goodwill, the Company performed a qualitative assessment during the fourth quarter of 2019 and determined that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of each reporting unit is less than its respective carrying value. If it is determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount or if a qualitative assessment is not performed, then the Company would perform the two-step goodwill impairment test as required, in which it would use a discounted cash flow approach to estimate the fair value of a reporting unit. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying value, then the implied fair value of the goodwill must be determined. If the implied fair value of the goodwill is less than its carrying value, then a goodwill impairment amount is recorded for the difference. For the marketing-related intangible assets, the Company performed a qualitative assessment during the fourth quarter of 2019 and determined that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of the assets is less than their carrying value. If it is determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the assets is less than their carrying amount or if a qualitative assessment is not performed, then the Company would perform the quantitative impairment test as required, in which it would use a discounted cash flow model under the relief-from-royalty method in order to determine the fair value. If the fair value is less than its carrying value, then an impairment amount is recorded for the difference. During the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, there were no additions to goodwill or marketing-related intangible assets or impairments of goodwill or marketing-related intangible assets. As of both December 31, 2019 and 2018, the marketing-related intangible asset balance was $310.0 million and consisted of the Company’s trademark, trade name, and marketing franchise. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the goodwill balance was $91.5 million and $92.9 million, respectively. The decrease in goodwill during the year ended December 31, 2019 was due to cumulative translation adjustments.

Restricted Cash

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

 

 

 

December 31,

 

 

 

2019

 

 

2018

 

 

 

(in millions)

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

839.4

 

 

$

1,198.9

 

Restricted cash included in Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

 

2.5

 

 

 

3.3

 

Restricted cash included in Other assets

 

 

5.6

 

 

 

12.8

 

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

 

$

847.5

 

 

$

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.

Income Taxes

Income tax expense includes income taxes payable for the current year and the change in deferred income tax assets and liabilities for the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the Company’s financial statements or income tax returns. A valuation allowance is recognized to reduce the carrying value of deferred income tax assets if it is believed to be more likely than not that a component of the deferred income tax assets will not be realized.

The Company accounts for uncertainty in income taxes in accordance with FASB authoritative guidance which clarifies the accounting and reporting for uncertainties in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements. This guidance prescribes a comprehensive model for the financial statement recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in income tax returns.

On December 22, 2017, the U.S. enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which contained several key tax provisions that affected the Company, including, but not limited to, a one-time mandatory transition tax on accumulated foreign earnings, changes in the sourcing and calculation of foreign income, and a reduction of the corporate income tax rate to 21% effective January 1, 2018. The Company was required to recognize the effect of the tax law changes in the period of enactment, such as determining the transition tax, remeasuring its U.S. deferred tax assets and liabilities as well as reassessing the net realizability of its deferred tax assets and liabilities. In December 2017, the SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118, Income Tax Accounting Implications of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which allowed the Company to record provisional amounts during a measurement period not to extend beyond one year of the enactment date. See Note 12, Income Taxes, for a further description on income taxes and the impact of the U.S. Tax Reform. The Company has made an accounting policy election to account for global intangible low-taxed income as a period cost if and when incurred.

Royalty Overrides

Certain Members may earn commissions called royalty overrides, which include production bonuses, based on retail sales volume. Royalty overrides are based on the retail sales volume of certain other Members who are sponsored directly or indirectly by the Member. Royalty overrides are recorded when the products are delivered and revenue is recognized. The royalty overrides are compensation to Members for services rendered including the development, retention and the improved productivity of their sales organizations. As such royalty overrides are classified as an operating expense. Non-U.S. royalty override checks that have aged, for a variety of reasons, beyond a certainty of being paid, are taken back into income. Management has estimated this period of certainty to be three years worldwide.

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 7, 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. The Company determined that the cap to distributor compensation will not be applicable for the year ended December 31, 2019 as the annual requirement was met.

Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income consists of net income, foreign currency translation adjustments, and unrealized gains or losses on derivatives. See Note 8, Shareholders’ Deficit, for the description and detail of the components of accumulated other comprehensive loss.

Operating Leases

The Company leases most of its physical properties under operating leases. The Company recognizes rent expense on a straight-line basis for its operating leases. Certain lease agreements generally include rent holidays and tenant improvement allowances. Prior to January 1, 2019, the Company recognized rent holiday periods on a straight-line basis over the lease term beginning when the Company had the right to the leased space; the Company also recorded tenant improvement allowances and rent holidays as deferred rent liabilities and amortized the deferred rent over the terms of the lease to rent expense. Prior to January 1, 2019, the Company did not recognize its operating leases on its balance sheet. Beginning January 1, 2019, the Company recognizes a right of use asset and lease liability within its consolidated balance sheets for operating leases with terms greater than twelve months. The initial measurement of the lease liability is measured at the present value of lease payments not yet paid discounted generally using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate at the commencement date. Leases with an initial term of twelve months or less are not recorded on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets, and the Company does not separate nonlease components from lease components.

Research and Development

The Company’s research and development is performed by in-house staff and outside consultants. For all periods presented, research and development costs were expensed as incurred and were not material.

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 $31.5 million, $29.8 million, and $50.8 million during the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively, in other operating income within its 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 year ended December 31, 2019, the Company also recognized $6.0 million in other operating income within its consolidated statement of 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 Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 for further discussion.

Other (Income) Expense, Net

During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company recognized a gain of $15.7 million on the revaluation of the CVR provided for each share tendered in the October 2017 modified Dutch auction tender offer (See Note 8, Shareholders’ Deficit) in other (income) expense, net within its consolidated statements of income. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company recognized a loss of $8.8 million on the revaluation of the CVR; a $13.1 million loss on the extinguishment of $475.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2019 Convertible Notes (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 consolidated statements of income. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company recognized a gain of $0.4 million on the revaluation of the CVR in other (income) expense, net within its 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 consolidated statements of cash flows.

Professional Fees

The Company expenses professional fees, including legal fees, as incurred. These professional fees are included in selling, general, and administrative expenses within the Company’s consolidated statements of income.

Advertising

Advertising costs, including Company sponsorships, are expensed as incurred and amounted to approximately $41.4 million, $41.1 million, and $55.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively. These expenses are included in selling, general, and administrative expenses within the Company’s consolidated statements of income.

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share represents net income divided by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per share represents net income divided by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, inclusive of the effect of dilutive securities, such as outstanding stock appreciation rights, or SARs, stock units, and convertible notes.

The following are the common share amounts used to compute the basic and diluted earnings per share for each period:

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2019

 

 

2018

 

 

2017

 

 

 

(in millions)

 

Weighted-average shares used in basic computations

 

 

137.4

 

 

 

140.2

 

 

 

158.5

 

Dilutive effect of exercise of equity grants outstanding

 

 

3.5

 

 

 

6.3

 

 

 

7.2

 

Dilutive effect of 2019 Convertible Notes

 

 

0.7

 

 

 

3.0

 

 

 

 

Weighted-average shares used in diluted computations

 

 

141.6

 

 

 

149.5

 

 

 

165.7

 

 

There were an aggregate of 0.8 million, 1.4 million, and 6.9 million of equity grants, consisting of SARs and stock units that were outstanding during the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively, but were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because their effect would be anti-dilutive or the performance condition of the award had not been satisfied.

Since the Company was required to settle the principal amount of its 2019 Convertible Notes in cash and settle the conversion feature for the amount above the conversion price in common shares, or the conversion spread, the Company uses the treasury stock method for calculating any potential dilutive effect of the conversion spread on diluted earnings per share, if applicable. The conversion spread will have a dilutive impact on diluted earnings per share when the average market price of the Company’s common shares for a given period exceeds the conversion price of the 2019 Convertible Notes. The dilutive impacts for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 are disclosed in the table above. For the year ended December 31, 2017, the 2019 Convertible Notes have been excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share, as the effect would be anti-dilutive since the conversion price of the 2019 Convertible Notes exceeded the average market price of the Company’s common shares for the year ended December 31, 2017. The initial conversion rate and conversion price for the 2019 Convertible Notes are described further in Note 5, Long-Term Debt.

For the 2024 Convertible Notes, the Company has the intent and ability to settle the principal amount in cash and intends to settle the conversion feature for the amount above the conversion price, or the conversion spread, in common shares. The Company uses the treasury stock method for calculating any potential dilutive effect of the conversion spread on diluted earnings per share, if applicable. The conversion spread will have a dilutive impact on diluted earnings per share when the average market price of the Company’s common shares for a given period exceeds the conversion price of the 2024 Convertible Notes. For the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, the 2024 Convertible Notes have been excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share, as the effect would be anti-dilutive since the conversion price of the 2024 Convertible Notes exceeded the average market price of the Company’s common shares for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018. The initial conversion rate and conversion price for the 2024 Convertible Notes are described further in Note 5, Long-Term Debt.

The capped call transactions executed in connection with the issuance of the 2019 Convertible Notes, or the Capped Call Transactions, are excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share because their impact is always anti-dilutive. Additionally, the prepaid forward share repurchase transactions executed in connection with the issuance of the 2019 Convertible Notes, or the Forward Transactions, are treated as retired shares for basic and diluted EPS purposes, in each case for the periods the transactions were in effect. On August 15, 2019, the remaining Capped Call Transactions expired unexercised and all shares were retired under the Forward Transactions. See Note 8, Shareholders’ Deficit, for additional discussion regarding the Capped Call Transactions and Forward Transactions.

See Note 8, Shareholders’ Deficit, for a discussion of how common shares repurchased by the Company’s indirect wholly-owned subsidiary are treated under U.S. GAAP.

Revenue Recognition

The Company adopted FASB ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, or ASC 606, with a date of initial application of January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method applied to all contracts existing as of January 1, 2018. Results for reporting periods beginning January 1, 2018 and thereafter are presented under ASC 606, while prior period amounts have not been adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, or ASC 605. The adoption of ASC 606 did not have a material impact to the Company’s consolidated net sales for the periods presented.

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; this timing difference relating to the Company recognizing revenues when these third-party entities sell the products compared to when the Company delivers the products to them did not have a material impact to the Company’s consolidated net sales for the periods presented.

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. Under ASC 606, 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 consolidated statements of income. For the periods presented under ASC 605, the service fees payable to its China independent service providers were similarly recognized in selling, general, and administrative expenses within the Company’s consolidated statements of income as they are under ASC 606. However, under ASC 605, the compensation received by third-party importers for the services they provide, which represents the discount provided to them, was recorded as a reduction to net sales, which differs from the treatment under ASC 606 as described above. This change in the accounting treatment under ASC 606 of the compensation for services provided by the Company’s third-party importers did not impact the Company’s consolidated net income and was not material to the Company’s consolidated net sales for the periods presented.

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.

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 year ended December 31, 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 December 31, 2019. Advance sales deposits are included in other current liabilities on the Company’s 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 December 31, 2019 and 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 10, Segment Information, for further information on the Company’s reportable segments and the Company’s presentation of disaggregated revenue by reportable segment.

Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities

During the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, the Company recorded $14.1 million, $10.2 million, and $10.1 million, respectively, of non-cash capital expenditures.

During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company recorded $5.9 million of non-cash borrowings that were used to finance software maintenance. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company did not record any non-cash borrowings that were used to finance software maintenance. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company recorded $2.3 million of non-cash borrowings that were used to finance software maintenance. Additionally, see Note 8, Shareholders’ Deficit, for information on the Company’s non-cash financing activities related to the CVR provided to the participants of the October 2017 modified Dutch auction tender offer, as well as share repurchases for which payment was made subsequent to year end.

Share-Based Payments

The Company accounts for share-based compensation in accordance with FASB authoritative guidance which requires the measurement of share-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards made to employees. The Company measures share-based compensation cost at the grant date, based on the fair value of the award. The Company recognizes share-based compensation expense for service condition awards on a straight-line basis over the employee’s requisite service period. The Company recognizes share-based compensation expense for performance condition awards over the vesting term using the graded vesting method.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions. Such estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Company evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors, including the current economic environment, which the Company believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. The Company adjusts such estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Illiquid credit markets, volatile equity, and foreign currency have combined to increase the uncertainty inherent in such estimates and assumptions. As future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ from these estimates. Changes in estimates resulting from continuing changes in the economic environment will be reflected in the financial statements in future periods.