International Finance and Accounting Handbook

(avery) #1

a highly aggregated continental or multi-continental basis. In line with SFAS 131
guidelines, many companies now utilize the United States/Other categorization for
their geographic enterprise-wide data. For example, in 1998 both Colgate and
Gillette utilized the geographic grouping of United States and Other; the “Other” seg-
ment accounted for 72% and 62%, respectively, of sales for these two U.S. multina-
tionals.


(e) Information about Major Customers. If 10% or more of the revenues of an en-
terprise is derived from transactions with a single customer, the enterprise must dis-
close that fact, the total amount of revenues from each such customer, and the iden-
tity of the operating segment or segments earning the revenues. The enterprise need
not disclose the identity of a major customer or the amount of revenues that each seg-
ment derives from that customer.


(f ) Interim Information. Under SFAS 131, certain financial information must be
disclosed about an enterprise’s operating segments in condensed financial statements
of interim periods. For each operating segment, interim disclosure requirements in-
clude: revenues, a measure of profit or loss, and total assets for which there has been
a material change from the amount disclosed in the last annual report.
Reporting segment data in the interim accounts represents a major change in seg-
ment reporting. The new requirements represent the FASB’s response to user requests
for interim data.


(g) Illustration. Exhibit 22.2 illustrates the 2001 segment reporting provided by
Black and Decker, which is managed principally by products and services. Black and
Decker’s reportable operating segments include: Power Tools and Accessories, Hard-
ware and Home Improvement, and Fastening and Assembly Systems. As required by
SFAS 131, the company discloses the following items for each of the three reportable
segments: sales, profit, depreciation and amortization, income from equity-method
investees, capital expenditures, segment assets, and investment in equity-method in-
vestees. In addition, Black and Decker provides enterprise-wide information (i.e.,
sales) for eight product groups. Geographic enterprise-wide data includes segment
sales for the United States, Canada, Europe, and Other countries and segment as-
sets (property, plant, and equipment) for the United States, United Kingdom, and
Other countries. The company additionally acknowledges the existence of a major
customer.
Another interesting example of segment reporting under SFAS 131 is provided by
the 2001 accounts of Kellogg Company. The company is managed in two major ge-
ographic divisions, the United States and International, with the International seg-
ment further delineated into Europe, Latin America, Canada, Australia, and Asia.
Kellogg’s reportable operating segments under SFAS 131 consist of the United
States, Europe, and Latin America. For each reportable operating segment, Kellogg
reports sales, operating profit, charges for Keebler amortization expense, deprecia-
tion and amortization expense, interest expense, income taxes, assets, and additions
to long-lived assets. Additionally, Kellogg reports supplemental enterprise-wide data
on geographic sales and long-lived assets for three geographic regions that include
the United States, United Kingdom, and Other foreign countries. Supplemental en-
terprise-wide data also includes the disclosure of sales information for several prod-
ucts. The enterprise-wide data on products is provided in a matrix format as illus-


22 • 10 SEGMENTAL AND FOREIGN OPERATIONS DISCLOSURES
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