BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
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Sep. 30, 2014
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Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] | Ìý | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BUSINESS SUMMARY AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES |
NOTE 1 - BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with SEC rules and regulations and, in the opinion of management, include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly, the financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income and cash flows for the periods presented. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Management bases its estimates on various assumptions and historical experience, which are believed to be reasonable; however, due to the inherent nature of estimates, actual results may differ significantly due to changed conditions or assumptions. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended SeptemberÌý30, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the year ending DecemberÌý31, 2014 or any other future period. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended DecemberÌý31, 2013.
Basis of Consolidation
The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of our wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries, including the following operations:
Intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated upon consolidation.
Also included in our consolidated results are Cliffs Chromite Ontario Inc. and Cliffs Chromite Far North Inc. Cliffs Chromite Ontario Inc. holds a 100 percent interest in each of the Black Label and Black Thor chromite deposits and, together with Cliffs Chromite Far North Inc., a 70 percent interest in the Big Daddy chromite deposit, all located in northern Ontario, Canada.
Equity Method Investments
Investments in unconsolidated ventures that we have the ability to exercise significant influence over, but not control, are accounted for under the equity method. The following table presents the detail of our investments in unconsolidated ventures and where those investments are classified in the Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Position as of SeptemberÌý30, 2014 and DecemberÌý31, 2013. Parentheses indicate a net liability.
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1 At December 31, 2013, the classification for Hibbing was Other liabilities.
Significant Accounting Policies
A detailed description of our significant accounting policies can be found in the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended DecemberÌý31, 2013 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC. The significant accounting policies requiring updates have been included within the disclosures below.
Foreign Currency
Our financial statements are prepared with the U.S. dollar as the reporting currency. The functional currency of the Company’s Australian subsidiaries is the Australian dollar. The functional currency of all other international subsidiaries is the U.S. dollar. The financial statements of international subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars using the exchange rate at each balance sheet date for assets and liabilities and a weighted average exchange rate for each period for revenues, expenses, gains and losses. Where the local currency is the functional currency, translation adjustments are recorded as Accumulated other comprehensive loss. Income taxes generally are not provided for foreign currency translation adjustments. To the extent that monetary assets and liabilities, inclusive of intercompany notes, are recorded in a currency other than the functional currency, these amounts are remeasured each reporting period, with the resulting gain or loss being recorded in the Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Operations. Transaction gains and losses resulting from remeasurement of short-term intercompany loans are included in Miscellaneous - net in our Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Operations. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, net gains of $26.4 million and $8.4 million, respectively, related to the impact of transaction gains and losses resulting from remeasurement. Of these transaction gains and losses, for the three months ended September 30, 2014, gains of $17.7 million and $9.6 million, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 gains of $4.7 million and $4.5 million, respectively, resulted from remeasurement of short-term intercompany loans and cash and cash equivalents. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, a net loss of $14.1 million and a net gain of $36.5 million, respectively, related to the impact of transaction gains and losses resulting from remeasurement. Of these transaction gains and losses, for the three months ended September 30, 2013 losses of $4.5 million and $4.3 million, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 gains of $23.8 million and $7.4 million, respectively, resulted from remeasurement of short-term intercompany loans and cash and cash equivalents.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Issued and Not Effective
In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties About an Entity's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern. ASU 2014-15 will explicitly require management to assess an entity's ability to continue as a going concern, and to provide related footnote disclosure in certain circumstances. ASU 2014-15 is intended to define management’s responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosures. Specifically, ASU 2014-15 provides a definition of the term "substantial doubt" and requires an assessment for a period of one year after the date that the financial statements are issued (or available to be issued). It also requires certain disclosures when substantial doubt is alleviated as a result of consideration of management’s plans and requires an express statement and other disclosures when substantial doubt is not alleviated. The new standard will be effective for all entities in the first annual period ending after December 15, 2016 and allows for either a full retrospective or modified retrospective transition method. Earlier adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact the adoption of the guidance will have on the Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Position, Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Operations or Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Cash Flows.Ìý
In June 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.Ìý The new revenue guidance broadly replaces the revenue guidance provided throughout the Codification.Ìý The core principle of the revenue guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.Ìý To achieve that core principle, an entity should apply the following steps: (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer, (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (3) determine the transaction price, (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation.Ìý The new revenue guidance also requires the capitalization of certain contract acquisition costs.Ìý Reporting entities must provide new disclosures providing qualitative and quantitative information on the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers.Ìý New disclosures also include qualitative and quantitative information on significant judgments, changes in judgments, and contract acquisition assets.Ìý The update is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and may be adopted either retrospectively or retrospectively with the cumulative effect.Ìý Earlier adoption is not permitted. We are still evaluating the impact of the updated guidance on the Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Position, Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Operations or Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Cash Flows.
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