Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Basis of Presentation (Notes)

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Basis of Presentation (Notes)
6 Months Ended
Mar. 26, 2017
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation
Basis of Presentation
Financial Statement Preparation. These condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by QUALCOMM Incorporated (collectively with its subsidiaries, the Company or Qualcomm) in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) for interim financial information and the instructions to Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, the interim financial information includes all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods. These condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited and should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 25, 2016. Operating results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of operating results for an entire fiscal year. The Company operates and reports using a 52-53 week fiscal year ending on the last Sunday in September. Each of the three-month and six-month periods ended March 26, 2017 and March 27, 2016 included 13 weeks and 26 weeks, respectively.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and the disclosure of contingent amounts in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Earnings Per Common Share. Basic earnings per common share are computed by dividing net income attributable to Qualcomm by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the reporting period. Diluted earnings per common share are computed by dividing net income attributable to Qualcomm by the combination of dilutive common share equivalents, comprised of shares issuable under the Company’s share-based compensation plans and the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the reporting period. The dilutive common share equivalents, calculated using the treasury stock method, in the three and six months ended March 26, 2017 were 11,284,000 and 14,156,000, respectively, and in the three and six months ended March 27, 2016 were 10,734,000 and 12,582,000, respectively. Shares of common stock equivalents outstanding that were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per common share, because the effect would be anti-dilutive or certain performance conditions were not satisfied at the end of the period, were 10,823,000 and 5,443,000 in the three and six months ended March 26, 2017, respectively, and 6,899,000 and 4,036,000 in the three and six months ended March 27, 2016, respectively.
Share-Based Compensation. Total share-based compensation expense, related to all of the Company’s share-based awards, was comprised as follows (in millions):
 
Three Months Ended
 
Six Months Ended
 
March 26,
2017
 
March 27,
2016
 
March 26,
2017
 
March 27,
2016
Cost of equipment and services revenues
$
10

 
$
10

 
$
20

 
$
20

Research and development
155

 
161

 
308

 
326

Selling, general and administrative
81

 
76

 
157

 
148

Share-based compensation expense before income taxes
246

 
247

 
485

 
494

Related income tax benefit
(36
)
 
(27
)
 
(84
)
 
(87
)
 
$
210

 
$
220

 
$
401

 
$
407


At March 26, 2017, total unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested restricted stock units granted prior to that date was $1.3 billion, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.9 years.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements. In May 2014, the FASB issued new guidance related to revenue recognition, which outlines a comprehensive revenue recognition model and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance. The new guidance requires a company to recognize revenue as control of goods or services transfers to a customer at an amount that reflects the expected consideration to be received in exchange for those goods or services. It defines a five-step approach for recognizing revenue, which may require a company to use more judgment and make more estimates than under the current guidance. The new guidance will be effective for the Company starting in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. Adoption one year early is permitted. Two methods of adoption are permitted: (a) full retrospective adoption, meaning the standard is applied to all periods presented or (b) modified retrospective adoption, meaning the cumulative effect of applying the new guidance is recognized as an adjustment to the opening retained earnings balance. The Company does not intend to adopt the new guidance early. The Company currently expects the adoption of this new guidance to most significantly impact its licensing business. Specifically, the Company expects a change in the timing of revenues recognized from sales-based royalties. The Company currently recognizes sales-based royalties as revenues in the period in which such royalties are reported by licensees, which is after the conclusion of the quarter in which the licensees’ sales occur. Under the new guidance, the Company will be required to estimate and recognize sales-based royalties in the period in which the associated sales occur, resulting in an acceleration of revenue recognition compared to the current method. Upon adoption of the new guidance, licenses to use portions of the Company’s intellectual property portfolio will be considered one performance obligation, and license fees will be recognized as revenues on a straight-line basis over the term of the license agreement. The Company currently accounts for customer incentive arrangements in its licensing and chip businesses, including volume-related and other pricing rebates or cost reimbursements for marketing and other activities involving certain of the Company’s products and technologies, based on the maximum potential liability. Under the new guidance, the Company expects to estimate the amount of the customer incentive. The Company does not otherwise expect the adoption of the new guidance will have a material impact on its businesses and is in the process of determining the adoption method.
In January 2016, the FASB issued new guidance on classifying and measuring financial instruments, which requires that (i) all equity investments, other than equity-method investments, in unconsolidated entities generally be measured at fair value through earnings and (ii) when the fair value option has been elected for financial liabilities, changes in fair value due to instrument-specific credit risk be recognized separately in other comprehensive income. Additionally, it changes the disclosure requirements for financial instruments. The new guidance will be effective for the Company starting in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. Early adoption is permitted for certain provisions. The Company is in the process of determining the effects the adoption will have on its consolidated financial statements as well as whether to adopt certain provisions early.
In February 2016, the FASB issued new guidance related to leases that outlines a comprehensive lease accounting model and supersedes the current lease guidance. The new guidance requires lessees to recognize lease liabilities and corresponding right-of-use assets for all leases with lease terms of greater than 12 months. It also changes the definition of a lease and expands the disclosure requirements of lease arrangements. The new guidance must be adopted using the modified retrospective approach and will be effective for the Company starting in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not intend to adopt the new guidance early and is in the process of determining the effects the adoption will have on its consolidated financial statements.
In March 2016, the FASB issued new guidance that changes the accounting for share-based payments. Under the new guidance, excess tax benefits associated with share-based payment awards will be recognized through earnings when the awards vest or settle, rather than in stockholders’ equity. In addition, it will increase the number of shares an employer can withhold to cover income taxes on share-based payment awards and still qualify for the exemption to liability classification. The new guidance will be effective for the Company starting in the first quarter of fiscal 2018. Early adoption is permitted in any annual or interim period. The Company does not intend to adopt the new guidance early and is in the process of determining the effects the adoption will have on its consolidated financial statements.
In June 2016, the FASB issued new guidance that changes the accounting for recognizing impairments of financial assets. Under the new guidance, credit losses for certain types of financial instruments will be estimated based on expected losses. The new guidance also modifies the impairment models for available-for-sale debt securities and for purchased financial assets with credit deterioration since their origination. The new guidance will be effective for the Company starting in the first quarter of fiscal 2021. Early adoption is permitted starting in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. The Company is in the process of determining the effects the adoption will have on its consolidated financial statements as well as whether to adopt the new guidance early.
In August 2016, the FASB issued new guidance related to the classification of certain cash receipts and cash payments on the statement of cash flows. The accounting standard update will be effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 on a retrospective basis, and early adoption is permitted. The Company does not intend to adopt the new guidance early and is in the process of determining the effects the adoption will have on its consolidated financial statements.
In October 2016, the FASB issued new guidance that changes the accounting for income tax effects of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. Under the new guidance, the selling (transferring) entity is required to recognize a current tax expense or benefit upon transfer of the asset. Similarly, the purchasing (receiving) entity is required to recognize a deferred tax asset or deferred tax liability, as well as the related deferred tax benefit or expense, upon receipt of the asset. The new guidance will be effective for the Company starting in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 on a modified retrospective basis, and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this accounting standard update on its consolidated financial statements as well as whether to adopt the new guidance early.