Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Basis of Presentation (Policies)

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Basis of Presentation (Policies)
9 Months Ended
Jun. 24, 2018
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]  
Fiscal Period, Policy
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 nine-month periods ended June 24, 2018 and June 25, 2017 included 13 weeks and 39 weeks, respectively.
Use of Estimates, Policy
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.
Consolidation, Policy
During the third quarter of fiscal 2018, the Company eliminated the one-month reporting lag previously used to consolidate its RF360 Holdings joint venture to provide contemporaneous reporting within its consolidated financial statements. The effect of this change is not material to the consolidated financial statements, and therefore, the impact of eliminating the one-month reporting lag has been included in the Company’s results of operations for the three months and nine months ended June 24, 2018.
Earnings Per Share, Policy
Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share. Basic earnings (loss) per common share is computed by dividing net income (loss) attributable to Qualcomm by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the reporting period. Diluted earnings per share is 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, if any, and the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the reporting period. Due to the net loss for the nine months ended June 24, 2018, all of the common share equivalents issuable under share-based compensation plans had an anti-dilutive effect and were therefore excluded from the computation of diluted loss per share.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements, Policy
Recent Accounting Pronouncements.
Share-based Awards: In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued new guidance that changed the accounting for share-based awards, including income taxes, classification of awards and classification in the statement of cash flows. The Company adopted the new guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2018. In accordance with the new guidance, excess tax benefits or deficiencies associated with share-based awards are recognized through earnings when the awards vest or settle, rather than in stockholders’ equity. In the nine months ended June 24, 2018, net excess tax benefits associated with share-based awards of $15 million were recognized in the Company’s income tax provision. In addition, cash flows related to excess tax benefits are presented as an operating activity and cash payments made on an employee’s behalf for withheld shares are presented as financing activities, with the prior periods adjusted accordingly. As a result of these changes, amounts for the nine months ended June 25, 2017 have been adjusted as follows: net cash provided by operating activities increased by $301 million with a corresponding offset to net cash used in financing activities. The new guidance also impacts the Company’s earnings per share calculation as the estimate of dilutive common share equivalents under the treasury stock method no longer assumes that the estimated tax benefits realized when an award is settled are used to repurchase shares. There was no impact of this change on the Company’s calculation of earnings per share as a result of the net loss for the nine months ended June 24, 2018. The Company elected to continue its practice of estimating forfeitures expected to occur in determining the amount of compensation cost to be recognized each period.
Revenue Recognition: 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 Company will adopt the new guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 using the modified retrospective approach, with the cumulative effect of applying the new guidance recognized as an adjustment to the opening retained earnings balance. The Company is finalizing its identification of changes to policy, processes, systems and controls, as well as its assessment of data availability and presentation necessary to meet the additional disclosure requirements of the guidance in the notes to the consolidated financial statements.
The Company currently expects the adoption of this new guidance to most significantly impact its licensing business (Qualcomm Technology Licensing, or QTL). Specifically, the Company expects a change in the timing of revenues recognized from sales-based royalties, which are the vast majority of QTL’s revenues. 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 and when all other revenue recognition criteria are met. 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. As a result of recognizing royalty revenues based on estimates, adjustments to revenues will be required in subsequent periods based on the actual amounts reported by licensees. 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 estimated period of benefit of the license to the licensee, which is similar to the recognition of license revenues under the current guidance. The Company currently accounts for customer incentive arrangements in its licensing and semiconductor 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, in part based on the maximum potential liability. Under the new guidance, the Company will estimate the amount of all customer incentives. The Company does not otherwise expect the adoption of the new guidance to have a material impact on its businesses.
Financial Assets: 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. For equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values, the Company expects to use the measurement alternative, which is defined as cost, less impairments, adjusted by observable price changes in orderly transactions for identical or similar investments. The Company anticipates the adoption of the new guidance will increase the volatility of the Company’s investment and other income, net due to recording the changes in fair value of equity investments through earnings. The Company will adopt the new guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 using the modified retrospective transition method for equity investments that have readily determinable fair values, with the cumulative effect of applying the new guidance recognized as an adjustment to opening retained earnings in the year of adoption, and the prospective transition method for equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values. The Company 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 and generally requires the modified retrospective transition method, with the cumulative effect of applying the new guidance recognized as an adjustment to opening retained earnings in the year of adoption, except for certain financial assets where the prospective transition method is required, such as available-for-sale debt securities for which an other-than-temporary impairment has been recorded. 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 and whether to adopt the new guidance early.
Leases: 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 Company will adopt the new guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 and expects to use the modified retrospective approach, with the cumulative effect of applying the new guidance recognized as an adjustment to opening retained earnings in the year of adoption. The Company is in the process of determining the effects the adoption will have on its consolidated financial statements and whether to apply any of the optional practical expedients.
Hedge Instruments: In August 2017, the FASB issued new guidance that expands and refines hedge accounting for both financial and non-financial risks, aligns the recognition and presentation of the effects of hedging instruments and hedged items in the financial statements, and includes targeted improvements related to the assessment of hedge effectiveness. The new guidance also modifies disclosure requirements for hedging activities. The Company plans to adopt the new guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 using the modified retrospective transition method, with the cumulative effect of applying the new guidance recognized as an adjustment to opening retained earnings in the year of adoption, and does not expect the effects of the adoption to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
Other: 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 Company will adopt the new guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 using the retrospective transition method for each period presented, and does not expect the effects of the adoption to have a material impact on its consolidated statements of cash flows.
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 Company will adopt the new guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 using the modified retrospective transition method, with the cumulative effect of applying the new guidance recognized as an adjustment to opening retained earnings in the year of adoption, and is in the process of determining the effects the adoption will have on its consolidated financial statements.
In November 2016, the FASB issued new guidance related to the classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash and cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. The Company will adopt the new guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 using the retrospective transition method for each period presented. At June 24, 2018, the Company had restricted cash and cash equivalents of $2.0 billion related to funds deposited as collateral for outstanding letters of credit in connection with the NXP Purchase Agreement (Note 8), and $2.8 billion related to irrevocably deposited cash to redeem notes in July 2018 (Note 5). Otherwise, the Company does not expect the effects of the retrospective adoption to have a material impact on its consolidated statements of cash flows.
Segment Reporting, Policy
The Company evaluates the performance of its segments based on earnings (loss) before income taxes (EBT).