2.  SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Leases

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases. ASU 2016-02 requires an entity to recognize both assets and liabilities arising from financing and operating leases, along with additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures. The guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted the standard for the fiscal year beginning December 30, 2018, using the effective date method which required a cumulative-effect adjustment to be recorded to the opening balance of retained earnings. Under the effective date method, financial results reported in periods prior to fiscal year 2019 are unchanged. The Company also elected the package of practical expedients, which among other things, does not require reassessment of lease classification. As of the adoption date, the Company recorded right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and liabilities of approximately $13,918 to the balance sheet and a cumulative-effect adjustment of $134 was recognized in retained earnings.

The Company determines whether an arrangement is a lease at its inception. Operating lease ROU assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and are presented in Property, plant and equipment in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Operating lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the leases and are presented in Other accrued expenses and current liabilities and Other noncurrent liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. ROU assets and lease liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the estimated present value of lease payments over the lease term.

The Company utilizes an estimated incremental borrowing rate, which is derived from information available at the lease commencement date, in determining the present value of lease payments. The Company considers its existing credit facilities when calculating the incremental borrowing rate.

Lease terms include options to extend the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise the option. Leases with a term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet. There are no residual value guarantees included in the Company’s leases.

Contract Assets & Liabilities

Contract assets are recognized when the Company has a conditional right to consideration for performance completed on contracts. Contract asset balances totaled $2,398 and $2,851 at September 28, 2019 and December 29, 2018, respectively, and are presented in Other current assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Accounts receivable balances represent unconditional rights to consideration from customers and are presented separate from contract assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Contract liabilities are recognized when payment is received from customers prior to revenue being recognized. Contract liabilities totaled $629 and $138 at September 28, 2019 and December 29, 2018, respectively, and are presented in Other accrued expenses and current liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.  

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

All derivative instruments are recorded gross in the Consolidated Balance Sheets at their respective fair values. The accounting for changes in the fair value of a derivative instrument depends on the intended use of the derivative, whether the Company has elected to designate a derivative in a hedging relationship and apply hedge accounting, and whether the hedging relationship has satisfied the criteria necessary to apply hedge accounting.  Derivatives designated and qualifying as a hedge of the exposure to variability in expected future cash flows, or other types of forecasted transactions, are considered cash flow hedges.  For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the effective portion of the gain or loss on the derivative instrument is initially reported as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) and is subsequently reclassified into the line item within the Consolidated Statements of Operations in which the hedged items are recorded in the same period in which the hedged item affects earnings.

The Company enters into foreign exchange currency contracts that are not designated as hedging instruments for accounting purposes. Changes in the fair value of foreign exchange currency contracts not designated as hedging instruments are recognized in earnings. Derivative financial instruments are utilized as risk management tools and are not used for trading or speculative purposes.

The Company utilizes foreign currency denominated debt to hedge currency exposure in foreign operations. The Company designates certain foreign currency denominated debt as hedges of net investments in foreign operations which reduces the Company’s exposure to changes in currency exchange rates on investments in non-U.S. subsidiaries. Gains and losses on net investments in non-U.S. operations are economically offset by losses and gains on foreign currency borrowings. The change in the U.S. dollar value of foreign currency denominated debt is recorded in Foreign currency translation adjustments, a component of AOCI.

Research and Development

The Company conducts research and development (“R&D”) to create new products and to make improvements to products currently in use. R&D costs are charged to expense as incurred and totaled $11,635, and $10,450 for the nine months ended September 28, 2019 and September 29, 2018, respectively.

Restructuring Charges

During the third quarter of 2019, the Company incurred $1,724 of early retirement and severance costs associated with an organizational restructure at Sun Hydraulics. The restructuring plan was initiated to improve the global cost structure of the business while aligning employee talent with the strategic operational goals of the Company. Substantially all actions from this restructuring plan have been completed.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other: Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. ASU 2017-04 eliminates the second step in the goodwill impairment test, which requires an entity to determine the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill. Instead, an entity should recognize an impairment loss if the carrying value of the net assets assigned to the reporting unit exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, with the impairment loss not to exceed the amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. The standard is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests conducted in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Earnings Per Share

The following table presents the computation of basic and diluted earnings per common share (in thousands except per share data):