Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Note 1 - Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

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Note 1 - Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2021
Notes to Financial Statements  
Business Description and Accounting Policies [Text Block]

Note 1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies:

 

Description of business: Bio-Techne and its subsidiaries, collectively doing business as Bio-Techne Corporation (the Company), develop, manufacture and sell life science reagents, instruments and services for the research and clinical diagnostic markets worldwide. With our deep product portfolio and application expertise, we sell integral components of scientific investigations into biological processes and molecular diagnostics, revealing the nature, diagnosis, etiology and progression of specific diseases. Our products aid in drug discovery efforts and provide the means for accurate clinical tests and diagnoses.

 

Use of estimates: The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. These estimates include the valuation of accounts receivable, available-for-sale investments, inventory, intangible assets, contingent consideration, stock-based compensation and income taxes. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

 

Principles of consolidation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The Company consolidated our partial acquisition of Eminence in our consolidated financial statements on a one month lag. Refer to Note 4 for additional discussion regarding Eminence.

 

Translation of foreign financial statements: Assets and liabilities of the Company's foreign operations are translated at year-end rates of exchange and the resulting gains and losses arising from the translation of net assets located outside the U.S. are recorded as other comprehensive income (loss) on the consolidated statements of earnings and comprehensive income. The cumulative translation adjustment is a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss on the consolidated balance sheets. Foreign statements of earnings are translated at the average rate of exchange for the year. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are included in other non-operating expense in the consolidated statements of earnings and comprehensive income.

 

Revenue recognition: The Company adopted ASC 606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers on July 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective transition approach. ASC 606 provides revenue recognition guidance for any entity that enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of non-financial assets, unless those contracts are within the scope of other accounting standards. The core principle of ASC 606 is that revenue should be recognized 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. Refer to Note 2 for additional information regarding our revenue recognition policy under ASC 606.

 

Research and development: Research and development expenditures are expensed as incurred. Development activities generally relate to creating new products, improving or creating variations of existing products, or modifying existing products to meet new applications.

 

Advertising costs: Advertising expenses were $4.7 million, $4.2 million, and $4.1 million for fiscal 2021, 2020, and 2019 respectively. The Company expenses advertising expenses as incurred.

 

Income taxes: The Company uses the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized to record the income tax effect of temporary differences between the tax basis and financial reporting basis of assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return are recognized in the financial statements when it is more likely than not that the position would be sustained upon examination by tax authorities. A recognized tax position is then measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense. Refer to Note 11 for additional information regarding income taxes.

 

Comprehensive income: Comprehensive income includes charges and credits to shareholders' equity that are not the result of transactions with shareholders. Our total comprehensive income consists of net income, unrealized gains and losses on cash flow hedges, and foreign currency translation adjustments. The items of comprehensive income, with the exception of net income, are included in accumulated other comprehensive loss in the consolidated balance sheets and statements of shareholders' equity.

 

Cash and cash equivalents: Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and highly-liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less.

 

Available-for-sale investments: Available-for-sale investments consist of debt instruments with original maturities of generally three months to six months and equity securities. Available-for-sale investments are recorded based on trade-date. The Company considers all of its marketable securities available-for-sale and reports them at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities are included within other income (expense) in accordance with ASU 2018-02, which the Company adopted on  July 1, 2018. 

 

Trade accounts receivable and allowances: Trade accounts receivable are initially recorded at the invoiced amount upon the sale of goods or services to customers, and they do not bear interest. They are stated net of allowances for doubtful accounts, which represent estimated losses resulting from the inability of customers to make the required payments. The Company adopted ASU 2016-13 on July 1, 2020, which reflects the expected credit losses on financial instruments within its scope, including trade receivables. When determining the allowances for doubtful accounts, we take several factors into consideration, including the overall composition of accounts receivable aging, our prior history of accounts receivable write-offs, the type of customer and our day-to-day knowledge of specific customers. Changes in the allowances for doubtful accounts are included in selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expense in our consolidated statements of earnings and comprehensive income. The point at which uncollected accounts are written off varies by type of customer. The Company does not have material long-term customer receivables. Refer to the Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements section of Note 1 for further details.

 

Inventories: Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out method) or net realizable value. The Company regularly reviews inventory on hand for slow-moving and obsolete inventory, inventory not meeting quality control standards and inventory subject to expiration.

 

For certain proteins, antibodies, and chemically based manufactured products, the Company produces larger batches of established products than current sales requirements due to economies of scale through a highly controlled manufacturing process. Accordingly, the manufacturing process for these products has and will continue to produce quantities in excess of forecasted usage. The Company forecasts usage for its products based on several factors including historical demand, current market dynamics, and technological advances. The Company forecasts product usage on an individual product level for a period that is consistent with our ability to reasonably forecast inventory usage for that product. There have been no material changes to the Company’s estimates of the net realizable value for excess and obsolete inventory or other types of inventory reserves and inventory cost adjustments in the fiscal years presented. Additionally, current and historical reserves recorded to reduce the cost of inventory to its net realizable value become part of the new cost basis for the inventory item in accordance with ASC 330 - Inventory.

 

Property and equipment: Property and equipment are recorded at cost. Equipment is depreciated using the straight-line method over an estimated useful life of 3 to 5 years. Buildings, building improvements and leasehold improvements are amortized over estimated useful lives of 5 to 40 years.

 

Contingent Consideration: Contingent Consideration relates to the potential payment for an acquisition that is contingent upon the achievement of the acquired business meeting certain product development milestones and/or certain financial performance milestones. The Company records contingent consideration at fair value at the date of acquisition based on the consideration expected to be transferred. For potential payments related to financial performance milestones, we use a real option model in calculating the fair value of the contingent consideration liabilities. The assumptions utilized in the calculation based on financial performance milestones include projected revenue and/or EBITDA amounts, volatility and discount rates. For potential payments related to product development milestones, we estimated the fair value based on the probability of achievement of such milestones. The assumptions utilized in the calculation of the acquisition date fair value include probability of success and the discount rates. Contingent consideration involves certain assumptions requiring significant judgment and actual results may differ from assumed and estimated amounts. Contingent consideration is remeasured each reporting period, and subsequent changes in fair value, including accretion for the passage of time, are recognized within selling, general and administrative in the consolidated statement of earnings and comprehensive income.

 

Intangible assets: Intangible assets are stated at historical cost less accumulated amortization. Amortization expense is generally determined on the straight-line basis over periods ranging from 1 year to 20 years. Each reporting period, we evaluate the remaining useful lives of our amortizable intangibles to determine whether events or circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining period of amortization. If our estimate of an asset's remaining useful life is revised, the remaining carrying amount of the asset is amortized prospectively over the revised remaining useful life.

 

In conjunction with the Asuragen acquisition that occurred in fiscal year 2021, the Company reassessed the useful life of a tradename from a previous acquisition due to the planned integration and cobranding strategy developed with the most recent transaction.  As a result, the Company accelerated the amortization of the trade name to be consistent with the life used for the Asuragen trade name.  The accelerated amortization resulted in a $1.4 million impact in fiscal 2021, a $5.7 million impact in fiscal years 2022 through 2025, and a $4.3 impact in fiscal year 2026.

 

In fiscal year 2020, the Company accelerated the amortization of a certain trade name based on the Company's planned integration of the products under that acquired trade name into a legacy brand. The accelerated amortization resulted in $1.3 million in additional amortization expense in fiscal 2020 and $0.6 million in fiscal 2021.

 

Impairment of long-lived assets and amortizable intangibles: We evaluate the recoverability of property, plant, equipment and amortizable intangibles whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that an asset's carrying amount may not be recoverable. Such circumstances could include, but are not limited to, (1) a significant decrease in the market value of an asset, (2) a significant adverse change in the extent or manner in which an asset is used or in its physical condition, or (3) an accumulation of costs significantly in excess of the amount originally expected for the acquisition or construction of an asset. We compare the carrying amount of the asset to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows associated with it. If the sum of the expected future net cash flows is less than the carrying value of the asset being evaluated, an impairment loss would be recognized. The impairment loss would be calculated as the amount by which the carrying value of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. As quoted market prices are not available for the majority of our assets, the estimate of fair value is based on various valuation techniques, including the discounted value of estimated future cash flows.

 

The evaluation of asset impairment requires us to make assumptions about future cash flows over the life of the asset being evaluated. These assumptions require significant judgment and actual results may differ from assumed and estimated amounts. No other triggering events were identified and no impairments were recorded for property, plant, and equipment or amortizable intangibles during fiscal years 2019, 2020, and 2021.

 

Impairment of goodwill: We evaluate the carrying value of goodwill during the fourth quarter each year and between annual evaluations if events occur or circumstances change that would indicate a possible impairment. Such circumstances could include, but are not limited to, (1) a significant adverse change in legal factors or in business climate, (2) unanticipated competition, (3) an adverse action or assessment by a regulator, or (4) an adverse change in market conditions that are indicative of a decline in the fair value of the assets.

 

To analyze goodwill for impairment, we must assign our goodwill to individual reporting units. Identification of reporting units includes an analysis of the components that comprise each of our operating segments, which considers, among other things, the manner in which we operate our business and the availability of discrete financial information. Components of an operating segment are aggregated to form one reporting unit if the components have similar economic characteristics. We periodically review our reporting units to ensure that they continue to reflect the manner in which we operate our business. The Company had five reporting units for our 2021, 2020, and 2019 goodwill impairment assessment performed on April 1 of each of the respective fiscal years, the date of our annual goodwill impairment assessment. Further, the Company elected April 1 as the annual goodwill impairment assessment date for the Asuragen acquisition, acquired on April 6, 2021.

 

2021 Goodwill Impairment Analyses

 

In completing our 2021 annual goodwill impairment analyses, we elected to perform a quantitative assessment for all of our reporting units. A quantitative assessment involves comparing the carrying value of the reporting unit, including goodwill, to its estimated fair value. Carrying value is based on the assets and liabilities associated with the operations of the reporting unit, which often requires the allocation of shared or corporate items among reporting units. In accordance with ASU 2017-04, a goodwill impairment charge is recorded for the amount by which the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit. In determining the fair values of our reporting units, we utilized the income approach. The income approach is a valuation technique under which we estimated future cash flows using the reporting unit’s financial forecast from the perspective of an unrelated market participant. Using historical trending and internal forecasting techniques, we projected revenue and applied our fixed and variable cost experience rates to the projected revenue to arrive at the future cash flows. A terminal value was then applied to the projected cash flow stream. Future estimated cash flows were discounted to their present value to calculate the estimated fair value. The discount rate used was the value- weighted average of our estimated cost of capital derived using both known and estimated customary market metrics. In determining the estimated fair value of a reporting unit, we were required to estimate a number of factors, including projected operating results, terminal growth rates, economic conditions, anticipated future cash flows, the discount rate and the allocation of shared or corporate items.

 

The result of our quantitative assessment indicated that all of the reporting units had a substantial amount of headroom as of April 1, 2021. This impairment assessment is sensitive to changes in forecasted cash flows, as well as our selected discount rate. Changes in the reporting unit’s results, forecast assumptions and estimates could materially affect the estimation of the fair value of the reporting units. The Company did not identify any triggering events after our annual goodwill impairment through June 30, 2021, the date of our consolidated balance sheet, that would require an additional goodwill impairment assessment to be performed. 

 

2020 Goodwill Impairment Analyses

 

The Company elected to perform a quantitative assessment for all of our reporting units in our 2020 goodwill impairment analysis. The quantitative assessment completed utilized a consistent process and methodology to the 2021 goodwill impairment assessment. The result of our quantitative assessment, where we compared the discounted cash flows of each reporting unit to its carrying value, indicated that all of the reporting units had a substantial amount of headroom as of April 1, 2020. This impairment assessment is sensitive to changes in forecasted cash flows, as well as our selected discount rate. Changes in the reporting unit’s results, forecast assumptions and estimates could materially affect the estimation of the fair value of the reporting units. The Company did not identify any triggering events after our annual goodwill impairment through June 30, 2020, the date of our consolidated balance sheet, that would require an additional goodwill impairment assessment to be performed. 

 

2019 Goodwill Impairment Analyses

 

At the beginning of the quarter ended March 31, 2019, the Company realigned the management of certain business processes between reporting units within the same segment. A goodwill allocation was performed between the impacted reporting units based on the relative fair value of the processes realigned. In conjunction with the realignment, a quantitative goodwill impairment assessment was performed both prior to and subsequent to the realignment. The quantitative assessment indicated that all of the impacted reporting units had substantial headroom both prior to and subsequent to the realignment.

 

Because our quantitative analysis performed as of January 1, 2019 included all of our reporting units, except for Exosome a recent acquisition that was a separate reporting unit that was not impacted by the business process realignment, the summation of the calculated reporting units’ fair values combined with the fair value of the Exosome acquisition, was compared to our consolidated fair value, as indicated by our market capitalization, to evaluate the reasonableness of our calculations.

 

The quantitative assessments completed as of January 1, 2019 indicated that all tested reporting units had a substantial amount of headroom. Changes in the reporting unit’s results, forecast assumptions and estimates could materially affect the estimation of the fair value of the reporting units.

 

In conducting our annual goodwill impairment test on April 1, we elected to perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether changes in events or circumstances since our most recent quantitative test for goodwill impairment indicated that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount.

 

Based on its annual analysis, the Company determined there was no indication of impairment of goodwill. Further, no triggering events or items beyond the realignment discussed above were identified in the year ended June 30, 2019 that would require an additional goodwill impairment assessment beyond our required annual goodwill impairment assessment.

 

 

Other Significant Accounting Policies

 

The following table includes a reference to additional significant accounting policies that are described in other notes to the financial statements, including the note number:

 

Policy

 

Note

 

Fair value measurements

    5  

Earnings per share

    9  

Share-based compensation

    10  

Operating segments

    12  

 

 

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

 

In  February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which amends the existing guidance to require lessees to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities from operating leases on the balance sheet. The FASB has issued narrow codification improvements to Leases (Topic 842) through ASU No. 2018-10 and ASU 2019-01. Additionally, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, allowing an entity to elect a transition method where they do not recast prior periods presented in the financial statements in the period of adoption. The Company has elected the transition method allowed for under ASU 2018-11 when adopting Leases (Topic 842). The Company adopted the standard effective  July 1, 2019 and correspondingly recorded incremental operating lease liabilities of $80.6 million, a right-of-use lease asset of $79.5 million, retained earnings of $0.8 million and a deferred tax adjustment of $0.3 million. Additionally, the Company reclassified $4.0 million of deferred rent recorded within accrued expenses under ASC 840 - Leases into operating lease liabilities upon adoption of Topic 842. In adopting ASC 842, the Company elected the package of available practical expedients and to use hindsight in determining the lease term for all existing leases. Further, as part of our adoption of ASC 842, the Company also made the accounting policy elections to not capitalize short term leases (defined as a lease with a lease term that is less than 12 months) and to combine lease and non-lease components for all asset classes in determining the lease payments. Refer to Note 7 for additional information on leases.

 

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The amendment in this update replaced the previous incurred loss impairment methodology with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses on financial instruments within its scope, including trade and loan receivables and available-for-sale debt securities. This update is intended to provide financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses. The Company adopted this standard on July 1, 2020 using a modified retrospective transition approach with a cumulative impact of $0.3 million to retained earnings. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements as the Company's primary financial instruments impacted by the ASU were trade accounts receivable, where we have high historical and expected future collections due to the length of receivables and the credit quality of our customers.

 

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. The standard aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. The accounting for the service element of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract is not affected by the new standard. The Company adopted this standard on a prospective basis on July 1, 2020. Accordingly, as of July 1, 2020, the Company will record eligible costs to be capitalized within prepaid assets or other non-current assets depending on the nature of the duration of the asset.

 

In  March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04, Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting and in January 2021 issued ASU No. 2021-01, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Scope. These ASUs provide expedients and exceptions to existing guidance on contract modifications and hedge accounting that is optional to facilitate the market transition from a reference rate, including LIBOR which is being phased out in 2021, to a new reference rate. The provisions of the ASUs impact contract modifications and other changes that occur while LIBOR is phased out. The Company adopted the optional relief guidance provided within these ASUs in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 and continues to monitor its debt and derivative instruments that utilize LIBOR as the reference rate. The adoption of the standard did not impact our financial results for fiscal 2021.