NOTE 1: NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Nature of Operations

 

Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc., together with its subsidiaries (hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Company”), is a natural health and wellness company primarily engaged in the manufacturing and direct selling of nutritional and personal care products. The Company is a Utah corporation with its principal place of business in Lehi, Utah, and sells its products to a sales force of independent Managers and Distributors who use the products themselves or resell them to other independent Distributors or consumers. The formulation, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, advertising, distribution and sale of each of the Company’s major product groups are subject to regulation by one or more governmental agencies.

 

The Company markets its products in Australia, Austria, Belarus, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam. The Company also exports its products to Argentina, Australia, Chile, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, Peru and the United Kingdom.

 

Principles of Consolidation

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts and transactions of the Company and its subsidiaries. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, substantially all of the Company’s subsidiaries were wholly owned. The Company operates a limited number of markets in jurisdictions where local laws require the formation of a partnership with an entity domiciled in that market. These partners have no rights to participate in the sharing of revenues, profits, losses or distribution of assets upon liquidation of these partnerships.

 

Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, in these financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from these estimates and those differences could have a material effect on the Company’s financial position and results of operations.

 

The significant accounting estimates inherent in the preparation of the Company’s financial statements include estimates associated with its evaluation of impairment of long-lived assets, the determination of liabilities related to Manager and Distributor incentives, the determination of income tax assets and liabilities, certain other non-income tax and value-added tax contingencies, legal contingencies, share-based compensation and the valuation of investments. In addition, significant estimates form the basis for allowances with respect to the collection of accounts receivable, inventory valuations and self-insurance liabilities associated with product liability and medical claims. Various assumptions and other factors enter into the determination of these significant estimates. The process of determining significant estimates takes into account historical experience and current and expected economic conditions.

 

Classification of Belarus as a Highly Inflationary Economy and Devaluation of Its Currency

 

Since June 30, 2012, Belarus has been designated as a highly inflationary economy. The U.S. dollar is the Company’s functional currency for this market. As a result, there were no resulting gains or losses from a re-measurement of the financial statements using official rates of the Company’s Belarusian subsidiary.  However, as a result of the weakening of the Belarusian ruble, the purchasing power of the Company’s independent Distributors in this market has diminished. During the periods ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012, the Company’s Belarusian subsidiary’s net sales revenue represented approximately 2.4 percent, 2.2 percent and 1.8 percent of consolidated net sales revenue, respectively.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

The Company considers all highly liquid short-term investments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Substantially all of the Company’s cash deposits either exceed the United States federally insured limit or are located in countries that do not have government insured accounts or are subject to tax withholdings when repatriating earnings.

 

Accounts Receivable

 

Accounts receivable consist principally of receivables from credit card companies, arising from the sale of products to the Company’s independent Distributors, and receivables from independent Distributors in foreign markets.  Accounts receivable have been reduced by an allowance for amounts that may be uncollectible in the future.  However, due to the geographic dispersion of credit card and Distributor receivables, the collection risk is not considered to be significant. Substantially all of the receivables from credit card companies were current as of December 31, 2014, and 2013. Although receivables from independent Distributors can be significant, the Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its importers and maintains an allowance for potential credit losses. This estimated allowance is based primarily on the aging category, historical trends and management’s evaluation of the financial condition of the customer. This reserve is adjusted periodically as information about specific accounts becomes available.

 

Investment Securities

 

The Company’s available-for-sale investment portfolio is recorded at fair value and consists of various securities such as state and municipal obligations, U.S. government security funds, short-term deposits and various equity securities. These investments are valued using (a) quoted prices for identical assets in active markets or (b) from significant inputs that are observable or can be derived from or corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the asset. The Company’s trading portfolio is recorded at fair value and consists of various marketable securities that are valued using quoted prices in active markets.

 

For available-for-sale debt securities with unrealized losses, the Company performs an analysis to assess whether it intends to sell or whether it would be more likely than not required to sell the security before the expected recovery of the amortized cost basis. Where the Company intends to sell a security, or may be required to do so, the security’s decline in fair value is deemed to be other-than-temporary, and the full amount of the unrealized loss is recorded within earnings as an impairment loss.

 

For all other debt securities that experience a decline in fair value that is determined to be other-than-temporary and not related to credit loss, the Company records a loss, net of any tax, in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). The credit loss is recorded within earnings as an impairment loss when sold. Management judgment is involved in evaluating whether a decline in an investment’s fair value is other-than-temporary.

 

Regardless of the Company’s intent to sell a security, the Company performs additional analysis on all securities with unrealized losses to evaluate losses associated with the creditworthiness of the security. Credit losses are identified where the Company does not expect to receive cash flows sufficient to recover the amortized cost basis of a security.

 

For equity securities, when assessing whether a decline in fair value below the Company’s cost basis is other-than-temporary, the Company considers the fair market value of the security, the length of time and extent to which market value has been less than cost, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer as well as specific events or circumstances that may influence the operations of the issuer, and the Company’s intent and ability to hold the investment for a sufficient time in order to enable recovery of the cost. New information and the passage of time can change these judgments. Where the Company has determined that it lacks the intent and ability to hold an equity security to its expected recovery, the security’s decline in fair value is deemed to be other-than-temporary and is recorded within earnings as an impairment loss.

 

The Company also has certain investment securities classified as trading securities. The Company maintains its trading securities portfolio to generate returns that are offset by corresponding changes in certain liabilities related to the Company’s deferred compensation plans (see Note 12). The trading securities portfolio consists of marketable securities, which are recorded at fair value and are included in long-term investment securities on the consolidated balance sheets because they remain assets of the Company until they are actually paid out to the participants. These investment securities are not available to the Company to fund its operations as they are restricted for the payment of the deferred compensation payable.  The Company has established a rabbi trust to finance obligations under the plan. Both realized and unrealized gains and losses on trading securities are included in interest and other income.

 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

 

The Company’s financial instruments consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, investments, accounts payable and long-term debt. Other than investments, which are carried at fair value, and long-term debt, the carrying values of these financial instruments approximate their fair values due to their short-term nature. The carrying amount reflected in the consolidated balance sheet for long-term debt approximates fair value due to the interest rate on the debt being variable based on current market rates. During the year ended December 31, 2014, and 2013, the Company did not have any write-offs related to the re-measurement of non-financial assets at fair value on a nonrecurring basis subsequent to their initial recognition.

 

Inventories

 

Inventories are stated at the lower-of-cost-or-market, using the first-in, first-out method. The components of inventory cost include raw materials, labor and overhead. To estimate any necessary obsolescence or lower-of-cost-or-market adjustments, various assumptions are made in regard to excess or slow-moving inventories, non-conforming inventories, expiration dates, current and future product demand, production planning and market conditions.

 

Property, Plant and Equipment

 

Property, plant and equipment are recorded at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. Estimated useful lives for buildings range from 20 to 50 years; building improvements range from 7 to 10 years; machinery and equipment range from 2 to 10 years; computer software and hardware range from 3 to 10 years; and furniture and fixtures range from 2 to 5 years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful lives of the related assets. Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred and major improvements are capitalized.

 

Intangible Assets

 

Intangible assets consist of purchased product formulations. Such intangible assets are amortized using the straight-line method over the estimated economic lives of the assets of 9 to 15 years. Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization, totaled $704 and $853, at December 31, 2014, and 2013, respectively.

 

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

 

The Company reviews its long-lived assets, such as property, plant and equipment and intangible assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. The Company uses an estimate of future undiscounted net cash flows of the related assets or groups of assets over their remaining lives in measuring whether the assets are recoverable. An impairment loss is calculated by determining the difference between the carrying values and the fair values of these assets. Due to the continual currency devaluation of the Venezuelan bolivar, as of September 30, 2014, the Company incurred a $2,947 impairment charge to write down the value of its fixed assets in Venezuela to $0.

 

Incentive Trip Accrual

 

The Company accrues for expenses associated with its direct sales program, which rewards independent Managers and Distributors with paid attendance for incentive trips, including Company conventions and meetings. Expenses associated with incentive trips are accrued over qualification periods as they are earned. The Company specifically analyzes incentive trip accruals based on historical and current sales trends as well as contractual obligations when evaluating the adequacy of the incentive trip accrual. Actual results could generate liabilities more or less than the amounts recorded. The Company has accrued convention and meeting costs of $4,243 and $5,784 at December 31, 2014, and 2013, respectively, which are included in accrued liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets.

 

Foreign Currency Translation

 

The local currency of the foreign subsidiaries is used as the functional currency, except for subsidiaries operating in highly inflationary economies or where the Company’s operations are served by a U.S. based subsidiary (for example Russia and Ukraine). The financial statements of foreign subsidiaries where the local currency is the functional currency are translated into U.S. dollars using exchange rates in effect at year end for assets and liabilities and average exchange rates during each year for the results of operations. Adjustments resulting from translation of financial statements are reflected in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of income taxes. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are included in other income (expense) in the consolidated statements of operations.

 

The functional currency in highly inflationary economies is the U.S. dollar and transactions denominated in the local currency are re-measured as if the functional currency were the U.S. dollar. The re-measurement of local currencies into U.S. dollars creates translation adjustments, which are included in the consolidated statements of operations.  A country is considered to have a highly inflationary economy if it has a cumulative inflation rate of approximately 100 percent or more over a three year period as well as other qualitative factors including historical inflation rate trends (increasing and decreasing), the capital intensiveness of the operation, and other pertinent economic factors.  Belarus and was considered to be highly inflationary as noted above. With the exception of Belarus, there were no countries considered to have a highly inflationary economy during 2014, 2013, or 2012.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

Net sales revenue and related volume incentive expenses are recorded when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, collectability is reasonably assured, the amount is fixed and determinable, and title and risk of loss have passed. The amount of the volume incentive is determined based upon the amount of qualifying purchases in a given month. It is necessary for the Company to make estimates about the timing of when merchandise has been delivered. These estimates are based upon the Company’s historical experience related to time in transit, timing of when shipments occurred and shipping volumes. Amounts received for undelivered merchandise are recorded as deferred revenue.

 

From time to time, the Company’s U.S. operations extend short-term credit associated with product promotions. In addition, for certain of the Company’s international operations, the Company offers credit terms consistent with industry standards within the country of operation. Payments to independent Managers and Distributors for sales incentives or rebates are recorded as a reduction of revenue. Payments for sales incentives and independent rebates are calculated monthly based upon qualifying sales. Membership fees are deferred and amortized as revenue over the life of the membership, primarily one year. Prepaid event registration fees are deferred and recognized as revenues when the related event is held.

 

A reserve for product returns is recorded based upon historical experience.  The Company allows independent Managers or Distributors to return the unused portion of products within ninety days of purchase if they are not satisfied with the product.  In some of the Company’s markets, the requirements to return product are more restrictive. Sales returns for the years 2014, 2013 and 2012, were $1,525, $1,454, and $2,249, respectively. The increase in sales returns for year ended December 31, 2012 was due to unusually high product returns during the first quarter of 2012 related to a specific promotion in the Synergy Japan market. Product returns were not related to product quality and have since returned to lower return rates.

 

Amounts billed to customers for shipping and handling are reported as a component of net sales revenue. Shipping and handling revenues of approximately $9,795, $10,868, and $11,264 were reported as net sales revenue for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively.

 

Taxes that have been assessed by governmental authorities and that are directly imposed on revenue-producing transactions between the Company and its customers, including sales, use, value-added, and some excise taxes, are presented on a net basis (excluded from net sales).

 

Advertising Costs

 

Advertising costs are expensed as incurred and classified in selling, general and administrative expenses. Advertising expense incurred for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012 totaled approximately $2,301, $2,194 and $1,418, respectively.

 

Research and Development

 

All research and development costs are expensed as incurred and classified in selling, general and administrative expense. Total research and development expenses were approximately $2,457, $2,039, and $1,464 in 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively.

 

Contingencies

 

The Company is involved in certain legal proceedings. When a loss is considered probable in connection with litigation or non-income tax contingencies and when such loss can be reasonably estimated with a range, the Company records its best estimate within the range related to the contingency. If there is no best estimate, the Company records the minimum of the range. As additional information becomes available, the Company assesses the potential liability related to the contingency and revises the estimates. Revision in estimates of the potential liabilities could materially affect our results of operations in the period of adjustment. The Company’s contingencies are discussed in further detail in Note 13.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company’s income tax expense, deferred tax assets and liabilities and contingent reserves reflect management’s best assessment of estimated future taxes to be paid. The Company is subject to income taxes in both the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgments and estimates are required in determining the consolidated income tax expense.

 

Deferred income taxes arise from temporary differences between the tax and financial statement recognition of revenue and expense. In evaluating the Company’s ability to recover its deferred tax assets, management considers all available positive and negative evidence, including scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies and recent financial operations. In projecting future taxable income, the Company develops assumptions including the amount of future state, federal and foreign pretax operating income, the reversal of temporary differences, and the implementation of feasible and prudent tax planning strategies. These assumptions require significant judgment about the forecasts of future taxable income, and are consistent with the plans and estimates that the Company is using to manage the underlying businesses.

 

Changes in tax laws and rates could also affect recorded deferred tax assets and liabilities in the future. Management is not aware of any such changes that would have a material effect on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

 

The calculation of the Company’s tax liabilities involves dealing with uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws and regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions across its global operations. Income tax positions must meet a more-likely-than-not recognition threshold to be recognized.

 

Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share

 

Basic net income per common share (“Basic EPS”) is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per common share (“Diluted EPS”) reflects the potential dilution that could occur if stock options or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock. The computation of Diluted EPS does not assume exercise or conversion of securities that would have an anti-dilutive effect on net income per common share.

 

Following is a reconciliation of the numerator and denominator of Basic EPS to the numerator and denominator of Diluted EPS for all years:

 

 

Potentially dilutive shares excluded from diluted-per-share amounts include performance-based options to purchase shares of common stock for which certain earnings metrics have not been achieved. Potentially anti-dilutive shares excluded from diluted-per-share amounts include both non-qualified stock options and unearned performance-based options to purchase shares of common stock with exercise prices greater than the weighted-average share price during the period and shares that would be anti-dilutive to the computation of diluted net income per share for each of the years presented.

 

Share-Based Compensation

 

The Company’s outstanding stock options include time-based stock options, which vest over differing periods ranging from the date of issuance up to 48 months from the option grant date; performance-based stock options, which have already vested upon achieving operating income margins of six, eight and ten percent as reported in four of five consecutive quarters over the term of the options; performance-based stock options, which vest upon achieving cumulative annual net sales revenue growth targets over a rolling two-year period, subject to the Company maintaining at least an eight percent operating income margin during the applicable period; and performance-based stock options, which vest upon achieving annual net sales targets over a rolling one-year period.

 

The Company recognizes all share-based payments to Directors and employees, including grants of stock options and restricted stock units, in the statement of operations based on their grant-date fair values. The Company records compensation expense, net of an estimated forfeiture rate, over the vesting period of the stock options based on the fair value of the stock options on the date of grant. The Company’s estimated forfeiture rate is based upon historical experience.

 

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

 

Comprehensive income (loss) includes all changes in shareholders’ equity except those resulting from investments by, and distributions to, shareholders. Accordingly, the Company’s comprehensive income (loss) includes net income (loss), net unrealized gains (losses) on investment securities, reclassifications of realized gains, and foreign currency adjustments that arise from the translation of the financial statements of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries.

 

Strategic Alliance with Fosun Pharma

 

On August 25, 2014, Nature’s Sunshine and Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd. (“Fosun Pharma”), closed a transaction pursuant to which, the parties entered into a joint venture for operations in the People’s Republic of China (“China”), of which 80 percent is owned by Nature’s Sunshine and 20 percent is owned by a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fosun Pharma and completed a concurrent investment by Fosun Pharma in Nature’s Sunshine common stock issued pursuant to a private placement transaction with net proceeds of $44,795. Nature’s Sunshine used the net proceeds of the private placement transaction to fund its 80 percent share of the initial $20,000 capitalization of the China joint venture, or $16,000, and to pay its shareholders a cash dividend of $1.50 per share, or $28,501.  The Company consolidated the joint venture in its consolidated financial statements, with Fosun Pharma’s interest presented as a noncontrolling interest.

 

The joint venture, known as Nature’s Sunshine Hong Kong Limited, expects to market and distribute Nature’s Sunshine products in China.  Nature’s Sunshine Hong Kong Limited currently anticipates deploying a multi-brand, multi-channel go-to-market strategy that will offer select Nature’s Sunshine-branded products through certain of Fosun Pharma’s existing retail locations across China, and select Synergy-branded products through a direct selling model.  The time to market will be dependent upon regulatory processes, including product registration, permit and license approvals.

 

Pursuant to a concurrent private placement transaction, Nature’s Sunshine issued 2,855 shares of unregistered common stock to Fosun Pharma at a price of $16.19 per share, representing aggregate net proceeds to Nature’s Sunshine of $44,795. The purchase price represented a 10 percent premium to Nature’s Sunshine’s average stock price over the trailing 30 business day period as of June 26, 2014.  As a result of the private placement transaction, Fosun Pharma owns approximately 15% of Nature’s Sunshine outstanding common shares with respect to which the Company has granted Fosun Pharma certain registration rights.  In addition, Nature’s Sunshine appointed one director designated by Fosun Pharma to its board of directors.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-08 Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 740) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360): “Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity”. This update changes the criteria for reporting discontinued operations while enhancing disclosures in this area. Under the new guidance, only disposals representing a strategic shift in operations should be presented as discontinued operations. Those strategic shifts should have a major effect on the organization’s operations and financial results. In addition, the new guidance requires expanded disclosures about discontinued operations that will provide financial statement users with more information about the assets, liabilities, income, and expenses of discontinued operations. The amendments in this update are effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014.  The adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09 Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). This update requires an entity to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods and services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. As such, this update affects an entity that either enters into contracts with customers or transfers goods and services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards. This update will supersede the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, and most industry-specific guidance, and creates a Topic 606. The amendments in this update are effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015.  The adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In June 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-12 Compensation — Stock Compensation (Topic 718): “Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could Be Achieved after the Requisite Service Period”. This update requires that a performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period be treated as a performance condition. The performance target should not be reflected in estimating the grant-date fair value of the award. Compensation costs should be recognized in the period in which it becomes probable that the performance target will be achieved and should represent the compensation cost attributable to the period for which the requisite service has already been rendered. If the performance target becomes probable of being achieved before the end of the requisite service period, the remaining unrecognized compensation cost should be recognized prospectively over the remaining requisite service period. The requisite service period ends when the employee can cease rendering service and still be eligible to vest in the award if the performance target is achieved. The amendments in this update are effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015.  The adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.