FEDEX CORP - Quarter Report: 2017 November (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED November 30, 2017

OR

FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM                      TO                     

Commission File Number: 1-15829

FEDEX CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(901) 818-7500

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes    ☒  No    ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes    ☒  No    ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes   ☐  No    ☒

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

FEDEX CORPORATION

INDEX

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FEDEX CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(IN MILLIONS)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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FEDEX CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(IN MILLIONS, EXCEPT SHARE DATA)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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FEDEX CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(UNAUDITED)

(IN MILLIONS, EXCEPT PER SHARE AMOUNTS)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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FEDEX CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(UNAUDITED)

(IN MILLIONS)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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FEDEX CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(UNAUDITED)

(IN MILLIONS)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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FEDEX CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(UNAUDITED)

(1) General

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES. These interim financial statements of FedEx Corporation (“FedEx”) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) instructions for interim financial information, and should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2017  (“Annual Report”). Accordingly, significant accounting policies and other disclosures normally provided have been omitted since such items are disclosed in our Annual Report.

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments (including normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly our financial position as of November 30, 2017, the results of our operations for the three- and six-month periods ended November 30, 2017 and 2016, and cash flows for the six-month periods ended November 30, 2017 and 2016. Operating results for the three- and six-month periods ended November 30, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending May 31, 2018.

Except as otherwise specified, references to years indicate our fiscal year ending May 31, 2018 or ended May 31 of the year referenced and comparisons are to the corresponding period of the prior year.

BUSINESS ACQUISITION. On October 13, 2017, FedEx acquired Northwest Research, Inc., a leader in inventory research and management, for $50 million in cash from operations. The majority of the purchase price was allocated to property, plant and equipment. The financial results of this acquired business are included in the FedEx Corporate Services, Inc. (“FedEx Services”) segment from the date of acquisition and were not material to our results of operations. Therefore, pro forma financial information has not been provided.

EMPLOYEES UNDER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ARRANGEMENTS. The pilots of Federal Express Corporation (“FedEx Express”), who represent a small number of its total employees, are employed under a collective bargaining agreement that took effect on November 2, 2015. This collective bargaining agreement is scheduled to become amendable in November 2021, after a six-year term. In addition to our pilots at FedEx Express, FedEx Supply Chain Distribution System, Inc. (“FedEx Supply Chain”) has a small number of employees who are members of unions, and certain non-U.S. employees are unionized.

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION. We have two types of equity-based compensation: stock options and restricted stock. The key terms of the stock option and restricted stock awards granted under our incentive stock plans and all financial disclosures about these programs are set forth in our Annual Report.

Our stock-based compensation expense was $41 million for the three-month period ended November 30, 2017 and $103 million for the six-month period ended November 30, 2017. Our stock-based compensation expense was $36 million for the three-month period ended November 30, 2016 and $93 million for the six-month period ended November 30, 2016. Due to its immateriality, additional disclosures related to stock-based compensation have been excluded from this quarterly report.

RECENT ACCOUNTING GUIDANCE. New accounting rules and disclosure requirements can significantly impact our reported results and the comparability of our financial statements. We believe the following new accounting guidance is relevant to the readers of our financial statements.

During the first quarter of 2018, we early adopted the Accounting Standards Update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) related to Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory. This update requires companies to recognize the income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory when the transfer occurs, as opposed to when the assets are ultimately sold to an outside party. This new guidance had a minimal impact on our accounting and financial reporting for the second quarter and first half of 2018.

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On May 28, 2014, the FASB and International Accounting Standards Board issued a new accounting standard that will supersede virtually all existing revenue recognition guidance under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. This standard will be effective for us beginning June 1, 2018 (fiscal 2019). The fundamental principles of the new guidance are that companies should recognize revenue in a manner that reflects the timing of the transfer of services to customers and the amount of revenue recognized reflects the consideration that a company expects to receive for the goods and services provided. The new guidance establishes a five-step approach for the recognition of revenue. We are continuing to complete the assessment of the impact this new standard will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures, including ongoing contract reviews. We do not anticipate that the new guidance will have a material impact on our revenue recognition policies, practices or systems.

On February 25, 2016, the FASB issued a new lease accounting standard which requires lessees to put most leases on their balance sheets but recognize the expenses in their income statements in a manner similar to current practice. The new standard states that a lessee will recognize a lease liability for the obligation to make lease payments and a right-of-use asset for the right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. Expenses related to leases determined to be operating leases will be recognized on a straight-line basis, while those determined to be financing leases will be recognized following a front-loaded expense profile in which interest and amortization are presented separately in the income statement. Based on our lease portfolio, we currently anticipate recognizing a lease liability and related right-of-use asset on the balance sheet in excess of $13 billion with an immaterial impact on our income statement compared to the current lease accounting model. However, the ultimate impact of the standard will depend on the company’s lease portfolio as of the adoption date. We are currently in the process of evaluating our existing lease portfolios, including accumulating all of the necessary information required to properly account for the leases under the new standard. Additionally, we are implementing an enterprise-wide lease management system to assist in the accounting and are evaluating additional changes to our processes and internal controls to ensure we meet the standard’s reporting and disclosure requirements. These changes will be effective for our fiscal year beginning June 1, 2019 (fiscal 2020), with a modified retrospective adoption method to the beginning of 2018.

In March 2017, the FASB issued an Accounting Standards Update that changes how employers that sponsor defined benefit pension or other postretirement benefit plans present the net periodic benefit cost in the income statement. This new guidance requires entities to report the service cost component in the same line item or items as other compensation costs. The other components of net benefit cost are required to be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component outside of income from operations. This standard will impact our operating income but will have no impact on our net income or earnings per share. For example, adoption of this guidance would have reduced operating income by $146 million in the second quarter and $292 million in the first half of 2018, and by $112 million in the second quarter and $224 million in the first half of 2017, but would not have impacted our net income in these periods. This new guidance will be effective for our fiscal year beginning June 1, 2018 (fiscal 2019) and will be applied retrospectively.

TREASURY SHARES. In January 2016, our Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program of up to 25 million shares. Shares under the current repurchase program may be repurchased from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. The timing and volume of repurchases are at the discretion of management, based on the capital needs of the business, the market price of FedEx common stock and general market conditions. No time limit was set for the completion of the program, and the program may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

During the second quarter of 2018, we repurchased 0.8 million shares of FedEx common stock at an average price of $220.67 per share for a total of $184 million. During the first half of 2018, we repurchased 1.2 million shares of FedEx common stock at an average price of $216.45 per share for a total of $270 million. As of November 30, 2017, 14.8 million shares remained under the share repurchase authorization.

DIVIDENDS DECLARED PER COMMON SHARE. On November 17, 2017, our Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share of common stock. The dividend will be paid on January 2, 2018 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 11, 2017. Each quarterly dividend payment is subject to review and approval by our Board of Directors, and we evaluate our dividend payment amount on an annual basis at the end of each fiscal year.

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(2) Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The following table provides changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (“AOCI”), net of tax, reported in our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the periods ended November 30 (in millions; amounts in parentheses indicate debits to AOCI):

The following table presents details of the reclassifications from AOCI for the periods ended November 30 (in millions; amounts in parentheses indicate debits to earnings):

(3) Financing Arrangements

We have a shelf registration statement with the SEC that allows us to sell, in one or more future offerings, any combination of our unsecured debt securities and common stock.

We have a five-year $1.75 billion revolving credit facility that expires in November 2020. The facility, which includes a $500 million letter of credit sublimit, is available to finance our operations and other cash flow needs. The agreement contains a financial covenant, which requires us to maintain a ratio of debt to consolidated earnings (excluding non-cash pension mark-to-market adjustments and non-cash asset impairment charges) before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“adjusted EBITDA”) of not more than 3.5 to 1.0, calculated as of the end of the applicable quarter on a rolling four-quarters basis. The ratio of our debt to adjusted EBITDA was 1.9 to 1.0 at November 30, 2017. We believe this covenant is the only significant restrictive covenant in our revolving credit agreement. Our revolving credit agreement contains other customary covenants that do not, individually or in the aggregate, materially restrict the conduct of our business. We are in compliance with the financial covenant and all other covenants of our revolving credit agreement and do not expect the covenants to affect our operations, including our liquidity or expected funding needs.

During the second quarter of 2018, we issued $250 million of commercial paper, providing us with additional short-term liquidity flexibility. Our commercial paper program is backed by unused commitments under the revolving credit facility and borrowings under the program reduce the amount available under the credit facility. As of November 30, 2017, $250 million of commercial paper and $255 million in letters of credit were outstanding, leaving $1.245 billion available under the revolving credit facility for future borrowings.

Long-term debt, exclusive of capital leases, had carrying values of $15.1 billion at November 30, 2017 and $14.9 billion at May 31, 2017, compared with estimated fair values of $15.9 billion at November 30, 2017 and $15.5 billion at May 31, 2017. The annualized weighted average interest rate on long-term debt was 3.6% for the six-months ended November 30, 2017. The estimated fair values were determined based on quoted market prices and the current rates offered for debt with similar terms and maturities. The fair value of our long-term debt is classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. This classification is defined as a fair value determined using market-based inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the liability, either directly or indirectly.

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(4) Computation of Earnings Per Share

The calculation of basic and diluted earnings per common share for the periods ended November 30 was as follows (in millions, except per share amounts):

(5) Retirement Plans

We sponsor programs that provide retirement benefits to most of our employees. These programs include defined benefit pension plans, defined contribution plans and postretirement healthcare plans. Key terms of our retirement plans are provided in our Annual Report. Our retirement plans costs for the periods ended November 30 were as follows (in millions):

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Net periodic benefit cost of the pension and postretirement healthcare plans for the periods ended November 30 included the following components (in millions):

Contributions to our tax-qualified U.S. domestic pension plans for the six-month periods ended November 30 were as follows (in millions):

(6) Business Segment Information

We provide a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services through companies competing collectively, operating independently and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Our primary operating companies are FedEx Express, including TNT Express B.V. (“TNT Express”), the world’s largest express transportation company; FedEx Ground Package System, Inc. (“FedEx Ground”), a leading North American provider of small-package ground delivery services; and FedEx Freight, Inc. (“FedEx Freight”), a leading U.S. provider of less-than-truckload (“LTL”) freight services. These companies represent our major service lines and, along with FedEx Services, form the core of our reportable segments.

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Our reportable segments include the following businesses:

As discussed in our Annual Report, in the first quarter of 2018, we began to report TNT Express as part of the FedEx Express segment. Prior year amounts have been revised to conform to the current year presentation.

FedEx Services Segment

The FedEx Services segment operates combined sales, marketing, administrative and information technology functions that support our transportation businesses and allow us to obtain synergies from the combination of these functions. For the international regions of FedEx Express, some of these functions are performed on a regional basis and reported in their natural expense line items. The FedEx Services segment includes: FedEx Services, which provides sales, marketing, information technology, communications, customer service, technical support, billing and collection services for U.S. customers of our major business units and certain back-office support to our other companies; and FedEx Office and Print Services, Inc. (“FedEx Office”), which provides an array of document and business services and retail access to our customers for our package transportation businesses.

The FedEx Services segment provides direct and indirect support to our transportation businesses, and we allocate all of the net operating costs of the FedEx Services segment (including the net operating results of FedEx Office) to reflect the full cost of operating our transportation businesses in the results of those segments. Within the FedEx Services segment allocation, the net operating results of FedEx Office, which are an immaterial component of our allocations, are allocated to FedEx Express and FedEx Ground. We review and evaluate the performance of our transportation segments based on operating income (inclusive of FedEx Services segment allocations). For the FedEx Services segment, performance is evaluated based on the impact of its total allocated net operating costs on our transportation segments.

Operating expenses for each of our transportation segments include the allocations from the FedEx Services segment to the respective transportation segments. These allocations also include charges and credits for administrative services provided between operating companies. The allocations of net operating costs are based on metrics such as relative revenues or estimated services provided. We believe these allocations approximate the net cost of providing these functions. Our allocation methodologies are refined periodically, as necessary, to reflect changes in our businesses.

Eliminations, Corporate and Other

Certain FedEx operating companies provide transportation and related services for other FedEx companies outside their reportable segment. Billings for such services are based on negotiated rates, which we believe approximate fair value, and are reflected as revenues of the billing segment. These rates are adjusted from time to time based on market conditions. Such intersegment revenues and expenses are eliminated in our consolidated results and are not separately identified in the following segment information because the amounts are not material.

Corporate and other includes corporate headquarters costs for executive officers and certain legal and financial functions, as well as certain other costs and credits not attributed to our core business. These costs are not allocated to the business segments.

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The following table provides a reconciliation of reportable segment revenues and operating income to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statement totals for the periods ended November 30 (in millions):

(7) Commitments

As of November 30, 2017, our purchase commitments under various contracts for the remainder of 2018 and annually thereafter were as follows (in millions):

The amounts reflected in the table above for purchase commitments represent noncancelable agreements to purchase goods or services. As of November 30, 2017, our obligation to purchase four Boeing 767-300 Freighter (“B767F”) aircraft and six Boeing 777 Freighter (“B777F”) aircraft is conditioned upon there being no event that causes FedEx Express or its employees not to be covered by the Railway Labor Act of 1926, as amended. Open purchase orders that are cancelable are not considered unconditional purchase obligations for financial reporting purposes and are not included in the table above.

During the second quarter of 2018, FedEx Express entered into an agreement to purchase 50 Cessna SkyCourier 408 aircraft with options to purchase up to 50 additional Cessna SkyCourier 408 aircraft. The 50 firm-order Cessna SkyCourier 408 aircraft are expected to be delivered from fiscal 2021 through 2024.

During the second quarter of 2018, FedEx Express entered into an agreement to purchase 30 ATR 72-600F aircraft with options to purchase up to 20 additional ATR 72-600F aircraft. The 30 firm-order ATR 72-600F aircraft are expected to be delivered from fiscal 2021 through 2026.

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We had $684 million in deposits and progress payments as of November 30, 2017 on aircraft purchases and other planned aircraft-related transactions. These deposits are classified in the “Other assets” caption of our consolidated balance sheets. Aircraft and aircraft-related contracts are subject to price escalations. The following table is a summary of the key aircraft we are committed to purchase as of November 30, 2017 with the year of expected delivery:

A summary of future minimum lease payments under noncancelable operating leases with an initial or remaining term in excess of one year at November 30, 2017 is as follows (in millions):

Future minimum lease payments under capital leases were immaterial at November 30, 2017. While certain of our lease agreements contain covenants governing the use of the leased assets or require us to maintain certain levels of insurance, none of our lease agreements include material financial covenants or limitations.

(8) Contingencies

Independent Contractor — Lawsuits and Administrative Proceedings. During the second quarter of 2018, the final objector to the $228 million settlement in the case that was remanded by the multidistrict litigation court to California and appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals settled with plaintiffs’ counsel and FedEx Ground paid the settlement amount.

FedEx Ground is involved in lawsuits and administrative proceedings claiming that owner-operators engaged under a contractor model no longer in use should have been treated as employees of FedEx Ground, rather than independent contractors. In addition, we are defending joint-employer cases where it is alleged that FedEx Ground should be treated as an employer of the drivers employed by owner-operators engaged by FedEx Ground. These cases are in varying stages of litigation, and we are not currently able to estimate an amount or range of potential loss in all of these matters. However, we do not expect to incur, individually or in the aggregate, a material loss in these matters. Nevertheless, adverse determinations in matters related to owner-operators engaged by FedEx Ground could, among other things, entitle certain owner-operators to the reimbursement of certain expenses, and their drivers to the benefit of wage-and-hour laws, and result in employment and withholding tax and benefit liability for FedEx Ground. We believe that owner-operators engaged by FedEx Ground are properly classified as independent contractors and that FedEx Ground is not an employer of the drivers employed by these owner-operators.

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City and State of New York Cigarette Suit. The City of New York and the State of New York filed two related lawsuits against FedEx Ground in December 2013 and November 2014 arising from FedEx Ground’s alleged shipments of cigarettes to New York residents in contravention of several statutes, including the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”) and New York’s Public Health Law, as well as common law nuisance claims. In April 2016, the two lawsuits were consolidated and will now proceed as one lawsuit. The first-filed lawsuit alleges that FedEx Ground provided delivery services on behalf of four shippers, and the second-filed lawsuit alleges that FedEx Ground provided delivery services on behalf of six additional shippers; none of these shippers continue to ship in our network. Following motions to dismiss filed in both lawsuits, some of the claims were dismissed entirely or limited. In the first-filed lawsuit, the New York Public Health Law and common law nuisance claims were dismissed and the plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed another claim. In the second-filed lawsuit, the common law nuisance claim was dismissed entirely and the New York Public Health Law claim has been limited to claims arising after September 27, 2013, when an amendment to that law provided enforcement authority to the City of New York and State of New York. Other claims, including the RICO claims, remain in both lawsuits. The likelihood of loss is reasonably possible, but the amount or range of loss, if any, cannot be estimated at this stage of the litigation, but we expect the amount of any loss to be immaterial.

On July 10, 2017, the City of New York and the State of New York filed a third lawsuit against FedEx Ground and included FedEx Freight as a co-defendant. This new case identifies no shippers or shipments, but generally alleges violations of the same laws that are the subject of the other two lawsuits. The amount or range of loss, if any, cannot be estimated at this stage of the lawsuit.

Environmental Matters. SEC regulations require disclosure of certain environmental matters when a governmental authority is a party to the proceedings and the proceedings involve potential monetary sanctions that management reasonably believes could exceed $100,000.

On September 9, 2016, FedEx Supply Chain received a written offer from several District Attorneys’ Offices in California to settle a civil action that the District Attorneys intend to file against FedEx Supply Chain for alleged violations of the state’s hazardous waste regulations. Specifically, the District Attorneys’ Offices allege FedEx Supply Chain unlawfully disposed of hazardous waste at one of its California facilities and caused the illegal transportation and disposal of hazardous waste from the retail stores of a FedEx Supply Chain customer at this same facility. The District Attorneys allege these violations began in 2006 and continued until the facility closed in the spring of 2015. We believe an immaterial loss in this matter is probable, and we will pursue all available remedies against the sellers of GENCO to recover any losses in this matter.

Other Matters. During the third quarter of 2017, FedEx Trade Networks informed U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) that in connection with certain customs entries it may have made improper claims for (i) reduced-duty treatment and (ii) duty-free treatment. In the fourth quarter of 2017 we established accruals totaling $39.3 million for the then-current estimated probable loss for these matters. In the first quarter of 2018, FedEx Trade Networks tendered payments to CBP in these matters totaling $46.5 million, and an additional expense of $7.2 million was recognized. CBP acknowledged receipt of the amounts tendered in these matters, and we are awaiting a response indicating whether these matters are fully resolved.

FedEx and its subsidiaries are subject to other legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business, including certain lawsuits containing various class-action allegations of wage-and-hour violations in which plaintiffs claim, among other things, that they were forced to work “off the clock,” were not paid overtime or were not provided work breaks or other benefits. In the opinion of management, the aggregate liability, if any, with respect to these other actions will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

(9) Supplemental Cash Flow Information

Cash paid for interest expense and income taxes for the six-month periods ended November 30 was as follows (in millions):

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(10) Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements

We are required to present condensed consolidating financial information in order for the subsidiary guarantors of our public debt to continue to be exempt from reporting under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

The guarantor subsidiaries, which are 100% owned by FedEx, guarantee $15.0 billion of our long-term debt. The guarantees are full and unconditional and joint and several. Our guarantor subsidiaries were not determined using geographic, service line or other similar criteria, and as a result, the “Guarantor Subsidiaries” and “Non-guarantor Subsidiaries” columns each include portions of our domestic and international operations. Accordingly, this basis of presentation is not intended to present our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows for any purpose other than to comply with the specific requirements for subsidiary guarantor reporting.

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Condensed consolidating financial statements for our guarantor subsidiaries and non-guarantor subsidiaries are presented in the following tables (in millions):

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEETS

(UNAUDITED)

November 30, 2017