Hasbro (HAS)

Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Estimates

        The Company prepares its consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. As such, management is required to make certain estimates, judgments and assumptions that it believes are reasonable based on the information available. These estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses for the periods presented. The significant accounting policies which management believes are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating the Company's reported financial results include sales allowances, inventory valuation, recoverability of goodwill and intangible assets, recoverability of royalty advances and commitments and pensions.

        Sales allowances for customer promotions, discounts and returns are recorded as a reduction of revenue when the related revenue is recognized. Revenue from product sales is recognized upon passing of title to the customer, generally at the time of shipment. Revenue from product sales, less related sales allowances, is added to royalty revenue and reflected as net revenues in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company routinely commits to promotional sales allowance programs with customers. These allowances primarily relate to fixed programs, which the customer earns based on purchases of Company products during the year. Discounts are recorded as a reduction of related revenue at the time of sale. While many of the allowances are based on fixed amounts, certain of the allowances, such as the returns allowance, are based on market data, historical trends and information from customers and are therefore subject to estimation.

        Inventory is valued at the lower of cost or market. Based upon a consideration of quantities on hand, actual and projected sales volume, anticipated product selling prices and product lines planned to be discontinued, slow-moving and obsolete inventory is written down to its net realizable value. Failure to accurately predict and respond to consumer demand could result in the Company under producing popular items or overproducing less popular items. Management estimates are monitored on a quarterly basis and a further adjustment to reduce inventory to its net realizable value is recorded, as an increase to cost of sales, when deemed necessary under the lower of cost or market standard.

        Goodwill and other intangible assets deemed to have indefinite lives are tested for impairment at least annually. If an event occurs or circumstances change that indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable, the Company will perform an interim test at that time. The impairment test begins by allocating goodwill and intangible assets to applicable reporting units. Goodwill is then tested using a two step process that begins with an estimation of the fair value of the reporting unit using an income approach, which looks to the present value of expected future cash flows.

        The first step is a screen for potential impairment while the second step measures the amount of impairment if there is an indication from the first step that one exists. Intangible assets with indefinite lives are tested for impairment by comparing their carrying value to their estimated fair value which is also calculated using an income approach. The Company's annual impairment test was performed in the fourth quarter of 2004 and no impairment was indicated. The estimation of future cash flows requires significant judgments and estimates with respect to future revenues related to the respective asset and the future cash outlays related to those revenues. Actual revenues and related cash flows or changes in anticipated revenues and related cash flows could result in a change in this assessment and result in an impairment charge. The estimation of discounted cash flows also requires the selection of an appropriate discount rate. The use of different assumptions would increase or decrease estimated discounted cash flows and could increase or decrease the related impairment charge. At December 26, 2004, the Company has goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives of $545,464 recorded on the balance sheet.

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        Intangible assets, other than those with indefinite lives, are reviewed for indications of impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Recoverability of the value of these intangible assets is measured by a comparison of the assets' carrying value to the estimated future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such assets were considered to be impaired, the impairment would be measured by the amount by which the carrying value of the asset exceeds its fair value based on estimated future discounted cash flows. The estimation of future cash flows requires significant judgments and estimates with respect to future revenues related to the respective asset and the future cash outlays related to those revenues. Actual revenues and related cash flows or changes in anticipated revenues and related cash flows could result in a change in this assessment and result in an impairment charge. The estimation of discounted cash flows also requires the selection of an appropriate discount rate. The use of different assumptions would increase or decrease estimated discounted cash flows and could increase or decrease the related impairment charge. Intangible assets covered under this policy were $558,019 at December 26, 2004. During 2004, there were no significant impairment charges related to these intangible assets.

        The recoverability of royalty advances and contractual obligations with respect to minimum guaranteed royalties is assessed by comparing the remaining minimum guaranty to the estimated future sales forecasts and related cash flow projections to be derived from the related product. If sales forecasts and related cash flows from the particular product do not support the recoverability of the remaining minimum guaranty or, if the Company decides to discontinue a product line with royalty advances or commitments, a charge to royalty expense to write-off the remaining minimum guaranty is required. The preparation of revenue forecasts and related cash flows for these products requires judgments and estimates. Actual revenues and related cash flows or changes in the assessment of anticipated revenues and cash flows related to these products could result in a change to the assessment of recoverability of remaining minimum guaranteed royalties. At December 26, 2004, the Company had $167,355 of prepaid royalties, $80,167 of which are included in prepaid expenses and other current assets and $87,188 which are included in other assets. During 2004, royalty expense included a charge related to the Company's license agreement with Disney related to this accounting policy.

        The Company, except for certain international subsidiaries, has pension plans covering substantially all of its full-time employees. Pension expense is based on actuarial computations of current and future benefits using estimates for expected return on assets, expected compensation increases, and applicable discount rates. The Company estimates expected return on assets using a weighted average rate based on historical market data for the investment classes of assets held by the plan, the allocation of plan assets among those investment classes, and the current economic environment. Based on this information, the Company's estimate of expected return on plan assets was 8.75% in 2004 and 2003, and 9.00% in 2002. A decrease in the estimate used for expected return on plan assets would increase pension expense, while an increase in this estimate would decrease pension expense. A decrease of 1% in the estimate of expected return on plan assets would increase pension expense by approximately $1,700. Expected compensation increases are estimated using a combination of historical compensation increases with expected compensation increases in the Company's long-term business forecasts. Based on this analysis, the Company's estimate of expected long-term compensation increases was 4.0% in 2004 and 2003, and 4.5% in 2002. Increases in estimated compensation increases would result in higher pension expense while decreases would lower pension expense. Discount rates are selected based upon rates of return on high quality fixed income investments currently available and expected to be available during the period to maturity of the pension benefits. The Company considers Moody's long-term Aa Corporate Bond yield at the measurement date as an appropriate guide in setting this rate. Based on the Moody's long-term Corporate Bond yield at September 30, 2004, the Company's measurement date for its pension assets and liabilities, the Company selected a discount rate of

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6%. A decrease in the discount rate would result in greater pension expense while an increase in the discount rate would decrease pension expense. A decrease of 1% in the Company's discount rate would increase pension expense and the projected benefit obligation by approximately $3,180 and $34,300, respectively. In accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 87, "Employers Accounting for Pensions", actual results that differ from the actuarial assumptions are accumulated and, if outside a certain corridor, amortized over future periods and, therefore generally affect recognized expense and the recorded obligation in future periods. Assets in the plan are valued on the basis of their fair market value on the measurement date. In 2004 and 2003, the Company recorded a minimum pension liability of $43,196 and $42,445, respectively. This amount represents the amount by which the accumulated benefit obligation exceeds the sum of the fair market value of plan assets and accrued amounts previously recorded.