G1 Significant accounting principles – assessments and assumptions for accounting purposes

Accounting principles

Statement of compliance

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) as endorsed by the EU. In addition, the recommendation RFR 1 Supplementary Accounting Rules for Groups, issued by the Swedish Financial Reporting Board, has been applied.

The Parent Company has applied the same accounting principles as those applied in the consolidated financial statements except as set out in note P1 in the section “Parent Company’s accounting principles.”

The financial statements are presented on pages 36–124 in the (PDF:) printed Annual Report. The Parent Company’s Annual Report and the consolidated financial statements were approved for issuance by the Board of Directors on March 1, 2021. The Group’s and the Parent Company’s income statements and balance sheets are subject to adoption at the Annual General Meeting on April 27, 2021.

Basis of measurement

Assets and liabilities are stated on a historical cost basis except for certain financial assets and liabilities, which are stated at their fair value. Financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value comprise of derivative instruments and plan assets in the defined benefit plans. Receivables and liabilities and items of income and expense are offset only when required or expressly permitted in an accounting standard.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires management to make assessments, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of accounting policies and recognized amounts of assets and liabilities, income and expenses. Actual results may differ from these assessments. The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognized in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.

Judgments made by management in the application of IFRS that have had a significant effect on the financial statements and estimates with a significant risk of material adjustment in the next year, are discussed further below.

Events after the balance sheet date refer to both favorable and unfavorable events that have occurred after the balance sheet date but before the date the financial statements were authorized for issue by the Board of Directors. Significant non-adjusting events, that is, events indicative of conditions that arose after the balance sheet date, are disclosed in the financial statements. Only adjusting events, that is, those that provide evidence of conditions that existed at the balance sheet date, have been considered in the final establishment of the financial statements. The most significant accounting policies for the Group, as set out below and in the notes, have been applied consistently to all periods presented in these consolidated financial statements except as specifically described. Moreover, the Group’s accounting policies have been consistently applied in the Group reporting by all members of the Group and in the Group reporting of associated companies, where necessary, by adaptation to Group policies.

Basis of consolidation

The consolidated accounts are prepared in accordance with the Group’s accounting principles and include the accounts of the Parent Company and all Group companies. Group companies are consolidated from the date the Group exercises control or influence over the company. Divested companies are included in the consolidated accounts until the date the Group ceases to control or exercise influence over them. In preparing Sandvik’s consolidated financial statements, any intra-group transactions have been eliminated.

Foreign currency

Foreign currency transactions

Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into functional currency at the foreign exchange rate prevailing at the date of the transaction. The functional currency is the currency of the primary economic environment in which the Group entities operate. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies at the balance sheet date are translated to the functional currency at the foreign exchange rate prevailing at that date. Foreign exchange differences arising on translation are recognized in profit or loss for the year. Non-monetary assets and liabilities measured in terms of historical cost in a foreign currency are translated using the exchange rate prevailing at the date of the transaction. Non-monetary assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value are re-translated to the functional currency at the exchange rate prevailing at the date that the fair value was determined.

Financial statements of foreign operations

The assets and liabilities of foreign operations, including goodwill and fair value adjustments arising on consolidation, are translated from the foreign operation’s functional currency to the Group’s reporting currency, SEK, at foreign exchange rates prevailing at the balance sheet date. Revenues and expenses of foreign operations are translated to SEK at average rates that approximate the foreign exchange rates prevailing at each of the transaction dates. Translation differences arising from the translation of the net investment in foreign operations are recognized in other comprehensive income and are accumulated in a separate component of equity, a translation reserve. When the foreign operation is divested, the accumulated translation differences attributable to the divested foreign operation are reclassified from equity to profit or loss for the year as a reclassification adjustment at the date on which the profit or loss of the divestment is recognized. For cases in which divestments made include a residual controlling influence, the proportionate share of accumulated translation differences from other comprehensive income is transferred to non-controlling interests.

Net investments in foreign operations

Monetary non-current receivables or monetary non-current liabilities to a foreign operation for which no settlement is planned or is not likely to take place in the foreseeable future are, in practice, part of the company’s net investment in foreign operations. A foreign exchange difference arising on the monetary non-current receivable or monetary non-current liability is recognized in other comprehensive income and accumulated in a separate component of shareholders’ equity, entitled translation reserve. When a foreign operation is divested, the accumulated foreign exchange differences attributable to monetary non-current receivables or monetary non-current liabilities are included in the accumulated translation differences reclassified from the translation reserve in equity to profit or loss for the year.

Changes in accounting policies

IASB has published amendments of standards that are effective as of January 1, 2020 or later. The standards have not had any material impact on the financial reports.

IFRS 3 Business combination; Definition of a Business

The amendment clarifies the definition of a business. A business includes, at a minimum, an input, a substantive process that together, significantly contribute to the ability to create output. The definition of the term outputs is amended to focus on goods and services provided to customers, generating investment income and other income, and it excludes returns in the form of lower costs and other economic benefits.

IBOR transition

Where interest rate hedge accounting is applied Sandvik is exposed to the STIBOR reference rate for hedged instruments together with their hedging instruments. The change of reference rate due to the upcoming IBOR transition will, when implemented, affect future cash flows on interest income and interest expense but Sandvik expects continued 100 percent effectiveness of the hedges and no net interest impact. The nominal value of outstanding exposures is SEK 1.5 billion. Sandvik will continue to monitor any changes to STIBOR as a reference rate and update, together with counterparties, the relevant financial contracts accordingly as and when these occur.

Other changes

Other new or amended accounting standards and interpretations implemented during 2020 or that have been issued but are not yet in effect are not considered to have any material impact on Sandvik’s financial statements.

Critical accounting estimates and judgments

Key sources of estimation uncertainty

In order to prepare the financial statements, management and the Board make various judgments and estimates that can affect the amounts recognized in the financial statements for assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses as well as information in general, including contingent liabilities. The judgments and estimates discussed in notes where applicable are those deemed to be most important for an understanding of the financial statements, considering the level of significant estimations and uncertainty. The conditions under which Sandvik operates are gradually changing meaning that the judgments also change.