4.13 Constant Currency Presentations
Constant currency is a method used to eliminate the effects of
exchange rate fluctuations of international operations in a registrant’s
determination of financial performance. For example, when presenting its MD&A, a
registrant with material operations in various countries should disclose the impact
of material exchange rates. To do so, the registrant may use a constant exchange
rate between periods for translation, which would remove the effect of fluctuations
in foreign exchange rates.
The presentation of financial results in a constant currency is
considered a non-GAAP measure.
C&DIs — Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Question: Company X
has operations in various foreign countries where the local
currency is used to prepare the financial statements which
are translated into the reporting currency under the
applicable accounting standards. In preparing its MD&A,
Company X will explain the reasons for changes in various
financial statement captions. A portion of these changes
will be attributable to changes in exchange rates between
periods used for translation. Company X wants to isolate the
effect of exchange rate differences and will present
financial information in a constant currency — e.g., assume
a constant exchange rate between periods for translation.
Would such a presentation be considered a non-GAAP measure
under Regulation G and Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K?
Answer: Yes. Company
X may comply with the reconciliation requirements of
Regulation G and Item 10(e) by presenting the historical
amounts and the amounts in constant currency and describing
the process for calculating the constant currency amounts
and the basis of presentation. [Jan. 11, 2010]
Since constant-currency amounts are non-GAAP measures, the
registrant should include the appropriate non-GAAP disclosures to isolate the
effects of the exchange rate differences for (1) the historical amounts and (2) the
amounts in constant currency. The disclosure of the non-GAAP measure should describe
both the basis of presentation and how the constant-currency amounts were computed.
Note that if a registrant only discloses the impact of exchange rates as part of its
explanation of the period-to-period fluctuation between two GAAP amounts, such
disclosure would not constitute a non-GAAP measure (e.g., foreign currency
fluctuations resulted in $XX of the change in net revenue).