WAT 10-Q Quarter ended March 31, 2018

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2018

or

For the transition period from to .

Commission File Number: 01-14010

Waters Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

34 Maple Street

Milford, Massachusetts 01757

(Address, including zip code, of principal executive offices)

( 508) 478-2000

(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, a smaller reporting company, or 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. (Check one):

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 Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock as of April 27, 2018: 78,342,806

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WATERS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q

INDEX

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WATERS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

(unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the interim consolidated financial statements.

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WATERS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

(unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the interim consolidated financial statements.

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WATERS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the interim consolidated financial statements.

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WATERS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

(unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the interim consolidated financial statements.

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CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(unaudited)

Waters Corporation (the “Company”) is a specialty measurement company that has pioneered analytical workflow solutions involving liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis innovations serving the life, materials and food sciences for nearly 60 years. The Company primarily designs, manufactures, sells and services high performance liquid chromatography (“HPLC”), ultra performance liquid chromatography (“UPLC ^® ” and together with HPLC, referred to as “LC”) and mass spectrometry (“MS”) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products and comprehensive post-warranty service plans. These systems are complementary products that are frequently employed together (“LC-MS”) and sold as integrated instrument systems using common software platforms. LC is a standard technique and is utilized in a broad range of industries to detect, identify, monitor and measure the chemical, physical and biological composition of materials, and to purify a full range of compounds. MS technology, principally in conjunction with chromatography, is employed in drug discovery and development, including clinical trial testing, the analysis of proteins in disease processes (known as “proteomics”), nutritional safety analysis and environmental testing. LC-MS instruments combine a liquid phase sample introduction and separation system with mass spectrometric compound identification and quantification. In addition, the Company designs, manufactures, sells and services thermal analysis, rheometry and calorimetry instruments through its TA ^® product line. These instruments are used in predicting the suitability and stability of fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, water, polymers, metals and viscous liquids for various industrial, consumer goods and healthcare products, as well as for life science research. The Company is also a developer and supplier of advanced software-based products that interface with the Company’s instruments, as well as other manufacturers’ instruments.

The Company’s interim fiscal quarter typically ends on the thirteenth Saturday of each quarter. Since the Company’s fiscal year end is December 31, the first and fourth fiscal quarters may have more or less than thirteen complete weeks. The Company’s first fiscal quarters for 2018 and 2017 ended on March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017, respectively.

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and do not include all of the information and footnote disclosures required for annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States of America. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries, which are wholly owned. All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Company to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent liabilities at the dates of the financial statements. Actual amounts may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

It is management’s opinion that the accompanying interim consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments (which are normal and recurring) that are necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods. The interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 27, 2018.

Translation of Foreign Currencies

The functional currency of each of the Company’s foreign operating subsidiaries is the local currency of its country of domicile, except for the Company’s subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Singapore and the Cayman Islands, where the underlying transactional cash flows are denominated in currencies other than the respective local currency of domicile. The functional currency of the Hong Kong, Singapore and Cayman Islands subsidiaries is the U.S. dollar, based on the respective entity’s cash flows.

For most of the Company’s foreign operations, assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at exchange rates prevailing on the balance sheet date, while revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates prevailing during the respective period. Any resulting translation gains or losses are included in accumulated other comprehensive income in the consolidated balance sheets.

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Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments

Cash equivalents represent highly liquid investments, with original maturities of 90 days or less, while investments with longer maturities are classified as investments. The Company maintains cash balances in various operating accounts in excess of federally insured limits, and in foreign subsidiary accounts in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. As of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, $1,656 million out of $2,552 million and $3,326 million out of $3,394 million, respectively, of the Company’s total cash, cash equivalents and investments were held by foreign subsidiaries. In addition, $348 million out of $2,552 million and $304 million out of $3,394 million of cash, cash equivalents and investments were held in currencies other than the U.S. dollar at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. The Company has very limited use of rebates and other cash considerations payable to customers and, as a result, the transaction price determination does not have any material variable consideration. The allowance for doubtful accounts is the best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in the existing accounts receivable. The allowance is based on a number of factors, including historical experience and the customer’s credit-worthiness. The allowance for doubtful accounts is reviewed on at least a quarterly basis. Past due balances over 90 days and over a specified amount are reviewed individually for collectibility. Account balances are charged against the allowance when the Company determines it is probable that the receivable will not be recovered. The Company does not have any off-balance sheet credit exposure related to its customers. Historically, the Company has not experienced significant bad debt losses.

The following is a summary of the activity of the Company’s allowance for doubtful accounts for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017 (in thousands):

Other Investments

During the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Company made a $3 million investment in a developer of laboratory solutions to increase productivity and reproducibility for use in any industry.

Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with the accounting standards for fair value measurements and disclosures, certain of the Company’s assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017. Fair values determined by Level 1 inputs utilize observable data, such as quoted prices in active markets. Fair values determined by Level 2 inputs utilize data points other than quoted prices in active markets that are observable either directly or indirectly. Fair values determined by Level 3 inputs utilize unobservable data points for which there is little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions.

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CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (unaudited) – (Continued)

The following table represents the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at March 31, 2018 (in thousands):

The following table represents the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2017 (in thousands):

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Fair Value of 401(k) Restoration Plan Assets

The 401(k) Restoration Plan is a nonqualified defined contribution plan and the assets were held in registered mutual funds and have been classified as Level 1. The fair values of the assets in the plan are determined through market and observable sources from daily quoted prices on nationally recognized securities exchanges.

Fair Value of Cash Equivalents, Investment and Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts

The fair values of the Company’s cash equivalents, investments and foreign currency exchange contracts are determined through market and observable sources and have been classified as Level 2. These assets and liabilities have been initially valued at the transaction price and subsequently valued, typically utilizing third-party pricing services. The pricing services use many inputs to determine value, including reportable trades, benchmark yields, credit spreads, broker/dealer quotes, current spot rates and other industry and economic events. The Company validates the prices provided by third-party pricing services by reviewing their pricing methods and obtaining market values from other pricing sources.

Fair Value of Contingent Consideration

The fair value of the Company’s liability for contingent consideration relates to earnout payments in connection with the July 2014 acquisition of Medimass Research, Development and Service Kft. and is determined using a probability-weighted discounted cash flow model, which uses significant unobservable inputs, and has been classified as Level 3. Subsequent changes in the fair value of the contingent consideration liability are recorded in the results of operations. The fair value of the contingent consideration liability associated with future earnout payments is based on several factors, including the estimated future results and a discount rate that reflects both the likelihood of achieving the estimated future results and the Company’s creditworthiness. A change in any of these unobservable inputs can significantly change the fair value of the contingent consideration. Although there is no contractual limit, the fair value of future contingent consideration payments was estimated to be $3 million at both March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, based on the Company’s best estimate, as the earnout is based on future sales of certain products, some of which are currently in development, through 2034.

Fair Value of Other Financial Instruments

The Company’s cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and variable interest rate debt are recorded at cost, which approximates fair value due to their short-term nature. The carrying value of the Company’s fixed interest rate debt was $510 million and $610 million at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. The fair value of the Company’s fixed interest rate debt was estimated using discounted cash flow models, based on estimated current rates offered for similar debt under current market conditions for the Company. The fair value of the Company’s fixed interest rate debt was estimated to be $501 million and $608 million at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively, using Level 2 inputs.

Derivative Transactions

The Company is a global company that operates in over 35 countries and, as a result, the Company’s net sales, cost of sales, operating expenses and balance sheet amounts are significantly impacted by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. The Company is exposed to currency price risk on foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations when it translates its non-U.S. dollar foreign subsidiaries’ financial statements into U.S. dollars, and when any of the Company’s subsidiaries purchase or sell products or services in a currency other than its own currency.

The Company’s principal strategy in managing exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates is to naturally hedge the foreign-currency-denominated liabilities on the Company’s balance sheet against corresponding assets of the same currency, such that any changes in liabilities due to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates are typically offset by corresponding changes in assets.

The Company does not specifically enter into any derivatives that hedge foreign-currency-denominated assets, liabilities or commitments on its balance sheet, other than a portion of certain third-party accounts receivable and accounts payable, and the Company’s net worldwide intercompany receivables and payables, which are eliminated in consolidation. The Company periodically aggregates its net worldwide balances by currency and then enters into

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CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (unaudited) – (Continued)

foreign currency exchange contracts that mature within 90 days to hedge a portion of the remaining balance to minimize some of the Company’s currency price risk exposure. The foreign currency exchange contracts are not designated for hedge accounting treatment.

Principal hedged currencies include the Euro, Japanese yen, British pound, Mexican peso and Brazilian real. At March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company held foreign currency exchange contracts with notional amounts totaling $141 million and $147 million, respectively.

The Company’s foreign currency exchange contracts included in the consolidated balance sheets are classified as follows (in thousands):

The following is a summary of the activity included in cost of sales in the statements of operations related to the foreign currency exchange contracts (in thousands):

Stockholders’ Equity

In May 2017, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the Company to repurchase up to $1 billion of its outstanding common stock over a three-year period. During the three months ended March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017, the Company repurchased 1.3 million and 0.5 million shares of the Company’s outstanding common stock at a cost of $275 million and $82 million, respectively, under the May 2017 authorization and other previously announced programs. As of March 31, 2018, the Company had repurchased an aggregate of 2.4 million shares at a cost of $474 million under the May 2017 repurchase program and had a total of $526 million authorized for future repurchases. In addition, the Company repurchased $8 million and $7 million of common stock related to the vesting of restricted stock units during the three months ended March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017, respectively.

In April 2018, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the Company to repurchase up to $3 billion of its outstanding common stock over a three-year period. This new program adds the remaining $526 million from the pre-existing program, allowing for the purchase of a total of $3.5 billion of the Company’s common stock over a three-year period. Upon commencement of the new authorization, the 2017 authorization was terminated. The Company believes that it has the financial flexibility to fund these share repurchases given current cash levels and debt borrowing capacity, as well as to invest in research, technology and business acquisitions.

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CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (unaudited) – (Continued)

Product Warranty Costs

The Company accrues estimated product warranty costs at the time of sale, which are included in cost of sales in the consolidated statements of operations. While the Company engages in extensive product quality programs and processes, including actively monitoring and evaluating the quality of its component suppliers, the Company’s warranty obligation is affected by product failure rates, material usage and service delivery costs incurred in correcting a product failure. The amount of the accrued warranty liability is based on historical information, such as past experience, product failure rates, number of units repaired and estimated costs of material and labor. The liability is reviewed for reasonableness at least quarterly.

The following is a summary of the activity of the Company’s accrued warranty liability for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017 (in thousands):

Other Commitments

In February 2018, the Company’s Board of Directors approved expanding its precision chemistry consumable manufacturing operations. The Company anticipates spending an estimated $215 million to build and equip the new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, which will be paid for with existing cash and investments.

Subsequent Events

The Company did not have any material subsequent events except for the April 2018 stock repurchase authorization discussed under the heading, “Stockholders’ Equity”, above.

The Company adopted new accounting guidance regarding the recognition of revenue from contracts with customers as of January 1, 2018.

The Company recognizes revenue upon transfer of control of promised products and services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for those products or services. The Company generally enters into contracts that include a combination of products and services. Revenue is allocated to distinct performance obligations and is recognized net of allowances for returns and discounts.

The Company recognizes revenue on product sales at the time control of the product transfers to the customer. In substantially all of the Company’s arrangements, title of our products transfers at shipping point and, as a result, we have determined control transfers at the point of shipment. In more limited cases, there are destination-based shipping terms and, thus, control is deemed to transfer when the products arrive at the customer site. Incremental costs of obtaining a contract are expensed as and when incurred if the expected amortization period of the asset that would have been recognized is one year or less. Shipping and handling costs are included as a component of cost of sales. In situations where the control of the goods transfers prior to the completion of the Company’s obligation to ship the products to its customers, the Company has elected the practical expedient to account for the shipping services as a fulfillment cost. Accordingly, such costs are recognized when control of the related goods is transferred to the customer. In more rare situations, we have revenue associated with products that contain specific customer acceptance criteria and the related revenue is not recognized before the customer acceptance criteria are satisfied. The Company elected to exclude from the measurement of the transaction price all taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are both imposed on a concurrent with specific revenue-producing transaction and collected by the Company from a customer.

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Generally, the Company’s contracts for products include a performance obligation related to installation. The Company has determined that the installation represents a distinct performance obligation and revenue is recognized separately upon the completion of installation. The Company determines the amount of the transaction price to allocate to the installation service based on the standalone selling price of the product and the service, which requires judgment. The Company determines relative standalone selling price of installation based upon a number of factors, including hourly service billing rates and estimated installation hours. In developing these estimates, the Company considers past history, competition, billing rates of current services and other factors.

The Company has sales from standalone software, which is included in instrument systems revenue. These arrangements typically include software licenses and maintenance contracts, both of which the Company has determined are distinct performance obligations. The Company determines the amount of the transaction price to allocate to the license and maintenance contract based on the relative standalone selling price of each performance obligation. Software license revenue is recognized at the point in time when control has been transferred to the customer. The revenue allocated to the software maintenance contract is recognized on a straight-line basis over the maintenance period, which is the contractual term of the contract, as a time-based measure of progress best reflects the Company’s performance in satisfying this obligation. Unspecified rights to software upgrades are typically sold as part of the maintenance contract on a when-and-if-available basis.

Payment terms and conditions vary among the Company’s revenue streams, although terms generally include a requirement of payment within 30 to 60 days of product shipment. Prior to providing payment terms to customers, an evaluation of the customer’s credit risk is performed. Returns and customer credits are infrequent and insignificant and are recorded as a reduction to sales. Rights of return are not included in sales arrangements and, therefore, there is minimal variable consideration included in the transaction price of our products.

Service revenue includes (i) service and software maintenance contracts and (ii) service calls (time and materials). Instrument service contracts and software maintenance contracts are typically annual contracts, which are billed at the beginning of the contract or maintenance period. The amount of the service and software maintenance contract is recognized on a straight-line basis to revenue over the maintenance service period, which is the contractual term of the contract, as a time-based measure of progress best reflects the Company’s performance in satisfying this obligation. There are no deferred costs associated with the service contract, as the cost of the service is recorded when the service is performed. Service calls are recognized to revenue at the time a service is performed.

The Company’s deferred revenue liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets consists of the obligation on instrument service contracts and customer payments received in advance, prior to shipment of the instrument. The Company records deferred revenue primarily related to its service contracts, where consideration is billable at the beginning of the service period.

The following is a summary of the activity of the Company’s deferred revenue and customer advances for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017 (in thousands):

As of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, $32 million and $26 million of deferred revenue and customer advances were classified in other long-term liabilities, respectively.

The estimated amount of deferred revenue and customer advances equals the transaction price allocated to unfufilled performance obligations for the period presented and the amount is expected to be recognized in the future is as follows (in thousands):

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The Company’s marketable securities within cash equivalents and investments included in the consolidated balance sheets are detailed as follows (in thousands):

The estimated fair value of marketable debt securities by maturity date is as follows (in thousands):

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Inventories are classified as follows (in thousands):

The carrying amount of goodwill was $362 million and $360 million at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. During the three months ended March 31, 2018, the effect of foreign currency translation increased goodwill by $2 million.

The Company’s intangible assets included in the consolidated balance sheets are detailed as follows (dollars in thousands):

The gross carrying value of intangible assets and accumulated amortization for intangible assets increased by $16 million and $10 million, respectively, in the three months ended March 31, 2018 due to the effects of foreign currency translation. Amortization expense for intangible assets was $13 million and $10 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017, respectively. Amortization expense for intangible assets is estimated to be $52 million per year for each of the next five years.

In November 2017, the Company entered into a new credit agreement (the “2017 Credit Agreement”) that provides for a $1.5 billion revolving facility and a $300 million term loan. The revolving facility and term loan both mature on November 30, 2022 and require no scheduled prepayments before that date.

The interest rates applicable to the 2017 Credit Agreement are, at the Company’s option, equal to either the alternate base rate (which is a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the prime rate in effect on such day, (b) the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Rate on such day plus 1/2 of 1% per annum and (c) the adjusted LIBO rate on such day (or if such day is not a business day, the immediately preceding business day) for a deposit in U.S. dollars with a maturity of one month plus 1% per annum) or the applicable 1, 2, 3 or 6 month adjusted LIBO rate or EURIBO rate for Euro-denominated loans, in each case, plus an interest rate margin based upon the Company’s leverage ratio, which can range between 0 and 12.5 basis points for alternate base rate loans and between 80 and 112.5 basis points for LIBO rate or EURIBO rate loans. The facility fee on the 2017 Credit Agreement ranges between 7.5 and 25 basis points per annum, based on the leverage ratio, of the amount of the revolving facility commitments and the

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outstanding term loan. The 2017 Credit Agreement requires that the Company comply with an interest coverage ratio test of not less than 3.50:1 as of the end of any fiscal quarter for any period of four consecutive fiscal quarters and a leverage ratio test of not more than 3.50:1 as of the end of any fiscal quarter. In addition, the 2017 Credit Agreement includes negative covenants, affirmative covenants, representations and warranties and events of default that are customary for investment grade credit facilities.

As of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company had a total of $600 million and $700 million of outstanding senior unsecured notes, respectively. Interest on the fixed rate senior unsecured notes is payable semi-annually each year. Interest on the floating rate senior unsecured notes is payable quarterly. The Company may prepay all or some of the senior unsecured notes at any time in an amount not less than 10% of the aggregate principal amount outstanding, plus the applicable make-whole amount or prepayment premium for Series H and J senior unsecured notes. In the event of a change in control of the Company (as defined in the note purchase agreement), the Company may be required to prepay the senior unsecured notes at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest. These senior unsecured notes require that the Company comply with an interest coverage ratio test of not less than 3.50:1 for any period of four consecutive fiscal quarters and a leverage ratio test of not more than 3.50:1 as of the end of any fiscal quarter. In addition, these senior unsecured notes include customary negative covenants, affirmative covenants, representations and warranties and events of default.

The Company had the following outstanding debt at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 (in thousands):

As of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company had a total amount available to borrow under existing credit agreements of $1,148 million and $498 million, respectively, after outstanding letters of credit. During the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Company reduced its outstanding debt by $750 million using cash repatriated under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The weighted-average interest rates applicable to the senior unsecured notes and credit agreement borrowings collectively were 3.51% and 2.98% at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. As of March 31, 2018, the Company was in compliance with all debt covenants.

The Company and its foreign subsidiaries also had available short-term lines of credit totaling $92 million and $91 million at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively, for the purpose of short-term borrowing and issuance of commercial guarantees. At March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the weighted-average interest rates applicable to these short-term borrowings were 2.36% and 1.48%, respectively.

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In December 2017, the U.S. enacted legislation informally referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “2017 Tax Act”). For the year ended December 31, 2017 the Company accrued a $550 million tax provision related to the 2017 Tax Act. The $550 million expense was comprised of $490 million related to the federal toll charge, $40 million for state income taxes and foreign withholding taxes and $20 million for the revaluation of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities at the new federal tax rate of 21%. The Company continues to analyze its information and review new guidance from the Internal Revenue Service and state tax authorities. The Company has not made any adjustment to its provisional accrual established at December 31, 2017 during the three months ended March 31, 2018.

As part of the 2017 Tax Act, there is a provision for the taxation of certain off-shore earnings referred to as the Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (“GILTI”) provision. This new provision taxes the off-shore earnings at a rate of 10.5%, partially offset with foreign tax credits. In connection with this new provision, the Company has adopted an accounting policy to treat this new tax as a current period cost.

The four principal jurisdictions in which the Company manufactures are the U.S., Ireland, the U.K. and Singapore, where the statutory tax rates are 21%, 12.5%, 19% and 17%, respectively, as of March 31, 2018. The Company has a contractual tax rate of 0% on qualifying activities in Singapore through March 2021, based upon the achievement of certain contractual milestones, which the Company expects to continue to meet. The effect of applying the contractual tax rate rather than the statutory tax rate to income from qualifying activities in Singapore increased the Company’s net income for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017 by $6 million and $5 million, respectively, and increased the Company’s net income per diluted share by $0.07 and $0.06, respectively.

The Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017 was 20.3% and 7.0%, respectively. The effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2018 reflects the enactment of the 2017 Tax Act. The most significant changes applicable to the Company under the new law are the reduction in the U.S. federal income tax rate from 35% to 21% and the new GILTI provision described above. The impact of the GILTI provision is an increase of approximately 2.3 percentage points to our effective tax rate as of March 31, 2018. In addition, the tax provision for the three months ended March 31, 2018 includes a $6 million tax benefit related to stock-based compensation and $12 million of additional income tax expense related to the change in foreign currency exchange rates on the earnings taxed in December 2017 under the toll charge of the 2017 Tax Act. The net impact of these two discrete items in the three months ended March 31, 2018 was an increase in the effective tax rate of 4.7 percentage points. The effective tax rate for the three months ended April 1, 2017 included a $7 million tax benefit related to stock-based compensation. This 2017 tax benefit reduced the effective tax rate by 6.3 percentage points. The remaining differences between the effective tax rates can primarily be attributed to differences in the proportionate amounts of pre-tax income recognized in jurisdictions with different effective tax rates.

The Company accounts for its uncertain tax return reporting positions in accordance with the accounting standards for income taxes, which require financial statement reporting of the expected future tax consequences of uncertain tax reporting positions on the presumption that all concerned tax authorities possess full knowledge of those tax reporting positions, as well as all of the pertinent facts and circumstances, but prohibit any discounting of unrecognized tax benefits associated with those reporting positions for the time value of money. The Company continues to classify interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of the provision for income taxes.

The following is a summary of the activity of the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017 (in thousands):

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With limited exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to tax audit examinations in significant jurisdictions for the years ended on or before December 31, 2013. However, carryforward tax attributes that were generated in years beginning on or before January 1, 2014 may still be adjusted upon examination by tax authorities if the attributes are utilized. The Company continuously monitors the lapsing of statutes of limitations on potential tax assessments for related changes in the measurement of unrecognized tax benefits, related net interest and penalties, and deferred tax assets and liabilities. As of March 31, 2018, the Company expects to record additional reductions in the measurement of its unrecognized tax benefits and related net interest and penalties of approximately $1 million within the next twelve months due to potential tax audit settlements and the lapsing of statutes of limitations on potential tax assessments. The Company does not expect to record any other material reductions in the measurement of its unrecognized tax benefits within the next twelve months.

The Company adopted new accounting guidance which eliminates the deferral of tax effects on intra-entity transfers other than inventory and requires an entity to recognize the income tax consequences when the transfer occurs. The Company adopted this standard as of January 1, 2018 with a $4 million charge to beginning retained earnings in the consolidated balance sheet.

The Company maintains various shareholder-approved, stock-based compensation plans which allow for the issuance of incentive or non-qualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock or other types of awards (e.g. restricted stock units and performance stock units).

The Company accounts for stock-based compensation costs in accordance with the accounting standards for stock-based compensation, which require that all share-based payments to employees be recognized in the statements of operations based on their grant date fair values. The Company recognizes the expense using the straight-line attribution method. The stock-based compensation expense recognized in the consolidated statements of operations is based on awards that ultimately are expected to vest; therefore, the amount of expense has been reduced for estimated forfeitures. Forfeitures are estimated based on historical experience. If actual results differ significantly from these estimates, stock-based compensation expense and the Company’s results of operations could be materially impacted. In addition, if the Company employs different assumptions in the application of these standards, the compensation expense that the Company records in the future periods may differ significantly from what the Company has recorded in the current period.

The consolidated statements of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017 include the following stock-based compensation expense related to stock option awards, restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards, performance stock unit awards and the employee stock purchase plan (in thousands):

Stock Options

In determining the fair value of the stock options, the Company makes a variety of assumptions and estimates, including volatility measures, expected yields and expected stock option lives. The fair value of each option grant was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Company uses implied volatility on its publicly-traded options as the basis for its estimate of expected volatility. The Company believes that implied volatility is the most appropriate indicator of expected volatility because it is generally reflective of historical volatility and expectations of how future volatility will differ from historical volatility. The expected life assumption for grants is based on historical experience for the population of non-qualified stock option exercises. The risk-free interest rate is the yield currently available on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with a remaining term approximating the expected term used as the input to the Black-Scholes model. The relevant data used to determine the value of the stock options granted during March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017 are as follows:

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The following table summarizes stock option activity for the plans for the three months ended March 31, 2018 (in thousands, except per share data):

Restricted Stock

During the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Company granted four thousand shares of restricted stock. The weighted-average fair value per share of these awards on the grant date was $195.69.

Restricted Stock Units

The following table summarizes the unvested restricted stock unit award activity for the three months ended March 31, 2018 (in thousands, except per share data):

Restricted stock units are generally granted annually in February and vest in equal annual installments over a five-year period.

Performance Stock Units

The Company’s performance stock units are equity compensation awards with a market vesting condition based on the Company’s Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”) relative to the TSR of the components of the S&P Health Care Index. TSR is the change in value of a stock price over time, including the reinvestment of dividends. The vesting schedule ranges from 0% to 200% of the target shares awarded.

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CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (unaudited) – (Continued)

In determining the fair value of the performance stock units, the Company makes a variety of assumptions and estimates, including volatility measures, expected yields and expected terms. The fair value of each performance stock unit grant was estimated on the date of grant using the Monte Carlo simulation model. The Company uses implied volatility on its publicly-traded options as the basis for its estimate of expected volatility. The Company believes that implied volatility is the most appropriate indicator of expected volatility because it is generally reflective of historical volatility and expectations of how future volatility will differ from historical volatility. The expected life assumption for grants is based on the performance period of the underlying performance stock units. The risk-free interest rate is the yield currently available on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with a remaining term approximating the expected term used as the input to the Monte Carlo simulation model. The correlation coefficient is used to model the way in which each company in the S&P Health Care Index tends to move in relation to each other during the performance period. The relevant data used to determine the value of the performance stock units granted during the three months ended March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017 are as follows:

The following table summarizes the unvested performance stock unit award activity for the three months ended March 31, 2018 (in thousands, except per share data):

Basic and diluted EPS calculations are detailed as follows (in thousands, except per share data):

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CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (unaudited) – (Continued)

For the three months ended March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017, the Company had 0.3 million and 1.1 million stock options that were antidilutive, respectively, due to having higher exercise prices than the Company’s average stock price during the period. These securities were not included in the computation of diluted EPS. The effect of dilutive securities was calculated using the treasury stock method.

The components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) are detailed as follows (in thousands):

The Company sponsors various retirement plans. The Company adopted new accounting guidance which requires that an employer disaggregate the service cost component from other components of net benefit cost. As a result of the adoption of this standard, the components of net periodic benefit cost other than the service cost component are included in other income in the consolidated statements of operations and all previous periods have been adjusted accordingly. The summary of the components of net periodic pension costs for the plans for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017 is as follows (in thousands):

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CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (unaudited) – (Continued)

During fiscal year 2018, the Company expects to contribute a total of approximately $4 million to $10 million to the Company’s defined benefit plans.

The Company’s business activities, for which discrete financial information is available, are regularly reviewed and evaluated by the chief operating decision maker. As a result of this evaluation, the Company determined that it has two operating segments: Waters ^® and TA ^® .

The Waters operating segment is primarily in the business of designing, manufacturing, distributing and servicing LC and MS instruments, columns and other precision chemistry consumables that can be integrated and used along with other analytical instruments. The TA operating segment is primarily in the business of designing, manufacturing, distributing and servicing thermal analysis, rheometry and calorimetry instruments. The Company’s two operating segments have similar economic characteristics; product processes; products and services; types and classes of customers; methods of distribution; and regulatory environments. Because of these similarities, the two segments have been aggregated into one reporting segment for financial statement purposes. Please refer to the consolidated financial statements for financial information regarding the one reportable segment of the Company.

Net sales for the Company’s products and services are as follows for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017 (in thousands):

Geographic sales information is presented below for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017 (in thousands):

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CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (unaudited) – (Continued)

Net sales by customer class are as follows for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2017 (in thousands):