The accounting policies we follow are set forth in the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in our Form 10-K, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the year ended December 31, 2019.

A novel strain of coronavirus (“COVID-19”) surfaced in late 2019 and has spread around the world, including to the United States and France. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our business operations and caused a significant unfavorable impact on our results of operations.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic various national, state, and local governments where we, our suppliers, and our customers operate initially issued decrees prohibiting certain businesses from continuing to operate and certain classes of workers from reporting to work. More recently, those governments have set guidelines in allowing businesses to reopen and employees to return to offices. Beginning in March 2020, we implemented travel restrictions and we are following social distancing practices. Our teams were set up to work from home and carry on business as efficiently as possible. In all jurisdictions in which we operate we are following guidance from authorities and health officials in allowing our teams to gradually return to our offices, including, requiring personnel to wear masks and other protective clothing as appropriate, and implementing additional cleaning and sanitization routines at our offices and distribution centers as the health and safety of our employees is paramount.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the beauty industry began in early March 2020. Retail store closings, event cancellations and a shutdown of international air travel brought our sales to a virtual standstill. The duration and intensity of this global health emergency and its related disruptions are uncertain. Since March 2020, retail stores in several jurisdictions around the world began reopening and business is slowly picking up. However, we anticipate that limited traffic in reopened stores and the shutdown of international air traffic have and will continue to unfavorably impact our business.

We anticipate significant challenges for the remainder of 2020 due to uncertain market conditions. While we expect business with many of our retail partners to improve considerably in the second half of 2020, we do not see a resurgence anytime soon in connection with travel retail. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to high levels of unemployment and deteriorating economic conditions in many countries where our products are sold, forcing many consumers to limit discretionary purchases. We believe that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to have a material adverse effect on our results of our operations, financial position and cash flows through at least the end of this year.

Origines-parfums

In June 2020, the Company, through its 73% owned French subsidiary, Interparfums SA, and Divabox SAS (“Divabox”), owner of the Origines-parfums e-commerce platform for beauty products, signed a strategic agreement and equity investment pursuant to which we acquired 25% of Divabox capital for €12.5 million ($14 million), through a capital increase. The difference between the purchase price and the fair value of net assets acquired of €7.9 million has been allocated to goodwill, pending final purchase price allocation, and the entire purchase price is included in other assets on the accompanying balance sheet as of June 30, 2020. In connection with the acquisition, the Company entered into a €12 million ($13.4 million), three-year term loan payable in three equal annual installments bearing interest at 0.85% above the EURIBOR 3-month rate. The loan requires the maintenance of certain financial covenants, tested annually, including a maximum leverage ratio.

Moncler

In June 2020, the Company entered into an exclusive, 5-year worldwide license agreement with a potential 5-year extension with Moncler for the creation, development and distribution of fragrances under the Moncler brand. Our rights under this license are subject to certain minimum advertising expenditures and royalty payments as are customary in our industry.

S.T. Dupont

In January 2020, we renewed our license agreement with S.T. Dupont for the creation, development and distribution of fragrance products through December 31, 2020, without any material changes in terms and conditions. Our initial 11-year license agreement with S.T. Dupont was signed in June 1997, and had previously been extended through December 31, 2019. The agreement will be extended annually in September of each year upon mutual consent.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments,” as updated in 2019 and 2020, which require a financial asset measured at amortized cost basis to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. The new rules eliminate the probable initial recognition threshold and, instead, reflect an entity’s current estimate of all expected credit losses. The new rules are effective for the Company in the first quarter of 2020 and there was no material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

There are no other recent accounting pronouncements issued but not yet adopted that would have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

Inventories consist of the following:

The following tables present our financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis and are categorized using the fair value hierarchy. The fair value hierarchy has three levels based on the reliability of the inputs used to determine fair value.

The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents including money market funds, accounts receivable, other receivables, and accounts payable and accrued expenses approximates fair value due to the short terms to maturity of these instruments. The carrying amount of loans payable approximates fair value as the interest rates on the Company’s indebtedness approximate current market rates. The fair value of the Company’s long-term debt was estimated based on the current rates offered to companies for debt with the same remaining maturities and is approximately equal to its carrying value.

Foreign currency forward exchange contracts are valued based on quotations from financial institutions and the value of interest rate swaps are the discounted net present value of the swaps using third party quotes obtained from financial institutions.

The Company enters into foreign currency forward exchange contracts to hedge exposure related to receivables denominated in a foreign currency and occasionally to manage risks related to future sales expected to be denominated in a foreign currency. Before entering into a derivative transaction for hedging purposes, it is determined that a high degree of initial effectiveness exists between the change in value of the hedged item and the change in the value of the derivative instrument from movement in exchange rates. High effectiveness means that the change in the cash flows of the derivative instrument will effectively offset the change in the cash flows of the hedged item. The effectiveness of each hedged item is measured throughout the hedged period and is based on the dollar offset methodology and excludes the portion of the fair value of the foreign currency forward exchange contract attributable to the change in spot-forward difference which is reported in current period earnings. Any hedge ineffectiveness is also recognized as a gain or loss on foreign currency in the income statement. For hedge contracts that are no longer deemed highly effective, hedge accounting is discontinued and gains and losses accumulated in other comprehensive income are reclassified to earnings. If it is probable that the forecasted transaction will no longer occur, then any gains or losses accumulated in other comprehensive income are reclassified to current-period earnings. 

Gains and losses in derivatives designated as hedges are accumulated in other comprehensive income (loss) and gains and losses in derivatives not designated as hedges are included in (gain) loss on foreign currency on the accompanying income statements. Such gains and losses were immaterial for both six month periods ended June 30, 2020 and 2019.

All derivative instruments are reported as either assets or liabilities on the balance sheet measured at fair value. The valuation of interest rate swaps resulted in a liability which is included in long-term debt on the accompanying balance sheets. The valuation of foreign currency forward exchange contracts at June 30, 2020 resulted in an asset and is included in other current assets on the accompanying balance sheet.

At June 30, 2020, we had foreign currency contracts in the form of forward exchange contracts in the amount of approximately U.S. $2.7 million which all have maturities of less than one year.

The Company leases its offices and warehouses, vehicles, and certain office equipment, substantially all of which are classified as operating leases. The Company currently has no material financing leases. The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating lease assets and obligations are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term.

In determining lease asset value, the Company considers fixed or variable payment terms, prepayments, incentives, and options to extend or terminate, depending on the lease. Renewal, termination or purchase options affect the lease term used for determining lease asset value only if the option is reasonably certain to be exercised. The Company generally uses its incremental borrowing rate based on information available at the lease commencement date for the location in which the lease is held in determining the present value of lease payments.

As of June 30, 2020, the weighted average remaining lease term was 6.1 years and the weighted average discount rate used to determine the operating lease liability was 2.6%. Rental expense related to operating leases was $1.5 million and $3.3 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, respectively, as compared to $1.1 million and $2.9 million for the corresponding periods of the prior year. Operating lease payments included in operating cash flows totaled $3.0 million and $3.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Noncash additions to operating lease assets totaled $1.0 million and $35.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

The Company maintains stock option programs for key employees, executives and directors. The plans, all of which have been approved by shareholder vote, provide for the granting of both nonqualified and incentive options. Options granted under the plans typically have a six-year term and vest over a four to five-year period. The fair value of shares vested for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 aggregated $0.08 million and $0.07 million, respectively. Compensation cost is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award. It is generally our policy to issue new shares upon exercise of stock options.

The following table sets forth information with respect to nonvested options for the six month period ended June 30, 2020:

Share based payment expense decreased income before income taxes by $1.07 million and $1.19 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, respectively, as compared to $0.95 million and $1.9 million for the corresponding periods of the prior year. Share based payment expense decreased income attributable to Inter Parfums, Inc. by $0.67 million and $0.86 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, respectively, as compared to $0.56 million and $1.14 million for the corresponding periods of the prior year.

The following table summarizes stock option information as of June 30, 2020:

As of June 30, 2020, the weighted average remaining contractual life of options outstanding is 3.53 years (2.13 years for options exercisable), the aggregate intrinsic value of options outstanding and options exercisable is $6.1 million and $4.3 million, respectively, and unrecognized compensation cost related to stock options outstanding aggregated $5.2 million.

Cash proceeds, tax benefits and intrinsic value related to stock options exercised during the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 were as follows:

The weighted average fair values of the options granted by Inter Parfums, Inc. during the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 were $12.16 and $14.83 per share, respectively, on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model to calculate the fair value of options granted.

The assumptions used in the Black-Scholes pricing model for the periods ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 are set forth in the following table:

Expected volatility is estimated based on historic volatility of the Company’s common stock. The expected term of the option is estimated based on historic data. The risk-free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant of the option and the dividend yield reflects the assumption that the dividend payout as authorized by the Board of Directors would increase as the earnings of the Company and its stock price continue to increase.

In December 2018, Interparfums SA, our 73% owned French subsidiary, approved a plan to grant an aggregate of 26,600 shares of its stock to employees with no performance condition requirement, and an aggregate of 133,000 shares to officers and managers, subject to certain corporate performance conditions. The shares, subject to adjustment for stock splits, are expected to be distributed in June 2022. In order to avoid dilution of the Company’s ownership of Interparfums SA, all shares to be distributed pursuant to the plan will be pre-existing shares of Interparfums SA purchased in the open market by Interparfums SA in prior years.

In March 2020, due to the potential impact on future net sales and operating results resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the estimated number of shares to be distributed, after forfeited shares, was reduced from 142,571 to 82,162. As the Company had already purchased shares in contemplation of the higher anticipated distribution, shares purchased in excess of the reduced anticipated distribution were transferred to treasury shares at Interparfums SA level.

The fair value of the grant had been determined based on the quoted stock price of Interparfums SA shares as reported by the NYSE Euronext on the date of grant. The original cost of the grant was approximately $4.4 million, and the March 2020 revaluation resulted in a reduction of the cost, to approximately $2.5 million. As a result, a $0.3 million reduction of cost, net, was recorded for the three months ended March 31, 2020.

In June 2020, the performance conditions were modified effecting 96 employees and resulting in an increase in the estimated number of shares to be distributed, after forfeited shares, to 125,341. The increase in shares anticipated to be distributed were transferred from treasury shares at the Interparfums SA level.

The original cost of the grant was approximately $4.4 million, and the June 2020 modification resulted in a revised cost of approximately $3.8 million.

Net income attributable to Inter Parfums, Inc. per common share (“basic EPS”) is computed by dividing net income attributable to Inter Parfums, Inc. by the weighted average number of shares outstanding. Net income attributable to Inter Parfums, Inc. per share assuming dilution (“diluted EPS”), is computed using the weighted average number of shares outstanding, plus the incremental shares outstanding assuming the exercise of dilutive stock options using the treasury stock method.

The reconciliation between the numerators and denominators of the basic and diluted EPS computations is as follows: