LOS F requires us to:
explain the requirements for segment reporting and calculate and interpret segment ratios.
a. There could basically be three kinds of segments for any business, i.e. operating segment, business segment, and geographic segment.
b. The operating segment is any segment that:
i. accounts for more than 10% of the company’s assets or revenues,
ii. generates revenues and creates expenses,
iii. whose results are regularly reviewed by the management, and
iv. discrete financial information for the same is available.
c. A business segment is an identifiable component of the company engaged in providing goods or services subject to the risk and return that are unique to that segment.
d. A geographical segment is a segment that is located in a particular region separate from the other regions.
e. As per US GAAP and IFRS, the information for all the segments should be provided separately at least until the cumulative total revenues of all the segments are equal to 75% of the business revenues.
f. The company making the segment reports should additionally report the following:
i. Profit/loss from each segment,
ii. Total assets and liabilities of each segment,
iii. Segment revenues,
iv. Interest expense and interest income attributable to each segment,
v. Capital expenditure of each segment,
vi. Depreciation/amortization of each segment,
vii. Tax expenditure of each segment etc.
g. Apart from this, the companies are also required to report certain ratios like segment margin ratios, segment turnover ratios, segment return on assets, segment debt ratios, etc.
h. The companies should present so much information for each segment, as is necessary for the appraisal of that segment, independent of the company.