comprehensive income within the Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity. In the translation of our Consolidated Statements of Income, a weaker U.S. Dollar in relation to foreign functional currencies benefits our consolidated earnings whereas a stronger U.S. Dollar reduces our consolidated earnings. The impact of foreign exchange rate fluctuations on the translation of our consolidated Revenues was a detriment of approximately $1,171 million and $288 million for the years ended May 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The impact of foreign exchange rate fluctuations on the translation of our Income before income taxes was a detriment of approximately $221 million and $49 million for the years ended May 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. 

Managing Translational Exposures 

To minimize the impact of translating foreign currency denominated revenues and expenses into U.S. Dollars for consolidated reporting, certain foreign subsidiaries use excess cash to purchase U.S. Dollar denominated available- for-sale investments. The variable future cash flows associated with the purchase and subsequent sale of these U.S. Dollar denominated securities at non-U.S. Dollar functional currency subsidiaries creates a foreign currency exposure that qualifies for hedge accounting under the accounting standards for derivatives and hedging. We utilize forward contracts and/or options to mitigate the variability of the forecasted future purchases and sales of these U.S. Dollar investments. The combination of the purchase and sale of the U.S. Dollar investment and the hedging instrument has the effect of partially offsetting the year-over-year foreign currency translation impact on net earnings in the period the investments are sold. Hedges of available-for-sale investments are accounted for as cash flow hedges. 

Refer to Note 6 — Fair Value Measurements and Note 17 — Risk Management and Derivatives in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional description of how the above financial instruments are valued and recorded as well as the fair value of outstanding derivatives at each reported period end. 

We estimate the combination of translation of foreign currency-denominated profits from our international businesses and the year-over-year change in foreign currency related gains and losses included in Other (income) expense, net had an unfavorable impact of approximately $73 million and $139 million on our Income before income taxes for the years ended May 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. 

Net Investments in Foreign Subsidiaries 

We are also exposed to the impact of foreign exchange fluctuations on our investments in wholly-owned foreign subsidiaries denominated in a currency other than the U.S. Dollar, which could adversely impact the U.S. Dollar value of these investments and therefore the value of future repatriated earnings. We have, in the past, hedged and may, in the future, hedge net investment positions in certain foreign subsidiaries to mitigate the effects of foreign exchange fluctuations on these net investments. These hedges are accounted for in accordance with the accounting standards for net investment hedges.