6. Derivative Instruments

The Company periodically holds interest rate derivative instruments to mitigate exposure to changes in interest rates, in particular one-month LIBOR, with $427.0 million and $501.3 million of borrowings at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, at variable rates. As a matter of policy, management does not use derivatives for speculative purposes. During 2016, the Company entered into one interest rate swap agreement which has notional outstanding amount of $100.0 million, with remaining terms of 28 months as of December 31, 2018. The fair value of the swap at December 31, 2018 and 2017 was $1.7 million and $1.1 million, respectively, representing a net asset. The Company recorded a $(0.4) million, $0.6 million and $25,000 adjustment to interest expense during the three years ended December 31, 2018, respectively from derivative investments.

The Company estimates the fair value of derivative instruments using a discounted cash flow technique and has used creditworthiness inputs that corroborate observable market data evaluating the Company’s and counterparties’ risk of non-performance. Valuation of the derivative instruments requires certain assumptions for underlying variables and the use of different assumptions would result in a different valuation. Management believes it has applied assumptions consistently during the period. The Company applies hedge accounting and accounts for the change in fair value of its cash flow hedges through other comprehensive income for all derivative instruments.

Effect of Derivative Instruments on Earnings in the Statements of Income and of Comprehensive Income

The following tables provide additional information about the financial statement effects related to the cash flow hedges for the three years ended December 31, 2018:


	Amount of Gain Recognized						Location of Gain (Loss)	Amount of Gain (Loss) Reclassified
	in OCI on Derivatives						Reclassified from	from Accumulated OCI into Income
Derivatives in	(Effective Portion)						Accumulated OCI into	(Effective Portion)
Cash Flow Hedging	Years Ended December 31,						Income	Years Ended December 31,
Relationships	2018		2017		2016		(Effective Portion)	2018		2017		2016
	(in thousands)							(in thousands)
Interest rate contracts	$	533	$	1,061	$	69	Interest expense	$	359	$	(621)	$	(25)
Total	$	533	$	1,061	$	69	Total	$	359	$	(621)	$	(25)

The derivatives were designated in a cash flow hedging relationship with the effective portion of the change in fair value of the derivative reported in the cash flow hedges subaccount of accumulated other comprehensive income.

The effective portion of the change in fair value on a derivative instrument designated as a cash flow hedge is reported as a component of other comprehensive income and is reclassified into earnings in the period during which the transaction being hedged affects earnings or it is probable that the forecasted transaction will not occur. The ineffective portion of the hedges is recorded in earnings in the current period. However, these are highly effective hedges and no significant ineffectiveness occurred in the periods presented.

Counterparty Credit Risk

The Company evaluates the creditworthiness of the counterparties under its hedging agreements. The swap counterparty for the interest rate swap entered into during 2016 was a large financial institution in the United States that possessed an investment grade credit rating. Based on this rating, the Company believes that the counterparty was creditworthy and that their continuing performance under the hedging agreement was probable, and did not require the counterparty to provide collateral or other security to the Company.