FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2015

The Company’s cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable, and accrued liabilities are carried at amounts, which reasonably approximate their fair values due to their short-term nature. The Company’s lines of credit, short-term borrowings and long-term debt bear interest at variable and fixed interest rates that approximate market. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Where available, fair value is based on observable market prices or parameters or derived from such prices or parameters. Where observable prices or inputs are not available, valuation models may be applied.

Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value in our balance sheet are categorized based upon the level of judgment associated with the inputs used to measure their fair values. Hierarchical levels directly related to the amount of subjectivity associated with the inputs to fair valuation of these assets and liabilities are as follows:


•	Level 1 - Unadjusted observable quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets.


•	Level 2 - Observable inputs other than those included in Level 1. For example, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in inactive markets.


•	Level 3 - Unobservable inputs reflecting management's own assumptions about the inputs used in pricing the asset or liability.

Financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis are classified on the valuation technique level in the table below:



March 31, 2015	Total			Level 1		Level 2			Level 3
Cash and cash equivalents	$	146,116		$	146,116	$	—		$	—
Short-term investments	—			—		—			—
Derivatives	(123		)	—		(123		)	—
Other long-term assets	550			—		550			—
Total assets and liabilities at fair value	$	146,543		$	146,116	$	427		$	—



September 30, 2014	Total			Level 1		Level 2			Level 3
Cash and cash equivalents	$	128,537		$	128,537	$	—		$	—
Short-term investments	13,121			13,121		—			—
Derivatives	(92		)	—		(92		)	—
Other long-term assets	550			—		550			—
Total assets and liabilities at fair value	$	142,116		$	141,658	$	458		$	—

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

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