DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 30, 2017

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

The Company manages risk from foreign currency rate risk related to foreign currency denominated transactions and from natural gas supply pricing. From time to time, the Company manages these risks using derivative financial instruments. Some of these derivative financial instruments are marked to market and recorded in the Company’s consolidated statements of earnings, while others may be accounted for as a fair value, cash flow, or net investment hedge. Derivative financial instruments have credit risk and market risk. To manage credit risk, the Company only enters into derivative transactions with counterparties who are recognized, stable multinational banks.

Natural Gas Prices: Natural gas supplies to meet production requirements of production facilities are purchased at market prices. Natural gas market prices are volatile and the Company effectively fixes prices for a portion of its natural gas usage requirements of certain of its U.S. facilities through the use of swaps. These contracts reference physical natural gas prices or appropriate NYMEX futures contract prices. While there is a strong correlation between the NYMEX futures contract prices and the Company’s delivered cost of natural gas, the use of financial derivatives may not exactly offset the change in the price of physical gas. The contracts are traded in months forward and settlement dates are scheduled to coincide with gas purchases during that future period. The financial effects of these derivatives in 2017 and 2016 were minimal.

Interest Rate Fluctuations: In prior years, the Company executed contracts to lock in the treasury rate related to the issuance of each of their unsecured notes due in 2020, 2044, and 2054. These contracts were executed to hedge the risk of potential fluctuations in the treasury rates which would change the amount of net proceeds received from the debt offering. As the benchmark rate component of the fixed rate debt issuance and the cash flow hedged risk is based on that same benchmark, each was deemed an effective hedge at inception. The settlement with each of the counterparties was recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and at December 30, 2017, the Company has a $2,545 deferred loss and a $4,312 deferred gain related to the past settlement of these forward contracts. The amount is amortized as a reduction of interest expense (for the deferred gain) or an increase in interest expense (for the deferred loss) over the term of the debt.

Foreign Currency Fluctuations: The Company operates in a number of different foreign countries and may enter into business transactions that are in currencies that are different from a given operation’s functional currency. In certain cases, the Company may enter into foreign currency exchange contracts to manage a portion of the foreign exchange risk associated with a receivable or payable denominated in a foreign currency, a forecasted transaction or a series of forecasted transactions denominated in a foreign currency, or an investment in foreign operations with a different functional currency.

(15) DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS (Continued)

In July 2017, the Company entered into two six-month foreign currency forward contracts which qualified as net investment hedges, in order to mitigate foreign currency risk on our grinding media business that is denominated in both Australian dollars and British pounds. The Company announced its intention to divest of this business in August 2017 and regulatory approval in Australia is currently pending. The forward contracts have a maturity date of January 2018 and a notional amount to sell British pounds and Australian dollars and receive$24,059and$21,222, respectively. The unrealized loss recorded at December 30, 2017 is$826($619after tax) and is included in Accounts Payable on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. No ineffectiveness has resulted from the hedge and the balance is recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Other Comprehensive Income within gain/(loss) on hedging activities. When the forward contracts mature, the realized gain (loss) will be deferred in other comprehensive income (loss) where it will remain until the grinding media business is divested.

In 2016, the Company entered into a one-year foreign currency forward contract which qualified as a net investment hedge, in order to mitigate foreign currency risk on a portion of our investments denominated in British pounds. The forward contract had a notional amount to sell British pounds and receive $44,000, and matured in May 2017. The realized gain of$5,123 ($3,150 after tax) has been deferred in other comprehensive income (loss) where it will remain until the Company's net investments in its British subsidiaries are divested. No ineffectiveness resulted from the hedge prior to its maturity.