5. Financial Instruments: Derivatives and Hedging

On July 22, 2016, the Company fixed the interest rate for the period beginning on September 27, 2017 and ending on September 27, 2021 on the BAML Term Loan with multiple interest rate swap agreements (the “2017 Interest Rate Swap”), on August 26, 2013, the Company fixed the interest rate until August 26, 2020 on the BMO Term Loan with an interest rate swap agreement (the “BMO Interest Rate Swap”) and on September 27, 2012, the Company fixed the interest rate until September 27, 2017 on the BAML Term Loan with an interest rate swap agreement (the “BAML Interest Rate Swap”). The variable rates that were fixed under the 2017 Interest Rate Swap, the BMO Interest Rate Swap and the BAML Interest Rate Swap are described in Note 4.

The 2017 Interest Rate Swap, the BMO Interest Rate Swap and the BAML Interest Rate Swap qualify as cash flow hedges and have been recognized on the consolidated balance sheet at fair value. If a derivative qualifies as a hedge, depending on the nature of the hedge, changes in the fair value of the derivative will either be offset against the change in fair value of the hedged asset, liability, or firm commitment through earnings, or recognized in other comprehensive income until the hedged item is recognized in earnings. The ineffective portion of a derivative’s change in fair value will be immediately recognized in earnings, which may increase or decrease reported net income and stockholders’ equity prospectively, depending on future levels of interest rates and other variables affecting the fair values of derivative instruments and hedged items, but will have no effect on cash flows.

The following table summarizes the notional and fair value of our derivative financial instruments at December 31, 2017. The notional value is an indication of the extent of our involvement in these instruments at that time, but does not represent exposure to credit, interest rate or market risks.


	Notional		Strike		Effective	Expiration	Fair
(in thousands)	Value		Rate		Date	Date	Value

2017 Interest Rate Swap	$	400,000	1.12	%	Sep-17	Sep-21	$	13,925
BMO Interest Rate Swap	$	220,000	2.32	%	Aug-13	Aug-20	$	(1,759)

On December 31, 2017, the 2017 Interest Rate Swap was reported an asset at its fair value of approximately $13.9 million and the BMO Interest Rate Swap was reported as a liability at its fair value of approximately $1.8 million. These are included in other liabilities: derivative liability and other assets: derivative asset on the consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2017, respectively. Offsetting adjustments are reported as unrealized gains or losses on derivative financial instruments in accumulated other comprehensive income of $6.7 million.

Over time, the unrealized gains and losses held in accumulated other comprehensive income will be reclassified into earnings as an increase or reduction to interest expense in the same periods in which the hedged interest payments affect earnings. We estimate that approximately $0.3 million of the current balance held in accumulated other comprehensive income will be reclassified into earnings within the next 12 months.

We are hedging the exposure to variability in future cash flows for forecasted transactions in addition to anticipated future interest payments on existing debt.

The fair value of the Company’s derivative instruments are determined using the net discounted cash flows of the expected cash flows of the derivative based on the market based interest rate curve and are adjusted to reflect credit or nonperformance risk. The risk is estimated by the Company using credit spreads and risk premiums that are observable in the market. These financial instruments were classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy and were classified as an asset or liability on the consolidated balance sheets.

The Company’s derivatives are recorded at fair value in other liabilities: derivative liability in the consolidated balance sheets and the effective portion of the derivatives’ fair value is recorded to other comprehensive income in the consolidated statements of other comprehensive income (loss) and the ineffective portion of the derivatives’ fair value is recognized directly into earnings as other in the consolidated statements of income.

The interest rate swaps effectively fix the interest rate on the BAML Term Loan and BMO Term Loan; however, prior to October 18, 2017, there was no floor on the variable interest rate of the swap whereas the BAML Term Loan and BMO Term Loan were subject to a zero percent floor. As a result there was a mismatch and the ineffective portion of the derivatives’ changes in fair value were recognized directly into earnings. On October 18, 2017, the Company amended the BMO Term Loan and BAML Term Loan to, among other changes, provide that the deemed zero percent interest rate floor is not applicable to any loan where there is a corresponding interest rate swap contract in place.