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Note 10 - Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements

9 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2013

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block]

10. Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements

Our financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, short-term investments, cost and equity method investments, accounts payable and long-term debt. Because of their short maturities, the carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate fair values. Our cost and equity method investments generally involve entities for which it is not practical to determine fair values.

Our short-term investments at August 31, 2013 consist of certificates of deposit (CDs) with terms generally ranging from six to twelve months, bearing interest at rates ranging from 0.12% to 1.00% with a weighted average yield of approximately 0.224%. At August 31, 2013, the weighted average remaining time to maturity of the CDs was approximately eight months. Each CD is placed with a federally insured financial institution and all deposits are within Federal deposit insurance limits. Due to the nature of these investments and their relatively short maturities, the carrying amount of the short-term investments at August 31, 2013 approximates their fair value.

The Company accounts for items measured at fair value in accordance with ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures. ASC 820’s valuation techniques are based on observable and unobservable inputs. Observable inputs reflect readily obtainable data from independent sources, while unobservable inputs reflect our market assumptions. ASC 820 classifies these inputs into the following hierarchy:

Level 1 Inputs– Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets.

Level 2 Inputs– Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations whose inputs are observable or whose significant value drivers are observable.

Level 3 Inputs– Instruments with primarily unobservable value drivers.

Our investment in the Fortress Value Recovery Fund I, LLC (“Fortress”) has been valued at fair value primarily based on the net asset values which are determined by the fund manager, less a discount for illiquidity. Due to significant declines in net asset values during the first quarter of 2012, the highly illiquid nature of the investment and the high degree of uncertainty regarding our ability to recover our investment in the foreseeable future, we have fully impaired the carrying amount of this investment resulting in a charge of $806 during the nine months ended August 25, 2012, which is included in other loss, net, in the condensed consolidated statements of income and retained earnings. The inputs into our estimate of the fair value of our investment in Fortress reflect our market assumptions and are not observable. Consequently, the inputs are considered to be Level 3 as specified in the fair value hierarchy noted above.

The carrying values and approximate fair values of certain financial instruments were as follows:

		August 31, 2013								November 24, 2012
		Carrying Value				Fair Value				Carrying Value				Fair Value
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$	8,904			$	8,904			$	45,566			$	45,566
Accounts receivable, net			16,219				16,219				15,755				15,755
Short-term investments			28,125				28,125				-				-

Liabilities:
Accounts payable		$	19,048			$	19,048			$	22,405			$	22,405
Real estate notes payable			3,115				3,104				3,294				3,668

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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