FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

3 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

Fair Value Measurements [Abstract]

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

3. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

We perform fair value measurements in accordance with the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 820, Fair Value Measurement. ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities required to be recorded at their fair values, we consider the principal or most advantageous market in which we would transact and consider assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the assets or liabilities, such as inherent risk, transfer restrictions and risk of nonperformance.

ASC 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. An asset’s or a liability’s categorization within the fair value hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. ASC 820 establishes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

·  Level 1: quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

·  Level 2: inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities; or

·  Level 3: unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair values of the assets or liabilities.

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

Our assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis, excluding accrued interest components, consisted of the following (Level 1 and 2 inputs are defined above):

		August 31, 2015						May 31, 2015
	Fair Value Measurements							Fair Value Measurements
	Using Input Types							Using Input Types
(in millions)	Level 1			Level 2		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Total
Assets:
U.S. Treasury securities	$		615	$	—	$	615	$	668	$	—	$	668
Commercial paper debt securities			—		10,170		10,170		—		9,203		9,203
Corporate debt securities and other			153		31,196		31,349		190		28,654		28,844
Derivative financial instruments			—		75		75		—		74		74
Total assets	$		768	$	41,441	$	42,409	$	858	$	37,931	$	38,789
Liabilities:
Derivative financial instruments	$		—	$	222	$	222	$	—	$	244	$	244

Our marketable securities investments consist of Tier 1 commercial paper debt securities, corporate debt securities and certain other securities. As of August 31, 2015 and May 31, 2015, approximately 35% and 28%, respectively, of our marketable securities investments mature within one year and 65% and 72%, respectively, mature within one to six years. Our valuation techniques used to measure the fair values of our marketable securities that were classified as Level 1 in the table above were derived from quoted market prices and active markets for these instruments exist. Our valuation techniques used to measure the fair values of Level 2 instruments listed in the table above, the counterparties to which have high credit ratings, were derived from the following: non-binding market consensus prices that were corroborated by observable market data, quoted market prices for similar instruments, or pricing models, such as discounted cash flow techniques, with all significant inputs derived from or corroborated by observable market data including LIBOR-based yield curves, among others.

Based on the trading prices of our $42.0 billion of senior notes that were outstanding as of August 31, 2015 and May 31, 2015, the estimated fair values of our borrowings using Level 2 inputs at August 31, 2015 and May 31, 2015 were $43.3 billion and $44.1 billion, respectively.