Derivative instruments and hedging activities

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2016

Derivative Instruments And Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative instruments and hedging activities

(6) Derivative instruments and hedging activities

The Company utilizes interest-rate-related derivative instruments to manage its exposure related to changes in interest rates on its variable-rate debt instruments. The Company does not enter into derivative instruments for any purpose other than cash flow hedging. The Company does not speculate using derivative instruments.

By using derivative financial instruments to hedge exposures to changes in interest rates, the Company exposes itself to credit risk and market risk. Credit risk is the failure of the counterparty to perform under the terms of the derivative contract. When the fair value of a derivative contract is an asset, the counterparty owes the Company, which creates credit risk for the Company. When the fair value of a derivative contract is a liability, the Company owes the counterparty and, therefore, the Company is not exposed to the counterparty’s credit risk in those circumstances. The Company minimizes counterparty credit risk in derivative instruments by entering into transactions with high-quality counterparties whose credit rating is higher than A1/A+ at the inception of the derivative transaction. The derivative instruments entered into by the Company do not contain credit-risk-related contingent features.

Market risk is the adverse effect on the value of a derivative instrument that results from a change in interest rates. The market risk associated with interest-rate contracts is managed by establishing and monitoring parameters that limit the types and degree of market risk that may be undertaken.

The Company assesses interest rate risk by continually identifying and monitoring changes in interest rate exposures that may adversely impact expected future cash flows and by evaluating hedging opportunities. The Company monitors interest rate risk attributable to both the Company’s outstanding or forecasted debt obligations as well as the Company’s offsetting hedge positions.

In September 2014 and September 2015, the Company entered into a series of interest rate caps. As of June 30, 2016, the Company had interest rate cap agreements with notional amounts of $219,000 outstanding that were entered into in order to hedge LIBOR greater than 1.5%.

The interest rate cap balances of $134 and $1,147 were recorded within other assets in the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. These amounts have been measured at fair value and are considered to be a Level 2 fair value measurement. The Company recorded a reduction to the value of its interest rate caps of $662, net of tax of $128, within other comprehensive loss during the six months ended June 30, 2016.

As of June 30, 2016, the Company does not expect to reclassify any amounts included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into earnings during the next 12 months. Transactions and events expected to occur over the next 12 months that will necessitate reclassifying these derivatives’ loss to earnings include the re-pricing of variable-rate debt.