FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2018

8. FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Forward Foreign Exchange and Currency Option Contracts

The Corporation has foreign currency exposure primarily in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Canada. The Corporation uses financial instruments, such as forward contracts, to hedge a portion of existing and anticipated foreign currency denominated transactions. The purpose of the Corporation’s foreign currency risk management program is to reduce volatility in earnings caused by exchange rate fluctuations. Guidance on accounting for derivative instruments and hedging activities requires companies to recognize all of the derivative financial instruments as either assets or liabilities at fair value in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets based upon quoted market prices for comparable instruments.

Interest Rate Risks and Related Strategies

The Corporation’s primary interest rate exposure results from changes in U.S. dollar interest rates. The Corporation’s policy is to manage interest cost using a mix of fixed and variable rate debt. The Corporation periodically uses interest rate swaps to manage such exposures. Under these interest rate swaps, the Corporation exchanges, at specified intervals, the difference between fixed and floating interest amounts calculated by reference to an agreed-upon notional principal amount. The Corporation’s foreign exchange contracts and interest rate swaps are considered Level 2 instruments which are based on market based inputs or unobservable inputs and corroborated by market data such as quoted prices, interest rates, or yield curves.

Effects on Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

As of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the fair values of the asset and liability derivative instruments are immaterial.

Effects on Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings

Undesignated hedges

The location and amount of (gains) and losses recognized in income on forward exchange derivative contracts not designated for hedge accounting for the three months ended March 31, were as follows:



	Three Months Ended
(In thousands)	March 31,
Derivatives not designated as hedging instrument	2018			2017
Forward exchange contracts:
General and administrative expenses	$	(353	)	$	707

Debt

The estimated fair value amounts were determined by the Corporation using available market information that is primarily based on quoted market prices for the same or similar issuances as of March 31, 2018. Accordingly, all of the Corporation’s debt is valued at a Level 2. The fair values described below may not be indicative of net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. Furthermore, the use of different methodologies to determine the fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different estimate of fair value at the reporting date.



	March 31, 2018						December 31, 2017
(In thousands)	Carrying Value			Estimated Fair Value			Carrying Value			Estimated Fair Value
3.84% Senior notes due 2021	100,000			101,165			100,000			102,472
3.70% Senior notes due 2023	225,000			225,407			225,000			228,783
3.85% Senior notes due 2025	100,000			100,123			100,000			102,164
4.24% Senior notes due 2026	200,000			203,790			200,000			208,873
4.05% Senior notes due 2028	75,000			74,972			75,000			76,997
4.11% Senior notes due 2028	100,000			100,424			100,000			103,226
Other debt	982			982			150			150
Total debt	800,982			806,863			800,150			822,665
Debt issuance costs, net	(796		)	(796		)	(831		)	(831		)
Unamortized interest rate swap proceeds	14,372			14,372			14,820			14,820
Total debt, net	$	814,558		$	820,439		$	814,139		$	836,654

- Definition

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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