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Basis Of Presentation (Policy)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Nature of Business

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Electro-Sensors, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, ESI Investment Company and Senstar Corporation. Senstar has no operations. Intercompany accounts, transactions and earnings have been eliminated in consolidation. The consolidated entity is referred to as “the Company”.

Electro-Sensors, Inc. manufactures and markets a complete line of speed monitoring and motor control systems for industrial machinery. The Company utilizes leading-edge technology to continuously improve its products and make them easier to use with the ultimate goal of manufacturing the industry-preferred product for every market served. These products are sold through an internal sales staff, manufacturer’s representatives, and distributors to a wide variety of manufacturers and processors who use the products to monitor process machinery operations. The Company markets its products to a number of different industries located throughout the United States, Asia, Central America, Canada, and Europe.

In addition, through its subsidiary ESI Investment Company, the Company periodically makes strategic investments in other businesses, primarily when the Company believes that such investments will facilitate development of technology complementary to the Company’s products. Although the Company, through ESI Investment Company, invests in other businesses, the Company does not intend to become an investment company and intends to remain primarily an operating company. The Company’s primary investment is 231,336 shares of Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (“Rudolph”) which is accounted for using the available-for-sale method. See Note 4 for additional information regarding the Company’s investments. The Company’s investments in securities are subject to normal market risks.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue from the sale of its production monitoring equipment when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the product has been shipped or services performed, the fee is fixed and determinable and collection of the resulting receivable is reasonably assured. Occasionally, the Company may offer discounts that are recorded at the time of sale. The Company recognizes revenue on products sold to customers and distributors upon shipment because the contracts do not include post-shipment obligations. In addition to exchanges and warranties, customers have refund rights. The Company’s standard products are used in a wide variety of industries, returns are minimal and insignificant to the consolidated financial statements and are generally recognized when the returned product is received by the Company. In some situations, the Company receives advance payments from its customers. Revenue associated with these advance payments is deferred until the product is shipped or services performed.

Available For Sale Securities

Available for Sale Securities

ESI Investment Company’s portfolio consists primarily of common stocks and government debt securities. The estimated fair value of publicly traded equity securities is based on reported market prices, and therefore subject to the inherent risk of market fluctuations. Management determines the appropriate classification of securities at the date individual investments are acquired, and evaluates the appropriateness of such classification at each balance sheet date.

Since the Company generally does not make investments in anticipation of short-term fluctuations in market prices, investments in equity securities are classified as available-for-sale. Available-for-sale securities with readily determinable values are stated at fair value, and unrealized holding gains and losses, net of the related deferred tax effect, are reported as separate component of stockholders’ equity.

Realized gains and losses on securities, including losses from declines in value of specific securities determined by management to be other-than-temporary, are included in the period realized. There were no other-than-temporary impairments in the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012.

Fair Value Measurements

The Company’s policies incorporate the guidance for accounting for fair value measurements of financial assets and financial liabilities and for fair value measurements of nonfinancial items that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the consolidated financial statements on a recurring basis. The Company’s policies also incorporate the guidance for fair value measurement related to nonfinancial items that are recognized and disclosed at fair value in the consolidated financial statements on a nonrecurring basis. The guidance establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to measurements involving significant unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:

·	Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date.

·	Level 2 inputs are inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.

·	Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.

The level in the fair value hierarchy within which a fair measurement in its entirety falls is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.

The carrying value of cash and cash equivalents, treasury bills, commercial paper, money market funds, investments, trade receivables, accounts payable, and other working capital items approximate fair value at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 due to the short maturity nature of these instruments.

Stock Based Compensation

The Company uses the straight-line method to recognize compensation expense based on the fair value on the date of grant over the requisite service period related to each award. The fair value of stock options is estimated using the Black–Sholes-Merton (“BSM”) option pricing model, which incorporates certain assumptions, such as risk-free interest rate, expected volatility, expected dividend yield, and expected life of options.

Income Taxes

Deferred income taxes are presented as assets or liabilities based on timing differences between financial reporting and tax reporting methods. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are computed for those differences that have future tax consequences using the currently enacted tax laws and rates that apply to the periods in which they are expected to affect taxable income. Income tax expense is the current tax payable or refundable for the period plus or minus the net change in the deferred tax assets and liabilities, excluding the portion of the deferred liability allocated to other comprehensive income. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance to the extent that realization of the related deferred tax asset is not assured. No valuation allowance was deemed necessary at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012.

Use Of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant estimates, including the underlying assumptions, consist of economic lives of property and equipment, realizability of accounts receivable, valuation of deferred tax assets/liabilities, inventories, investments, and stock compensation expense. It is at least reasonably possible that these estimates may change in the near term.

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for income taxes, which may include its accounting policies for recognizing and measuring deferred tax assets and liabilities and related valuation allowances, recognizing investment tax credits, operating loss carryforwards, tax credit carryforwards, and other carryforwards, methodologies for determining its effective income tax rate and the characterization of interest and penalties in the financial statements.

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+ Details

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for investments in debt and equity securities that are classified as available-for-sale. This policy also may describe the entity's accounting treatment for transfers between investment categories, how the entity determines whether impairments of available-for-sale securities are other than temporary, and how the fair values of such securities are determined.

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+ Details

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for revenue recognition. If the entity has different policies for different types of revenue transactions, the policy for each material type of transaction is generally disclosed. If a sales transaction has multiple element arrangements (for example, delivery of multiple products, services or the rights to use assets) the disclosure may indicate the accounting policy for each unit of accounting as well as how units of accounting are determined and valued. The disclosure may encompass important judgment as to appropriateness of principles related to recognition of revenue. The disclosure also may indicate the entity's treatment of any unearned or deferred revenue that arises from the transaction.

+ References+ Details

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for stock option and stock incentive plans. This disclosure may include (1) the types of stock option or incentive plans sponsored by the entity (2) the groups that participate in (or are covered by) each plan (3) significant plan provisions and (4) how stock compensation is measured, and the methodologies and significant assumptions used to determine that measurement.

+ References+ Details

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for the use of estimates in the preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.

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