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ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)
6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Accounting Estimates

Accounting Estimates

The preparation of the Company's 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 reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions.

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Forward and its wholly owned subsidiaries (Forward US, Forward Switzerland, Forward HK, Forward APAC, and Forward UK). All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Reclassifications

Reclassifications

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified, in addition to discontinued operations as disclosed in Note 3, to conform to the current period presentation.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist primarily of cash on deposit and highly liquid money market accounts, short-term bonds, and certificates of deposit with original contractual maturities of three months or less, predominately in U.S. dollar denominated instruments. The Company may purchase these short-term bonds with anticipated maturity of 90 days or less at a premium or discount. The Company records these investments as cash and cash equivalents net of amortization of premium or discount. The Company minimizes its credit risk associated with cash and cash equivalents by investing in high quality instruments and by periodically evaluating the credit quality of the primary financial institution issuers of such instruments. The Company holds cash and cash equivalents at major financial institutions in the United States, at which cash amounts may significantly exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s insured limits. At March 31, 2013, this amount was approximately $3.7 million. Historically, the Company has not experienced any losses due to such cash concentrations.

Marketable Securities

Marketable Securities

The Company has investments in marketable securities that are classified as trading and are recorded at fair value with the corresponding unrealized holding gains or losses, net of taxes, recognized in earnings. The fair value of marketable securities is determined based on quoted market prices at the consolidated balance sheet dates. The cost of marketable securities sold is determined by the specific identification method. At September 30, 2012, the Company classified its investments in marketable securities as “available-for-sale”. Securities that are classified as available-for-sale are recorded at fair value with the corresponding unrealized holding gains and losses, net of taxes, are recorded as a separate component of “Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss” within shareholders’ equity.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable consist of unsecured trade accounts with customers or their contract manufacturers. The Company performs periodic credit evaluations of its customers including an evaluation of days outstanding, payment history, recent payment trends, and perceived creditworthiness, and believes that adequate allowances for any uncollectible receivables are maintained. Credit terms to customers generally range from net thirty (30) days to net ninety (90) days. The Company has not historically experienced significant credit or collection problems with its OEM customers or their contract manufacturers. The Company established an allowance for doubtful accounts with respect to its continuing operations of approximately $22,000 at March 31, 2013. The Company did not require an allowance for doubtful accounts with respect to its continuing operations at September 30, 2012.

Inventories

Inventories

Inventories consist primarily of finished goods and are stated at the lower of cost (determined by the first-in, first-out method) or market.  Based on management’s estimates, an allowance is made to reduce excess, obsolete, or otherwise un-saleable inventories to net realizable value. The allowance is established through charges to cost of goods sold in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss). As reserved inventory is disposed of, the Company charges off the associated allowance.  In determining the adequacy of the allowance, management’s estimates are based upon several factors, including analyses of inventory levels, historical loss trends, sales history, and projections of future sales demand. The Company’s estimates of the allowance may change from time to time based on management’s assessments, and such changes could be material. The Company did not require an allowance for obsolete inventory with respect to its continuing operations at March 31, 2013. At September 30, 2012, the allowance for obsolete inventory of the Company’s continuing operations was approximately $99,000.

Property and Equipment

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment consist of furniture, fixtures, and equipment and leasehold improvements and are recorded at cost. Expenditures for major additions and improvements are capitalized, and minor replacements, maintenance, and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. When property and equipment are retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is included in the results of operations for the respective period. Depreciation is provided over the estimated useful lives of the related assets using the straight-line method. The estimated useful life for furniture, fixtures and equipment ranges from three to ten years. Amortization of leasehold improvements is computed using the straight-line method over the shorter of the remaining lease term or the estimated useful lives of the improvements. For the three-month periods ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company recorded approximately $19,000 and $22,000 of depreciation and amortization expense, respectively. For the six-month periods ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company recorded approximately $36,000 and $44,000 of depreciation and amortization expense from continuing operations, respectively.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for its income taxes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, which requires, among other things, recognition of future tax benefits and liabilities measured at enacted rates attributable to temporary differences between financial statement and income tax bases of assets and liabilities and to net tax operating loss carryforwards to the extent that realization of these benefits is more likely than not. The Company periodically evaluates the realizability of its net deferred tax assets.  See Note 7 to these Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company’s policy is to account for interest and penalties relating to income taxes, if any, in “income tax expense” in its consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) and include accrued interest and penalties within the “accrued liabilities” in its consolidated balance sheets, if applicable. For the three and six month periods ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, no income tax related interest or penalties were assessed or recorded.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

The Company generally recognizes revenue from product sales to its customers when: (1) title and risk of loss are transferred (in general, these conditions occur at either point of shipment or point of destination, depending on the terms of sale); (2) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (3) the Company has no continuing obligations to the customer; and (4) collection of the related accounts receivable is reasonably assured.

Shipping and Handling Costs

Shipping and Handling Costs

The Company classifies shipping and handling costs including inbound and outbound freight charges, purchasing and receiving costs, inspection costs, warehousing costs, internal transfer costs, and other costs associated with the Company’s Asia-based distribution capability, as a component of cost of goods sold in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss).

Foreign Currency Transactions

Foreign Currency Transactions

The functional currency of the Company and its wholly-owned foreign subsidiaries is the U.S. dollar (except for Forward UK, which is the British Pound). Foreign currency transactions may generate receivables or payables that are fixed in terms of the amount of foreign currency that will be received or paid. Fluctuations in exchange rates between such foreign currency and the functional currency increase or decrease the expected amount of functional currency cash flows upon settlement of the transaction. These increases or decreases in expected functional currency cash flows are foreign currency transaction gains or losses that are included in “other income (expense), net” in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss). The net gains or losses from foreign currency transactions for continuing operations was approximately a $4,000 loss and $13,000 gain for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. For the six-month periods ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company recorded approximately $14,000 and $20,000 in foreign currency transaction losses, respectively. Such foreign currency transaction gains and losses were primarily the result of Euro denominated sales to certain customers.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

Accumulated other comprehensive loss, which is included as a component of Shareholders’ Equity, includes unrealized gains or losses on available-for-sale securities (as of September 30, 2012) and currency translation adjustments related to the Company’s foreign subsidiaries.

Fair value of financial instruments

Fair value of financial instruments

For certain of the Company’s financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and other accrued liabilities, the carrying amount approximates fair value due to the short-term maturities of these instruments. The Company records its financial instruments that are accounted for under Accounting Standard Codification (“ASC”) 320, “Investments-Debt and Equity Securities” (“ASC 320”) at fair value. The determination of fair value is based upon the fair value framework established by ASC 820. ASC 820 provides that a fair value measurement assumes that the transaction to sell an asset or transfer a liability occurs in the principal market for the asset or liability or, in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market for the asset or liability. The fair value hierarchy is broken down into three levels based on the source of inputs as follows: (a) Level 1 – valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities; (b) Level 2 – valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active, or financial instruments for which all significant inputs are observable; either directly or indirectly; and (c) Level 3 – valuations based on prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable, thus, reflecting assumptions about the market participants.

Share-Based Compensation

Share-Based Compensation

The Company recognizes share-based compensation in its consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) at the grant-date fair value of stock options and other equity-based compensation. The determination of grant-date fair value is estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, which includes variables such as the expected volatility of the Company’s share price, the exercise behavior of its grantees, interest rates, and dividend yields. These variables are projected based on the Company’s historical data, experience, and other factors. Changes in any of these variables could result in material increases to the valuation of options granted in future periods and increases in the expense recognized for share-based payments. In the case of awards with multiple vesting periods, the Company has elected to use the graded vesting attribution method, which recognizes compensation cost on a straight-line basis over each separately vesting portion of the award as if the award was, in-substance, multiple awards. Refer to Note 6 Share-Based Compensation. In addition, the Company recognizes share-based compensation to non-employees based upon the fair value, using the Black-Scholes pricing model, determined at the deemed measurement dates over the related contract service period.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standard Update 2013-02 “Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income” (“ASU 2013-02”). ASU 2013-02 requires an entity to provide information about the amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income by component. ASU 2013-02 is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those periods beginning after December 15, 2012. ASU 2013-02 will be effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2014 and is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.