Hedging Transactions and Derivative Financial Instruments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Hedging Transactions and Derivative Financial Instruments

Hedging Transactions and Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company is directly and indirectly affected by changes in certain market conditions. When deemed appropriate, DST uses derivative instruments as a risk management tool to mitigate the potential impact of certain market risks. The primary market risks managed by the Company through the use of derivative instruments are foreign currency exchange rate risk and interest rate risk. The Company may use various types of derivative instruments including, but not limited to, forward contracts, option contracts and swaps. The Company does not enter into derivative arrangements for speculative purposes.

The Company determines the fair values of its derivatives based on quoted market prices that are directly or indirectly observable as further discussed within Note 7 of these financial statements. The fair value of the Company's derivative instruments is reflected on a gross, rather than net, basis. The following table presents the fair values of the Company's derivative instruments that were designated and qualified as part of a hedging relationship (in millions):

		Fair Value
		December 31,
Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments	Balance Sheet Location	2013		2012
Foreign currency contracts	Other current liabilities	$	0.4	$	—
Interest rate contracts	Other current liabilities	—		1.9
Interest rate contracts	Other long term liabilities	0.1		0.4
Total liabilities		$	0.5	$	2.3

Cash flow hedging strategy

The Company uses cash flow hedges to minimize the variability in cash flows of assets or liabilities or forecasted transactions caused by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates or interest rates. The changes in the fair values of derivatives designated as cash flow hedges are recorded in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (“AOCI”) and are reclassified into the line item in the consolidated statement of income in which the hedged items are recorded in the same period the hedged items affect earnings. The changes in fair values of hedges that are determined to be ineffective are immediately reclassified from AOCI into earnings. The maximum length of time for which the Company hedges its exposure to future cash flows is typically one to two years.

During 2013, the Company entered into a foreign currency cash flow hedging program to reduce the risk that DST's net cash outflows from intercompany purchases of services from its international subsidiaries that could be adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. The Company entered into forward foreign currency contracts (Thai baht) to hedge certain portions of forecasted cash flows denominated in foreign currencies. The total notional values of derivatives that were designated and qualified for the Company's foreign currency cash flow hedging program were $11.2 million as of December 31, 2013.

The Company monitors the mix of short-term debt and long-term debt regularly. From time to time, the Company manages its risk to interest rate fluctuations through the use of derivative financial instruments. The Company has entered into interest rate swap agreements and has designated these instruments as part of the Company's interest rate cash flow hedging program. The objective of this hedging program is to mitigate the risk of adverse changes in benchmark interest rates on the Company's future interest payments. The total notional values of these interest rate swap agreements that were designated and qualified for the Company's interest rate cash flow hedging program were $7.3 million and $109.6 million as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. As described in Note 10 of these financial statements, the interest rate swap on the Company's real estate credit agreement was settled upon repayment of the loan in September 2013.

The following table presents the pretax impact that changes in the fair values of derivatives designated as cash flow hedges had on AOCI and earnings during the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 (in millions):

	Gain (Loss) Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (“OCI”)			Location of Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income	Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)
2013
Foreign currency contracts	$	(0.4	)	Costs and expenses	$	(0.4	)
Interest rate contracts	(0.8		)	Interest expense	(2.5		)
2012
Interest rate contracts	(0.8		)	Interest expense	(2.8		)
2011
Interest rate contracts	(0.7		)	Interest expense	—

There were no gains or losses recognized into income as a result of ineffectiveness during the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012. As of December 31, 2013, the Company estimates that it will reclassify into earnings during the next 12 months approximately $0.4 million of gains from the pretax amount recorded in AOCI as the anticipated cash flows occur.

Economic (nondesignated) hedging strategy

In addition to derivative instruments that are designated and qualify for hedge accounting, the Company also uses certain derivatives as economic hedges of foreign currency exposure. Although these derivatives were not designated for hedge accounting, they are effective economic hedges. The changes in fair values of economic hedges are immediately recognized into earnings.

In 2013, the Company began using foreign currency economic hedges to offset the earnings impact that fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates have on certain intercompany loans denominated in nonfunctional currencies (Bristish pound and Canadian dollar). The foreign currency economic hedging program consists of rolling, monthly forward foreign currency contracts which generally settle on the last day of each month. As a result, there are minimal unrealized gains or losses at the end of the period related to these contracts. The changes in fair values of economic hedges used to offset those monetary assets and liabilities are immediately recognized into earnings in other income, net in the Company's Consolidated Statement of Income. The total notional values of derivatives related to the Company's foreign currency economic hedges were $115.1 million as of December 31, 2013. The pretax impact that changes in the fair values of derivatives not designated as hedging instruments had on earnings during the year ended December 31, 2013 was not significant.