Note 6 - Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

12 Months Ended

Aug. 29, 2015

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Text Block]

6. Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

The Company uses derivative financial instruments to mitigate its exposure to fluctuations in foreign currencies on certain forecasted transactions denominated in foreign currencies. US GAAP requires that all our derivative instruments be recorded on the balance sheet at fair value. All subsequent changes in a derivative’s fair value are recognized in income, unless specific hedge accounting criteria are met.

Derivative instruments that qualify for hedge accounting are classified as a hedge of the variability of cash flows to be received or paid related to a recognized asset, liability or forecasted transaction. Changes in the fair value of a derivative that is highly effective and designated as a cash flow hedge are recognized in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income until the hedged item or forecasted transaction is recognized in earnings. We perform an assessment at the inception of the hedge and on a quarterly basis thereafter, to determine whether our derivatives are highly effective in offsetting changes in the value of the hedged items. Any changes in the fair value resulting from hedge ineffectiveness are immediately recognized as income or expense.

In January 2015, the Company entered into sixteen forward contracts to exchange Canadian dollars (“CAD”) for U.S. dollars at fixed exchange rates in order to manage its exposure related to certain forecasted CAD denominated sales of one of its subsidiaries. The hedged transactions are specified as the first amount of CAD denominated revenues invoiced by one of the Company’s domestic subsidiaries each fiscal quarter, beginning in the third fiscal quarter of 2015 and continuing through the second fiscal quarter of 2019. In total, the Company will sell approximately 31.0 million CAD at an average Canadian-dollar exchange rate of 0.7825 over these quarterly periods. The Company concluded that the forward contracts met the criteria to qualify as a cash flow hedge under US GAAP. Accordingly, the Company has reflected all changes in the fair value of the forward contracts in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, a component of shareholders’ equity. Upon the maturity of each foreign exchange forward contract, the gain or loss on the contract will be recorded as an adjustment to revenues.

As of August 29, 2015, the Company had forward contracts with a notional value of approximately 25.7 million CAD outstanding and recorded the fair value of the contracts of $0.5 million in other long-term assets and a corresponding gain in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, which was recorded net of tax. For the fiscal year ended August 29, 2015, the Company reclassified a nominal amount from accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income to revenue, related to the derivative financial instruments. The gain in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income as of August 29, 2015 is expected to be reclassified to revenues prior to its maturity on February 22, 2019.