U.S. GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value and establishes disclosure requirements about fair value measurements. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. We considered non-performance risk when determining fair value of our derivative financial instruments.

The fair value hierarchy prescribed under U.S. GAAP contains three levels as follows:

All financial assets or liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis (at least annually) have been segregated into the most appropriate level within the fair value hierarchy based on the inputs used to determine the fair value at the measurement date. The assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis are summarized in the tables below (in thousands):

	As of August 31, 2019
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Fair Value
Assets:
Cash equivalents	$	214,038	$	—	$	—	$	214,038
Pension plan assets				4,603				4,603
Foreign currency forward contracts		—		254		—		254
Total assets at fair value	$	214,038	$	4,857	$	—	$	218,895

	As of August 25, 2018
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Fair Value
Assets:
Cash equivalents	$	103,190	$	—	$	—	$	103,190
Pension plan assets		—		6,325		—		6,325
Foreign currency forward contracts		—		127		—		127
Total assets at fair value	$	103,190	$	6,452	$	—	$	109,642

The Company’s cash equivalents listed above represent money market securities and are classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted market prices. The Company does not adjust the quoted market price for such financial instruments.

The Company’s pension plan assets listed above represent guaranteed deposit accounts that are maintained and operated by Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company (“PRIAC”). All assets are merged with the general assets of PRIAC and are invested predominantly in privately placed securities and mortgages. At the beginning of each calendar year, PRIAC notifies the Company of the annual rates of interest which will be applied to the amounts held in the guaranteed deposit account during the next calendar year. In determining the interest rate to be applied, PRIAC considers the investment performance of the underlying assets of the prior year; however, regardless of the investment performance the Company is contractually guaranteed a minimum rate of return. As such, the Company’s pension plan assets are included within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

The Company’s foreign currency forward contracts represent contracts the Company has entered into to exchange Canadian dollars for U.S. dollars at fixed exchange rates in order to manage its exposure related to certain forecasted Canadian dollar denominated sales of one of its subsidiaries. These contracts are included in prepaid expenses and other current assets and other long-term assets as of August 31, 2019 and August 25, 2018. The fair value of the forward contracts is based on similar exchange traded derivatives and are, therefore, included within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.