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Fair Value Measurements
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Measurements  
Fair Value Measurements

5.       Fair Value Measurements

 

Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) literature regarding fair value measurements for financial and non-financial assets and liabilities establishes a three-level fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value. This hierarchy requires entities to maximize the use of “observable inputs” and minimize the use of “unobservable inputs.” The three levels of inputs used to measure fair value are as follows:

 

  • Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

 

  • Level 2—Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data; and

 

  • Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities, including certain pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques that use significant unobservable inputs.

 

Fair Value Measurements on a Recurring Basis

 

The table below segregates all financial assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis into the most appropriate level within the fair value hierarchy based on the inputs used to determine the fair value at the measurement date (amounts in millions):

      Fair Value Measurements at  
     March 31, 2015 Using
      Quoted        
      Prices in        
      Active Significant     
      Markets for Other Significant  
   As of Identical Observable Unobservable  
   March 31, Assets Inputs Inputs Balance Sheet
   2015 (Level 1) (Level 2) (Level 3) Classification
Financial Assets:              
Recurring fair value measurements:              
Money market funds  $ 4,271 $ 4,271 $--- $--- Cash and cash equivalents
Foreign government treasury bills   34   34  ---  --- Cash and cash equivalents
Foreign currency forward contracts designated              
 as hedges  14  ---  14  --- Other current assets
Auction rate securities ("ARS")    9  ---  ---   9 Long-term investments
Total recurring fair value measurements  $4,328 $4,305 $14 $9  

      Fair Value Measurements at  
      December 31, 2014 Using 
      Quoted        
      Prices in        
      Active Significant     
      Markets for Other Significant  
   As of Identical Observable Unobservable  
   December 31, Assets Inputs Inputs Balance Sheet
   2014 (Level 1) (Level 2) (Level 3) Classification
Recurring fair value measurements:              
Money market funds  $4,475 $4,475 $--- $--- Cash and cash equivalents
Foreign government treasury bills   40  40  ---  --- Cash and cash equivalents
ARS  9  ---  ---  9 Long-term investments
Total recurring fair value measurements  $4,524 $4,515 $--- $9  

The following tables provide a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of our financial assets classified as Level 3 by major categories (amounts in millions) at March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively:

    Level 3
       Total
      financial
      assets at
    ARSfair
    (a)value
Balance at December 31, 2014 $9 $9
 Total unrealized gains included in other      
  comprehensive income  ---  ---
Balance at March 31, 2015 $9 $9
         
    Level 3
       Total
      financial
      assets at
    ARSfair
    (a)value
Balance at December 31, 2013 $9 $9
 Total unrealized gains included in other      
  comprehensive income  ---  ---
Balance at March 31, 2014 $9 $9

(a)       Fair value measurements have been estimated using an income-approach model. When estimating the fair value, we consider both observable market data and non-observable factors, including credit quality, duration, insurance wraps, collateral composition, maximum rate formulas, comparable trading instruments, and the likelihood of redemption. Significant assumptions used in the analysis include estimates for interest rates, spreads, cash flow timing and amounts, and holding periods of the securities. At March 31, 2015, assets measured at fair value using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3), all of which were ARS, represent less than 1% of our financial assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis.

Foreign Currency Forward Contracts

The Company transacts business in various foreign currencies and has significant international sales and expenses denominated in foreign currencies, subjecting us to foreign currency risk. In addition, the Company transacts intercompany business in various foreign currencies other than its functional currency, subjecting us to variability in the functional currency-equivalent cash flows. To mitigate our foreign currency risk resulting from our foreign currency-denominated monetary assets, liabilities and earnings and our foreign currency risk related to functional currency-equivalent cash flows resulting from our intercompany transactions, we periodically enter into currency derivative contracts, principally forward contracts with maturities of generally less than one year. We report the fair value of these contracts within “Other current assets” or “Other current liabilities” in our condensed consolidated balance sheets based on the prevailing exchange rates of the various hedged currencies as of the end of the relevant period.

We do not hold or purchase any foreign currency forward contracts for trading or speculative purposes.

Foreign Currency Forward Contracts Not Designated as Hedges

For foreign currency forward contracts entered into to mitigate risk from foreign currency-denominated monetary assets, liabilities, and earnings that are not designated as hedging instruments in accordance with FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 815, changes in the estimated fair value of these derivatives are recorded within “General and administrative expenses” and “Interest and other investment income (expense), net” in our condensed consolidated statements of operations, depending on the nature of the underlying transactions.

At March 31, 2015 there were no outstanding foreign currency forward contracts not designated as hedges.  At December 31, 2014, there was one outstanding foreign currency forward contract not designated as a hedge; the notional amount of that foreign currency forward contract was $11 million and the fair value was not material. For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, pre-tax net losses related to these forward contracts were not material.

Foreign Currency Forward Contracts Designated as Hedges

For foreign currency forward contracts entered into to hedge forecasted intercompany cash flows that are subject to foreign currency risk and which we designated as cash flow hedges in accordance with ASC Topic 815, we assess the effectiveness of these cash flow hedges at inception and on an ongoing basis to determine if the hedges are effective at providing offsetting changes in cash flows of the hedged items. We record the effective portion of changes in the estimated fair value of these derivatives in “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” and subsequently reclassify the related amount of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to earnings within “General and administrative expense” when the hedged item impacts earnings. We measure hedge ineffectiveness, if any, and if it is determined that a derivative has ceased to be a highly effective hedge, we will discontinue hedge accounting for the derivative.

 

The gross notional amount of all outstanding foreign currency forward contracts designated as cash flow hedges was approximately $213 million at March 31, 2015. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, there was no ineffectiveness relating to these hedges. The net unrealized gains of approximately $14 million related to these contracts at March 31, 2015 are expected to be reclassified into earnings within the next twelve months. We did not have any outstanding foreign currency forward contracts designated as cash flow hedges at December 31, 2014, or for the three months ended March 31, 2014.

Fair Value Measurements on a Non-Recurring Basis

We measure the fair value of certain assets on a non-recurring basis, generally annually or when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable.

For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, there were no impairment charges related to assets that are measured on a non-recurring basis.