Fair Value Measurements

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Authoritative guidance on fair value measurements provides a framework for measuring fair value and establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value, giving the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 inputs) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 inputs).

The Company uses valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. In measuring the fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, market data or assumptions are used that the Company believes market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability, including assumptions about risk when appropriate. The Company’s assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis include the following (in thousands):



			Fair Value Measurements Using
	Total		Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
At December 31, 2015:
Cash equivalents	$	52,421	$	52,421	$	—	$	—
At December 31, 2014:
Cash equivalents	$	58,981	$	58,981	$	—	$	—

The Company had no transfers of assets between any of the above levels during the years ended December 31, 2015 or 2014.

Cash equivalents include treasury bills and money market funds that invest in United States government obligations and a Canadian dollar investment account, all with original maturities of three months or less. The original costs of these assets approximate fair value due to their short-term maturity.

Other Financial Instruments:

At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the carrying value of the Company's debt was $250.0 million. The estimated fair value of the debt was approximately $152.5 million at December 31, 2015 and $243.8 million at December 31, 2014. The fair value of the Company's senior notes is based on quoted market prices (Level 1 inputs).

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

+ References + Details