Note 3 - Fair Values of Assets and Liabilities

9 Months Ended

Nov. 01, 2014

3. Fair values of assets and liabilities

Fair value is defined as, “the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (exit price).” The accounting standards establish a consistent framework for measuring fair value and disclosure requirements about fair value measurements and among other things, require us to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value.

Fair value hierarchy

The accounting standards discuss valuation techniques, such as the market approach (comparable market prices), the income approach (present value of future income or cash flow), and the cost approach (cost to replace the service capacity of an asset or replacement cost). The standards utilize a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels. The following is a brief description of those three levels:

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Level 1

- Valuation is based upon quoted prices for identical instruments traded in active markets.

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Level 2

- Valuation is based upon quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-based valuation techniques for which all significant assumptions are observable in the market.

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Level 3

- Valuation is generated from model-based techniques that use significant assumptions not observable in the market. These unobservable assumptions reflect our estimate of assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Valuation techniques include use of option pricing models, discounted cash flow models, and similar techniques.

Determination of fair value

Our cash equivalents and marketable securities are classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted market prices, broker or dealer quotations or alternative pricing sources with reasonable levels of price transparency. The types of marketable securities valued based on quoted market prices in active markets include most U.S. government and agency securities, sovereign government obligations, money market securities and certain corporate obligations with high credit ratings and an ongoing trading market.

Our foreign currency derivative instruments were classified as Level 2 because they are valued using quoted prices and other observable data of similar instruments in active markets.

The tables below present the balances of our assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of November 1, 2014 and February 1, 2014 (in thousands):

	November 1 , 201 4
	Fair Value		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Corporate bonds	$	11,707	$	11,707	$	-	$	-
Money market funds		14,260		14,260		-		-
Fixed income mutual funds		1,309		1,309		-		-
Total cash equivalents and marketable securities		27,276		27,276		-		-
Restricted cash		1,500		1,500		-		-
Total assets measured at fair value	$	28,776	$	28,776	$	-	$	-

SIGMA DESIGNS, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

	February 1 , 201 4
	Fair Value		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Corporate bonds	$	21,494	$	21,494	$	-	$	-
Money market funds		13,521		13,521		-		-
Municipal bonds and notes		508		508		-		-
Fixed income mutual funds		1,294		1,294		-		-
Total cash equivalents and marketable securities		36,817		36,817		-		-
Restricted cash		1,775		1,775		-		-
Derivative instruments asset		35		-		35		-
Total assets measured at fair value	$	38,627	$	38,592	$	35	$	-

Assets measured and recorded at fair value on a non-recurring basis

Our non-marketable preferred stock investments in privately-held venture capital funded technology companies are recorded at cost and are adjusted to fair value only in the event that they become other-than-temporarily impaired. As of November 1, 2014, we held equity investments in three privately-held venture capital funded technology companies and an equity investment in one joint venture, with an aggregate carrying value of $3.3 million. During the second quarter of fiscal 2015, we recorded impairment charges of $0.6 million on one of these equity investments as we concluded the impairment to be other-than-temporary. We did not identify any other events or changes in circumstances that may have had a significant adverse effect on the fair value of these investments as of November 1, 2014. Each of these equity investments in privately-held companies constituted less than a 20% ownership position. Furthermore, we do not believe that we have the ability to exert significant influence over any of these companies.

- 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.

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