Note 3 - Fair Values of Assets and Liabilities

12 Months Ended

Jan. 28, 2017

Fair values of assets and liabilities

Determination of fair value

Our cash equivalents and marketable securities are classified within Level

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.

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

	January 28, 2017
	Fair Value		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)

Money market funds	$	3,715	$	3,715	$	-	$	-
Corporate bonds		3,505		3,505		-		-
Fixed income mutual funds		1,276		1,276		-		-
Total cash equivalents and marketable securities		8,496		8,496		-		-
Restricted cash		303		303		-		-
Total assets measured at fair value	$	8,799	$	8,799	$	-	$	-

	January 30, 2016
	Fair Value		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)

Money market funds	$	88	$	88	$	-	$	-
Corporate bonds		7,045		7,045
Fixed income mutual funds		1,287		1,287		-		-
Total cash equivalents and marketable securities		8,420		8,420		-		-
Restricted cash		900		900		-		-
Total assets measured at fair value	$	9,320	$	9,320	$	-	$	-

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

January

28,

2017,

we held an equity investment in

one

privately-held venture capital funded technology company with a carrying value of

$2.0

million. We did not identify any events or changes in circumstances that

may

have had a significant adverse effect on the fair value of this investment as of

January

28,

2017.

During fiscal

2017,

2016

and

2015,

we recorded impairment charges of

$0.8

million, $

0.4

million and

$0.6

million, respectively, in connection with our privately-held investments as we concluded the impairment to be other-than-temporary. 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.

+ References + Details