6. Investments in Securities

3 Months Ended

Mar. 25, 2012

6. INVESTMENTS IN SECURITIES [Abstract]

Marketable Securities [Text Block]

6. INVESTMENTS IN SECURITIES

We recognize investments in available-for-sale securities as cash equivalents, current investments or long-term investments depending upon each security’s length to maturity. Additionally, those securities identified by management at the time of purchase for funding operations in less than one year are classified as current. The following table summarizes our investments in available-for-sale securities:

	March 25, 2012				December 25, 2011
	Amortized Cost		Fair Value		Amortized Cost		Fair Value
	(In thousands)
Short-term investments:
Fixed income securities	$	151	$	156	$	152	$	157
Long-term investments:
Fixed income securities	454		533		367		438
Other	59		59		59		59

Maturities for the Company’s investments in fixed income securities as of March 25, 2012 were as follows:

	Amount		Percent
	(In thousands)
Matures in less than one year	$	156	23	%
Matures between one and two years	109		16	%
Matures between two and five years	200		29	%
Matures in excess of five years	224		32	%
	$	689	100	%

The Company and certain retirement plans that it sponsors invest in a variety of financial instruments. Certain postretirement funds in which the Company participates hold significant amounts of mortgage-backed securities. However, none of the mortgages collateralizing these securities are considered subprime.

Certain investments are held in trust as compensating balance arrangements for our insurance liability and are classified as long-term based on a maturity date greater than one year from the balance sheet date and management’s intention not to use such assets in the next year.