NOTE N – MARKET RISKS AND DERIVATIVE AND HEDGE CONTRACTS

We are exposed to financial and market risks that affect our businesses. We have currency exchange rate risk exposure related to transactions denominated in a foreign currency as well as to investments in certain of our international operations. As a result of our variable rate bank credit facilities, including the variable rate credit facility of CCLP, we face market risk exposure related to changes in applicable interest rates. We have concentrations of credit risk as a result of trade receivables owed to us by companies in the energy industry. Our financial risk management activities may at times involve, among other measures, the use of derivative financial instruments, such as swap and collar agreements, to hedge the impact of market price risk exposures. For hedge contracts qualifying for hedge accounting treatment, we formally document all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as our risk management objectives, our strategies for undertaking various hedge transactions, and our methods for assessing and testing correlation and hedge ineffectiveness. All hedging instruments are linked to the hedged asset, liability, firm commitment, or forecasted transaction. We also assess, both at the inception of the hedge and on an ongoing basis, whether the derivatives that are used in these hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in cash flows of the hedged items.

Derivative Contracts

Foreign Currency Derivative Contracts. In October 2013, we and CCLP began entering into 30-day foreign currency forward derivative contracts as part of a program designed to mitigate the currency exchange rate risk exposure on selected transactions of certain foreign subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2014, we and CCLP had the following foreign currency derivative contracts outstanding relating to a portion of our foreign operations:



Derivative Contracts	US Dollar Notional Amount		Traded Exchange Rate	Settlement Date
	(In Thousands)
Forward purchase pounds sterling	$	4,484	£1.56	1/16/2015
Forward purchase Brazilian real	$	1,958	2.66	1/16/2015
Forward purchase Canadian dollar	$	3,770	1.16	1/16/2015
Forward sale Mexican peso	$	8,427	14.74	1/16/2015
Forward purchase Canadian dollar	$	1,150	1.16	1/16/2015

As of December 31, 2013, we and CCLP had the following foreign currency derivative contracts outstanding relating to a portion of our foreign operations:



Derivative Contracts	US Dollar Notional Amount		Traded Exchange Rate	Settlement Date
	(In Thousands)
Forward sale Mexican pesos	$	10,332	13.01	1/17/2014
Forward purchase Mexican pesos	$	5,928	13.01	1/17/2014
Forward purchase euros	$	7,984	€1.38	1/17/2014
Forward purchase pounds sterling	$	3,149	£1.63	1/17/2014

Under this program, we and CCLP may enter into similar derivative contracts from time to time. Although contracts pursuant to this program will serve as an economic hedge of the cash flow of our currency exchange risk exposure, they will not be formally designated as hedge contracts or qualify for hedge accounting treatment. Accordingly, any change in the fair value of these derivative instruments during a period will be included in the determination of earnings for that period.

The fair value of foreign currency derivative instruments are based on quoted market values as reported to us by our counterparty (a Level 2 measurement) . The fair values of our foreign currency derivative instruments as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, are as follows:



Foreign currency derivative instruments	Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value at December 31, 2014			Fair Value at December 31, 2013
		(In Thousands)
Forward purchase contracts	Current assets	$	—		$	72
Forward sale contracts	Current assets	—			32
Forward sale contracts	Current liabilities	(91		)	—
Forward purchase contracts	Current liabilities	(83		)	(52		)
Total		$	(174	)	$	52

None of the foreign currency derivative contracts contain credit risk related contingent features that would require us to post assets or collateral for contracts that are classified as liabilities. During the year ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, we recognized approximately $1.9 million and $34,000 of net losses reflected in other expense associated with our foreign currency derivative program.

Other Hedge Contracts

Transaction gains and losses attributable to a foreign currency transaction that is designated as, and is effective as, an economic hedge of a net investment in a foreign entity is subject to the same accounting as translation adjustments. As such, the effect of a rate change on a foreign currency hedge is the same as the accounting for the effect of the rate change on the net foreign investment; both are recorded in the cumulative translation account, a component of stockholders’ equity, and are partially or fully offsetting. In July 2012, we borrowed 10.0 million euros and designated the borrowing as a hedge of our net investment in our European operations. Changes in the foreign currency exchange rate have resulted in a cumulative change to the cumulative translation adjustment account of $0.6 million net of taxes, at December 31, 2014, with no ineffectiveness recorded. This 10.0 million euros borrowing was repaid in September 2014.