
8.	Investments


(a)	Summary of Available-for-Sale Investments

The following tables summarize the Company’s available-for-sale investments (in millions):



July 26, 2014	Amortized Cost		Gross Unrealized Gains		Gross Unrealized Losses			Fair Value
Fixed income securities:
U.S. government securities	$	31,717	$	29	$	(12	)	$	31,734
U.S. government agency securities	1,062		1		—			1,063
Non-U.S. government and agency securities	860		2		(1		)	861
Corporate debt securities	9,092		74		(7		)	9,159
U.S. agency mortgage-backed securities	574		5		—			579
Total fixed income securities	43,305		111		(20		)	43,396
Publicly traded equity securities	1,314		648		(10		)	1,952
Total	$	44,619	$	759	$	(30	)	$	45,348

July 27, 2013	Amortized Cost		Gross Unrealized Gains		Gross Unrealized Losses			Fair Value
Fixed income securities:
U.S. government securities	$	27,814	$	22	$	(13	)	$	27,823
U.S. government agency securities	3,083		7		(1		)	3,089
Non-U.S. government and agency securities	1,094		3		(2		)	1,095
Corporate debt securities	7,876		55		(50		)	7,881
Total fixed income securities	39,867		87		(66		)	39,888
Publicly traded equity securities	2,063		738		(4		)	2,797
Total	$	41,930	$	825	$	(70	)	$	42,685

Non-U.S. government and agency securities include agency and corporate debt securities that are guaranteed by non-U.S. governments.


(b)	Gains and Losses on Available-for-Sale Investments

The following table presents the gross realized gains and gross realized losses related to the Company’s available-for-sale investments (in millions):



Years Ended	July 26, 2014			July 27, 2013			July 28, 2012
Gross realized gains	$	341		$	264		$	561
Gross realized losses	(41		)	(216		)	(460		)
Total	$	300		$	48		$	101

The following table presents the realized net gains related to the Company’s available-for-sale investments by security type (in millions):



Years Ended	July 26, 2014		July 27, 2013		July 28, 2012
Net gains on investments in publicly traded equity securities	$	253	$	17	$	43
Net gains on investments in fixed income securities	47		31		58
Total	$	300	$	48	$	101

For fiscal 2014, the realized net gains related to the Company's available-for-sale investments included impairment charges of $11 million. These impairment charges related to publicly traded equity securities and were due to a decline in the fair value of those securities below their cost basis that were determined to be other than temporary. There were no impairment charges on available-for-sale investments for fiscal 2013 and 2012.

The following tables present the breakdown of the available-for-sale investments with gross unrealized losses and the duration that those losses had been unrealized at July 26, 2014 and July 27, 2013 (in millions):



	UNREALIZED LOSSES LESS THAN 12 MONTHS					UNREALIZED LOSSES 12 MONTHS OR GREATER					TOTAL
July 26, 2014	Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses			Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses			Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses
Fixed income securities:
U.S. government securities	$	7,676	$	(12	)	$	45	$	—		$	7,721	$	(12	)
Non-U.S. government and agency securities	361		(1		)	22		—			383		(1		)
Corporate debt securities	1,875		(3		)	491		(4		)	2,366		(7		)
Total fixed income securities	9,912		(16		)	558		(4		)	10,470		(20		)
Publicly traded equity securities	132		(10		)	—		—			132		(10		)
Total	$	10,044	$	(26	)	$	558	$	(4	)	$	10,602	$	(30	)



	UNREALIZED LOSSES LESS THAN 12 MONTHS					UNREALIZED LOSSES 12 MONTHS OR GREATER				TOTAL
July 27, 2013	Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses			Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses		Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses
Fixed income securities:
U.S. government securities	$	7,865	$	(13	)	$	—	$	—	$	7,865	$	(13	)
U.S. government agency securities	294		(1		)	—		—		294		(1		)
Non-U.S. government and agency securities	432		(2		)	—		—		432		(2		)
Corporate debt securities	3,704		(50		)	4		—		3,708		(50		)
Total fixed income securities	12,295		(66		)	4		—		12,299		(66		)
Publicly traded equity securities	278		(4		)	—		—		278		(4		)
Total	$	12,573	$	(70	)	$	4	$	—	$	12,577	$	(70	)

As of July 26, 2014, for fixed income securities that were in unrealized loss positions, the Company has determined that (i) it does not have the intent to sell any of these investments, and (ii) it is not more likely than not that it will be required to sell any of these investments before recovery of the entire amortized cost basis. In addition, as of July 26, 2014, the Company anticipates that it will recover the entire amortized cost basis of such fixed income securities and has determined that no other-than-temporary impairments associated with credit losses were required to be recognized during the year ended July 26, 2014.

The Company has evaluated its publicly traded equity securities as of July 26, 2014 and has determined that there was no indication of other-than-temporary impairments in the respective categories of unrealized losses. This determination was based on several factors, which include the length of time and extent to which fair value has been less than the cost basis, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer, and the Company’s intent and ability to hold the publicly traded equity securities for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in market value.


(c)	Maturities of Fixed Income Securities

The following table summarizes the maturities of the Company’s fixed income securities at July 26, 2014 (in millions):



	Amortized Cost		Fair Value
Less than 1 year	$	15,444	$	15,457
Due in 1 to 2 years	13,449		13,484
Due in 2 to 5 years	13,711		13,743
Due after 5 years	701		712
Total	$	43,305	$	43,396

Actual maturities may differ from the contractual maturities because borrowers may have the right to call or prepay certain obligations. The remaining contractual principal maturities for mortgage-backed securities were allocated assuming no prepayments.


(d)	Securities Lending

The Company periodically engages in securities lending activities with certain of its available-for-sale investments. These transactions are accounted for as a secured lending of the securities, and the securities are typically loaned only on an overnight basis. The average daily balance of securities lending for fiscal 2014 and 2013 was $1.5 billion and $0.7 billion, respectively. The Company requires collateral equal to at least 102% of the fair market value of the loaned security and that the collateral be in the form of cash or liquid, high-quality assets. The Company engages in these secured lending transactions only with highly creditworthy counterparties, and the associated portfolio custodian has agreed to indemnify the Company against collateral losses. The Company did not experience any losses in connection with the secured lending of securities during the periods presented. As of July 26, 2014 and July 27, 2013, the Company had no outstanding securities lending transactions.


(e)	Investments in Privately Held Companies

The carrying value of the Company’s investments in privately held companies was included in other assets. For such investments that were accounted for under the equity and cost method as of July 26, 2014 and July 27, 2013, the amounts are summarized in the table below (in millions):



	July 26, 2014		July 27, 2013
Equity method investments	$	630	$	591
Cost method investments	269		242
Total	$	899	$	833

Variable Interest Entities

VCE Joint Venture VCE is a joint venture that the Company formed in fiscal 2010 with EMC Corporation (“EMC”), with investments from VMware, Inc. (“VMware”) and Intel Corporation. VCE helps organizations leverage best-in-class technologies and disciplines from Cisco, EMC, and VMware to enable the transformation to cloud computing.

As of July 26, 2014, the Company’s cumulative gross investment in VCE was approximately $716 million, inclusive of accrued interest, and its ownership percentage was approximately 35%. The Company invested $185 million in VCE during fiscal 2014, $93 million during fiscal 2013, and $276 million during fiscal 2012.

For the period presented, the Company accounted for its investment in VCE under the equity method, and its portion of VCE’s net loss is recognized in other income (loss), net. The Company’s share of VCE’s losses, based upon its portion of the overall funding, was approximately 36.8% for each of the fiscal years ended July 26, 2014, July 27, 2013, and July 28, 2012. As of July 26, 2014, the Company had recorded cumulative losses from VCE of $644 million since inception, of which losses of $223 million, $183 million, and $160 million were recorded for the fiscal years ended July 26, 2014, July 27, 2013, and July 28, 2012, respectively. The Company’s carrying value in VCE as of July 26, 2014 was $72 million.

Over the next 12 months, as VCE scales its operations, the Company may make additional investments in VCE and may incur additional losses proportionate with the Company’s share ownership.

From time to time, EMC and Cisco may enter into guarantee agreements on behalf of VCE to indemnify third parties, such as customers, for monetary damages. Such guarantees were not material as of July 26, 2014.

Other Variable Interest Entities In the ordinary course of business, the Company has investments in other privately held companies and provides financing to certain customers. These other privately held companies and customers may be considered to be variable interest entities. The Company evaluates on an ongoing basis its investments in these other privately held companies and its customer financings, and has determined that as of July 26, 2014 there were no other variable interest entities required to be consolidated in the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.