Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Activities

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2014

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Activities

13. Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Activities

The Company is directly and indirectly affected by changes in certain market conditions. These changes in market conditions may adversely impact the Company’s financial performance and are referred to as market risks. The Company, where deemed appropriate, uses derivatives as risk management tools to mitigate the potential impact of certain market risks. The primary market risks managed by the Company through the use of derivative instruments are foreign currency fluctuation risk and interest rate risk.

All derivative instruments are recorded gross on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at their respective fair values. The accounting for changes in the fair value of a derivative instrument depends on the intended use and designation of the derivative instrument. For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a fair value hedge, the gain or loss on the derivative and the offsetting gain or loss on the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk are recognized in current earnings. For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the effective portion of the gain or loss on the derivative instrument is initially reported as a component of AOCI, net of tax, and is subsequently reclassified into the line item within the Consolidated Statements of Operations in which the hedged items are recorded in the same period in which the hedged item affects earnings. The ineffective portion of the gain or loss is recognized immediately in current earnings. For derivative instruments that are not designated as hedging instruments, gains and losses from changes in fair values are recognized in earnings. Cash receipts and cash payments related to derivative instruments are recorded in the same category as the cash flows from the items being hedged on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

For derivatives accounted for as hedging instruments, the Company formally designates and documents, at inception, the financial instruments as a hedge of a specific underlying exposure, the risk management objective and the strategy for undertaking the hedge transaction. In addition, the Company formally performs an assessment, both at inception and at least quarterly thereafter, to determine whether the financial instruments used in hedging transactions are effective at offsetting changes in the cash flows on the related underlying exposures.

a. Foreign Currency Risk Management

Forward contracts are put in place to manage the foreign currency risk associated with anticipated foreign currency denominated revenues and expenses. A hedging relationship existed with an aggregate notional amount outstanding of $626.9 million and $565.0 million at August 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The related forward foreign exchange contracts have been designated as hedging instruments and are accounted for as cash flow hedges. The forward foreign exchange contract transactions will effectively lock in the value of anticipated foreign currency denominated revenues and expenses against foreign currency fluctuations. The anticipated foreign currency denominated revenues and expenses being hedged are expected to occur between September 1, 2014 and May 31, 2015.

In addition to derivatives that are designated and qualify for hedge accounting, the Company also enters into forward contracts to economically hedge transactional exposure associated with commitments arising from trade accounts receivable, trade accounts payable, fixed purchase obligations and intercompany transactions denominated in a currency other than the functional currency of the respective operating entity. The aggregate notional amount of these outstanding contracts at August 31, 2014 and 2013 was $1.2 billion.

The following table presents the Company’s assets and liabilities related to forward foreign exchange contracts measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of August 31, 2014, aggregated by the level in the fair-value hierarchy in which those measurements are classified (in thousands):

	Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total
Assets:
Forward foreign exchange contracts	$	—	$	14,084		$	—	$	14,084
Liabilities:
Forward foreign exchange contracts		—		(3,646	)		—		(3,646	)
Total	$	—	$	10,438		$	—	$	10,438

The Company’s forward foreign exchange contracts are measured on a recurring basis at fair value, based on foreign currency spot rates and forward rates quoted by banks or foreign currency dealers.

The following table presents the fair values of the Company’s derivative instruments located on the Consolidated Balance Sheets utilized for foreign currency risk management purposes at August 31, 2014 and 2013 (in thousands):

	Fair Values of Derivative Instruments
	Asset Derivatives					Liability Derivatives
	Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value at August 31, 2014		Fair Value at August 31, 2013		Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value at August 31, 2014		Fair Value at August 31, 2013
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
Forward foreign exchange contracts	Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$	6,089	$	4,357	Other accrued expenses and deferred income	$	1,460	$	3,740
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Forward foreign exchange contracts	Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$	7,995	$	7,104	Other accrued expenses and deferred income	$	2,186	$	4,645

As of August 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company also has included gains and losses in AOCI related to changes in fair value of its derivatives utilized for foreign currency risk management purposes and designated as hedging instruments. These gains and losses were not material and the portion that is expected to be reclassified into earnings during the next 12 months will be classified as components of net revenue, cost of revenue and selling, general and administrative expense. The gains and losses recognized in earnings due to hedge ineffectiveness and the amount excluded from effectiveness testing were not material for all fiscal years presented and are included as components of net revenue, cost of revenue, selling, general and administrative expense and income from discontinued operations, net of tax.

The Company recognized gains and losses in earnings related to changes in fair value of derivatives utilized for foreign currency risk management purposes and not designated as hedging instruments during fiscal years 2014, 2013 and 2012. These amounts were not material and were recognized as components of cost of revenue.

b. Interest Rate Risk Management

The Company periodically enters into interest rate swaps to manage interest rate risk associated with the Company’s borrowings.

Fair Value Hedges

During the second quarter of fiscal year 2011, the Company entered into a series of interest rate swaps with an aggregate notional amount of $200.0 million designated as fair value hedges of a portion of the Company’s 7.750% Senior Notes. Under these interest rate swaps, the Company received fixed rate interest payments and paid interest at a variable rate based on LIBOR plus a spread. The effect of these swaps was to convert fixed rate interest expense on a portion of the 7.750% Senior Notes to floating rate interest expense. Gains and losses related to changes in the fair value of the interest rate swaps were recorded to interest expense and offset changes in the fair value of the hedged portion of the underlying 7.750% Senior Notes.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2011, the Company terminated the interest rate swaps entered into in connection with the 7.750% Senior Notes with a fair value of $12.2 million, including accrued interest of $0.6 million at August 31, 2011. The portion of the fair value that is not accrued interest is recorded as a hedge accounting adjustment to the carrying amount of the 7.750% Senior Notes and is being amortized as a reduction to interest expense over the remaining term of the 7.750% Senior Notes. The Company recorded $2.4 million in amortization as a reduction to interest expense for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2014. At August 31, 2014 and 2013, the unamortized hedge accounting adjustment recorded is $4.5 million and $6.8 million, respectively, in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Cash Flow Hedges

During the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2007, the Company entered into forward interest rate swap transactions to hedge the fixed interest rate payments for an anticipated debt issuance, which was the issuance of the 8.250% Senior Notes. The swaps were accounted for as a cash flow hedge and had a notional amount of $400.0 million. Concurrently with the pricing of the 8.250% Senior Notes, the Company settled the swaps by its payment of $43.1 million. The ineffective portion of the swaps was immediately recorded to interest expense within the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The effective portion of the swaps is recorded on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets as a component of AOCI and is being amortized to interest expense within the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations over the life of the 8.250% Senior Notes, which is through March 15, 2018. The effective portions of the swaps amortized to interest expense during the fiscal years ended August 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 were not material. Existing losses related to interest rate risk management hedging arrangements that are expected to be reclassified into earnings during the next 12 months are not material.