Fair Value Measurements

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Notes to Financial Statements

Fair Value Measurements

(4) Fair Value Measurements

The Company measures its cash equivalents and marketable securities at fair value. Fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received on the sale of an asset or that would be paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As a basis for considering such assumptions, the Company utilizes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in the valuation methodologies in measuring fair value:

 Fair Value Hierarchy 

The methodology for measuring fair value specifies a hierarchy of valuation techniques based upon whether the inputs to those valuation techniques reflect assumptions other market participants would use based upon market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) or reflect the Company’s own assumptions of market participant valuation (unobservable inputs). As a result, observable and unobservable inputs have created the following fair value hierarchy:

Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets that are unadjusted and accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities. The Level 1 category includes money market funds, which at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 totaled $6.5 million and $8.1 million, respectively, which are included within cash and cash equivalents in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. 

Level 2 – Quoted prices for identical assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets or financial instruments for which significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly. The Level 2 category includes government securities and corporate debt securities, which at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 totaled $20.7 million and $20.9 million, respectively, which are included within cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities in the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Level 3 – Prices or valuations that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable. The Level 3 category includes auction rate securities, which at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 totaled $0.5 million and $0.6 million, respectively, which are included within long-term marketable securities in the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Measurement of Fair Value

The Company measures fair value as an exit price using the procedures described below for all assets and liabilities measured at fair value. When available, the Company uses unadjusted quoted market prices to measure fair value and classifies such items within Level 1. If quoted market prices are not available, fair value is based upon financial models that use, when possible, current market-based or independently-sourced market parameters such as interest rates and currency rates. Items valued using financial generated models are classified according to the lowest level input or value driver that is significant to the valuation. Thus, an item may be classified in Level 3 even though there may be inputs that are readily observable. If quoted market prices are not available, the valuation model used generally depends on the specific asset or liability being valued. The determination of fair value considers various factors including interest rate yield curves and time value underlying the financial instruments.

As of each March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the Company held certain assets that are required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis. Included within the Company’s marketable securities portfolio are investments in auction rate securities, which are classified as available-for-sale securities and are reflected at fair value. The Company has determined the estimated fair values of these securities utilizing a discounted cash flow analysis or other type of valuation model. These analyses consider, among other items, the collateral underlying the security, the creditworthiness of the issuer, the timing of the expected future cash flows, including the final maturity, and an assumption of when the next time the security is expected to have a successful auction. These securities were also compared, when possible, to other observable and relevant market data, which is limited at this time.

As of March 31, 2012, the Company recorded a cumulative temporary decline in fair value of approximately $56,000 in accumulated other comprehensive loss. As of December 31, 2011, the Company recorded a cumulative temporary decline in fair value of approximately $89,000 in accumulated other comprehensive loss. During the first quarter of 2012, $100,000 of the Company’s auction rate securities were called by the issuer at par value. The Company believes that the temporary declines in fair value are primarily due to liquidity concerns and are not due to the creditworthiness of the remaining underlying assets, because the majority of the underlying securities are almost entirely backed by the U.S. Government. However, if at any time in the future a determination that a valuation adjustment is other-than-temporary, the Company will record a charge to earnings in the period of determination.

The Company measures its cash equivalents and marketable securities at fair value. Fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received on the sale of an asset or that would be paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As a basis for considering such assumptions, the Company utilizes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in the valuation methodologies in measuring fair value:

Items Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

  The following table presents the Company’s assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at March 31, 2012:

		Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using
		Quoted Prices in		Significant
		Active Markets for	Significant other	Unobservable
		Identical Assets	Inputs	Inputs
	Total	(Level 1)	(Level 2)	(Level 3)
Cash equivalents:
Money market funds	$ 6,523,858	$               6,523,858	$                           -	$                     -
Total cash equivalents	6,523,858	6,523,858	-	-
Marketable securities:
Corporate debt and government securities	20,668,767	-	20,668,767	-
Auction rate securities	543,824	-	-	543,824
Total marketable securities	21,212,591	-	20,668,767	543,824
Total assets measured at fair value	$ 27,736,449	$               6,523,858	$             20,668,767	$           543,824

The following table presents the Company’s assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2011:

		Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using
		Quoted Prices in		Significant
		Active Markets for	Significant other	Unobservable
		Identical Assets	Inputs	Inputs
	Total	(Level 1)	(Level 2)	(Level 3)
Cash equivalents:
Money market funds	$ 8,129,960	$               8,129,960	$                           -	$                     -
Total cash equivalents	8,129,960	8,129,960	-	-
Marketable securities:
Corporate debt and government securities	20,894,328	-	20,894,328	-
Auction rate securities	611,082	-	-	611,082
Total marketable securities	21,505,410	-	20,894,328	611,082
Total assets measured at fair value	$ 29,635,370	$               8,129,960	$             20,894,328	$           611,082

The Company’s valuation methodology for auction rate securities includes a discounted cash flow analysis. The following table presents the Company’s assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) as of January 1^st through March 31^st of each of the respective years:

	Fair Value Measurements Using
	Significant Unobservable Inputs
	(Level 3)
	Auction Rate Securities
	March 31, 2012	March 31, 2011
Beginning Balance	$                  611,082	$                  578,643
Total unrealized gains in accumulated
other comprehensive loss	32,742	3,774
Securities called by issuer	(100,000)	-
Ending Balance	$                  543,824	$                  582,417