Fair Value Measurements (Notes)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

The Company applies the guidance that is codified under ASC 820-10 related to assets and liabilities recognized or disclosed in the financial statements at fair value on a recurring basis. ASC 820-10 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The provisions of ASC 820-10 only apply to the Company’s investment securities, which are carried at fair value.

ASC 820-10 clarifies that fair value is an exit price, representing the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants based on the highest and best use of the asset or liability. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that is determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. ASC 820-10 requires valuation techniques to measure fair value that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. These inputs are prioritized as follows:



Fair Value Hierarchy	Inputs to Fair Value Methodology
Level 1	Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities
Level 2	Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the financial instrument; inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability; or inputs that are derived principally from, or corroborated by, observable market information
Level 3	Pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies or similar techniques and at least one significant model assumption is unobservable or when the estimation of fair value requires significant management judgment

The Company categorizes a financial instrument in the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level of input that is significant to its fair value measurement.

Smith-Midland Corporation

and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(continued)



	As of December 31, 2014
	Quoted Market Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Internal Models with Significant Observable Market Parameters (Level 2)		Internal Models with Significant Unobservable Market Parameters (Level 3)		Total Fair Value Reported in Financial Statements

Mutual Funds	$	1,013,417	$	—	$	—	$	1,013,417



	As of December 31, 2013
	Quoted Market Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Internal Models with Significant Observable Market Parameters (Level 2)		Internal Models with Significant Unobservable Market Parameters (Level 3)		Total Fair Value Reported in Financial Statements

Mutual Funds	$	915,341	$	—	$	—	$	915,341

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

+ References+ Details