Note 18—Financial Instruments

Overview—The carrying amounts and fair values of our financial instruments were as follows (in millions):

December 31, 2025

December 31, 2024

 

Carrying

Fair

Carrying

Fair

 

  ​ ​ ​

amount

  ​ ​ ​

value

  ​ ​ ​

amount

  ​ ​ ​

value

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

620

$

620

$

560

$

560

Restricted cash and cash equivalents

377

377

381

381

Total debt

5,657

5,755

6,881

6,888

Cash and cash equivalents—Our cash and cash equivalents are primarily invested in demand deposits, short-term time deposits and money market funds.  The carrying amount of our cash and cash equivalents represents the historical cost, plus accrued interest, which approximates fair value because of the short maturities of the instruments.

Restricted cash and cash equivalents—Our restricted cash and cash equivalents, which are subject to restrictions due to collateral requirements, legislation, regulation or court order, are primarily invested in demand deposits and money market funds.  The carrying amount of our restricted cash and cash equivalents represents the historical cost, plus accrued interest, which approximates fair value because of the short maturities of the instruments.

Total debt—The carrying amount of our total debt represents the principal amount, together with unamortized discounts, premiums and issue costs.  The carrying amount and fair value of our total debt includes amounts related to our exchangeable bonds (see Note 8—

Debt).  We estimated the fair value of our total debt using significant other observable inputs, representative of Level 2 fair value measurements, including the terms and credit spreads for the instruments and, with respect to our exchangeable bonds, the expected volatility of the market price for our shares.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 23, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 18, 2025
2023Feb 21, 2024
2022Feb 23, 2023
2021Feb 23, 2022
2020Mar 1, 2021
2019Feb 18, 2020

About Fair Value Disclosures

Fair value disclosures classify all assets and liabilities measured at fair value into a three-level hierarchy: Level 1 (quoted market prices), Level 2 (observable inputs like yield curves), and Level 3 (unobservable inputs requiring management estimates). The proportion of Level 3 assets directly reflects how much of the balance sheet depends on internal models rather than market evidence.

Key signals: a growing Level 3 balance relative to total fair-value assets increases valuation uncertainty and earnings volatility risk. Watch for transfers between levels — assets moving from Level 2 to Level 3 often signal deteriorating market liquidity. Unrealized gains and losses on Level 3 positions flow through earnings or other comprehensive income, so large swings deserve scrutiny. For financial institutions, examine the sensitivity disclosures that show how Level 3 valuations change under alternative assumptions. Compare the fair value of debt against its carrying amount to gauge hidden leverage.