Note 7—Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

The authoritative guidance relating to fair value measurements and disclosure establishes a valuation hierarchy for disclosure of the inputs to the valuations used to measure fair value. This hierarchy prioritizes the inputs into three broad levels as follows.

 

Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

 

Level 2 inputs are quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, including interest rates, yield curves and credit risks, or inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data through correlation.

 

Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs based on the Company’s own assumptions used to measure assets and liabilities at fair value.

A financial asset’s or liability’s classification within the hierarchy is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company did not have any significant nonfinancial assets and nonfinancial liabilities that are measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis.

Recurring Fair Value Measurements

The Company did not have any material financial assets or liabilities that were measured at fair value as of December 31, 2017 and 2016.

Fair value of debt

The carrying amounts and fair values of financial instruments are as follows (in thousands):

 

 

 

December 31, 2017

 

 

December 31, 2016

 

 

 

Carrying

 

 

Fair

 

 

Carrying

 

 

Fair

 

 

 

Amount

 

 

Value

 

 

Amount

 

 

Value

 

Financial liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Senior secured credit facilities

 

$

1,492,175

 

 

$

1,500,761

 

 

$

1,865,625

 

 

$

1,887,043

 

5.875% senior notes due 2023

 

 

600,000

 

 

 

631,313

 

 

 

600,000

 

 

 

619,500

 

Senior secured credit facilities, revolving portion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

94,000

 

 

 

93,883

 

The above fair values, which are Level 2 liabilities, were computed based on comparable quoted market prices. The fair values of cash, accounts receivable, net, short-term borrowings, and accounts payable approximate the carrying amounts due to the short-term maturities of these instruments.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2017Feb 28, 2018Showing above
2016Feb 28, 2017
2015Feb 29, 2016

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.