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Fair Value
12 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2021
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]  
Fair Value Fair Value
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.
Fair Value Hierarchy
The Company uses valuation techniques that are based upon observable and unobservable inputs. Observable inputs are developed using market data such as publicly available information and reflect the assumptions market participants would use, while unobservable inputs are developed using the best information available about the assumptions market participants would use. Assets and liabilities are classified in the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement:
Level 1—Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2—Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability and market-corroborated inputs.
Level 3—Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.
The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to observable inputs and lowest priority to unobservable inputs.
The following table presents the Company's assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
 As of October 31, 2021As of October 31, 2020
 Fair Value
Measured Using
 Fair Value
Measured Using
 
 Level 1Level 2Level 3TotalLevel 1Level 2Level 3Total
 In millions
Assets        
Cash Equivalents and Investments:        
Time deposits$— $806 $— $806 $— $939 $— $939 
Money market funds1,495 — — 1,495 1,167 — — 1,167 
Equity Securities57 — 129 186 — — — — 
Foreign bonds— 122 — 122 — 125 — 125 
Other debt securities— — 42 42 — — 21 21 
Derivative Instruments:        
Interest rate contracts— 95 — 95 — 220 — 220 
Foreign exchange contracts— 308 — 308 — 290 — 290 
Other derivatives— — — — — — 
Total assets$1,552 $1,335 $171 $3,058 $1,167 $1,574 $21 $2,762 
Liabilities        
Derivative Instruments:        
Interest rate contracts$— $— $— $— $— $$— $
Foreign exchange contracts— 127 — 127 — 189 — 189 
Other derivatives— — — — — — 
Total liabilities$— $127 $— $127 $— $194 $— $194 
For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2021 and 2020, there were no transfers between levels within the fair value hierarchy.
Valuation Techniques
Cash Equivalents and Investments: The Company holds time deposits, money market funds, debt securities primarily consisting of corporate and foreign government notes and bonds. The Company values cash equivalents using quoted market prices, alternative pricing sources, including net asset value, or models utilizing market observable inputs. The fair value of debt and equity investments was based on quoted market prices or model-driven valuations using inputs primarily derived from or corroborated by observable market data, and, in certain instances, valuation models that utilize assumptions which cannot be corroborated with observable market data.
Derivative Instruments: The Company uses forward contracts, interest rate and total return swaps to hedge certain foreign currency and interest rate exposures. The Company uses industry standard valuation models to measure fair value. Where applicable, these models project future cash flows and discount the future amounts to present value using market-based observable inputs, including interest rate curves, the Company and counterparties' credit risk, foreign currency exchange rates, and forward and spot prices for currencies and interest rates. See Note 13, "Financial Instruments", for a further discussion of the Company's use of derivative instruments.
Other Fair Value Disclosures
Short- and Long-Term Debt: The Company estimates the fair value of its debt primarily using an expected present value technique, which is based on observable market inputs using interest rates currently available to companies of similar credit standing for similar terms and remaining maturities, and considering its own credit risk. The portion of the Company's debt that is hedged is reflected in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as an amount equal to the debt's carrying amount and a fair value adjustment representing changes in the fair value of the hedged debt obligations arising from movements in benchmark interest rates. As of October 31, 2021, the estimated fair value of the Company's short-term and long-term debt was $14.6 billion and
the carrying value was $13.4 billion. As of October 31, 2020, the estimated fair value of the Company's short-term and long-term debt was $17.1 billion and the carrying value was $15.9 billion. If measured at fair value in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, short-term and long-term debt would be classified in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.
Other Financial Instruments: For the balance of the Company's financial instruments, primarily accounts receivable, accounts payable and financial liabilities included in other accrued liabilities, the carrying amounts approximate fair value due to their short maturities. If measured at fair value in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, these other financial instruments would be classified in Level 2 or Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.
Equity investments without readily determinable fair value: Equity Investments are recorded at cost and measured at fair value, when they are deemed to be impaired or when there is an adjustment from observable price changes. For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, there were no material impairment charges relating to equity investments. For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, the Company recognized a gain of $64 million, $19 million and $13 million in Interest and other, net in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings, based on observable price changes for certain equity investments without readily determinable fair value. If measured at fair value in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, these would generally be classified in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.
Non-Financial Assets: The Company's non-financial assets, such as intangible assets, goodwill and property, plant and equipment, are recorded at cost. The Company records ROU assets based on the lease liability, adjusted for lease prepayments, lease incentives received and the lessee's initial direct costs. Fair value adjustments are made to these non-financial assets in the period an impairment charge is recognized.
In fiscal 2021 and 2020, the Company recorded a ROU asset impairment charge of $89 million and $74 million, respectively in Transformation costs in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings as the carrying value of certain ROU assets exceeded its fair value. If measured at fair value in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, these would generally be classified in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.
In the second quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company recorded a goodwill impairment charge of $865 million associated with the HPC & AI reporting unit. The fair value of the Company's reporting units was classified in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy due to the significance of unobservable inputs developed using company-specific information. For more information on the goodwill impairment, see Note 11, "Goodwill and Intangible Assets".