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INVESTMENTS | 12 Months Ended
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Apr. 29, 2012
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract] |
INVESTMENTS | INVESTMENTS Investments consist of the following:
Equity Investment |  | Segment |  | % Owned |  | April 29, 2012 |  | May 1, 2011
|  |  |  |  |  | (in millions)
Campofrío Food Group (CFG) |  | International |  | 37% |  | $ | 385.2 |  |  | $ | 445.1 |
Mexican joint ventures |  | International |  | 50% |  | 111.2 |  |  | 110.2 |
All other equity method investments |  | Various |  | Various |  | 26.2 |  |  | 27.2 |
Total investments |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 522.6 |  |  | $ | 582.5 |
We record our share of earnings and losses from our equity method investments in loss (income) from equity method investments. Some of these results are reported on a one-month lag which, in our opinion, does not materially impact our consolidated financial statements. Each quarter, we review the carrying value of our investments and consider whether indicators of impairment exist. Examples of impairment indicators include a history or expectation of future operating losses and declines in a quoted share price, among other factors. If an impairment indicator exists, we must evaluate the fair value of our investment to determine if a loss in value, which is other than temporary, has occurred. If we consider any such decline to be other than temporary (based on various factors, including historical financial results, product development activities and the overall health of the affiliate’s industry), then a write-down of the investment to its estimated fair value would be recorded . We have determined that no write-down was necessary for all periods presented. As of April 29, 2012, we held 37,811,302 shares of CFG common stock. Shares of CFG are publicly traded on the Bolsa de Madrid exchange (Madrid Exchange). However, we do not believe the quoted share price on the Madrid Exchange is, by itself, reflective of the fair value of our investment in CFG for the following reasons:
▪ | the minority shares traded on the Madrid Exchange confer no special rights or privileges to buyers. In contrast, the shares comprising our 37% stake in CFG contractually entitle us to two seats on CFG's 9-person board of directors, giving us the ability to exert significant influence over the strategic and operational decisions of our investee.
▪ | the stock is very thinly traded. CFG is a closely held company, with the three largest shareholders owning approximately 74% of the outstanding shares. We are CFG's largest shareholder, with a 37% stake.
The average daily trading volume during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 represents just 0.009% of the total outstanding shares (average trading volume of 9,800 shares while the total number of shares outstanding is in excess of 102 million). The lack of an active market can cause significant fluctuations and volatility in the stock price that are not commensurate with fundamental changes in the underlying business and the fair value of our holding in CFG. Shares trading on the Madrid Exchange have ranged from a high of €9.28 ($13.77) to a low €5.28 ($7.35) per share during fiscal 2012, with fluctuations in between. The table below shows CFG's intra-day high share price and Smithfield's carrying value, expressed in euro per share, on various dates relevant to our disclosures.
Date |  | Share Price |  | Carrying Value
February 17, 2012 |  | € | 7.20 |  |  | € | 7.54 |
April 29, 2012 (1) |  | € | 6.30 |  |  | € | 7.70 |
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(1) | Share prices on year-end dates reflect the last trading day in the fiscal year.
As the table above shows, the carrying value of our investment in CFG was above the quoted market price on the Madrid Exchange at the end of fiscal 2012, indicating a possible impairment of our investment in CFG. However, as noted above, we do not consider the share price on the Madrid Exchange, by itself, to be determinative of fair value. In assessing the fair value of our investment, we considered a variety of information, including an independent third party valuation report, which incorporates generally accepted valuation techniques, CFG's history of positive cash flows, expectations about the future cash flows of CFG, market multiples for comparable businesses, and an influence premium applied to the market price of CFG's shares on the Madrid Exchange to adjust for our contractual right to two board seats and our ability to exert significant influence over the operational and strategic decisions of the company. Based on an evaluation of all these factors, we concluded the fair value of our investment in CFG, as of April 29, 2012, exceeded its carrying amount. Loss (income) from equity method investments consists of the following:
|  |  |  | Fiscal Years
Equity Investment |  | Segment |  | 2012 |  | 2011 |  | 2010
|  |  |  | (in millions)
CFG (1) |  | International |  | $ | 25.0 |  |  | $ | (17.0 | ) |  | $ | (4.5 | )
Mexican joint ventures |  | International |  | (13.4 | ) |  | (29.6 | ) |  | (13.2 | )
Butterball (2) |  | Other |  | — |  |  | (1.3 | ) |  | (18.8 | )
All other equity method investments |  | Various |  | (1.7 | ) |  | (2.2 | ) |  | (2.1 | )
Loss (income) from equity method investments |  |  |  | $ | 9.9 |  |  | $ | (50.1 | ) |  | $ | (38.6 | )
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(1) | CFG prepares its financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. Our share of CFG’s results reflects U.S. GAAP adjustments and thus, there may be differences between the amounts we report for CFG and the amounts reported by CFG.
(2) | In the third quarter of fiscal 2011, we completed the sale of Butterball. See Note 3—Impairment and Disposal of Long-lived Assets for further discussion.
CFG In December 2011 (fiscal 2012), the board of CFG approved a multi-year plan to consolidate and streamline its manufacturing operations to improve operating efficiencies and increase utilization (the CFG Consolidation Plan). The CFG Consolidation Plan includes the disposal of certain assets, employee redundancy costs and the contribution of CFG's French cooked ham business into a newly formed joint venture. As a result, we recorded our share of CFG's charges totaling $38.7 million in loss (income) from equity method investments within the International segment in fiscal 2012. In fiscal 2010, as part of a debt restructuring, CFG redeemed certain of its debt instruments and, as a result, we recorded $10.4 million of charges in loss (income) from equity method investments. The following summarized financial information for CFG is based on CFG's financial statements and translated into U.S. Dollars:
|  | Fiscal Years
|  | 2012 |  | 2011 |  | 2010
|  | (in millions)
Income statement information: |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales |  | $ | 2,536.1 |  |  | $ | 2,433.3 |  |  | $ | 2,593.8 |
Gross profit |  | 583.0 |  |  | 423.0 |  |  | 559.6 |
Net income (loss) |  | (71.2 | ) |  | 46.1 |  |  | 12.9 |
|  |  |  |  | April 29, 2012 |  | May 1, 2011
|  |  |  |  | (in millions)
Balance sheet information: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current assets |  |  |  |  | $ | 944.5 |  |  | $ | 1,025.6 |
Long-term assets |  |  |  |  | 1,930.4 |  |  | 1,856.1 |
Current liabilities |  |  |  |  | 941.9 |  |  | 874.1 |
Long-term liabilities |  |  |  |  | 1,168.1 |  |  | 990.9 |
Farasia Corporation (Farasia) In November 2009 (fiscal 2010), we completed the sale of our investment in Farasia, a 50/50 Chinese joint venture formed in 2001, for RMB 97.0 million ($14.2 million at the time of the transaction). We recorded, in selling, general and administrative expenses, a $4.5 million pre-tax gain on the sale of this investment.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for equity method investments and joint ventures. Equity method investments are investments that give the investor the ability to exercise significant influence over the operating and financial policies of an investee. Joint ventures are entities owned and operated by a small group of businesses as a separate and specific business or project for the mutual benefit of the members of the group. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 323 -SubTopic 10 -Section 35 -Paragraph 32 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7658923&loc=d3e32787-111569 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB) -Number 18 -Paragraph 20 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.12) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 323 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6382943&loc=d3e33918-111571 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 323 -SubTopic 10 -Section 35 -Paragraph 35 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7658923&loc=d3e32847-111569 + Details
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