Note 6 - Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2018

. Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities

For assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring and nonrecurring basis, a

three

-level hierarchy of measurements based upon observable and unobservable inputs is used to arrive at fair value. Observable inputs are developed based on market data obtained from independent sources, while unobservable inputs reflect the Company’s assumptions about valuation based on the best information available in the circumstances. Depending on the inputs, the Company classifies each fair value measurement as follows:

Level

—Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets;

Level

—Valuations based upon quoted prices for similar instruments, prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are

not

active, or model-derived valuations, all of whose significant inputs are observable, and

Level

—Valuations based upon

one

or more significant unobservable inputs.

Following is a description of the valuation methodologies used for instruments measured at fair value and their classification in the valuation hierarchy.

Investments in Equity Securities

Investments in equity securities listed on a national market or exchange are valued at the last sales price and classified within Level

of the valuation hierarchy.

Mutual Funds

The Company has a non-qualified Supplemental Retirement and Savings Plan which provides additional retirement benefits for certain management employees and named executive officers by allowing participants to defer a portion of their annual compensation. The Company maintains accounts for participants through which participants make investment elections. The marketable securities are classified as Level

under the fair value hierarchy as they are maintained in mutual funds with readily determinable fair value.

There were

changes during the quarter ended

March 31, 2018

to the Company’s valuation techniques used to measure asset and liability fair values on a recurring basis. As of

March 31, 2018

and

December 30, 2017,

the Company did

not

hold any non-financial assets or liabilities that are required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis.

The following table presents assets measured at fair value by classification within the fair value hierarchy as of

March 31, 2018:

	Fair Value Measurements Using
(in thousands )	Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Total
Investments in equity securities	$	14,754	$	—	$	—	$	14,754
Mutual funds		9,852		—		—		9,852

The following table presents assets measured at fair value by classification within the fair value hierarchy as of

December 30, 2017:

	Fair Value Measurements Using
(in thousands )	Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Total
Investments in equity securities	$	10,993	$	—	$	—	$	10,993
Mutual funds		7,962		—		—		7,962

In addition to the methods and assumptions used for the financial instruments recorded at fair value as discussed above, the following methods and assumptions are used to estimate the fair value of other financial instruments that are

not

marked to market on a recurring basis. The Company’s other financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable and its long-term debt. Due to their short-term maturity, the carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and accounts receivable approximate their fair values. The Company’s revolving and term loan debt facilities’ fair values approximate book value at

March 31, 2018

and

December 30, 2017,

as the rates on these borrowings are variable in nature.

The carrying value and estimated fair values of the Company’s Euro Senior Notes, Series A and Series B and USD Senior Notes, Series A and Series B, as of

September 30, 2017

and

December 31, 2016

were as follows:

	March 31 , 201 8				December 30 , 201 7
(in thousands )	Carrying Value		Estimated Fair Value		Carrying Value		Estimated Fair Value
Euro Senior Notes, Series A due 2023	$	144,041	$	142,038	$	139,623	$	138,294
Euro Senior Notes, Series B due 2028		116,956		113,953		113,369		111,579
USD Senior Notes, Series A due 2022		25,000		24,301		25,000		24,737
USD Senior Notes, Series B due 2027		100,000		96,475		100,000		99,992
USD Senior Notes, Series A due 2025		50,000		48,081		—		—
USD Senior Notes, Series B due 2030		125,000		118,303		—		—

- 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