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Fair Value of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities
3 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2011
Fair Value of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities  
Fair Value of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities

5. Fair Value of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities

The Company utilizes a hierarchy that prioritizes fair value measurements based on the types of inputs used for the various valuation techniques (market approach, income approach and cost approach that relate to its financial assets and financial liabilities). The levels of the hierarchy are described as follows:

 

   

Level 1: Observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

 

   

Level 2: Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly; these include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets and quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active.

 

   

Level 3: Unobservable inputs that reflect the reporting entity's own assumptions.

Management's assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment and may affect the valuation of financial assets and financial liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy. The level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The Company recognizes transfers between levels at the end of each reporting period. As of April 30, 2011 and April 30, 2010 there were no transfers of assets between levels. The Company's financial assets that are accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis are presented in the tables below:

 

     Marketable Securities Fair Value as of
April 30, 2011
 
     Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Assets:

           

Corporate bonds

   $ 138,799       $ —         $ —         $ 138,799   

Municipal and pre-refunded municipal bonds

     —           133,338         —           133,338   

Federal government agencies

     71,628         —           —           71,628   

Auction rate securities

     —           —           26,716         26,716   

Treasury bills

     19,753         —           —           19,753   

FDIC insured corporate bonds

     10,500         —           —           10,500   

Variable demand notes

     —           1,900         —           1,900   
                                   
   $ 240,680       $ 135,238       $ 26,716       $ 402,634   
                                   

 

     Marketable Securities Fair Value as of
January 31, 2011
 
     Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Assets:

           

Corporate bonds

   $ 137,559       $ —         $ —         $ 137,559   

Municipal and pre-refunded municipal bonds

     —           186,404         —           186,404   

Federal government agencies

     59,175         —           —           59,175   

Auction rate securities

     —           —           29,462         29,462   

Treasury bills

     30,353         —           —           30,353   

FDIC insured corporate bonds

     23,555         —           —           23,555   

Variable demand notes

     —           1,900         —           1,900   
                                   
   $ 250,642       $ 188,304       $ 29,462       $ 468,408   
                                   

 

     Marketable Securities Fair Value as of
April 30, 2010
 
     Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Assets:

           

Municipal and pre-refunded municipal bonds

   $ —         $ 151,580       $ —         $ 151,580   

Federal government agencies

     227,517         —           —           227,517   

Auction rate securities

     —           —           33,505         33,505   

Treasury bills

     49,737         —           —           49,737   

FDIC insured corporate bonds

     51,038         —           —           51,038   
                                   
   $ 328,292       $ 151,580       $ 33,505       $ 513,377   
                                   

As of April 30, 2011, all of the Company's Level 3 financial instruments consisted of ARS that failed at auction. There was insufficient observable market information to determine fair value for these financial instruments. The Company estimated the fair values for these securities by incorporating assumptions that market participants would use in their estimates of fair value. Some of these assumptions included credit quality, collateralization, final stated maturity, estimates of the probability of being called or becoming liquid prior to final maturity, redemptions of similar ARS, previous market activity for the same investment security, impact due to extended periods of maximum auction rates and valuation models. As a result of this review, the Company determined its ARS to have a temporary impairment of $3,434, $3,788, and $4,120 as of April 30, 2011, January 31, 2011 and April 30, 2010, respectively. The estimated fair values could change significantly based on future market conditions. The Company will continue to assess the fair value of its ARS for substantive changes in relevant market conditions, changes in its financial condition or other changes that may alter its estimates described above. Failed ARS represented approximately 4.1% of the Company's total cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of April 30, 2011.

Below is a reconciliation of the beginning and ending ARS balances that the Company valued using a Level 3 valuation for the periods shown.

 

     Three Months Ended
April 30, 2011
    Fiscal Year Ended
January 31, 2011
    Three Months Ended
April 30, 2010
 

Balance at beginning of period

   $ 29,462      $ 33,505      $ 33,505   

Total gains (losses) realized/unrealized:

      

Included in earnings

     —          —          —     

Included in other comprehensive income

     354       332        —     

Purchases, issuances and settlements

     (3,100 )     (4,375     —     

Transfers in and/or out of Level 3

     —          —          —     
                        

Balance at end of period

   $ 26,716      $ 29,462      $ 33,505   
                        

Unrealized losses included in accumulated other comprehensive income related to assets still held at reporting date

   $ (3,434   $ (3,788   $ (4,120
                        

Total gains for the period included in earnings attributable to the change in unrealized gains or losses related to assets still held at reporting date

   $ —        $ —        $ —