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Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

(b) Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of Benchmark Electronics, Inc. and its wholly owned and majority owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Cash And Cash Equivalents

(c) Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments with an original maturity at the date of purchase of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents of $155.0 million and $306.0 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, consist primarily of money-market funds, certificates of deposit, time deposits, commercial paper and U.S. Government backed Agency securities with an initial term of less than three months.

Investments

(d) Investments

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 on the measurement date. A three-tier fair value hierarchy of inputs is employed to determine fair value measurements. Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets and liabilities. Level 2 inputs are observable prices that are not quoted on active exchanges, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations whose inputs are observable or whose significant value drivers are observable. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs employed for measuring the fair value of assets or liabilities. This hierarchy requires the Company to use observable market data, when available, and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs when determining fair value.

As of December 31, 2011, $28.0 million (par value) of long-term investments were recorded at fair value. The long-term investments consist of auction rate securities, primarily secured by guaranteed student loans backed by a U.S. government agency, and are classified as available-for-sale. These investments are of a high credit quality with a majority having AAA type credit ratings because of the government agency guarantee and other insurance. Auction rate securities are adjustable rate debt instruments whose interest rates were intended to reset every 7 to 35 days through an auction process. Overall changes in the global credit and capital markets led to failed auctions for these securities beginning in early 2008. These failed auctions, in addition to overall global economic conditions, impacted the liquidity of these investments and resulted in the Company continuing to hold these securities beyond their typical auction reset dates. The market for these types of securities remains illiquid as of December 31, 2011. These securities are classified as long-term investments and the contractual maturity of these securities is over ten years.

These long-term investments were valued using Level 3 inputs as of December 31, 2011, as the assets were subject to valuation using significant unobservable inputs. The Company estimated the fair value of each security with the assistance of an independent valuation firm using a discounted cash flow model to calculate the present value of projected cash flows based on a number of inputs and assumptions including the security structure and terms, the current market conditions and the related impact on the expected weighted-average life, interest rate estimates and default risk of the securities.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company has recorded an unrealized loss of $3.3 million on the long-term investments based upon this valuation. This unrealized loss reduced the fair value of the Company's auction rate securities as of December 31, 2011 to $24.7 million. These investments have been in an unrealized loss position for greater than 12 months. During 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company recorded unrealized gains of $0.5 million, $0.5 million and $0.9 million, respectively, on its long-term investments.

The Company conducts periodic reviews to identify and evaluate each investment that has an unrealized loss. An unrealized loss exists when the current fair value of an individual security is less than its amortized cost basis. Due to the unrealized losses on the auction rate securities held, the Company has assessed whether the calculated impairment is other-than-temporary. In performing this assessment, even though the Company has no intention to sell the securities before the amortized cost basis is recovered and believes it is more-likely-than-not that it will not be required to sell the securities prior to recovery, the Company has performed additional analyses to determine if a portion of the unrealized loss is considered a credit loss. A credit loss would be identified as the amount of the principal cash flows not expected to be received over the remaining term of the security as projected using the Company's best estimates. The Company has assessed each security for credit impairment, taking into account factors such as (i) the length of time and the extent to which fair value has been below cost; (ii) activity in the market of the issuer which may indicate adverse credit conditions; (iii) the payment structure of the security; and (iv) the failure of the issuer of the security to make scheduled payments. The Company used an independent valuation firm to assist in making these assessments.

Based on these assessments, the Company has determined that there is no credit loss associated with its auction rate securities as of December 31, 2011, as shown by the cash flows expected to be received over the remaining life of the securities.

The following table provides a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance of the Company's auction rate securities classified as long-term investments measured at fair value using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3 inputs):


(in thousands)	2011			2010

Balance as of January 1	$	35,297		$	45,686
Net unrealized gains included in other comprehensive income		526			536
Sales of investments at par value		(11,150	)		(10,925	)

Balance as of December 31	$	24,673		$	35,297


Unrealized losses still held	$	3,327		$	3,853

The cumulative unrealized loss is included as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss within shareholders' equity in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. As of December 31, 2011, there were no long-term investments measured at fair value using Level 1 or Level 2 inputs. All income generated from these investments is recorded as interest income.

Inventories

(e) Inventories

Inventories include material, labor and overhead and are stated at the lower of cost (principally first-in, first-out method) or market.

Property, Plant And Equipment

(f) Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is calculated on the straight-line method over the useful lives of the assets – 5 to 40 years for buildings and building improvements, 2 to 10 years for machinery and equipment, 2 to 10 years for furniture and fixtures and 2 to 5 years for vehicles. Leasehold improvements are amortized on the straight-line method over the shorter of the useful life of the improvement or the remainder of the lease term.

Goodwill And Other Intangible Assets

(g) Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over fair value of net assets acquired. Goodwill and intangible assets acquired in a business combination and determined to have an indefinite useful life are not amortized, but instead tested for impairment at least annually. Intangible assets with estimable useful lives are amortized over their respective estimated useful lives to their estimated residual values.

Impairment Of Long-Lived Assets

(h) Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets, such as property, plant, and equipment, and purchased intangibles subject to amortization, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is evaluated by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated undiscounted future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized by the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the estimated fair value of the asset. Assets to be disposed of would be separately disclosed and reported at the lower of the carrying amount or estimated fair value less costs to sell, and are no longer depreciated. The assets and liabilities of a disposed group classified as held for sale would be disclosed separately in the appropriate asset and liability sections of the balance sheet.

Goodwill is tested annually for impairment, and is tested for impairment more frequently if events and circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. An impairment loss is recognized to the extent that the carrying amount exceeds the asset's fair value. The impairment determination is made at the reporting unit level and consists of two steps. First, the Company determines the fair value of a reporting unit, which the Company has determined to be consistent with its operating segments as defined in Note 13 – "Segment and Geographic Information," and compares it to its carrying amount. The fair value of our reporting units is determined based on a weighting of both projected discounted future results and comparative market multiples. The projected discounted future results (discounted cash flow approach) is based on assumptions that are consistent with the Company's estimates of future growth and the strategic plan used to manage the underlying business. Factors requiring significant judgment include assumptions related to future growth rates, discount factors and tax rates, amongst other considerations. Second, if the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, an impairment loss is recognized for any excess of the carrying amount of the reporting unit's goodwill over the implied fair value of that goodwill. The implied fair value of goodwill is determined by allocating the fair value of the reporting unit in a manner similar to a purchase price allocation. The residual fair value after this allocation is the implied fair value of the reporting unit goodwill. This impairment analysis is based on significant assumptions of future results made by management, including revenue and cash flow projections. Circumstances that may lead to impairment of goodwill include unforeseen decreases in future performance or industry demand and the restructuring of our operations as a result of a change in our business strategy.

The Company completed the annual impairment test during the fourth quarter of 2011, 2010 and 2009 and determined that no goodwill impairment existed as of the date of the impairment test.

Earnings Per Share

(i) Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share is computed using the weighted-average number of shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share is computed using the weighted-average number of shares outstanding adjusted for the incremental shares attributed to outstanding stock equivalents during the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009. Stock equivalents include common shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options and other equity instruments, and are computed using the treasury stock method. Under the treasury stock method, the exercise price of a share, the amount of compensation cost, if any, for future service that the Company has not yet recognized, and the amount of estimated tax benefits that would be recorded in paid-in-capital, if any, when the share is exercised are assumed to be used to repurchase shares in the current period.

The following table sets forth the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share.


	Year ended December 31,
(in thousands, except per share data)	2011		2010		2009

Net income	$	51,959	$	79,758	$	53,381


Denominator for basic earnings per share – weighted-
average number of common shares outstanding
during the period		59,284		62,141		64,758
Incremental common shares attributable to exercise
of outstanding dilutive options		270		455		303
Incremental common shares attributable to outstanding
restricted shares, restricted stock units and phantom stock		219		96		45
Incremental common shares attributable
to exercise of warrants		—		—		10

Denominator for diluted earnings per share		59,773		62,692		65,116


Basic earnings per share	$	0.88	$	1.28	$	0.82

Diluted earnings per share	$	0.87	$	1.27	$	0.82

Options to purchase 3.4 million, 2.7 million and 4.1 million common shares in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively, were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because their effect would have been anti-dilutive.

Revenue Recognition

(j) Revenue Recognition

Revenue from the sale of manufactured products built to customer specifications and excess inventory is recognized when title and risk of ownership have passed, the price to the buyer is fixed and determinable and recoverability is reasonably assured, which generally is when the goods are shipped. To a lesser extent, the Company also derives revenue from non-manufacturing services, such as product design, circuit board layout and test development. Revenue from design, development and engineering services is recognized when the services are performed and collectibility is reasonably certain. Such services provided under fixed price contracts are accounted for using the percentage of completion method. The Company assumes no significant obligations after shipment as the Company typically warrants workmanship only. Based on historical experience, the warranty provision is immaterial.

Income Taxes

(k) Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred income taxes are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred taxes of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company records a valuation allowance to reduce its deferred tax assets to the amounts that is more likely than not to be realized. The Company has considered the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies in assessing the need for the valuation allowance.

Stock-Based Compensation

(l) Stock-Based Compensation

All share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, are recognized in the financial statements based on their fair values. The total compensation cost recognized for stock-based awards was $5.1 million, $5.4 million and $5.4 million for 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. The total income tax benefit recognized in the income statement for stock-based awards was $1.7 million, $1.9 million and $1.8 million for 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. The compensation expense for stock-based awards includes an estimate for forfeitures and is recognized over the vesting period of the awards using the straight-line method. Cash flows from the tax benefits resulting from tax deductions in excess of the compensation cost recognized for stock-based awards (excess tax benefits) are classified as cash flows from financing activities. Awards of restricted shares, restricted stock units, performance restricted stock units and phantom stock are valued at the closing market price of the Company's common shares on the date of grant. For restricted stock unit awards with performance conditions, compensation expense is currently based on the target number of shares that would vest if 100% of the target performance goal is achieved, which was considered the probable outcome at the grant date. Throughout the requisite service period, management monitors the probability of achievement of the performance conditions. If it becomes probable, based on the Company's expectation of performance during the measurement period, that more or less than the current estimate of the awarded shares will vest, an adjustment to stock-based compensation expense will be recognized as a change in accounting estimate. During the fourth quarter of 2011, it was determined that none of the performance based restricted stock unit awards that were granted in 2011 with performance conditions were probable of vesting and resulted in the reversal of $0.2 million of stock-based compensation expense.

As of December 31, 2011, there was approximately $4.2 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested stock options. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.7 years. As of December 31, 2011, there was $3.8 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to restricted share awards. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.6 years. As of December 31, 2011, there was $1.3 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to restricted stock units and phantom stock awards. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.2 years. As of December 31, 2011, there was $1.3 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to performance based restricted stock units. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 3.2 years.

During the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company issued 0.4 million, 61 thousand and 0.6 million options, respectively. The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The weighted-average assumptions used to value the option grants during the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 were as follows:


	Year ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009

Stock Options
Expected term of options	6.2 years			7.0 years			5.7 years
Expected volatility		41	%		40	%		41	%
Risk-free interest rate		2.674	%		2.94	%		2.51	%
Dividend yield	zero			zero			zero

The expected term of the options represents the estimated period of time until exercise and is based on historical experience, giving consideration to the contractual terms, vesting schedules and expectations of future plan participant behavior. Separate groups of plan participants that have similar historical exercise behavior are considered separately for valuation purposes. Expected stock price volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Company's common shares. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero-coupon rates in effect at the time of grant with an equivalent remaining term. The dividend yield reflects that the Company has not paid any cash dividends since inception and does not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

The weighted-average fair value per option granted during the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $8.14, $9.03 and $7.58, respectively. The total cash received as a result of stock option exercises for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 was approximately $2.6 million, $3.3 million and $3.6 million, respectively. The actual tax benefit realized as a result of stock option exercises and the vesting of other share-based awards during 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $0.9 million, $1.3 million and $0.9 million, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, the total intrinsic value of stock options exercised was $1.4 million, $2.1 million and $2.6 million, respectively.

The Company issued performance based restricted stock unit awards to employees during 2011. The number of performance based restricted stock unit awards that will ultimately be earned will not be determined until the end of the performance period, which is December 31, 2014, and may vary from as low as zero to as high as three times the target number (0.1 million shares) depending on the level of achievement of certain performance goals. The level of achievement of these goals is based upon the audited financial results of the Company for the last full calendar year within the performance period (the year ending December 31, 2014) as compared to the base year (the year ended December 31, 2010). The performance goals consist of certain levels of achievement using the following financial metrics: revenue growth, operating income margin expansion, and return on invested capital. If the performance goals are not met based on the Company's financial results, the applicable performance based restricted stock unit awards will not vest and will be forfeited.

Use Of Estimates

(m) Use of Estimates

Management of the Company has made a number of estimates and assumptions relating to the reporting of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities to prepare these financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Fair Values Of Financial Instruments

(n) Fair Values of Financial Instruments

The Company's financial instruments consist of cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accrued liabilities, accounts payable and capital lease obligations. The Company believes that the carrying value of these instruments approximate their fair value. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's long-term investments are recorded at fair value. See Note 11.

Foreign Currency

(o) Foreign Currency

For foreign subsidiaries using the local currency as their functional currency, assets and liabilities are translated at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date and income and expenses are translated at average exchange rates. The effects of these translation adjustments are reported in other comprehensive income. Exchange losses arising from transactions denominated in a currency other than the functional currency of the entity involved are included in other expense and totaled approximately $1.5 million, $2.4 million and $1.9 million in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.