Derivative Instruments

The Company periodically holds interest rate derivative instruments to mitigate exposure to changes in interest rates, in particular one-month LIBOR, with $392.0 million and $427.0 million of such borrowings at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively, tied to this rate. As a matter of policy, management does not use derivatives for speculative purposes. During 2016, the Company entered into one interest rate swap agreement which has a notional outstanding amount of $100.0 million, with a remaining term of 25 months as of March 31, 2019. The derivatives were designated in a cash flow hedging relationship.

The Company evaluated the effectiveness of the swap to hedge its interest rate risk associated with its variable rate debt and concluded at the swap inception date that the swap was highly effective in hedging that risk. The Company will evaluate the effectiveness of the hedging relationship on an ongoing basis.

The fair value of the swap at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 was $1.0 million and $1.7 million, respectively, representing a net asset. The Company recorded a $(0.2) million and $24.0 thousand adjustment to interest expense during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, from derivative instruments.

The Company estimates the fair value of derivative instruments using a discounted cash flow technique and has used creditworthiness inputs that corroborate observable market data evaluating the Company’s and counterparty’s risk of non-performance. Valuation of the derivative instruments requires certain assumptions for underlying variables and the use of different assumptions would result in a different valuation. Management believes it has applied assumptions consistently during the period. The Company applies hedge accounting and accounts for the change in fair value of its cash flow hedges through other comprehensive income for all derivative instruments.

Effect of Derivative Instruments on Earnings in the Statements of Income and on Comprehensive Income

The following tables provide additional information about the financial statement effects related to the cash flow hedges for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018:



Derivatives in Cash Flow Hedging Relationships	Amount of Loss (Gain) Recognized in OCI on Derivatives (Effective Portion)					Location of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income (Effective Portion)	Amount of Gain (Loss) Recognized from Accumulated OCI into Income (Effective Portion)
	Three Months Ended March 31,						Three Months Ended March 31,
	2019		2018				2019		2018
	(in thousands)						(in thousands)
Interest rate contracts	$	613	$	(1,031	)	Interest expense	$	203	$	(24	)
Total	$	613	$	(1,031	)	Total	$	203	$	(24	)

The effective portion of the change in fair value on a derivative instrument designated as a cash flow hedge is reported as a component of other comprehensive income and is reclassified into earnings in the period during which the transaction being hedged affects earnings or it is probable that the forecasted transaction will not occur. The ineffective portion of the hedges, if any, is recorded in earnings in the current period. There was no ineffectiveness in the hedge for the period ended March 31, 2019.

Counterparty Credit Risk

The Company evaluates the creditworthiness of the counterparties under its hedging agreements. The counterparty for the interest rate swap was a large financial institution in the United States that possessed an investment grade credit rating. Based on this rating, the Company believes that the counterparty was creditworthy and that their continuing performance under the hedging agreement was probable, and did not require the counterparty to provide collateral or other security to the Company.