Fair Value Measurements

(14) Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with ASC Topic 820 — Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”), the Partnership utilizes the market approach to measure fair value for its financial assets and liabilities. The market approach uses prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets, liabilities or a group of assets or liabilities, such as a business.

ASC 820 utilizes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels. The following is a brief description of those three levels:


•	Level 1 — Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities


•	Level 2 — Other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities)


•	Level 3 — Significant unobservable inputs (including the Partnership’s own assumptions in determining the fair value).

The following table sets forth the assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis, by input level, as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.



	March 31, 2015
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	(in thousands)
Financial Statement Caption and Description
Cash equivalents (money market account)	$	53,333	$	—	$	—	$	53,333
Other current liabilities (interest rate swaps)	—		843		—		843
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (interest rate swaps)	—		843		—		843



	December 31, 2014
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	(in thousands)
Financial Statement Caption and Description
Cash equivalents (money market account)	$	53,323	$	—	$	—	$	53,323
Other current liabilities (interest rate swaps)	—		855		—		855
Other long-term liabilities (interest rate swaps)	—		183		—		183
Total Liabilities	—		1,038		—		1,038
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (interest rate swaps)	$	—	$	1,038	$	—	$	1,038

As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the only financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis are the Partnership’s money market accounts and derivative instruments. The carrying value of the Partnership’s debt approximates fair value. The Partnership has interest rate swaps that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis using Level 2 inputs. See further discussion in Note 11 (“Interest Rate Swap Agreements”). The fair values of these interest rate swap instruments are based on discounted cash flow models that incorporate the cash flows of the derivatives, as well as the current LIBOR rate and a forward LIBOR curve, along with other observable market inputs. The Partnership had no transfers of assets or liabilities between any of the above levels during the three months ended March 31, 2015.

- 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.

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