Fair Value Measurement

14. Fair Value Measurement

The Company measures and records in the accompanying consolidated financial statements certain liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis. Authoritative guidance issued by the FASB establishes a fair value hierarchy for those instruments measured at fair value that distinguishes between assumptions based on market data (observable inputs) and the Company's assumptions (unobservable inputs). On January 1, 2012, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update 2011-04, Fair Value Measurement: Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRS, which amended FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement. Adoption of the disclosure requirements did not have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations. The hierarchy consists of three levels:


Level 1		Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
Level 2		Inputs other than Level 1 inputs that are either directly or indirectly observable; and
Level 3		Unobservable inputs developed using estimates and assumptions developed by the Company, which reflect those that a market participant would use.

As of September 30, 2013 and 2012, the Company had no Level 1 or Level 2 assets or liabilities measured at fair value. As of September 30, 2013 and 2012, the Company's liability for earn-outs related to the NESA and Jacobs Trading Company acquisitions of $18,390,000 and $14,511,000, respectively, is the only liability measured at fair value on a recurring basis and is classified as Level 3 within the fair value hierarchy. The changes in liabilities measured at fair value for which the Company has used Level 3 inputs to determine fair value for the year ended September 30, 2013 are as follows ($ in thousands):

	Level 3 Liabilities

Balance at September 30, 2011	$	10,151
Acquisition contingent consideration		8,185
Settlements		(3,162	)
Increase (decrease) of contingent consideration		(663	)

Balance at September 30, 2012		14,511
Acquisition contingent consideration		18,050
Settlements		(19,608	)
Increase (decrease) of contingent consideration		5,437

Balance at September 30, 2013	$	18,390

When valuing its Level 3 liability, the Company gives consideration to operating results, financial condition, economic and/or market events, and other pertinent information that would impact its estimate of the expected earn-out payment. The valuation procedures are primarily based on management's projection of EBITDA for the acquired businesses and applying a discount to the expected earn out payments to estimate fair value. Discount rates range from 2.0% to 9.7% and are based on the Company's cost of borrowing. Given the short-term nature of the earn-out periods, changes in the discount rate are not expected to have a material impact on the fair value of these liabilities. Because of the inherent uncertainty, this estimated value may differ significantly from the value that would have been used had a ready market for the liability existed, and it is reasonably possible that the difference could be material. Changes in fair value of the Company's Level 3 liabilities are recorded in Acquisition costs in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. As it relates to financial liabilities still held as of September 30, 2013, the Company recorded into earnings an additional $5,097,000 and $340,000 of contingent consideration for Jacobs Trading and NESA, respectively.

The Company's financial assets not measured at fair value are cash and cash equivalents (which includes cash and commercial paper with original maturities of less than 90 days). The Company believes the carrying value approximates fair value due to the short term maturity of these instruments.

- 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