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FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS  
FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

13 - FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

 

The fair values and carrying values of the Company’s financial instruments at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 which are required to be disclosed at fair value, but not recorded at fair value, are noted below.

 

 

 

September 30, 2012

 

December 31, 2011

 

 

 

Carrying
Value

 

Fair Value

 

Carrying
Value

 

Fair Value

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

 87,778

 

$

 87,778

 

$

 227,968

 

$

 227,968

 

Restricted cash

 

10,150

 

10,150

 

9,750

 

9,750

 

Floating rate debt

 

1,413,439

 

1,413,439

 

1,588,012

 

1,588,012

 

2010 Notes

 

109,726

 

48,750

 

106,381

 

80,000

 

 

The fair value of the floating rate debt under the 2007 Credit Facility, $100 Million Term Loan Facility, $253 Million Term Loan Facility and the 2010 Baltic Trading Credit Facility are based on management’s estimate of rates the Company has recently obtained on August 1, 2012 when the Company entered into agreements to amend or waive certain provisions of the 2007 Credit Facility, $100 Million Term Loan Facility and the $253 Million Term Loan Facility.  Additionally, the Company considers its creditworthiness in determining the fair value of floating rate debt under the credit facilities.  The carrying value approximates the fair market value for these floating rate loans.  The fair value of the convertible senior notes payable represents the market value based on recent transactions of the 2010 Notes at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 without bifurcating the value of the conversion option.  The fair value of the interest rate swaps is the estimated amount the Company would receive to terminate the swap agreements at the reporting date, taking into account current interest rates and the creditworthiness of both the swap counterparty and the Company.  The carrying amounts of the Company’s other financial instruments at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 (principally Due from charterers and Accounts payable and accrued expenses), approximate fair values because of the relatively short maturity of these instruments.

 

Accounting Standards Codification Subtopic 820-10, “Fair Value Measurements & Disclosures” (“ASC 820-10”), applies to all assets and liabilities that are being measured and reported on a fair value basis.  This guidance enables the reader of the financial statements to assess the inputs used to develop those measurements by establishing a hierarchy for ranking the quality and reliability of the information used to determine fair values. The fair value framework requires the categorization of assets and liabilities into three levels based upon the assumption (inputs) used to price the assets or liabilities. Level 1 provides the most reliable measure of fair value, whereas Level 3 generally requires significant management judgment. The three levels are defined as follows:

 

·                  Level 1—Valuations based on quoted prices in active markets for identical instruments that the Company is able to access. Since valuations are based on quoted prices that are readily and regularly available in an active market, valuation of these instruments does not entail a significant degree of judgment.

 

·                  Level 2—Valuations based on quoted prices in active markets for instruments that are similar, or quoted prices in markets that are not active for identical or similar instruments, and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets.

 

·                  Level 3—Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

 

As of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the fair values of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities are categorized as follows:

 

 

 

September 30, 2012

 

 

 

Total

 

Quoted
market
prices in
active
markets
(Level 1)

 

Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)

 

Investments

 

$

 23,825

 

$

 23,825

 

$

 —

 

Derivative instruments — liability position

 

18,870

 

—

 

18,870

 

 

 

 

December 31, 2011

 

 

 

Total

 

Quoted
market
prices in
active
markets
(Level 1)

 

Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)

 

Investments

 

$

 24,468

 

$

 24,468

 

$

 —

 

Derivative instruments — liability position

 

25,340

 

—

 

25,340

 

 

The Company holds an investment in the capital stock of Jinhui, which is classified as a long-term investment.  The stock of Jinhui is publicly traded on the Oslo Stock Exchange and is considered a Level 1 item.  The Company’s interest rate derivative instruments are pay-fixed, receive-variable interest rate swaps based on LIBOR.  The Company has elected to use the income approach to value the derivatives, using observable Level 2 market inputs at measurement date and standard valuation techniques to convert future amounts to a single present amount assuming that participants are motivated, but not compelled to transact.  Level 2 inputs for the valuations are limited to quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets (specifically futures contracts on LIBOR for the first two years) and inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability (specifically LIBOR cash and swap rates and credit risk at commonly quoted intervals).  Mid-market pricing is used as a practical expedient for fair value measurements.  Refer to Note 11 — Interest Rate Swap Agreements for further information regarding the Company’s interest rate swap agreements.  ASC 820-10 states that the fair value measurement of an asset or liability must reflect the nonperformance risk of the entity and the counterparty. Therefore, the impact of the counterparty’s creditworthiness when in an asset position and the Company’s creditworthiness when in a liability position has also been factored into the fair value measurement of the derivative instruments in an asset or liability position and did not have a material impact on the fair value of these derivative instruments.  As of September 30, 2012, both the counterparty and the Company are expected to continue to perform under the contractual terms of the instruments. Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash are considered Level 1 items as they represent liquid assets with short-term maturities. Floating rate debt is considered to be a Level 2 item as the Company considers the estimate of rates it could obtain for similar debt. The 2010 Notes are publicly traded in the over-the-counter market; however they are not considered to be actively traded. As such, the 2010 Notes are considered to be a Level 2 item.