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Financial Instruments
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Financial Instruments [Abstract]  
Financial Instruments

Note 7 – Financial instruments:

The following table presents the financial instruments that are not carried at fair value but which require fair value disclosure:

 

     December 31,
2011		      March 31,
2012		  
     Carrying
amount		      Fair
value		      Carrying
amount		      Fair
value		  
     (In thousands)  

Cash and cash equivalents

    $ 10,081       $ 10,081       $ 4,155       $ 4,155   

Accounts receivable, net

      14,246         14,246         15,527         15,527   

Accounts payable

      6,203         6,203         5,789         5,789   

Long-term debt – (including current maturities)

      24,185         24,185         23,233         23,233   

Due to their near-term maturities, the carrying amounts of accounts receivable and accounts payable are considered equivalent to fair value. The fair value of our variable-rate long-term debt is deemed to approximate book value and is a Level 2 input as defined by ASC Topic 820-10-35.

We periodically use currency forward contracts to manage a portion of currency exchange rate market risk associated with receivables, or similar exchange rate risk associated with future sales, denominated in a currency other than the holder's functional currency. We have not entered into these contracts for trading or speculative purposes in the past, nor do we anticipate entering into such contracts for trading or speculative purposes in the future. Most of our currency forward contracts meet the criteria for hedge accounting under GAAP and are designated as cash flow hedges. For these currency forward contracts, gains and losses representing the effective portion of our hedges are deferred as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income, and are subsequently recognized in earnings at the time the hedged item affects earnings. Occasionally, we enter into currency forward contracts which do not meet the criteria for hedge accounting. For these contracts, we mark-to-market the estimated fair value of the contracts at each balance sheet date based on quoted market prices for the forward contracts, with any resulting gain or loss recognized in income currently as part of net currency transactions. The quoted market prices for the forward contracts are a Level 1 input as defined by ASC Topic 820-10-35.

At March 31, 2012, we held a series of contracts to exchange an aggregate of U.S. $13.3 million for an equivalent value of Canadian dollars at exchange rates ranging from Cdn. $1.03 to Cdn. $0.99. per U.S. dollar. These contracts qualified for hedge accounting and mature through December 2012. The exchange rate was Cdn. $1.00 per U.S. dollar at March 31, 2012. The estimated fair value of the contracts based on quoted market prices was an asset of approximately $315,000 at March 31, 2012. At December 31, 2011, we held a series of contracts to exchange an aggregate of U.S. $17.9 million for an equivalent value of Canadian dollars at exchange rates ranging from Cdn. $1.03 to Cdn. $0.99 per U.S. dollar. These contracts qualified for hedge accounting and mature through December 2012. The exchange rate was Cdn. $1.02 per U.S. dollar at December 31, 2011. The estimated fair value of the contracts based on quoted market prices was a liability of approximately $19,000 at December 31, 2011.