NOTE B — INVESTMENTS

The Company owns approximately a 30% interest in Grupo Vasconia S.A.B. (“Vasconia”), an integrated manufacturer of aluminum products and one of Mexico’s largest housewares companies. Shares of Vasconia’s capital stock are traded on the Bolsa Mexicana de Valores, the Mexican Stock Exchange. The Quotation Key is VASCONI. The Company accounts for its investment in Vasconia using the equity method of accounting and records its proportionate share of Vasconia’s net income in the Company’s statement of operations. Accordingly, the Company has recorded its proportionate share of Vasconia’s net income (reduced for amortization expense related to the customer relationships acquired) for the three month periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations. The value of the Company’s investment balance has been translated from Mexican Pesos (“MXN”) to U.S. Dollars (“USD”) using the spot rates of MXN 17.27 and MXN 17.38 at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. The Company’s proportionate share of Vasconia’s net income has been translated from MXN to USD using the average exchange rates of MXN 18.02 and MXN 14.94 during the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The effect of the translation of the Company’s investment resulted in a decrease to the investment of $0.6 million and $1.7 million during the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively (also see Note K). These translation effects are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Included within prepaid expenses and other current assets at December 31, 2015 are amounts due from Vasconia of $55,000. Included within accrued expenses and accounts payable at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 are amounts due to Vasconia of $63,000 and $28,000, respectively.

A summarized statement of income information for Vasconia in USD and MXN is as follows:


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2016				2015
	(in thousands)
	USD		MXN		USD		MXN
Net sales	$	37,325	$	672,578	$	47,339	$	707,435
Gross profit		5,418		97,634		9,436		141,012
Income from operations		923		16,633		2,747		41,048
Net income		220		3,959		1,245		18,612

The Company recorded equity in losses of Vasconia, net of taxes, of $0.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and equity in earnings of Vasconia, net of taxes, of $0.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015. Equity in losses for the three months ended March 31, 2016 includes deferred tax expense of $0.2 million due to the requirement to record tax benefits for foreign currency translation losses through other comprehensive income (loss), with a corresponding adjustment to deferred tax liabilities.

As of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the fair value (based upon Vasconia’s quoted stock price) of the Company’s investment in Vasconia was $36.3 million and $35.9 million, respectively. The carrying value of the Company’s investment in Vasconia was $24.1 million and $24.7 million as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively.

The Company has a 40% equity interest in GS Internacional S/A (“GSI”), a leading wholesale distributor of branded housewares products in Brazil, which the Company acquired in December 2011. As of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the carrying value of the Company’s investment in GSI was $0 and therefore the Company has not recorded its share of equity in losses in the three month periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015. The Company will continue to monitor the operating results of GSI and will record equity in earnings when the equity in earnings exceeds the Company’s previously unrecognized losses.

The Company evaluated the disclosure requirements of ASC Topic No. 860, Transfers and Servicing, and determined that at March 31, 2016, the Company did not have a controlling voting interest or variable interest in any of its investments and therefore continued accounting for the investments using the equity method of accounting.