Financial Instruments

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2015

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

The Company has limited involvement with derivative financial instruments and does not use them for trading purposes. The Company enters into certain interest rate swap agreements in order to manage its exposure to changes in interest rates. The amount of the Company's fixed obligation interest payments may change based upon the expiration dates of its interest rate swap agreements and the level and composition of its debt. The Company also enters into certain foreign currency forward contracts to limit the Company's exposure to currency fluctuations on the respective hedged items. As also mentioned in Note 6, the Company will designate its euro denominated debt as a hedge of a portion of its net investment in euro-denominated foreign operations. For additional disclosures on the fair value of financial instruments, also see Note 4 to the interim consolidated financial statements.

Cash Flow Hedges

In July 2012, the Company began entering into foreign currency forward contracts, designated as cash flow hedges, to hedge certain forecasted intercompany sales denominated in euro with its Swiss-based business. The notional amount of foreign currency forward contracts outstanding at March 31, 2015 were $72.6 million (Euro 66.7 million) for contracts that mature in 2015 and $72.4 million (Euro 66.5 million) for contracts that mature in 2016. The notional amount of foreign currency forward contracts outstanding at December 31, 2014 was $87 million (Euro 71.5 million) for contracts that mature in 2015. The amount recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) during the three months period ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 was a gain of $22.8 million and a gain of $0.3 million, respectively.

The Company has an interest rate swap agreement designated as a cash flow hedge. The agreement is a swap which has the effect of changing the floating rate LIBOR-based interest payments associated with $100 million in forecasted borrowings under the Company’s credit facility to a fixed obligation of 3.24%. The swap began in October 2010 and matures in October 2015.

In June 2013, the Company entered into a forward-starting interest rate swap agreement, designated as a cash flow hedge. The agreement will change the floating rate LIBOR-based interest payments associated with $50 million in forecasted borrowings under the Company's credit agreement to a fixed obligation of 2.52% beginning in October 2015.

In March 2015, the Company entered into a forward-starting interest rate swap agreement. The agreement will change the floating rate LIBOR-based interest payments associated with $100 million in forecasted borrowings under the Company's credit agreement to a fixed obligation of 2.25% beginning in February 2017.

The Company's cash flow hedges are recorded gross at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, and disclosed in Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements. Amounts reclassified into other comprehensive income and the effective portions of the cash flow hedges are further disclosed in Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements. A derivative gain of $9.0 million based upon interest rates and foreign currency rates at March 31, 2015, is expected to be reclassified from other comprehensive income (loss) to earnings in the next 12 months. Through March 31, 2015, no hedge ineffectiveness has occurred in relation to the cash flow hedges.

Other Derivatives

The Company enters into foreign currency forward contracts in order to economically hedge short-term trade and non-trade intercompany balances largely denominated in Swiss franc, other major European currencies, and the Chinese Renminbi with its foreign businesses. In accordance with U.S. GAAP, these contracts are considered “derivatives not designated as hedging instruments.” Gains or losses on these instruments are reported in current earnings. The foreign currency forward contracts are recorded at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, disclosed in Note 4 to the consolidated financial statements. The Company recognized in other charges (income), a net loss of $9.3 million and $0.2 million during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, which was primarily offset by the underlying transaction gains on the related intercompany balances. At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, these contracts had a notional value of $286.9 million and $325.4 million, respectively.