Derivative Financial Instruments

3 Months Ended

Mar. 27, 2015

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Financial Instruments

16.  Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company’s derivative financial instruments include foreign currency forward contracts, which are entered into for risk management purposes.

Foreign Currency Forward Contracts. The Company’s U.S. and foreign businesses enter into contracts with customers, subcontractors or vendors that are denominated in currencies other than their functional currencies. To protect the functional currency equivalent cash flows associated with certain of these contracts, the Company enters into foreign currency forward contracts. The Company’s activities involving foreign currency forward contracts are designed to hedge the changes in the functional currency equivalent cash flows due to movements in foreign exchange rates compared to the functional currency. The foreign currencies hedged are primarily the Euro, the Canadian dollar, the U.S. dollar, and the British pound. The Company manages exposure to counterparty non-performance credit risk by entering into foreign currency forward contracts only with major financial institutions that are expected to fully perform under the terms of such contracts. Foreign currency forward contracts are recorded in the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets at fair value and are generally designated and accounted for as cash flow hedges in accordance with the accounting standards for derivative instruments and hedging activities. Gains and losses on designated foreign currency forward contracts that are highly effective in offsetting the corresponding change in the cash flows of the hedged transactions are recorded net of income taxes in AOCI and then recognized in income when the underlying hedged transaction affects income. Gains and losses on foreign currency forward contracts that do not meet hedge accounting criteria are recognized in income immediately. Notional amounts are used to measure the volume of foreign currency forward contracts and do not represent exposure to foreign currency losses. The table below presents the notional amounts of the Company’s outstanding foreign currency forward contracts by currency at March 27, 2015.

Currency	Notional Amounts
	(in millions)
Euro	$	358
Canadian dollar		207
U.S. dollar		103
British pound		6
Total	$	674

At March 27, 2015, the Company’s foreign currency forward contracts had maturities through 2018.

The table below presents the location of the Company’s derivative instruments recorded at fair value on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

	March 27, 2015								December 31, 2014
	Other Current Assets		Other Assets		Other Current Liabilities		Other Liabilities		Other Current Assets		Other Assets		Other Current Liabilities		Other Liabilities
	(in millions)
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
Foreign currency forward contracts(1)(2)	$	7	$	1	$	16	$	1	$	4	$	1	$	10	$	1
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Foreign currency forward contracts(1)(3)		—		—		5		—		—		—		—		—
Total derivative instruments	$	7	$	1	$	21	$	1	$	4	$	1	$	10	$	1

⁽¹⁾  See Note 14 for a description of the fair value hierarchy related to the Company’s foreign currency forward contracts.

⁽²⁾  Assets held for sale at March 27, 2015 and December 31, 2014 include $4 million and $2 million, respectively, of other current assets relating to the fair value of derivative instruments, and liabilities held for sale at March 27, 2015 and December 31, 2014 include $2 million of other current liabilities relating to the fair value of derivative instruments.

⁽³⁾  L-3 entered a forward contract to sell the estimated proceeds of €285 million to be obtained from the divestiture of MSI for U.S. dollars. See Note 4 for additional information.

The effect of gains or losses from foreign currency forward contracts was not material to the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations for the quarterly periods ended March 27, 2015 and March 28, 2014. At March 27, 2015, the estimated net amount of existing losses that are expected to be reclassified into income within the next 12 months is $9 million.