Fair Value Measurements

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e. the "exit price") in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Fair value measurements are broken down into three levels based on the reliability of inputs as follows:

Level 1 inputs are quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date. An active market for the asset or liability is a market in which transactions for the asset or liability occur with sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis. The valuation under this approach does not entail a significant degree of judgment ("Level 1").

Level 2 inputs are inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 2 inputs include: quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability (i.e. interest rates and yield curves observable at commonly quoted intervals or current market) and contractual prices for the underlying financial instrument, as well as other relevant economic measures ("Level 2").

Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability. Unobservable inputs are used to measure fair value to the extent that observable inputs are not available, thereby allowing for situations in which there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date ("Level 3").

The fair value of the Company's financial instruments, such as cash and cash equivalents, trade and other receivables and trade payables approximate carrying value due to the short-term maturities of these assets and liabilities. Carrying cost approximates fair value for the Company's long-term debt which has variable interest rates.

The fair value of the Company's investment in associated company is a Level 1 measurement because the underlying security is listed on a national securities exchange.

The derivative instruments that the Company purchases in connection with its precious metal inventory, specifically commodity futures and forwards contracts on precious metals, are valued at fair value. The futures contracts are Level 1 measurements since they are traded on a commodity exchange. The forward contracts are entered into with a counterparty and are considered Level 2 measurements.

The Company's interest rate swap agreement associated with its Senior Credit Facility is considered a Level 2 measurement as the inputs are observable at commonly quoted intervals. Prior to the redemption of the Subordinated Notes and related Warrants, the embedded derivative features of the Subordinated Notes and Warrants (see Note 8 - "Debt") were valued at fair value on a recurring basis and were considered Level 3 measurements.

The following table summarizes the Company's assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis, the amounts on the consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012 and the activity in those assets and liabilities that are valued using Level 3 measurements.

	Asset (Liability) as of March 31, 2013
(in thousands)	Total			Level 1		Level 2			Level 3
Investment in associated company	$	19,606		$	19,606	$	—		$	—
Commodity contracts on precious metals	$	88		$	88	$	—		$	—
Interest rate swap agreement	$	(277	)	$	—	$	(277	)	$	—

	Asset (Liability) as of December 31, 2012
	Total		Level 1		Level 2			Level 3
Investment in associated company	$	17,229	$	17,229	$	—		$	—
Commodity contracts on precious metals	$	100	$	127	$	(27	)	$	—
Derivative features of Subordinated Notes	$	793	$	—	$	—		$	793

(in thousands)	Three Months Ended
Activity	March 31, 2013
Beginning balance	$	793
Total net gains (losses) included in:
Net income	(793		)
Other comprehensive income	—
Purchases	—
Issuances	—
Sales	—
Settlements	—
Net transfers into / (out of) Level 3	—
Ending balance	$	—

The loss of $0.8 million in the fair value of the derivative features of Subordinated Notes for the three months ended March 31, 2013 noted above resulted principally from the redemption of the Company's Subordinated Notes and related Warrants on March 26, 2013 (see Note 8 - "Debt"). The valuation of the derivative features of the Subordinated Notes and Warrants utilized a customized binomial model, which valued the embedded derivatives in such notes and the associated Warrants in a unified way, using a cash flow approach. Interest rates and the market price of HNH's stock were significant inputs that influenced the valuation of the derivative.

The Company's non-financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis include goodwill and other intangible assets, any assets and liabilities acquired in a business combination, or its long-lived assets written down to fair value. To measure fair value for such assets and liabilities, the Company uses techniques including an income approach, a market approach and/or appraisals (Level 3 inputs). The income approach is based on a discounted cash flow analysis ("DCF") and calculates the fair value by estimating the after-tax cash flows attributable to a reporting unit and then discounting the after-tax cash flows to a present value using a risk-adjusted discount rate. Assumptions used in the DCF require the exercise of significant judgment, including judgment about appropriate discount rates and terminal values, growth rates and the amount and timing of expected future cash flows. The discount rates, which are intended to reflect the risks inherent in future cash flow projections, used in the DCF are based on estimates of the weighted-average cost of capital of a market participant. Such estimates are derived from analysis of peer companies and consider the industry weighted-average return on debt and equity from a market participant perspective. A market approach values a business by considering the prices at which shares of capital stock, or related underlying assets, of reasonably comparable companies are trading in the public market or the transaction price at which similar companies have been acquired. If comparable companies are not available, the market approach is not used.

Long-lived assets consisting of land and buildings used in previously operating businesses and currently unused, which total $8.2 million as of March 31, 2013, are carried at the lower of cost or fair value, and are included primarily in other non-current assets in the consolidated balance sheet. A reduction in the carrying value of such long-lived assets is recorded as an asset impairment charge in the consolidated income statement.