FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS [Abstract]

3. FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received from the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. The FASB established a three-level hierarchy for disclosure based on the extent and level of judgment used to estimate fair value. Level 1 inputs consist of valuations based on quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 inputs consist of valuations based on quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in an inactive market, or other observable inputs. Level 3 inputs consist of valuations based on unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity.

The following table presents financial instruments, other than long-term debt, that we measured at fair value on a recurring basis at September 30, 2018 and 2017. See Note 9 for a detailed discussion of our long-term debt. We have classified the following assets in accordance with the fair value hierarchy set forth in the applicable standards. In instances where the inputs used to measure the fair value of an asset fall into more than one level of the hierarchy, we have classified them based on the lowest level input that is significant to the determination of the fair value.

September 30, 2018	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total Fair Value
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	352,921	$	-	$	-	$	352,921
Other long-term investments		1,137		-		-		1,137
Derivative financial instruments		-		-		-		-
Total assets	$	354,058	$	-	$	-	$	354,058

Liabilities:
Derivative financial instruments		-		339		-		339
Total liabilities	$	-	$	339	$	-	$	339

September 30, 2017	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total Fair Value
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	397,890	$	-	$	-	$	397,890
Other long-term investments		929		-		-		929
Derivative financial instruments		-		263		-		263
Total assets	$	398,819	$	263	$	-	$	399,082

Liabilities:
Derivative financial instruments		-		1,881		-		1,881
Total liabilities	$	-	$	1,881	$	-	$	1,881

Our cash and cash equivalents consist of various bank accounts used to support our operations and investments in institutional money-market funds that are traded in active markets. We invest only in AAA-rated, prime institutional money market funds, comprised of high quality, short-term fixed income securities. Our other long-term investments represent the fair value of investments under the Cabot Microelectronics Supplemental Employee Retirement Plan (SERP), which is a nonqualified supplemental savings plan. The fair value of the investments is determined through quoted market prices within actively traded markets. Although the investments are allocated to individual participants and investment decisions are made solely by those participants, the SERP is a nonqualified plan. Consequently, the Company owns the assets and the related offsetting liability for disbursement until such time as a participant makes a qualifying withdrawal. The long-term asset was adjusted to $1,137 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 to reflect its fair value as of September 30, 2018.

The fair value of our derivative instruments is estimated using standard valuation models and market-based observable inputs over the contractual term, including one-month LIBOR-based yield curves for interest rate swaps, and forward rates and/or the Overnight Index Swap (OIS) curve for forward foreign exchange contracts, among others. We consider the risk of nonperformance, including counterparty credit risk, in the calculation of the fair value of derivative financial instruments. Our derivative financial instruments include forward foreign exchange contracts and interest rate swaps. In fiscal 2015, we entered into floating-to-fixed interest rate swap agreements to hedge the variability in LIBOR-based interest payments on a portion of our outstanding variable rate debt. We terminated our interest rate swap agreements during the fiscal year, in connection with the extinguishment of debt. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017, we entered into forward foreign exchange contracts in an effort to protect our net investment in a foreign operation against potential adverse changes resulting from foreign currency fluctuation. This net investment hedge was terminated during the year driven by a significant repatriation of funds from this foreign operation. See Note 10 for more information on our use of derivative financial instruments.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

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