17. Financial Instruments

Fair values of the Senior Notes approximated $462,375 and $486,563 at December 31, 2011 and March 31, 2012, respectively, based on quoted market prices, compared to the recorded value of $450,000. This fair value measurement is classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy.

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

The Company uses derivative financial instruments, including forwards and swap contracts, to manage its exposures to fluctuations in foreign exchange and interest rates. For a fair value hedge, both the effective and ineffective, if significant, portions are recorded in earnings and reflected in the condensed consolidated statement of comprehensive income. For a cash flow hedge, the effective portion of the change in the fair value of the derivative is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI") in the condensed consolidated balance sheet. The ineffective portion, if significant, is recorded in other income or expense. When the underlying hedged transaction is realized or the hedged transaction is no longer probable, the gain or loss included in AOCI is recorded in earnings and reflected in the condensed consolidated statement of comprehensive income on the same line as the gain or loss on the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk.

As part of the FMEA joint venture, SPBT had undesignated derivative forward contracts to hedge currency risk of the Euro against the Polish Zloty which are included in the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements. The forward contracts are used to mitigate the potential volatility of cash flows arising from changes in currency exchange rates that impact the Company's foreign currency transactions. These foreign currency derivative contracts relate to hedge transactions through April 2014. At March 31, 2012, the fair value of the Company's undesignated derivative forward contracts was $1,701 and is recorded in accrued liabilities and other long-term liabilities in the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheet. The unrealized gain or loss on the forward contracts is reported as a component of other expense. The unrealized gain for the three months ended March 31, 2012 was $2,834.

The Company formally documents its hedge relationships, including the identification of the hedging instruments and the hedged items, as well as its risk management objectives and strategies for undertaking the cash flow hedges. The Company also formally assesses whether a cash flow hedge is highly effective in offsetting changes in the cash flows of the hedged item. Derivatives are recorded at fair value in other current assets, accrued liabilities and other long-term liabilities.

Cash Flow Hedges

Forward foreign exchange contracts – The Company enters into forward contracts to hedge currency risk of the U.S. Dollar against the Mexican Peso, the Canadian Dollar against the U.S. Dollar and the Euro against the Polish Zloty and the U.S. Dollar. The forward contracts are used to mitigate the potential volatility to earnings and cash flow arising from changes in currency exchange rates that impact the Company's foreign currency transactions. The gain or loss on the forward contracts is reported as a component of AOCI and reclassified into earnings in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. There were no amounts reclassified from AOCI into cost of products sold for the three months ended March 31, 2012. These foreign currency derivative contracts consist of hedges of transactions up to December 2012.

A summary of the outstanding contracts and the respective notional amounts is below:


Designated		Notional Amount		Notional Amount (local currency)
Mexican Peso	USD		84,792		6,601
United States Dollar	CAD		9,407		9,378
Polish Zloty	EUR		16,335		3,887
United States Dollar	EUR		4,805		3,643

At March 31, 2012, the fair value before taxes of the Company's forward exchange contracts and the accounts in the condensed consolidated balance sheet in which the fair value amounts are included are shown below:


	March 31, 2012
	Asset/(liability)
Other current assets	$	43
Accrued liabilities		(154	)

	$	(111	)

Interest rate swaps – The Company has an interest rate swap contract to manage cash flow fluctuations of variable rate debt due to changes in market interest rates. This contract which fixes the interest payment of a certain variable rate debt instrument is accounted for as a cash flow hedge. As of March 31, 2012, the USD notional amount of this contract was $3,303. At March 31, 2012, the fair value before taxes of the Company's interest rate swap contract was $144 and is recorded in accrued liabilities and other long-term liabilities in the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheet with the offset reflected in AOCI, net of deferred taxes. The amount reclassified from AOCI into interest expense for this swap was $51 and $53 for the three months ended March 31, 2011 and 2012, respectively. The amount to be reclassified in the next twelve months is expected to be approximately $113. The maturity date of this swap contract is September 2013.

Fair Value Measurements

ASC 820 clarifies that fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based upon assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. As a basis for considering such assumptions, ASC 820 establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:

Level 1:

Observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets;

Level 2:

Inputs, other than quoted prices in active markets, that are observable either directly or indirectly; and

Level 3:

Unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions.

Estimates of the fair value of foreign currency and interest rate derivative instruments are determined using exchange traded prices and rates. The Company also considers the risk of non-performance in the estimation of fair value, and includes an adjustment for non-performance risk in the measure of fair value of derivative instruments. In certain instances where market data is not available, the Company uses management judgment to develop assumptions that are used to determine fair value. Fair value measurements and the fair value hierarchy level for the Company's liabilities measured or disclosed at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2011 and March 31, 2012, are shown below:


	December 31, 2011
	Asset
Contract	(Liability)			Level 1		Level 2			Level 3
Interest rate swap	$	(156	)	$	—	$	(156	)	$	—
Forward foreign exchange contract		(4,269	)		—		(4,269	)		—

Total	$	(4,425	)	$	—	$	(4,425	)	$	—


	March 31, 2012
	Asset
Contract	(Liability)			Level 1		Level 2			Level 3
Interest rate swap	$	(144	)	$	—	$	(144	)	$	—
Forward foreign exchange contracts		(1,812	)		—		(1,812	)		—

Total	$	(1,956	)	$	—	$	(1,956	)	$	—

(Gains) and losses (realized and unrealized) included in earnings (or changes in net liabilities) for the three months ended March 31, 2012 are reported in cost of products sold and other income, net:


	Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2012
Total gains included in earnings (or changes in net liabilities) for the period (above)	$	(2,234	)
Change in unrealized losses relating to assets still held at the reporting date		—

Items measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis

In addition to items that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis, the Company measures certain assets and liabilities at fair value on a non-recurring basis, which are not included in the table above. As these non-recurring fair value measurements are generally determined using unobservable inputs, these fair value measurements are classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. For further information on assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis, see Note 2. "Acquisitions" and Note 4. "Restructuring."