Fair value measurements

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Fair value measurements

The Company’s assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis within the fair value hierarchy are summarized as follows:



	December 31, 2018						December 31, 2017
(in thousands)	Level 1		Level 2		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Total
Cash equivalents ⁽¹⁾:
Money market funds	$	10,901	$	—	$	10,901	$	25,251	$	—	$	25,251
Commercial paper	7,577		—		7,577		14,981		—		14,981
Corporate debt securities	—		—		—		—		2,500		2,500
Agency securities	—		—		—		—		4,999		4,999
Total cash equivalents	$	18,478	$	—	$	18,478	$	40,232	$	7,499	$	47,731
Marketable securities:
U.S. treasury securities	$	—	$	6,336	$	6,336	$	—	$	4,995	$	4,995
Commercial paper	20,657		—		20,657		19,888		—		19,888
Corporate debt securities	—		18,424		18,424		—		20,003		20,003
Total marketable securities	$	20,657	$	24,760	$	45,417	$	19,888	$	24,998	$	44,886


⁽¹⁾	Included in cash and cash equivalents in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Cash balances were $133.6 million and $154.8 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

There were no transfers of financial assets between levels for the periods presented.

Cash equivalents and marketable securities are classified as Level 1 or Level 2 because the Company uses quoted market prices or alternative pricing sources and models utilizing market observable inputs to determine their fair value. The contractual maturities of available-for-sale marketable securities as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 were all less than one year in duration. At December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company had no financial assets or liabilities that were classified as Level 3, which are valued based on inputs supported by little or no market activity.

At December 31, 2018 and 2017, the amortized cost of the Company’s cash equivalents and marketable securities approximated their fair value and there were no material realized or unrealized gains or losses, either individually or in the aggregate.

In April 2017, the Company issued $175.0 million principal amount of Convertible Senior Notes due 2022 (Notes) (see Note 5 Financing Arrangements). The estimated fair value of the Notes is based on quoted market prices of the Company’s instruments in markets that are not active and are classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. The Company estimated the fair value of the Notes by evaluating quoted market prices and calculating the upfront cash payment a market participant would require to assume these obligations. The calculated fair value of the Notes of $143.3 million, is highly correlated to the Company’s stock price and as a result, significant changes to the Company’s stock price will have a significant impact on the calculated fair value of the Notes.

For certain other financial assets and liabilities, including accounts receivable, accounts payable and other current assets and liabilities, the carrying amounts approximate their fair value primarily due to the relatively short maturity of these balances.

- 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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