Fair Value Measurements

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2016

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements

Note 20. Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. To determine fair value, the Company uses various methods including market and income approaches. The Company utilizes valuation models and techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs. The models are industry-standard models that consider various assumptions including time values and yield curves as well as other economic measures. These valuation techniques are consistently applied.

Level 1 measurements consist of quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.  Level 2 measurements include significant other observable inputs such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; identical assets or liabilities in inactive markets; observable inputs such as interest rates and yield curves; and other market-corroborated inputs. Level 3 measurements include significant unobservable inputs.

The fair values of financial instruments that do not approximate the carrying values at October 31 were as follows (in millions of dollars):

	2016				2015
	Carrying		Fair		Carrying		Fair
	Value		Value *		Value		Value *
Receivables financed – net	$	22,476.3	$	22,429.5	$	24,148.0	$	24,126.5
Retail notes securitized – net		5,126.5		5,114.2		4,834.6		4,820.5
Securitization borrowings		5,002.5		5,004.9		4,590.0		4,590.2
Current maturities of long-term borrowings		4,510.7		4,530.0		4,465.4		4,478.7
Long-term borrowings		16,568.9		16,724.5		16,980.5		17,007.6

*    Fair value measurements above were Level 3 for all Receivables and Level 2 for all borrowings.

Fair values of Receivables that were issued long-term were based on the discounted values of their related cash flows at interest rates currently being offered by the Company for similar Receivables. The fair values of the remaining Receivables approximated the carrying amounts.

Fair values of long-term borrowings and short-term securitization borrowings were based on current market quotes for identical or similar borrowings and credit risk, or on the discounted values of their related cash flows at current market interest rates. Certain long-term borrowings have been swapped to current variable interest rates. The carrying values of these long-term borrowings include adjustments related to fair value hedges.

Assets and liabilities measured at October 31 at fair value as Level 2 measurements on a recurring basis were as follows (in millions of dollars):

	2016		2015
Receivables from John Deere
Derivatives:
Interest rate contracts	$	241.8	$	241.6
Cross-currency interest rate contracts		10.2		11.5
Other assets
Derivatives:
Interest rate contracts		35.3		83.7
Foreign exchange contracts		13.8		11.3
Total assets *	$	301.1	$	348.1
Other payables to John Deere
Derivatives:
Interest rate contracts	$	24.0	$	22.4
Cross-currency interest rate contracts				.1
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
Derivatives:
Interest rate contracts				19.8
Foreign exchange contracts		4.3		5.6
Total liabilities	$	28.3	$	47.9

*    Excluded from this table were cash equivalents, which were carried at cost that approximates fair value. The cash equivalents consist primarily of money market funds that were Level 1 measurements.

Fair value, nonrecurring, Level 3 measurements from impairments at October 31 were as follows (in millions of dollars):

	Fair Value *				Losses *
	2016		2015		2016		2015		2014
Equipment on operating leases - net	$	654.4	$	478.7	$	31.1	$	10.3
Other assets		184.0		96.2		28.6		9.1
Total	$	838.4	$	574.9	$	59.7	$	19.4

*    See Receivables with specific allowances in Note 5 that were not significant. See Note 7 for impairments on lease residual values.

The following is a description of the valuation methodologies the Company uses to measure certain financial instruments on the balance sheet at fair value:

Derivatives – The Company’s derivative financial instruments consist of interest rate swaps and caps, foreign currency forwards and swaps and cross-currency interest rate swaps. The portfolio is valued based on an income approach (discounted cash flow) using market observable inputs, including swap curves and both forward and spot exchange rates for currencies.

Receivables – Specific reserve impairments are based on the fair value of the collateral, which is measured using a market approach (appraisal values or realizable values). Inputs include a selection of realizable values.

Equipment on operating leases - net – The impairments are based on an income approach (discounted cash flow), using the contractual payments, plus an estimate of equipment sale price at lease maturity. Inputs include realized sales values.

Other assets – Impairments are based on the fair value of the matured operating lease inventory, which is measured using a market approach. Inputs include realized sales values.