Fair value measurement

9 Months Ended

Sep. 23, 2012

Fair value measurement [Abstract]

Fair value measurement

NOTE 10 – Fair value measurement

The Company measures and records in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements certain assets and liabilities at fair value. ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement, establishes a fair value hierarchy for those instruments measured at fair value that distinguishes between assumptions based on market data (observable inputs) and the company’s own assumptions (unobservable inputs). The hierarchy consists of three levels:

Level 1	-	Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
Level 2	-	Inputs other than Level 1 inputs that are either directly or indirectly observable; and
Level 3	-	Unobservable inputs developed using estimates and assumptions developed by the company, which reflect those that a market participant would use.

The following table summarizes the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 23, 2012 and December 25, 2011:

(in thousands of dollars)	Fair Value Measurements as of Sept. 23, 2012
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Employee compensation related investments	$	27,863	$	—	$	—	$	27,863
Rabbi trust investments		29,413		—		—		29,413
Total assets	$	57,276	$	—	$	—	$	57,276
Contingent consideration payable a	$	—	$	—	$	27,323	$	27,323
Total liabilities	$	—	$	—	$	27,323	$	27,323
	Fair Value Measurements as of Dec. 25, 2011
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Employee compensation related investments	$	17,224	$	—	$	—	$	17,224
Rabbi trust investments		26,162		—		—		26,162
Total assets	$	43,386	$	—	$	—	$	43,386
Contingent consideration payable a	$	—	$	—	$	15,808	$	15,808
Total liabilities	$	—	$	—	$	15,808	$	15,808

^a  Under certain acquisition agreements entered into during fiscal 2011 and 2012, the Company has agreed to pay the sellers earn-outs based on the financial performance of the acquired businesses. Contingent consideration payable in the table above represents the estimated fair value of future earn-outs payable under such agreements. The fair value of the contingent payments was measured based on the present value of the consideration expected to be transferred. For the thirty-nine weeks ended September 23, 2012, the contingent consideration was increased by $19.3 million primarily due to new acquisitions. The increase was partially offset by payments of $7.8 million.

The fair value of the Company’s total long-term debt, based principally on quoted prices on less active markets for the individual tranches of debt (level 2), totaled $1.8 billion and $1.9 billion at September 23, 2012 and December 25, 2011, respectively.