FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

9 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2015

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block]

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

The Company's assets and liabilities that were measured at fair value on a recurring basis are set forth by level within the fair value hierarchy in the following tables (in thousands):

	As of July 31, 2015
	Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Total
Assets:
Deferred compensation plans:
Corporate owned life insurance		$—		$75,809		$—		$75,809
Money market funds	2,482		—		—		2,482
Equity securities	2,131		—		—		2,131
Mutual funds	1,737		—		—		1,737
Other	967		50		—		1,017
Total assets		$7,317		$75,859		$—		$83,176
Liabilities:
Contingent consideration		$—		$—		$20,622		$20,622

	As of October 31, 2014
	Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Total
Assets:
Deferred compensation plans:
Corporate owned life insurance		$—		$61,958		$—		$61,958
Money market funds	3,974		—		—		3,974
Equity securities	2,225		—		—		2,225
Mutual funds	1,903		—		—		1,903
Other	1,339		50		—		1,389
Total assets		$9,441		$62,008		$—		$71,449
Liabilities:
Contingent consideration		$—		$—		$1,184		$1,184

The Company maintains two non-qualified deferred compensation plans. The assets of the HEICO Corporation Leadership Compensation Plan (the “LCP”) principally represent cash surrender values of life insurance policies, which derive their fair values from investments in mutual funds that are managed by an insurance company and are classified within Level 2 and valued using a market approach. Certain other assets of the LCP represent investments in money market funds that are classified within Level 1. The assets of the Company’s other deferred compensation plan are principally invested in equity securities and mutual funds that are classified within Level 1. The assets of both plans are held within irrevocable trusts and classified within other assets in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and have an aggregate value of $83.2 million as of July 31, 2015 and $71.4 million as of October 31, 2014, of which the LCP related assets were $78.3 million and $65.9 million as of July 31, 2015 and October 31, 2014, respectively. The related liabilities of the two deferred compensation plans are included within other long-term liabilities in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and have an aggregate value of $82.2 million as of July 31, 2015 and $70.5 million as of October 31, 2014, of which the LCP related liability was $77.3 million and $65.0 million as of July 31, 2015 and October 31, 2014, respectively.

As part of the agreement to acquire a subsidiary by the FSG in the first quarter of fiscal 2015, the Company may be obligated to pay contingent consideration of up to €24.4 million in aggregate, which translates to approximately $26.8 million based on the July 31, 2015 exchange rate, should the acquired entity meet certain earnings objectives during each of the first four years following the acquisition. The estimated fair value of the contingent consideration as of the acquisition date was €18.1 million, or approximately $21.3 million. As of July 31, 2015, the estimated fair value of the contingent consideration was €18.8 million, or $20.6 million. The $.7 million decrease is principally attributed to the strengthening of the U.S. dollar relative to the Euro partially offset by revised earnings estimates that reflect more favorable projected market conditions during the earnout period and was recorded as a reduction to selling, general and administrative expenses ("SG&A") in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations.

As part of the agreement to acquire a subsidiary by the ETG in fiscal 2013, the Company may be obligated to pay contingent consideration of up to $30.0 million should the acquired entity meet certain earnings objectives during calendar years 2014 and 2015. The $1.2 million estimated fair value of the contingent consideration as of October 31, 2014 was recorded as a reduction to SG&A in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations in the second quarter of fiscal 2015. The decrease in the fair value of the contingent consideration is principally attributed to revised earnings estimates that reflect less favorable projected market conditions during the earnout period.

The estimated fair value of the fiscal 2015 contingent consideration arrangement described above is classified within Level 3 and was determined using a probability-based scenario analysis approach. Under this method, a set of discrete potential future subsidiary earnings was determined using internal estimates based on various revenue growth rate assumptions for each scenario. A probability of likelihood was assigned to each discrete potential future earnings estimate and the resultant contingent consideration was calculated. The resulting probability-weighted contingent consideration amount was discounted using a weighted average discount rate reflecting the credit risk of a market participant. Changes in either the revenue growth rates, related earnings or the discount rate could result in a material change to the amount of contingent consideration accrued and such changes will be recorded in the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations.

The Level 3 inputs used to derive the estimated fair value of the Company's contingent consideration liability as of July 31, 2015 were as follows:

	Fiscal 2015 Acquisition
Compound annual revenue growth rate range	(3%)	-	15%
Weighted average discount rate	2.2%

Changes in the Company’s contingent consideration liability measured at fair value on a recurring basis using unobservable inputs (Level 3) for the nine months ended July 31, 2015 are as follows (in thousands):

Balance as of October 31, 2014		$1,184
Contingent consideration related to acquisition	21,355
Decrease in accrued contingent consideration, net	(412		)
Foreign currency transaction adjustments	(1,505		)
Balance as of July 31, 2015		$20,622
Included in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet under the following captions:
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		$6,119
Other long-term liabilities	14,503
		$20,622

The Company did not have any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 fair value measurements during the nine months ended July 31, 2015.

The carrying amounts of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, trade accounts payable and accrued expenses and other current liabilities approximate fair value as of July 31, 2015 due to the relatively short maturity of the respective instruments. The carrying amount of long-term debt approximates fair value due to its variable interest rates.