Fair Value Measurements

6 Months Ended

Oct. 24, 2015

Note 14: Fair Value Measurements

Accounting standards require that we put financial assets and liabilities into one of three categories based on the inputs we use to value them:

Level 1 — Financial assets and liabilities the values of which are based on unadjusted quoted market prices for identical assets and liabilities in an active market that we have the ability to access.

Level 2 — Financial assets and liabilities the values of which are based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or on model inputs that are observable for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.

Level 3 — Financial assets and liabilities the values of which are based on prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

Accounting standards require that in making fair value measurements, we use observable market data when they are available. When inputs used to measure fair value fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the level within which the fair value measurement is categorized, is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement. We recognize transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy at the end of the reporting period in which they occur.

In addition to assets and liabilities that we record at fair value on a recurring basis, we are required to record assets and liabilities at fair value on a non-recurring basis. We measure non-financial assets such as trade names, goodwill, and other long-lived assets at fair value when there is an indicator of impairment, and we record them at fair value only when we recognize an impairment loss.

The following table presents the fair value hierarchy for those assets we measured at fair value on a recurring basis at October 24, 2015, and April 25, 2015:

At October 24, 2015

	Fair Value Measurements
(Unaudited, amounts in thousands)	Level 1(a)		Level 2(a)		Level 3
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	$	1,415	$	44,314	$	—

(a)

There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during fiscal 2016.

At April 25, 2015

	Fair Value Measurements
(Unaudited, amounts in thousands)	Level 1(b)		Level 2(b)		Level 3
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	$	1,552	$	58,516	$	—
Trading securities	—		1,127		—

Total	$	1,552	$	59,643	$	—

(b)

There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during fiscal 2015.

At October 24, 2015, and April 25, 2015, we held available-for-sale marketable securities intended to enhance returns on our cash and to fund future obligations of our non-qualified defined benefit retirement plan, as well as trading securities to fund future obligations of our executive deferred compensation plan and our performance compensation retirement plan. The fair value measurements for our securities are based on quoted prices in active markets, as well as through broker quotes and independent valuation providers, multiplied by the number of shares owned exclusive of any transaction costs.

- 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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