Derivatives

The Company selectively uses financial instruments to manage market risk associated with exposure to fluctuations in interest rates. These financial exposures are monitored and managed by the Company as an integral part of its risk management program. The Company’s interest rate exposure is most sensitive to fluctuations in interest rates in the United States and Europe, which impact interest paid on its debt. The Company has debt with variable rates of interest based generally on LIBOR. From time to time, the Company may enter into interest rate swap agreements to manage interest rate risk. These instruments are designated as cash flow hedges and are recorded at fair value using Level 2 observable market inputs.

Derivative instruments are recognized as either assets or liabilities on the balance sheet in either current or non-current other assets or other accrued liabilities or other long-term liabilities depending upon maturity and commitment. For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the effective portion of the gain or loss on the derivative is reported as a component of other comprehensive income and reclassified into earnings in the same period or periods in which the hedge transaction affects earnings. Any ineffective portion, or amounts related to contracts that are not designated as hedges, are recorded directly to earnings. The Company's policy for classifying cash flows from derivatives is to report the cash flows consistent with the underlying hedged item. The Company does not use derivatives for speculative or trading purposes or to manage commodity exposures.

In April 2017, the Company entered into a three-year interest rate swap agreement transacted with a bank which converts the interest on the first notional $60.0 million of the Company's one-month LIBOR-based borrowings under its Amended Credit Facility from a variable rate, plus the borrowing spread, to a fixed rate of 1.58% plus the borrowing spread. The notional amount reduces quarterly by $5.0 million through March 31, 2020. The interest rate swap agreement was accounted for as cash flow hedge. Effectiveness of this derivative agreement is assessed quarterly by ensuring that the critical terms of the swap continue to match the critical terms of the hedged debt.

The following table sets forth the fair value amounts of derivative instruments held by the Company:



	September 30, 2017					December 31, 2016
In thousands	Asset Derivatives		Liability Derivatives			Asset Derivatives		Liability Derivatives
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
Interest rate contract	$	—	$	(11	)	$	—	$	—
Total derivatives	$	—	$	(11	)	$	—	$	—

The following table sets forth the income (loss), recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax, for the quarters and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 for derivatives held by the Company and designated as hedging instruments:



	Quarter Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2017		2016		2017			2016
Cash flow hedges:
Interest rate contract	$	37	$	—	$	(7	)	$	—
	$	37	—		$	(7	)	$	—