Note 4 - Fair Value Measurements

9 Months Ended

Jun. 27, 2015

(4) 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. The authoritative guidance for fair value measurements establishes a three-level fair value hierarchy that encourages an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The three levels of inputs used to measure fair value are as follows:

Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 - Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets.

Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities, including certain pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques that use significant unobservable inputs.

As of June 27, 2015 and September 27, 2014, the Company held financial assets that are required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis. The financial assets held by the Company and the fair value hierarchy used to determine their fair values are as follows:

(In thousands)	Total at June 27, 2015		Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Current assets:
Cash equivalents	$	11,450	$	11,450	$	-

Other assets:
Cash surrender value of life insurance policies		7,344		-		7,344
Total	$	18,794	$	11,450	$	7,344

(In thousands)	Total at September 27, 2014		Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Current assets:
Cash equivalents	$	3,320	$	3,320	$	-

Other assets:
Cash surrender value of life insurance policies		6,867		-		6,867
Total	$	10,187	$	3,320	$	6,867

Cash equivalents, which include all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, are classified as Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. The carrying amount of the Company’s cash equivalents, which consist of investments in money market funds, approximates fair value due to their short maturities. Cash surrender value of life insurance policies are classified as Level 2. The fair value of the life insurance policies was determined by the underwriting insurance company’s valuation models and represents the guaranteed value the Company would receive upon surrender of these policies as of the reporting date.

As of June 27, 2015 and September 27, 2014, the Company did not have any nonfinancial assets that were required to be measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis other than the assets and liabilities that were acquired from ASW at fair value (see Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements). The carrying amounts of accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximates fair value due to the short-term maturities of these financial instruments.

- 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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