Derivative Instruments And Hedging Activities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Derivative Instruments and Hedges, Assets [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments And Hedging Activities

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

All derivatives are recognized on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value. On the date the derivative contract is entered into, the Company designates the derivative as either (1) a fair value hedge of a recognized liability, (2) a cash flow hedge of a forecasted transaction, (3) a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation, or (4) a non-designated derivative instrument.

The Company formally documents all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as the risk management objectives and strategy for undertaking various hedge transactions. The Company formally assesses, both at the hedge’s inception and on an ongoing basis, whether the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in fair values or cash flow of hedged items. When it is determined that a derivative is no longer highly effective as a hedge, hedge accounting is discontinued on a prospective basis.

Foreign Currency Risk

The Company has significant manufacturing operations in the United States, France, Germany, Finland and Brazil, and it purchases a portion of its tractors, combines and components from third-party foreign suppliers, primarily in various European countries and in Japan. The Company also sells products in over 140 countries throughout the world. The Company’s most significant transactional foreign currency exposures are the Euro, Brazilian real and the Canadian dollar in relation to the United States dollar, and the Euro in relation to the British pound.

The Company attempts to manage its transactional foreign exchange exposure by hedging foreign currency cash flow forecasts and commitments arising from the anticipated settlement of receivables and payables and from future purchases and sales. Where naturally offsetting currency positions do not occur, the Company hedges certain, but not all, of its exposures through the use of foreign currency contracts. The Company’s translation exposure resulting from translating the financial statements of foreign subsidiaries into United States dollars is not hedged. When practical, the translation impact is reduced by financing local operations with local borrowings.

The foreign currency contracts are primarily forward and options contracts. These contracts’ fair value measurements fall within the Level 2 fair value hierarchy under ASU 2010-06, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (Topic 820): Improving Disclosures about Fair Value Measurements.” Level 2 fair value measurements are generally based upon quoted market prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs or significant value-drivers are observable in active markets. The fair value of foreign currency forward contracts is based on a valuation model that discounts cash flows resulting from the differential between the contract price and the market-based forward rate. The fair value of foreign currency option contracts is based on a valuation model that utilizes spot and forward exchange rates, interest rates and currency pair volatility.

The Company’s senior management establishes the Company’s foreign currency and interest rate risk management policies. These policies are reviewed periodically by the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors. The policies allow for the use of derivative instruments to hedge exposures to movements in foreign currency and interest rates. The Company’s policies prohibit the use of derivative instruments for speculative purposes.

Cash Flow Hedges

During 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company designated certain foreign currency contracts as cash flow hedges of expected future sales and purchases. The effective portion of the fair value gains or losses on these cash flow hedges were recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) and subsequently reclassified into cost of goods sold during the period the sales and purchases are recognized. These amounts offset the effect of the changes in foreign currency rates on the related sale and purchase transactions. The amount of the gain (loss) recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) that was reclassified to cost of goods sold during the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 was approximately $5.2 million, $(3.1) million and $(14.5) million, respectively, on an after-tax basis. The amount of the (loss) gain recorded to other comprehensive income (loss) related to the outstanding cash flow hedges as of December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 was approximately $(4.3) million, $1.2 million and $(1.3) million, respectively, on an after-tax basis. The outstanding contracts as of December 31, 2011 range in maturity through December 2012.

The following table summarizes the activity in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) related to the derivatives held by the Company during the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 (in millions):

	Before-Tax Amount			Income Tax (1)			After-Tax Amount (1)
Accumulated derivative net losses as of December 31, 2008	$	(54.1	)	$	(17.4	)	$	(36.7	)
Net changes in fair value of derivatives	34.6			13.7			20.9
Net losses reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss into income	18.1			3.6			14.5
Accumulated derivative net losses as of December 31, 2009	(1.4		)	(0.1		)	(1.3		)
Net changes in fair value of derivatives	—			0.6			(0.6		)
Net losses reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss into income	3.1			—			3.1
Accumulated derivative net gains as of December 31, 2010	1.7			0.5			1.2
Net changes in fair value of derivatives	(1.5		)	(1.3		)	(0.2		)
Net gains reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss into income	(5.6		)	(0.4		)	(5.2		)
Accumulated derivative net losses as of December 31, 2011	$	(5.4	)	$	(1.1	)	$	(4.3	)

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(1) Rounding may impact summation of amounts.

As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company had outstanding foreign currency contracts with a notional amount of approximately $275.9 million and $111.1 million, respectively, that were entered into to hedge forecasted sale and purchase transactions.

Derivative Transactions Not Designated as Hedging Instruments

During 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company entered into foreign currency contracts to hedge receivables and payables on the Company and its subsidiaries’ balance sheets that are denominated in foreign currencies other than the functional currency. These contracts were classified as non-designated derivative instruments.

As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company had outstanding foreign currency contracts with a notional amount of approximately $956.8 million and $1,002.3 million, respectively, that were entered into to hedge receivables and payables that are denominated in foreign currencies other than the functional currency. Changes in the fair value of these contracts are reported in “Other expense, net.” For the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company recorded a net loss of approximately $13.6 million and a net gain of approximately $37.3 million and $51.0 million, respectively, under the caption of “Other expense, net” related to these contracts. Gains and losses on such contracts are substantially offset by losses and gains on the remeasurement of the underlying asset or liability being hedged.

The table below sets forth the fair value of derivative instruments as of December 31, 2011 (in millions):

	Asset Derivatives As of December 31, 2011			Liability Derivatives As of December 31, 2011
	Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value		Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value
Derivative instruments designated as hedging instruments:
Foreign currency contracts	Other current assets	$	—	Other current liabilities	$	4.3
Derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments:
Foreign currency contracts	Other current assets	7.3		Other current liabilities	7.9
Total derivative instruments		$	7.3		$	12.2

The table below sets forth the fair value of derivative instruments as of December 31, 2010 (in millions):

	Asset Derivatives As of December 31, 2010			Liability Derivatives As of December 31, 2010
	Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value		Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value
Derivative instruments designated as hedging instruments:
Foreign currency contracts	Other current assets	$	2.3	Other current liabilities	$	—
Derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments:
Foreign currency contracts	Other current assets	12.0		Other current liabilities	8.7
Total derivative instruments		$	14.3		$	8.7

Counterparty Risk

The Company regularly monitors the counterparty risk and credit ratings of all the counterparties to the derivative instruments. The Company believes that its exposures are appropriately diversified across counterparties and that these counterparties are creditworthy financial institutions. If the Company perceives any risk with a counterparty, then the Company would cease to do business with that counterparty. There have been no negative impacts to the Company from any non-performance of any counterparties.