Note 6 - Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities

3 Months Ended

Mar. 28, 2015

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block]

6. Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities

In determining fair value, the company uses various valuation approaches within the fair value measurement framework. Fair value measurements are determined based on the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability.

Applicable accounting literature establishes a hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used when available. Applicable accounting literature defines levels within the hierarchy based on the reliability of inputs as follows:

Level 1—Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets;

Level 2—Valuations based on quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities or identical assets or liabilities in less active markets, such as dealer or broker markets; and

Level 3—Valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable, such as pricing models, discounted cash flow models and similar techniques not based on market, exchange, dealer or broker-traded transactions.

Following is a description of the valuation methodologies used for instruments measured at fair value and their classification in the valuation hierarchy.

Investment in Polytronics

The company holds an investment in the equity securities of Polytronics as described in Note 4. Equity securities listed on a national market or exchange are valued at the last sales price. Such securities are classified within Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy.

There were no changes during the quarter ended March 28, 2015 to the company’s valuation techniques used to measure asset and liability fair values on a recurring basis. As of March 28, 2015 and December 27, 2014 the company held no non-financial assets or liabilities that are required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis.

The following table presents assets measured at fair value by classification within the fair value hierarchy as of March 28, 2015 (in thousands):

	Fair Value Measurements Using
	Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Total
Investment in Polytronics	$	12,862	$	—	$	—	$	12,862
Total	$	12,862	$	—	$	—	$	12,862

The following table presents assets measured at fair value by classification within the fair value hierarchy as of December 27, 2014 (in thousands):

	Fair Value Measurements Using
	Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Total
Investment in Polytronics	$	12,056	$	—	$	—	$	12,056
Total	$	12,056	$	—	$	—	$	12,056

The company’s other financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable and debt. The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable and debt approximate their fair values. The company’s debt fair value approximates book value at March 28, 2015 and December 27, 2014, respectively, as the variable interest rates fluctuate along with market interest rates.