Note 7 - Investments

9 Months Ended

Oct. 01, 2016

Notes to Financial Statements

Cost and Equity Method Investments Disclosure [Text Block]

7

. Investments

The company’s investments represent shares of Polytronics Technology Corporation Ltd. (“Polytronics”), a Taiwanese company

, and shares of Monolith Semiconductor, Inc. (“Monolith”), a Texas-based start-up company.

Polytronics

The Polytronics investment was acquired as part of the Littelfuse GmbH acquisition. The fair value of the Polytronics investment was €10.2 million (approximately $11.5 million) at October 1, 2016 and €10.7 million (approximately $11.7 million) at January 2, 2016. Included in 2016 other comprehensive income is an unrealized loss of $0.6 million, due to the decrease in fair market value of the Polytronics investment. The remaining change in the recorded value was due to the impact of changes in exchange rates.

Monolith

In December 2015, the company invested $3.5 million in the preferred stock of Monolith, a U.S. start-up company developing silicon carbide technology, which represents approximately 12% of the common stock of Monolith on an as-converted basis. The company accounts for its investment in Monolith under the cost method. The carrying value of the Monolith investment was $3.5 million at October 1, 2016 and January 2, 2016.