FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

NOTE B — FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Financial Instruments

The following table presents the components of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and restricted funds:

	June 30		December 31
	2012		2011
	($ thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash deposits(1)	$	21,384	$	98,258
Variable rate demand notes(1)(2)	16,330		29,735
Money market funds(3)	15,904		13,302
	$	53,618	$	141,295
Short-term investments
Certificates of deposit(1)	$	46,619	$	33,960
Restricted cash equivalents and short-term investments(4)
Cash deposits(1)	$	4,005	$	11,842
Money market funds(3)	1,000		5,375
Certificates of deposit(1)	16,020		35,476
	$	21,025	$	52,693

(1)Recorded at cost plus accrued interest, which approximates fair value.

(2)Amounts may be redeemed on a daily basis with the original issuer.

(3)Recorded at fair value as determined by quoted market prices (see amounts presented in the table of financial assets measured at fair value within this note).

(4)Amounts restricted for use are subject to change based on the requirements of the Company’s collateralized facilities (see Note F).

The Company’s long-term investment financial instruments are presented in the table of financial assets measured at fair value within this Note.

The fair value of debt obligations approximate the amounts recorded in the consolidated balance sheets at June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 (see Note F). Fair value of the notes payable was determined using a present value income approach based on quoted interest rates from lending institutions with which the Company would enter into similar transactions (Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy presented within this Note). The Term Loan, which was entered into on June 15, 2012, carries a variable interest rate based on LIBOR plus a margin that is considered to be priced at market for debt instruments having similar terms and collateral requirements (Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy presented within this Note).

Concentrations of Credit Risk of Financial Instruments

The Company is potentially subject to concentrations of credit risk related to its cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. The Company reduces credit risk by placing its cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments with major financial institutions and corporate issuers that have high credit ratings and by investing unrestricted short-term investments primarily in FDIC-insured certificates of deposit with varying original maturities of ninety-one days to one year. However, certain cash deposits and certificates of deposit, including those pledged as collateral for outstanding letters of credit (see Note F), may exceed federally insured limits. At June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, cash, cash equivalents and certificates of deposit of $71.5 million and $98.8 million, respectively, were not FDIC insured.

Financial Assets Measured at Fair Value

Fair value measurements are disclosed in accordance with the following hierarchy of valuation techniques based on whether the inputs of market data and market assumptions used to measure fair value are observable or unobservable:

·Level 1 — Quoted prices for identical assets and liabilities in active markets.

·Level 2 — Quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.

·Level 3 — Unobservable inputs (Company’s market assumptions) that are significant to the valuation model.

The following table presents the assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis, based upon quoted prices for identical assets in active markets (Level 1):

	June 30		December 31
	2012		2011
	($ thousands)
Money market funds(1)	$	16,904	$	18,677
Equity, bond and money market mutual funds held in trust related to the Voluntary Savings Plan(2)	2,819		3,614
	$	19,723	$	22,291

(1)Included in cash equivalents and restricted cash equivalents.

(2)Nonqualified deferred compensation plan investments consist of U.S. and international equity mutual funds, government and corporate bond mutual funds and money market funds which are held in a trust with a third-party brokerage firm. Quoted market prices are used to determine fair values of the investments which are included in other long-term assets, with a corresponding liability reported within other long-term liabilities.