NOTE 9 – DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES

The Company maintains a foreign exchange risk management policy designed to establish a framework to protect the value of the Company’s non-functional denominated transactions from adverse changes in exchange rates. Sales of the Company’s products can be denominated in a currency different from the currency in which the related costs to produce the product are denominated. Changes in exchange rates on such inter-country sales or intercompany loans can impact the Company’s results of operations. The Company’s policy is not to engage in speculative foreign currency hedging activities, but to minimize our net foreign currency transaction exposure, defined as firm commitments and transactions recorded and denominated in currencies other than the functional currency. The Company may use foreign currency forward exchange contracts, options and cross currency swaps to economically hedge these risks.

For derivative instruments designated as hedges, the Company formally documents the nature and relationships between the hedging instruments and the hedged items, as well as the risk management objectives, strategies for undertaking the various hedge transactions, and the method of assessing hedge effectiveness at inception. Quarterly thereafter, the Company formally assesses whether the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in the fair value or cash flows of the hedged item. Additionally, in order to designate any derivative instrument as a hedge of an anticipated transaction, the significant characteristics and expected terms of any anticipated transaction must be specifically identified, and it must be probable that the anticipated transaction will occur. All derivative financial instruments used as hedges are recorded at fair value in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (see Note 10 - Fair Value).

CASH FLOW HEDGE

For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the changes in fair values are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss and included in changes in derivative gain/loss. The changes in the fair values of derivatives designated as cash flow hedges are reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net income when the underlying hedged item is recognized in earnings. Cash flows from the settlement of derivative contracts designated as cash flow hedges offset cash flows from the underlying hedged items and are included in operating activities in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

As disclosed in Note 6 – Long-Term Obligations, our wholly-owned UK subsidiary borrowed $280 million in term loan borrowings under a new credit facility. In order to mitigate the currency risk of U.S. dollar debt on a Euro functional currency entity and to mitigate the risk of variability in interest rates, we entered into a EUR/USD floating-to-fixed cross currency swap on July 20, 2017 in the notional amount of $280 million to effectively hedge the foreign exchange and interest rate exposure on the $280 million term loan. Related to this hedge, approximately $2.8 million of net after-tax loss is included in accumulated other comprehensive earnings at March 31, 2018. The amount expected to be recognized into earnings during the next 12 months related to the interest component of our cross currency swap based on prevailing foreign exchange and interest rates at March 31, 2018 is $3.7 million. The amount expected to be recognized into earnings during the next 12 months related to the foreign exchange component of our cross currency swap is dependent on fluctuations in currency exchange rates. As of March 31, 2018, the fair value of the cross currency swap was a $23.5 million liability. The swap contract expires on July 20, 2022.

HEDGE OF NET INVESTMENTS IN FOREIGN OPERATIONS

A significant number of the Company’s operations are located outside of the United States. Because of this, movements in exchange rates may have a significant impact on the translation of the financial condition and results of operations of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries. A weakening U.S. dollar relative to foreign currencies has an additive translation effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. Conversely, a strengthening U.S. dollar has a dilutive effect. The Company in some cases maintains debt in these subsidiaries to offset the net asset exposure. The Company does not otherwise actively manage this risk using derivative financial instruments. In the event the Company plans on a full or partial liquidation of any of our foreign subsidiaries where the Company’s net investment is likely to be monetized, the Company will consider hedging the currency exposure associated with such a transaction.

OTHER

As of March 31, 2018, the Company has recorded the fair value of foreign currency forward exchange contracts of $0.3 million in prepaid and other and $1.1 million in accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the balance sheet. All forward exchange contracts outstanding as of March 31, 2018 had an aggregate contract amount of $104.8 million.

Fair Value of Derivative Instruments in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017


		March 31, 2018				December 31, 2017
				Derivatives				Derivatives
		Derivatives		not		Derivatives		not
		Designated		Designated		Designated		Designated
	Balance Sheet	as Hedging		as Hedging		as Hedging		as Hedging
	Location	Instruments		Instruments		Instruments		Instruments
Derivative Assets
Foreign Exchange Contracts	Prepaid and other	$	—	$	289	$	—	$	663
		$	—	$	289	$	—	$	663

Derivative Liabilities
Foreign Exchange Contracts	Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	$	—	$	1,106	$	—	$	1,604
Cross Currency Swap Contract (1)	Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		23,530		—		16,309		—
		$	23,530	$	1,106	$	16,309	$	1,604

(1)This cross currency swap contract is composed of both an interest component and a foreign exchange component.

The Effect of Cash Flow Hedge Accounting on Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the Quarters Ended March 31, 2018 and 2017


						Amount of Gain (Loss)				Total Amount
	Amount of Gain (Loss)				Location of (Loss)	Reclassified from				of Affected
Derivatives in Cash	Recognized in				Gain Recognized	Accumulated				Income
Flow Hedging	Other Comprehensive				in Income on	Other Comprehensive				Statement
Relationships	Income on Derivative				Derivatives	Income on Derivative				Line Item
	2018		2017			2018		2017
Cross currency swap contract:
Interest component	$	1,435	$	—	Interest expense	$	1,019	$	—	$	(8,055)
Foreign exchange component		(7,116)		—	Miscellaneous, net		(7,116)		—		(867)
	$	(5,681)	$	—		$	(6,097)	$	—	$	(8,922)

The Effect of Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for the Quarters Ended March 31, 2018 and 2017


		Amount of (Loss) Gain
Derivatives Not Designated	Location of (Loss) Gain Recognized	Recognized in Income
as Hedging Instruments	in Income on Derivatives	on Derivatives
		2018		2017
Foreign Exchange Contracts	Other (Expense) Income: Miscellaneous, net	$	141	$	645
		$	141	$	645


						Gross Amounts not Offset
			Gross Amounts	Net Amounts		in the Statement of
			Offset in the	Presented in		Financial Position
	Gross		Statement of	the Statement of		Financial	Cash Collateral	Net
	Amount		Financial Position	Financial Position		Instruments	Received	Amount
Description
March 31, 2018
Derivative Assets	$	289	—	$	289	—	—	$	289
Total Assets	$	289	—	$	289	—	—	$	289

Derivative Liabilities	$	24,636	—	$	24,636	—	—	$	24,636
Total Liabilities	$	24,636	—	$	24,636	—	—	$	24,636

December 31, 2017
Derivative Assets	$	663	—	$	663	—	—	$	663
Total Assets	$	663	—	$	663	—	—	$	663

Derivative Liabilities	$	17,913	—	$	17,913	—	—	$	17,913
Total Liabilities	$	17,913	—	$	17,913	—	—	$	17,913