Fair Value Measurements

6 Months Ended

Jul. 30, 2011

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements

(13)         Fair Value Measurements

Authoritative guidance defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The guidance establishes a fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value into three broad levels as follows:

Level 1 - Inputs are unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that can be accessed at the measurement date.

Level 2 - Inputs include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability (i.e. interest rates, yield curves, etc.), and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means (market corroborated inputs).

Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that reflect assumptions about what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. These inputs would be based on the best information available, including the Company’s own data.

The following table presents the fair value hierarchy for those assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of July 30, 2011 and January 29, 2011 (in thousands):

	Fair Value Measurements at July 30, 2011								Fair Value Measurements at Jan. 29, 2011
Recurring Fair Value Measures	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets:
Foreign exchange currency contracts	$	—	$	636	$	—	$	636	$	—	$	3,227	$	—	$	3,227
Held-to-maturity securities	—		—		—		—		15,087		—		—		15,087
Available-for-sale securities	16,405		—		—		16,405		6,139		—		—		6,139
Total	$	16,405	$	636	$	—	$	17,041	$	21,226	$	3,227	$	—	$	24,453
Liabilities:
Foreign exchange currency contracts	$	—	$	14,868	$	—	$	14,868	$	—	$	7,766	$	—	$	7,766
Interest rate swaps	—		894		—		894		—		868		—		868
Deferred compensation obligations	—		7,199		—		7,199		—		6,456		—		6,456
Total	$	—	$	22,961	$	—	$	22,961	$	—	$	15,090	$	—	$	15,090

The fair values of the Company’s available-for-sale and held-to-maturity securities are based on quoted prices. The fair value of the interest rate swaps are based upon inputs corroborated by observable market data. Foreign exchange forward contracts are entered into by the Company principally to hedge the future payment of inventory and intercompany transactions by non-U.S. subsidiaries. The fair values of the Company’s foreign exchange forward contracts are based on quoted foreign exchange forward rates at the reporting date. Deferred compensation obligations to employees are adjusted based on changes in the fair value of the underlying employee-directed investments. Fair value of these obligations is based upon inputs corroborated by observable market data.

The Company’s held-to-maturity securities, which consisted of government agency notes of $15.0 million, matured during the second quarter of fiscal 2012.  The held-to-maturity securities were recorded at amortized cost and presented as short-term investments in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of January 29, 2011. The amortized cost of held-to-maturity securities at January 29, 2011 was $15.1 million which approximated fair value.

Available-for-sale securities are recorded at fair value and are included in other assets in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. At July 30, 2011, available-for-sale securities consisted of $15.9 million of corporate bonds with maturity dates ranging from January 2013 to September 2014 and $0.5 million of marketable equity securities. At January 29, 2011, available-for-sale securities consisted of $5.7 million of corporate bonds and $0.4 million of marketable equity securities. Unrealized gains (losses), net of taxes, are included as a component of stockholders’ equity and comprehensive income. The accumulated unrealized gains, net of taxes, included in accumulated other comprehensive income related to available-for-sale securities owned by the Company at July 30, 2011 and January 29, 2011 were minimal.

The carrying amount of the Company’s remaining financial instruments, which principally include cash and cash equivalents, trade receivables, accounts payable and accrued expenses, approximates fair value due to the relatively short maturity of such instruments. The fair values of the Company’s debt instruments (see Note 8) are based on the amount of future cash flows associated with each instrument discounted using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate. At July 30, 2011 and January 29, 2011, the carrying value of all financial instruments was not materially different from fair value, as the interest rates on variable rate debt including the capital lease obligation approximated rates currently available to the Company.

Long-lived assets, such as property, plant, and equipment, and purchased intangibles that are subject to amortization, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated undiscounted future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized in the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the estimated fair value, which is determined based on discounted future cash flows. The impairment loss calculations require management to apply judgment in estimating future cash flows and the discount rates that reflect the risk inherent in the future cash flows. The estimated cash flows used for this nonrecurring fair value measurement are considered a Level 3 input as defined above.