Derivative Financial Instruments

3 Months Ended

Apr. 01, 2012

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Financial Instruments

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

The Company’s primary objective in holding derivatives is to reduce the volatility of earnings and cash flows associated with changes in interest rates. The Company measures its derivative financial instruments at fair value.

As of April 1, 2012, the Company had four interest rate swap agreements in the aggregate notional amount of $100.0 million. The Company has designated these interest rate swaps as hedges against changes in the fair value of a designated portion of the 7¾% Senior Notes due 2017 (“7¾% Senior Notes”) due to changes in underlying interest rates. These swap agreements, which have payment, expiration dates and call provisions that mirror the terms of the 7¾% Senior Notes, effectively convert $100.0 million of the 7¾% Senior Notes into variable rate obligations. Each of the swaps has a termination clause that gives the counterparty the right to terminate the interest rate swaps at fair market value, under certain circumstances. In addition to the termination clause, the Agreements also have call provisions which specify that the lender can elect to settle the swap for the call option price. Under the Agreements, the Company receives a fixed interest rate payment from the financial counterparties to the agreements equal to 7¾% per year calculated on the notional $100.0 million amount, while it makes a variable interest rate payment to the same counterparties equal to the three-month LIBOR plus a fixed margin of between 4.16% and 4.29%, also calculated on the notional $100.0 million amount. Changes in the fair value of the interest rate swaps are recorded in earnings along with related designated changes in the value of the 7¾% Senior Notes. Total net losses, entirely offset by a corresponding increase in the fair value of the variable rate portion of the 7¾% Senior Notes, recognized and recorded in earnings related to these fair value hedges was $0.2 million and $1.0 million during the thirteen weeks ended April 1, 2012 and April 3, 2011, respectively. As of April 1, 2012 and January 1, 2012, the swap assets’ fair values were $7.2 million and $7.4 million, respectively and are included as Other Non-Current Assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. There was no material ineffectiveness of these interest rate swaps during the fiscal periods ended April 1, 2012 or April 3, 2011.

The Company’s Australian subsidiary is a party to an interest rate swap agreement to fix the interest rate on its variable rate non-recourse debt to 9.7%. The Company has determined the swap, which has a notional amount of AUD 50.9 million, payment and expiration dates, and call provisions that coincide with the terms of the non-recourse debt to be an effective cash flow hedge. Accordingly, the Company records the change in the value of the interest rate swap in accumulated other comprehensive income, net of applicable income taxes. Total unrealized gain (loss), net of tax, recognized in the periods and recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax, related to this cash flow hedge was $0.0 million and $(0.2) million for the thirteen weeks ended April 1, 2012 and April 3, 2011, respectively. The total value of the swap asset as of April 1, 2012 and January 1, 2012 was $0.1 million and $0.0 million, respectively, and is recorded as a component of other assets within the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. There was no material ineffectiveness of this interest rate swap for the periods presented. The Company does not expect to enter into any transactions during the next twelve months which would result in the reclassification into earnings or losses associated with this swap currently reported in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).