Fair Value Measurement

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Fair Value Measurement [Abstract]

Fair Value Measurement

Note 10 — Fair value measurement

The following tables provide the financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value measured on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010:

	Total carrying value at December 31, 2011		Quoted prices in active markets (Level 1)		Significant other observable inputs (Level 2)		Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3)
	(Dollars in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents	$	40,005	$	40,005	$	—	$	—
Bonds — foreign government		880		880		—		—
Investments in marketable securities		4,189		4,189		—		—
Derivative assets		204		—		204		—
Derivative liabilities		633		—		633		—
Contingent consideration liabilities		9,676		—		—		9,676

	Total carrying value at December 31, 2010		Quoted prices in active markets (Level 1)		Significant other observable inputs (Level 2)		Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3)
	(Dollars in thousands)
Investments in marketable securities	$	4,108	$	4,108	$	—	$	—
Derivative assets		880		—		880		—
Derivative liabilities		25,200		—		25,200		—

The following table provides a reconciliation of changes in Level 3 financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis for the year ended December 31, 2011:

	Contingent consideration
	(Dollars in thousands)
Balance at beginning of year	$	—
Initial estimate of contingent consideration		15,400
Payment		(6,000	)
Revaluations		276
Balance at end of period	$	9,676

See Note 8, "Borrowings," for a discussion of the fair value of the Company's long-term debt.

Valuation Hierarchy

The Derivatives and Hedging Standard under the FASB accounting standards codification establishes a valuation hierarchy of the inputs (i.e. assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability) used to measure fair value. This hierarchy prioritizes the inputs into three broad levels as follows:

Level 1 inputs — quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date.

Level 2 inputs — inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. If the asset or liability has a specified (contractual) term, a Level 2 input must be observable for substantially the full term of the asset or liability. Level 2 inputs include:

1. Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets.

2. Quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active.

3. Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability.

4. Inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means.

Level 3 inputs — unobservable inputs for the asset or liability. Unobservable inputs may be used to measure fair value only when observable inputs are not available. Unobservable inputs reflect the Company's assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability in achieving the fair value measurement objective of an exit price perspective. An exit price is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability.

A financial asset or liability's classification within the hierarchy is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

Valuation Techniques Used to Determine Fair Value

The Company's cash and cash equivalents valued based upon Level 1 inputs are comprised of overnight investments in money market funds. The funds invest in obligations of the U.S. Treasury, including Treasury bills, bonds and notes. The funds seek to maintain a net asset value of $1.00 per share. The remainder of the Company's Cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2011, including the $280 million received in December 2011 from the divestiture of the aerospace business, is held in bank deposits.

The Company's financial assets valued based upon Level 1 inputs are comprised of investments in marketable securities held in trust, which are available to pay benefits under certain deferred compensation plans and other compensatory arrangements. The investment assets of the trust are valued using quoted market prices.

The Company's financial assets and liabilities valued based upon Level 2 inputs are comprised of foreign exchange contracts. The Company uses foreign exchange contracts to manage foreign currency transaction exposure. The fair value of the foreign exchange contracts represents the amount required to enter into offsetting contracts with similar remaining maturities based on quoted market prices. The Company has taken into account the creditworthiness of the counterparties in measuring fair value. See Note 9, "Financial instruments" for additional information.

During 2011, the Company received $9.6 million of zero-coupon Greek government bonds (the "Greek Bonds") in settlement of trade receivables due to the Company from sales to the public hospital system in Greece for 2007, 2008 and 2009. Initially, the Company reported the Greek Bonds as a Level 1 financial asset based on quoted prices for identical assets in active markets. As the year progressed, the market activity slowed for these bonds and the Company changed the status of the Greek Bonds to Level 2 based on quoted prices for identical assets. During the fourth quarter of 2011, the Company sold a large portion of the bonds and sold the remainder of the bonds in January 2012. At December 31, 2011, the fair value of the Greek Bonds recorded on the Company's balance sheet was approximately $0.9 million, which represented the final value received from the January 2012 sale of the remaining bonds. Since the fair value represented a quoted price based on the final sales price of the Greek Bonds, the Company has changed the status of the Greek Bonds back to a Level 1 financial asset.

The Company's financial liabilities valued based upon Level 3 inputs are comprised of contingent consideration pertaining to the VasoNova acquisition. The fair value of the contingent consideration is determined using a weighted probability of potential payment scenarios discounted at rates reflective of the Company's credit rating and expected return on the VasoNova business. The assumptions used to develop the estimated amount recognized for the contingent consideration arrangement are updated each reporting period. As of December 31, 2011, the Company has recorded approximately $4.0 million of contingent consideration in other current liabilities and the remaining $5.7 million in other liabilities.