Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value

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Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value  
Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value

(4) Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value

For assets and liabilities required to be reported at fair value, GAAP provides a hierarchy that prioritizes inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels. Level 1 inputs are quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the reporting entity has the ability to access at the measurement date. Level 2 inputs, other than quoted market prices included within Level 1, are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.  The Company does not have any recurring assets or liabilities measured at fair value that would be considered Level 3.

The Company's assets and liabilities measured at fair value are as follows:

December 31, 2023

December 31, 2022

 

Quoted prices

Quoted prices

 

in active 

Significant

in active

Significant

 

markets

other

markets

other

 

for identical

observable

for identical

observable

 

assets

inputs

assets

inputs

 

Description

Total

(Level 1)

(Level 2)

Total

(Level 1)

(Level 2)

 

 amounts in millions

 

Cash equivalents

    

$

726

    

726

    

    

938

    

938

    

Indemnification asset

$

50

50

Debt

$

219

 

 

219

 

614

 

 

614

The majority of the Company's Level 2 financial assets and liabilities are debt instruments with quoted market prices that are not considered to be traded on "active markets," as defined in GAAP. Accordingly, the debt instruments are reported in the foregoing table as Level 2 fair value.

Pursuant to an indemnification agreement initially entered into by GCI Liberty and assumed by Liberty Broadband in connection with a merger between the two companies, Liberty Broadband had agreed to indemnify Liberty Interactive LLC (“LI LLC”) for certain payments made to holders of LI LLC’s 1.75% exchangeable senior debentures due 2046 (the “1.75% Exchangeable Senior Debentures”). An indemnity asset in the amount of $281 million was recorded upon completion of the GCI Liberty Split-Off. The remaining indemnification to LI LLC for certain payments made to holders of the 1.75% Exchangeable Senior Debentures pertained to the holders’ ability to exercise their exchange right according to the terms of the debentures on or before October 5, 2023.  Such amount equaled the difference between the exchange value and the sum of the adjusted principal amount of the 1.75% Exchangeable Senior Debentures and estimated tax benefits resulting from the exchange at the time the exchange occurred.  The indemnification asset recorded in the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2022 represented the fair value of the estimated exchange feature included in the 1.75% Exchangeable Senior Debentures primarily based on observable market data as significant inputs (Level 2).  As of December 31, 2023, all remaining 1.75% Exchangeable Senior Debentures were either retired or exchanged and indemnification payments of $45 million were made by Liberty Broadband to the Company in connection with exchanges of $330 million of the 1.75% Exchangeable Senior Debentures that settled in the period.

Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Financial Instruments

Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on financial instruments are comprised of changes in the fair value of the following:

Years ended December 31,

 

    

2023

    

2022

    

2021

 

amounts in millions

 

Equity securities

$

(22)

 

13

 

77

Exchangeable senior debentures

 

(33)

 

324

 

(131)

Indemnification asset

(5)

(273)

(21)

Other financial instruments

 

(1)

 

(9)

 

173

$

(61)

 

55

 

98

The Company has elected to account for its exchangeable debt using the fair value option. Changes in the fair value of the exchangeable senior debentures recognized in the consolidated statement of operations are primarily due to market factors primarily driven by changes in the fair value of the underlying shares into which the debt is exchangeable. The Company isolates the portion of the unrealized gain (loss) attributable to the change in the instrument specific credit risk and recognizes such amount in other comprehensive earnings (loss).  The change in the fair value of the exchangeable senior debentures attributable to changes in the instrument specific credit risk were gains of $50 million, gains of $341 million and losses of $44 million, net of the recognition of previously unrecognized gains and losses, for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recognized $60 million of previously unrecognized gains related to the retirement of a portion of the 1.75% Exchangeable Senior Debentures, which was recognized through  realized and unrealized gains (losses) on financial instruments, net on the consolidated statement of operations. The cumulative change was a gain of $539 million as of December 31, 2023, net of the recognition of previously unrecognized gains and losses.