Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value

v3.10.0.1
Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]  
Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value

(7)   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 are inputs, other than quoted market prices included within Level 1, that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair Value Measurements at

 

Fair Value Measurements at

 

 

 

September 30, 2018

 

December 31, 2017

 

 

    

 

 

    

Quoted

    

 

    

 

    

Quoted

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

prices

 

 

 

 

 

prices

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in active

 

Significant

 

 

 

in active

 

Significant

 

 

 

 

 

 

markets for

 

other

 

 

 

markets for

 

other

 

 

 

 

 

 

identical

 

observable

 

 

 

identical

 

observable

 

 

 

 

 

 

assets

 

inputs

 

 

 

assets

 

inputs

 

Description

 

Total

 

(Level 1)

 

(Level 2)

 

Total

 

(Level 1)

 

(Level 2)

 

 

 

amounts in millions

 

Cash equivalents

 

$

389

 

389

 

 —

 

655

 

655

 

 —

 

Equity securities

 

$

282

 

282

 

 —

 

2,275

 

2,275

 

 —

 

Indemnification asset

 

$

100

 

 —

 

100

 

 —

 

 —

 

 —

 

Debt

 

$

1,426

 

 —

 

1,426

 

1,846

 

 —

 

1,846

 

 

The majority of the Company's Level 2 financial assets and liabilities are primarily debt instruments with quoted market prices that are not considered to be traded on "active markets," as defined in GAAP. The fair values for such instruments are derived from a typical model using observable market data as the significant inputs.

 

Pursuant to an indemnification agreement, GCI Liberty has agreed to indemnify LI LLC for certain payments made to a holder of LI LLC’s 1.75% Exchangeable Debentures due 2046 (the “1.75% Exchangeable Debentures”). An indemnity asset in the amount of $281 million was recorded upon completion of the GCI Liberty Split-Off. Within six months of the GCI Liberty Split-Off, Qurate Retail, LI LLC and GCI Liberty agreed to cooperate, and reasonably assist each other, with respect to the commencement and consummation of one or more privately negotiated transactions, a tender offer or other purchase transactions (each, a “Purchase Offer”) whereby LI LLC would offer to purchase the 1.75% Exchangeable Debentures on terms and conditions (including maximum offer price) reasonably acceptable to GCI Liberty. GCI Liberty would indemnify LI LLC for each 1.75% Exchangeable Debenture repurchased by LI LLC in a Purchase Offer for an amount by which the purchase price for such debenture exceeds the amount of cash reattributed with respect to such purchased 1.75% Exchangeable Debenture net of certain tax benefits, if any, attributable to such 1.75% Exchangeable Debenture. In June 2018, Qurate Retail repurchased 417,759 of the 1.75% Exchangeable Debentures for approximately $457 million, including accrued interest, and GCI Liberty made a payment under the indemnification agreement to Qurate Retail in the amount of $133 million.

 

Following the initial six month period, the remaining indemnification to LI LLC for certain payments made to a holder of the 1.75% Exchangeable Debentures pertains to the holder’s ability to exercise its exchange right according to the terms of the debentures on or before October 5, 2023.  Such amount will equal the difference between the exchange value and par value of the 1.75% Exchangeable Debentures at the time the exchange occurs.  The indemnification asset recorded in the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 2018 represents the fair value of the estimated exchange feature included in the 1.75% Exchangeable Debentures primarily based on market observable inputs (Level 2).  As of September 30, 2018, a holder of the 1.75% Exchangeable Debentures does not have the ability to exchange and, accordingly, such indemnification asset is included as a long-term asset in our condensed consolidated balance sheets. Additionally, as of September 30, 2018, 332,241 bonds of the 1.75% Exchangeable Debentures remain outstanding.

 

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:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three months ended 

 

Nine months ended

 

 

 

September 30,

 

September 30,

 

 

    

2018

    

2017

    

2018

    

2017

 

 

 

amounts in millions

 

Equity securities

 

$

10

 

130

 

154

 

552

 

Exchangeable senior debentures

 

 

(52)

 

(91)

 

(9)

 

(230)

 

Indemnification asset

 

 

15

 

 —

 

(49)

 

 —

 

Other financial instruments

 

 

 —

 

(35)

 

(4)

 

(42)

 

 

 

$

(27)

 

 4

 

92

 

280