Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Investments

v3.6.0.2
Investments
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Investments [Abstract]  
Investments
Investments

Investments in Marketable Securities

The Company invests a portion of its cash reserves in marketable debt securities. These investments are reported in Short-term investments in marketable securities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

The following is a summary of the fair values, which were equal to the amortized costs, of the Company’s available-for-sale securities, all due in one year or less, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015:
 
(in millions)
2016
 
2015
Agency Bonds
$

 
$
2.5

Corporate Bonds

 
8.2

Commercial Paper
35.0

 

U.S. Treasury Bills
0.8

 
0.8

Total available-for-sale securities
$
35.8

 
$
11.5


The Company had $10.7 million in redemptions of available-for-sale securities during 2016. The Company had $109.8 million in redemptions and $9.5 million in sales of available-for-sale securities during 2015.

At each reporting date, management reviews the debt securities to determine if any loss in the value of a security below its amortized cost should be considered “other-than-temporary.”  For the evaluation, management determines whether it intends to sell, or if it is more likely than not that it will be required to sell, the securities. This determination considers current and forecasted liquidity requirements, regulatory and capital requirements and the strategy for managing the Company’s securities portfolio. For all impaired debt securities for which there was no intent or expected requirement to sell, the evaluation considers all available evidence to assess whether it is likely the amortized cost value will be recovered. The Company also considers the nature of the securities, the credit rating or financial condition of the issuer, the extent and duration of the unrealized loss and market conditions.  As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, there were no unrealized losses related to debt securities that required management evaluation.

Equity Investments

The Company has certain unconsolidated international and domestic affiliates that are accounted for using the equity method. The equity method is applied in situations in which the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence, but not control, over the investees. Management reviews equity investments for impairment whenever indicators are present suggesting that the carrying value of an investment is not recoverable. The following items are examples of impairment indicators: significant, sustained declines in an investee’s revenue, earnings, and cash flow trends; adverse market conditions of the investee’s industry or geographic area; the investee’s inability to execute its operating plan; the investee’s ability to continue operations measured by several items, including liquidity; and other factors. Once an impairment indicator is identified, management uses considerable judgment to determine if the decline in value is other than temporary, in which case the equity investment is written down to its estimated fair value, which could negatively impact reported results of operations.

In the fourth quarter of 2014, the Company determined that the fair value of its 36 percent investment in Bella-Veneet Oy (Bella), a Finnish boat manufacturer, had declined significantly as a result of the inability of the business to achieve profitability due to weak market conditions for its products, which has led to significant declines in revenue. The Company calculates fair value using the income approach described in the Goodwill and Other Intangibles section of Note 1 – Significant Accounting Policies. As a result of performing its analysis, the Company determined that the book value of its investment exceeded its fair value and concluded that this decline in value was other than temporary. The Company used estimated future cash flows, a Level 3 input, to assess the fair value of the long-lived assets. The Company recorded a $20.2 million charge during the fourth quarter of 2014 in order to reflect the fair value of the Company’s investment in Bella of $1.1 million. This charge was reported as Impairment of equity method investment in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The remaining equity investments are not individually material to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Refer to Note 10 – Financial Services for more details on the Company’s Brunswick Acceptance Company, LLC joint venture.

Brunswick did not receive any dividends from its unconsolidated affiliates in 2016, 2015 or 2014.