Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Financial Instruments

v3.6.0.2
Financial Instruments
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Financial Instruments
Financial Instruments

The Company operates globally with manufacturing and sales facilities in various locations around the world.  Due to the Company’s global operations, the Company engages in activities involving both financial and market risks.  The Company utilizes normal operating and financing activities, along with derivative financial instruments, to minimize these risks.

Derivative Financial Instruments. The Company uses derivative financial instruments to manage its risks associated with movements in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices. Derivative instruments are not used for trading or speculative purposes. The Company formally documents its hedge relationships, including identification of the hedging instruments and the hedged items, as well as its risk management objectives and strategies for undertaking the hedge transaction. This process includes linking derivatives that are designated as hedges to specific forecasted transactions. The Company also assesses, both at the hedge’s inception and monthly thereafter, whether the derivatives used in hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting the changes in the anticipated cash flows of the hedged item. If the hedging relationship ceases to be highly effective, or it becomes probable that a forecasted transaction is no longer expected to occur, the Company discontinues hedge accounting prospectively and immediately recognizes the gains and losses associated with those hedges. There were no material adjustments as a result of ineffectiveness to the results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014. The fair value of derivative financial instruments is determined through market-based valuations and may not be representative of the actual gains or losses that will be recorded when these instruments mature due to future fluctuations in the markets in which they are traded. The effects of derivative financial instruments are not expected to be material to the Company’s financial position or results of operations when considered together with the underlying exposure being hedged. Use of derivative financial instruments exposes the Company to credit risk with its counterparties when the fair value of a derivative contract is an asset. The Company mitigates this risk by entering into derivative contracts with highly rated counterparties. The maximum amount of loss due to counterparty credit risk is limited to the asset value of derivative financial instruments.

Cash Flow Hedges. The Company enters into certain derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as cash flow hedges.  The Company executes both forward and option contracts, based on forecasted transactions, to manage foreign currency exchange exposure mainly related to inventory purchase and sales transactions. From time-to-time, the Company enters into commodity swap agreements based on anticipated purchases of copper and natural gas to manage risk related to price changes. Additionally, the Company may enter into forward-starting interest rate swaps to hedge the interest rate risk associated with the anticipated issuance of debt.

A cash flow hedge requires that as changes in the fair value of derivatives occur, the portion of the change deemed to be effective is recorded temporarily in Accumulated other comprehensive loss, an equity account, and reclassified into earnings in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. As of December 31, 2016, the term of derivative instruments hedging forecasted transactions ranged from one to 15 months. 

The following activity related to cash flow hedges was recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive loss as of December 31:
 
Accumulated Unrealized Derivative
 
Gains (Losses)
 
2016
 
2015
(in millions)
Pretax
 
After-tax
 
Pretax
 
After-tax
Beginning balance
$
0.4

 
$
(5.9
)
 
$
1.2

 
$
(5.5
)
Net change in value of outstanding hedges
2.9

 
2.1

 
12.0

 
8.4

Net amount recognized into earnings
(2.2
)
 
(1.8
)
 
(12.8
)
 
(8.8
)
Ending balance
$
1.1

 
$
(5.6
)
 
$
0.4

 
$
(5.9
)


Fair Value Hedges. The Company enters into fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps to convert a portion of the Company's long-term debt from fixed to floating rate debt. An interest rate swap is entered into with the expectation that the change in the fair value of the interest rate swap will offset the change in the fair value of the debt instrument attributable to changes in the benchmark interest rate. Each period, the change in the fair value of the interest rate swap asset or liability is recorded in debt and the difference between the fixed interest payment and floating interest receipts is recorded as a net adjustment to interest expense.

Other Hedging Activity. The Company has entered into certain foreign currency forward contracts that have not been designated as a hedge for accounting purposes. These contracts are used to manage foreign currency exposure related to changes in the value of assets or liabilities caused by changes in foreign exchange rates. The change in the fair value of the foreign currency derivative contract and the corresponding change in the fair value of the asset or liability of the Company are both recorded through earnings, each period as incurred. From time-to-time, the Company enters into commodity swap agreements that are used to hedge purchases of aluminum. These hedges do not qualify for hedge accounting. The commodity swap agreements are based on anticipated purchases of aluminum and are used to manage risk related to price changes. The change in the fair value of the aluminum derivative contract is recorded through earnings, each period as incurred.

Foreign Currency. The Company enters into forward and option contracts to manage foreign exchange exposure related to forecasted transactions and assets and liabilities that are subject to risk from foreign currency rate changes. These exposures include: product costs; revenues and expenses; associated receivables and payables; intercompany obligations and receivables and other related cash flows.

Forward exchange contracts outstanding at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 had notional contract values of $263.7 million and $273.5 million, respectively. Option contracts outstanding at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, had notional contract values of $30.4 million and $51.0 million, respectively. The forward and options contracts outstanding at December 31, 2016, mature during 2017 and 2018 and mainly relate to the Euro, Japanese Yen, Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, Swedish krona, Brazilian real, British pound, Norwegian krone, Mexican peso, Hungarian forint and New Zealand dollar. As of December 31, 2016, the Company estimates that during the next 12 months, it will reclassify approximately $5.4 million of net gains (based on current rates) from Accumulated other comprehensive loss to Cost of sales.

Interest Rate. The Company enters into fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps to convert a portion of the Company's long-term debt from fixed to floating rate debt. As of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the outstanding swaps had notional contract values of $200.0 million, of which $150.0 million corresponds to the Company's 4.625 percent Senior notes due 2021 and $50.0 million corresponds to the Company's 7.375 percent Debentures due 2023. These instruments have been designated as fair value hedges, with the fair value recorded in long-term debt as discussed in Note 16 – Debt.

The Company may also enter into forward-starting interest rate swaps to hedge the interest rate risk associated with anticipated debt issuances. There were no forward-starting interest rate swaps outstanding at December 31, 2016 or December 31, 2015.
 
As of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the Company had $4.5 million and $5.1 million, respectively, of net deferred losses associated with all settled forward-starting interest rate swaps, which were included in Accumulated other comprehensive loss. As of December 31, 2016, the Company estimates that during the next 12 months, it will reclassify approximately $1.1 million of net losses resulting from settled forward-starting interest rate swaps from Accumulated other comprehensive loss to Interest expense.

Commodity Price. From time-to-time, the Company uses commodity swaps to hedge anticipated purchases of aluminum, copper and natural gas. There were no commodity swap contracts outstanding at December 31, 2016. As of December 31, 2015 the notional value of commodity swap contracts outstanding was $10.8 million. The amount of gain or loss associated with the change in fair value of these instruments is either recorded through earnings each period as incurred or, if designated as cash flow hedges, deferred in Accumulated other comprehensive loss and recognized in Cost of sales in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings.

As of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the fair values of the Company’s derivative instruments were:
(in millions)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Derivative Assets
 
Derivative Liabilities
Instrument
 
Balance Sheet Location
 
Fair Value
 
Balance Sheet Location
 
Fair Value
 
 
 
 
2016
 
2015
 
 
 
2016
 
2015
Derivatives Designated as Cash Flow Hedges
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Foreign exchange contracts
 
Prepaid expenses and other
 
$
7.2

 
$
5.9

 
Accrued expenses
 
$
2.6

 
$
1.3

Commodity contracts
 
Prepaid expenses and other
 

 

 
Accrued expenses
 

 
0.5

Total
 
 
 
$
7.2

 
$
5.9

 
 
 
$
2.6

 
$
1.8

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Derivatives Designated as Fair Value Hedges
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate contracts
 
Prepaid expenses and other
 
$
2.1

 
$
2.1

 
Accrued expenses
 
$
1.7

 
$
1.4

Interest rate contracts
 
Other long-term assets
 
0.7

 
4.0

 
Other long-term liabilities
 
0.2

 

Total
 
 
 
$
2.8

 
$
6.1

 
 
 
$
1.9

 
$
1.4

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other Hedging Activity
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Foreign exchange contracts
 
Prepaid expenses and other
 
$
1.2

 
$
1.5

 
Accrued expenses
 
$
0.3

 
$
0.2

Commodity contracts
 
Prepaid expenses and other
 

 

 
Accrued expenses
 

 
2.2

Total
 
 
 
$
1.2

 
$
1.5

 
 
 
$
0.3

 
$
2.4



The effect of derivative instruments on the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 was: 
(in millions)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Derivatives Designated as Cash Flow Hedging Instruments
 
Amount of Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Effective Portion)
 
Location of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss into Earnings (Effective Portion)
 
Amount of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss into Earnings (Effective Portion)
 
 
2016
 
2015
 
 
 
2016
 
2015
Interest rate contracts
 
$

 
$

 
Interest expense
 
$
(0.6
)
 
$
(0.1
)
Foreign exchange contracts
 
2.9

 
12.9

 
Cost of sales
 
3.3

 
12.2

Commodity contracts
 
0.0

 
(0.9
)
 
Cost of sales
 
(0.5
)
 
0.9

Total
 
$
2.9

 
$
12.0

 
 
 
$
2.2

 
$
13.0


Derivatives Designated as Fair Value Hedging Instruments
 
Location of Gain (Loss) on Derivatives
Recognized in Earnings
 
Amount of Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Recognized in Earnings
 
 
 
 
2016
 
2015
Interest rate contracts
 
Interest expense
 
$
2.9

 
$
4.3


Other Hedging Activity
 
Location of Gain (Loss) on Derivatives
Recognized in Earnings
 
Amount of Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Recognized in Earnings
 
 
 
 
2016
 
2015
Foreign exchange contracts
 
Cost of sales
 
$
(5.7
)
 
$
8.7

Foreign exchange contracts
 
Other income, net
 
2.0

 
(0.3
)
Commodity contracts
 
Cost of sales
 
0.3

 
(5.9
)
Total
 
 
 
$
(3.4
)
 
$
2.5



Fair Value of Other Financial Instruments. The carrying values of the Company’s short-term financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts and notes receivable and short-term debt approximate their fair values because of the short maturity of these instruments. At December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the fair value of the Company’s long-term debt was approximately $498.5 million and $454.7 million, respectively, and was determined using Level 1 and Level 2 inputs described in Note 7 – Fair Value Measurements, including quoted market prices or discounted cash flows based on quoted market rates for similar types of debt. The carrying value of long-term debt, including current maturities, was $444.6 million and $448.5 million as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively.