Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value

v3.10.0.1
Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]  
Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value

(6)  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, 2018

 

December 31, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

    

$

310

    

310

    

 —

    

655

    

655

    

 —

 

Equity securities

 

$

 —

 

 —

 

 —

 

2,275

 

2,275

 

 —

 

Indemnification asset (1)

 

$

79

 

 —

 

79

 

 —

 

 —

 

 —

 

Debt

 

$

1,334

 

 —

 

1,334

 

1,846

 

 —

 

1,846

 


(1)

The indemnification asset is included in Other assets on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2018. 

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, 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. 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.

   

The remaining indemnification asset due to LI LLC pertains to the holder’s ability to exercise its exchange right according to the terms of the 1.75% Exchangeable 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 consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 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 December 31, 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 consolidated balance sheets. Additionally, as of December 31, 2018, 332,241 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:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Years ended December 31,

 

 

    

2018

    

2017

    

2016

 

 

 

amounts in millions

 

Equity securities

 

$

155

 

434

 

723

 

Exchangeable senior debentures

 

 

(3)

 

(193)

 

(308)

 

Indemnification asset

 

 

(70)

 

 —

 

 —

 

Other financial instruments

 

 

(6)

 

(96)

 

(1)

 

 

 

$

76

 

145

 

414