Liberty Media Corporation Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Assets And Liabilities Measured At Fair Value

Assets And Liabilities Measured At Fair Value

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value

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 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 does not have any recurring assets or liabilities measured at fair value that would be considered Level 3.

Liberty’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value are as follows:


	December 31, 2018				December 31, 2017
			Quoted prices	Significant other		Quoted prices	Significant other
			in active markets	observable		in active markets	observable
			for identical assets	inputs		for identical assets	inputs
Description	Total		(Level 1)	(Level 2)	Total	(Level 1)	(Level 2)
	amounts in millions
Cash equivalents	$	231	231	—	804	804	—
Debt and equity securities	$	1,195	228	967	1,047	467	580
Financial instrument assets	$	280	21	259	369	19	350
Debt	$	2,487	—	2,487	2,115	—	2,115

The majority of Liberty’s Level 2 financial instruments are debt related instruments and derivative instruments. In addition, SIRIUS XM’s investment in Pandora is classified as Level 2. See note 7 for information related to the investment in Pandora. The Company notes that these assets are not always traded publicly or 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 or a trading price of a similar asset or liability is utilized. The fair value of debt related instruments are based on quoted market prices but not considered to be traded on “active markets,” as defined by GAAP. Accordingly, those debt and equity securities, financial instruments and debt or debt related instruments are reported in the foregoing table as Level 2 fair value. The financial instrument assets included in the table above are included in the Other assets line item in the consolidated balance sheets.

In January 2016, the FASB issued new accounting guidance that is intended to improve the recognition and measurement of financial instruments. Pursuant to the new guidance, for financial liabilities for which the fair value option has been elected, entities are required to present separately in other comprehensive income the portion of the total changes in the fair value of the liability resulting from a change in the instrument-specific credit risk. The new standard is effective for the Company for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2018. The Company has elected the fair value option for its exchangeable debt. Prior to the adoption of this new guidance, the Company recognized all changes in the fair value of its exchangeable debt in realized and unrealized gains (losses) on financial instruments in the consolidated statements of operations. Upon adoption, the Company recorded an immaterial adjustment to beginning retained earnings to reflect the amount of comprehensive earnings related to the changes in the instrument-specific credit risk related to the Company’s exchangeable debt.

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 (amounts in millions):


	Years ended December 31,
	2018		2017	2016

Debt and equity securities	$	2	(36)	112
Debt measured at fair value (a)		130	(126)	(113)
Change in fair value of bond hedges (b)		(94)	72	37
Other derivatives		2	2	1
	$	40	(88)	37

(a)

Changes in unrealized gains (losses) on debt measured at fair value are due to market factors primarily driven by changes in the fair value of the underlying shares into which the debt is exchangeable.

(b)

Contemporaneously with the issuance of the 1.375% Cash Convertible Notes due 2023, Liberty entered into privately negotiated cash convertible note hedges, which are expected to offset potential cash payments Liberty would be required to make in excess of the principal amount of the convertible notes, upon conversion of the notes. The bond hedges are marked to market based on the trading price of underlying Series A Liberty SiriusXM, Liberty Braves and Liberty Formula One securities and other observable market data as the significant inputs (Level 2). See note 10 for additional discussion of the convertible notes and the bond hedges.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

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