3.Derivatives

 

We enter into financial derivative contracts in order to mitigate the risk of market price fluctuations in aviation, marine and land fuel, to offer our customers fuel pricing alternatives to meet their needs and to mitigate the risk of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.  We also enter into proprietary derivative transactions, primarily intended to capitalize on arbitrage opportunities related to basis or time spreads related to fuel products we sell.  We have applied the normal purchase and normal sales exception (“NPNS”), as provided by accounting guidance for derivative instruments and hedging activities, to certain of our physical forward sales and purchase contracts.  While these contracts are considered derivative instruments under the guidance for derivative instruments and hedging activities, they are not recorded at fair value, but rather are recorded in our consolidated financial statements when physical settlement of the contracts occurs.  If it is determined that a transaction designated as NPNS no longer meets the scope of the exception, the fair value of the related contract is recorded as an asset or liability on the consolidated balance sheet and the difference between the fair value and the contract amount is immediately recognized through earnings.

 

The following describes our derivative classifications:

 

Cash Flow Hedges.  Includes certain of our foreign currency forward contracts we enter into in order to mitigate the risk of currency exchange rate fluctuations.

 

Fair Value Hedges.  Includes derivatives we enter into in order to hedge price risk associated with our inventory and certain firm commitments relating to fixed price purchase and sale contracts.

 

Non-designated Derivatives.  Includes derivatives we primarily enter into in order to mitigate the risk of market price fluctuations in aviation, marine and land fuel in the form of swaps or futures as well as certain fixed price purchase and sale contracts and proprietary trading. In addition, non-designated derivatives are also entered into to hedge the risk of currency rate fluctuations.

 

As of March 31, 2015, our derivative instruments, at their respective fair value positions were as follows (in millions, except weighted average fixed price and weighted average mark-to-market amount):

 

 

The following table presents information about our derivative instruments measured at fair value and their locations on the consolidated balance sheets (in millions):

 

 

The following table presents the effect and financial statement location of our derivative instruments and related hedged items in fair value hedging relationships on our consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income (in millions):

 

 

There were no gains or losses for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 that were excluded from the assessment of the effectiveness of our fair value hedges.

 

There were no cash flow hedging activities during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.

The following table presents the effect and financial statement location of our derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments on our consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income (in millions):

 

 

We enter into derivative instrument contracts which may require us to periodically post collateral. Certain of these derivative contracts contain clauses that are similar to credit-risk-related contingent features, including material adverse change, general adequate assurance and internal credit review clauses that may require additional collateral to be posted and/or settlement of the instruments in the event an aforementioned clause is triggered.  The triggering events are not a quantifiable measure; rather they are based on good faith and reasonable determination by the counterparty that the triggers have occurred. As of March 31, 2015, the net liability position for such contracts is $73.3 million, the collateral posted is $57.5 million and the amount of assets required to be posted and/or to settle the positions should a credit-risk contingent feature be triggered is $15.8 million.  As of December 31, 2014, the net liability position for such contracts is $111.7 million, the collateral posted is $89.4 million and the amount of assets required to be posted and/or to settle the positions should a credit-risk contingent feature be triggered is $22.3 million.