Bath & Body Works, Inc. - 10-Q filing on 2016-12-02

Fair Value Measurements

9 Months Ended

Oct. 29, 2016

The following table provides a summary of the principal value and estimated fair value of long-term debt as of October 29, 2016, January 30, 2016 and October 31, 2015:



	October 29, 2016		January 30, 2016		October 31, 2015
	(in millions)
Principal Value	$	5,750	$	5,750	$	5,750
Fair Value (a)	6,352		6,209		6,322

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(a)	The estimated fair value of the Company’s publicly traded debt is based on reported transaction prices which are considered Level 2 inputs in accordance with ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement. The estimates presented are not necessarily indicative of the amounts that the Company could realize in a current market exchange.

The authoritative guidance included in ASC Topic 820 establishes a three-level fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value. This hierarchy requires entities to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The three levels of inputs used to measure fair value are as follows:


•	Level 1 – Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.


•	Level 2 – Observable inputs other than quoted market prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices of similar assets and liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.


•	Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets and liabilities. This includes certain pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques that use significant unobservable inputs.

The following table provides a summary of assets and liabilities measured in the consolidated financial statements at fair value on a recurring basis as of October 29, 2016, January 30, 2016 and October 31, 2015:



	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	(in millions)
As of October 29, 2016
Assets:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$	654	$	—	$	—	$	654
Marketable Securities	8		—		—		8
Interest Rate Fair Value Hedges	—		6		—		6
Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedges	—		26		—		26
As of January 30, 2016
Assets:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$	2,548	$	—	$	—	$	2,548
Marketable Securities	22		—		—		22
Interest Rate Fair Value Hedges	—		11		—		11
Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedges	—		27		—		27
As of October 31, 2015
Assets:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$	1,311	$	—	$	—	$	1,311
Marketable Securities	13		—		—		13
Interest Rate Fair Value Hedges	—		10		—		10
Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedges	—		27		—		27

The Company's Level 1 fair value measurements use unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets. In the first quarter of 2015, the Company invested $50 million in U.S. Treasury Bills which were classified as available-for-sale. These securities were sold in the third quarter of 2015. In the third quarter of 2015, the Company invested $10 million in marketable equity securities which were classified as available-for-sale. In the first quarter of 2016, the Company sold a portion of this investment and received cash proceeds of $10 million and recognized a pre-tax gain of $4 million (after-tax gain of $3 million). The gain is included within Other Income in the year-to-date 2016 Consolidated Statement of Income, and the cash proceeds are included in Proceeds from Sale of Marketable Securities within the Investing Activities section of the 2016 Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. These securities are classified as Level 1 fair value measurements as they are traded with sufficient frequency and volume to enable the Company to obtain pricing information on an ongoing basis.

The Company’s Level 2 fair value measurements use market approach valuation techniques. The primary inputs to these techniques include benchmark interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates, as applicable to the underlying instruments.

Management believes that the carrying values of accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses and current debt approximate fair value because of their short maturity.