Marketable Debt Instruments
Marketable Debt Instruments
As of December 27, 2008, our assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis included $14.2 billion of marketable debt instruments. Of these instruments, approximately $525 million was classified as Level 1, approximately $12.0 billion as Level 2, and approximately $1.6 billion as Level 3.
When available, we use observable market prices for identical securities to value our marketable debt instruments. If observable market prices are not available, we use non-binding market consensus prices that we seek to corroborate with observable market data, if available, or non-observable market data. When prices from multiple sources are available for a given instrument, we use observable market quotes to price our instruments, in lieu of prices from other sources.
Our balance of marketable debt instruments that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis and classified as Level 1 was classified as such due to the usage of observable market prices for identical securities that are traded in active markets. Marketable debt instruments in this category generally include certain of our floating-rate notes, corporate bonds, and money market fund deposits. Management judgment was required to determine our policy that defines the levels at which sufficient volume and frequency of transactions are met for a market to be considered active. Our assessment of an active market for our marketable debt instruments generally takes into consideration activity during each week of the one-month period prior to the valuation date of each individual instrument, including the number of days each individual instrument trades and the average weekly trading volume in relation to the total outstanding amount of the issued instrument.
Approximately 10% of our balance of marketable debt instruments that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis and classified as Level 2 was classified as such due to the usage of observable market prices for identical securities that are traded in less active markets. When observable market prices for identical securities are not available, we price our marketable debt instruments using: non-binding market consensus prices that are corroborated with observable market data; quoted market prices for similar instruments; or pricing models, such as a discounted cash flow model, with all significant inputs derived from or corroborated with observable market data. Non-binding market consensus prices are based on the proprietary valuation models of pricing providers or brokers. These valuation models incorporate a number of inputs, including non-binding and binding broker quotes; observable market prices for identical and/or similar securities; and the internal assumptions of pricing providers or brokers that use observable market inputs and to a lesser degree non-observable market inputs. We corroborate the non-binding market consensus prices with observable market data using statistical models when observable market data exists. The discounted cash flow model uses observable market inputs, such as LIBOR-based yield curves, currency spot and forward rates, and credit ratings. Approximately 45% of our balance of marketable debt instruments that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis and classified as Level 2 was classified as such due to the usage of a discounted cash flow model, approximately 40% due to the usage of non-binding market consensus prices that are corroborated with observable market data, and approximately 5% due to the usage of quoted market prices for similar instruments. Marketable debt instruments classified as Level 2 generally include commercial paper, bank time deposits, municipal bonds, certain of our money market fund deposits, and a majority of floating-rate notes and corporate bonds.
Our marketable debt instruments that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis and classified as Level 3 were classified as such due to the lack of observable market data to corroborate either the non-binding market consensus prices or the non-binding broker quotes. When observable market data is not available, we corroborate the non-binding market consensus prices and non-binding broker quotes using unobservable data, if available. Marketable debt instruments in this category generally include asset-backed securities and certain of our floating-rate notes and corporate bonds. All of our investments in asset-backed securities were classified as Level 3, and substantially all of them were valued using non-binding market consensus prices that we were not able to corroborate with observable market data due to the lack of transparency in the market for asset-backed securities.
Money Market Fund Deposits
As of December 27, 2008, our marketable debt instruments included $422 million of money market fund deposits. Of these money market fund deposits, $373 million was classified as Level 1 and $49 million was classified as Level 2.
