Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Investments

v3.8.0.1
Investments
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Investments and Cash [Abstract]  
Investments [Text Block]
Note 9: Investments
Available-for-Sale Investments
 
 
September 30, 2017
 
December 31, 2016
(In Millions)
 
Adjusted Cost
 
Gross Unrealized Gains
 
Gross Unrealized Losses
 
Fair Value
 
Adjusted Cost
 
Gross Unrealized Gains
 
Gross Unrealized Losses
 
Fair Value
Corporate debt
 
$
2,603

 
$
12

 
$
(7
)
 
$
2,608

 
$
3,847

 
$
4

 
$
(14
)
 
$
3,837

Financial institution instruments
 
7,709

 
6

 
(4
)
 
7,711

 
6,098

 
5

 
(11
)
 
6,092

Government debt
 
986

 
3

 
(3
)
 
986

 
1,581

 

 
(8
)
 
1,573

Marketable equity securities
 
2,101

 
3,958

 

 
6,059

 
2,818

 
3,363

 
(1
)
 
6,180

Total available-for-sale investments
 
$
13,399

 
$
3,979

 
$
(14
)
 
$
17,364

 
$
14,344

 
$
3,372

 
$
(34
)
 
$
17,682


Government debt includes instruments such as non-U.S. government bonds and U.S. agency securities. Financial institution instruments include instruments issued or managed by financial institutions in various forms such as commercial paper, fixed and floating rate bonds, money market fund deposits, and time deposits. Substantially all time deposits were issued by institutions outside the U.S. as of September 30, 2017 (most time deposits were issued by institutions outside the U.S. as of December 31, 2016).
During the third quarter of 2017, we sold available-for sale investments for proceeds of $2.9 billion ($195 million in the third quarter of 2016). During the first nine months of 2017, we sold available-for-sale investments for proceeds of $4.7 billion ($4.0 billion in the first nine months of 2016). The gross realized gains on sales of available-for-sale investments were $927 million in the third quarter of 2017 and $2.0 billion in the first nine months of 2017 ($41 million in the third quarter of 2016 and $538 million in the first nine months of 2016).
On April 28, 2017, Cloudera, Inc. (Cloudera) completed its initial public offering and we have designated our previous equity and cost method investments in Cloudera as available-for-sale. During the second quarter of 2017, we determined we had an other-than-temporary decline in the fair value of our investment and recognized an impairment charge of $278 million. We recognized the impairment in the second quarter due to the duration and severity of the decline in the investment's fair value, which we determined was below cost based upon observable market prices after the initial public offering.
The fair value of available-for-sale debt investments, by contractual maturity, as of September 30, 2017, were as follows:
(In Millions)
 
Fair Value
Due in 1 year or less
 
$
3,314

Due in 1–2 years
 
1,573

Due in 2–5 years
 
2,200

Due after 5 years
 
71

Instruments not due at a single maturity date
 
4,147

Total
 
$
11,305


Equity Method Investments
McAfee
In the second quarter of 2017, we closed our divestiture of the ISecG business and retained a 49% interest in McAfee as partial consideration. Our investment is accounted for under the equity method of accounting and is classified within other long-term assets. In the third quarter of 2017, we received a $735 million dividend from McAfee and recorded our share of equity method investee losses. The carrying value of our investment was $257 million as of September 30, 2017. For further information related to the divestiture of the ISecG business, see "Note 10: Acquisitions and Divestitures".
IM Flash Technologies, LLC
Since the inception of IM Flash Technologies, LLC (IMFT) in 2006, Micron Technology, Inc. (Micron) and Intel have jointly developed NAND flash memory and, most recently, 3D XPoint™ technology products. Intel also purchases jointly developed products directly from Micron under certain supply agreements.
As of September 30, 2017, we own a 49% interest in IMFT. The carrying value of our investment was $855 million as of September 30, 2017 ($849 million as of December 31, 2016) and is classified within other long-term assets.
IMFT is a variable interest entity and all costs of IMFT are passed on to Micron and Intel through sale of products or services in proportional share of ownership. Our portion of IMFT costs, primarily related to product purchases and production-related services, was approximately $115 million in the third quarter of 2017 and approximately $350 million in the first nine months of 2017 (approximately $115 million in the third quarter of 2016 and approximately $315 million in the first nine months of 2016). The amount due to IMFT for product purchases and services provided was approximately $73 million as of September 30, 2017 (approximately $95 million as of December 31, 2016).
IMFT depends on Micron and Intel for any additional cash needs. Our known maximum exposure to loss approximated the carrying value of our investment balance in IMFT. Except for the amount due to IMFT for product purchases and production-related services, we did not have any additional liabilities recognized on our consolidated condensed balance sheets in connection with our interests in this joint venture as of September 30, 2017. Our potential future losses could be higher than the carrying amount of our investment, as Intel and Micron are liable for other future operating costs or obligations of IMFT. Future cash calls could also increase our investment balance and the related exposure to loss. In addition, because we are currently committed to purchasing 49% of IMFT’s production output and production-related services, we may be required to purchase products at a cost in excess of realizable value.
Non-marketable Cost Method Investments
Beijing UniSpreadtrum Technology Ltd.
During 2014, we entered into a series of agreements with Tsinghua Unigroup Ltd. (Tsinghua Unigroup), an operating subsidiary of Tsinghua Holdings Co. Ltd., to, among other things, jointly develop Intel® architecture- and communications-based solutions for phones. We agreed to invest up to 9.0 billion Chinese yuan (approximately $1.5 billion as of the date of the agreement) for a minority stake of approximately 20% of Beijing UniSpreadtrum Technology Ltd., a holding company under Tsinghua Unigroup. During 2015, we invested $966 million to complete the first phase of the equity investment and accounted for our interest using the cost method of accounting. During the second quarter of 2017, we reduced our expectation of the company's future operating performance due to competitive pressures, which resulted in an other-than-temporary impairment charge of $147 million.
Trading Assets
Net gains related to trading assets still held at the reporting date were $81 million in the third quarter of 2017 and $433 million in the first nine months of 2017 (there were $72 million net gains related to trading assets still held at the reporting date in the third quarter of 2016 and $245 million of net gains in the first nine months of 2016). Net losses on the related derivatives were $75 million in the third quarter of 2017 and $402 million in the first nine months of 2017 (net losses of $54 million in the third quarter of 2016 and $224 million in the first nine months of 2016).