Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

INVESTMENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH

v3.7.0.1
INVESTMENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Marketable Securities [Abstract]  
INVESTMENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
INVESTMENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
The following is a summary of marketable securities classified as trading and available-for-sale as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 (in millions):
 
Cost
 
Unrealized
Gains
 
Unrealized
Losses
 
Estimated
Fair Value
March 31, 2017:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Current trading marketable securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Corporate debt securities
$
301

 
$

 
$

 
$
301

Carbon credit investments (1)
81

 

 
(16
)
 
65

Total trading marketable securities
$
382

 
$

 
$
(16
)
 
$
366

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Current available-for-sale securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. government and agency debt securities
$
298

 
$

 
$
(2
)
 
$
296

Mortgage and asset-backed debt securities
90

 

 

 
90

Corporate debt securities
186

 
1

 
(1
)
 
186

U.S. state and local municipal debt securities
87

 

 

 
87

Equity securities
2

 

 

 
2

Non-U.S. government debt securities
4

 

 

 
4

Total available-for-sale marketable securities
$
667

 
$
1

 
$
(3
)
 
$
665

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total current marketable securities
$
1,049

 
$
1

 
$
(19
)
 
$
1,031

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cost
 
Unrealized
Gains
 
Unrealized
Losses
 
Estimated
Fair Value
December 31, 2016:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Current trading marketable securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Corporate debt securities
$
427

 
$

 
$

 
$
427

Carbon credit investments (1)
80

 
10

 

 
90

Total trading marketable securities
$
507

 
$
10

 
$

 
$
517

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Current available-for-sale securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. government and agency debt securities
$
314

 
$

 
$
(2
)
 
$
312

Mortgage and asset-backed debt securities
90

 
1

 

 
91

Corporate debt securities
167

 

 
(1
)
 
166

Equity securities
2

 

 

 
2

Non-U.S. government debt securities
3

 

 

 
3

Total available-for-sale marketable securities
$
576

 
$
1

 
$
(3
)
 
$
574

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total current marketable securities
$
1,083

 
$
11

 
$
(3
)
 
$
1,091

(1) These investments are hedged with forward contracts that are not designated in hedging relationships. See Note 13 for offsetting statement of consolidated income impact.



Investment Other-Than-Temporary Impairments
We have concluded that no material other-than-temporary impairment losses existed as of March 31, 2017. In making this determination, we considered the financial condition and prospects of the issuer, the magnitude of the losses compared with the investments’ cost, the probability that we will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the security, the credit rating of the security and our ability and intent to hold these investments until the anticipated recovery in market value occurs.
Maturity Information
The amortized cost and estimated fair value of marketable securities at March 31, 2017, by contractual maturity, are shown below (in millions). Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because the issuers of the securities may have the right to prepay obligations without prepayment penalties.
 
Cost
 
Estimated
Fair Value
Due in one year or less
$
355

 
$
355

Due after one year through three years
427

 
425

Due after three years through five years
22

 
22

Due after five years
162

 
162

 
966

 
964

Equity and carbon credit investments
83

 
67

 
$
1,049

 
$
1,031


Non-Current Investments and Restricted Cash
Non-current investments and restricted cash is primarily associated with our self-insurance requirements. We entered into an escrow agreement with an insurance carrier to guarantee our self-insurance obligations. This agreement requires us to provide collateral to the insurance carrier, which is invested in various marketable securities. Collateral provided is reflected in "other investing activities" in the statements of consolidated cash flows. At March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, we had $455 and $445 million in self-insurance investments and restricted cash, respectively.
We held a $19 and $18 million investment in a variable life insurance policy to fund benefits for the UPS Excess Coordinating Benefit Plan at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. The quarterly change in investment fair value is recognized in "investment income and other" on the statements of consolidated income. Additionally, we held escrowed cash related to the acquisition and disposition of certain assets, primarily real estate, of $16 and $13 million as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.
The amounts described above are classified as “Non-current investments and restricted cash” in the consolidated balance sheets.
Fair Value Measurements
Marketable securities utilizing Level 1 inputs include active exchange-traded equity securities and equity index funds, and most U.S. Government debt securities, as these securities all have quoted prices in active markets. Marketable securities utilizing Level 2 inputs include asset-backed securities, corporate bonds and municipal bonds. These securities are valued using market corroborated pricing, matrix pricing or other models that utilize observable inputs such as yield curves.
We maintain holdings in certain investment partnerships that are measured at fair value utilizing Level 3 inputs (classified as “other non-current investments” in the tables below, and as “other non-current assets” in the consolidated balance sheets). These partnership holdings do not have quoted prices, nor can they be valued using inputs based on observable market data. These investments are valued internally using a discounted cash flow model with two significant inputs: (1) the after-tax cash flow projections for each partnership, and (2) a risk-adjusted discount rate consistent with the duration of the expected cash flows for each partnership. The weighted-average discount rates used to value these investments were 8.02% and 8.06% as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. These inputs, and the resulting fair values, are updated on a quarterly basis.

The following table presents information about our investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques utilized to determine such fair value (in millions):
 
Quoted Prices
in Active
Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
 
Significant Other
Observable Inputs
(Level 2)
 
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
Balance 
March 31, 2017:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Marketable Securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. government and agency debt securities
$
296

 
$

 
$

 
$
296

Mortgage and asset-backed debt securities

 
90

 

 
90

Corporate debt securities

 
487

 

 
487

U.S. state and local municipal debt securities

 
87

 

 
87

Equity securities

 
2

 

 
2

Non-U.S. government debt securities

 
4

 

 
4

Carbon credit investments
65

 

 

 
65

Total marketable securities
361

 
670

 

 
1,031

Other non-current investments
19

 

 
11

 
30

Total
$
380

 
$
670

 
$
11

 
$
1,061

December 31, 2016:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Marketable Securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. government and agency debt securities
$
312

 
$

 
$

 
$
312

Mortgage and asset-backed debt securities

 
91

 

 
91

Corporate debt securities

 
593

 

 
593

Equity securities

 
2

 

 
2

Non-U.S. government debt securities

 
3

 

 
3

Carbon credit investments
90

 

 

 
90

Total marketable securities
402

 
689

 

 
1,091

Other non-current investments
18

 

 
13

 
31

Total
$
420

 
$
689

 
$
13

 
$
1,122



The following table presents the changes in the above Level 3 instruments measured on a recurring basis for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 (in millions):    
 
Marketable
Securities
 
Other
Non-Current
Investments
 
Total
Balance on January 1, 2017
$

 
$
13

 
$
13

Transfers into (out of) Level 3

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses):
 
 
 
 
 
Included in earnings (in investment income and other)

 
(2
)
 
(2
)
Included in accumulated other comprehensive income (pre-tax)

 

 

Purchases

 

 

Sales

 

 

Balance on March 31, 2017
$

 
$
11

 
$
11

 
Marketable
Securities
 
Other
Non-Current
Investments
 
Total
Balance on January 1, 2016
$

 
$
32

 
$
32

Transfers into (out of) Level 3

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses):
 
 
 
 
 
Included in earnings (in investment income and other)

 
(5
)
 
(5
)
Included in accumulated other comprehensive income (pre-tax)

 

 

Purchases

 

 

Sales

 

 

Balance on March 31, 2016
$

 
$
27

 
$
27


There were no transfers of investments between Level 1 and Level 2 during the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016.