Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
For the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013
- Cameco Corporation
- Significant accounting policies
- Accounting standards
- Determination of fair values
- Use of estimates and judgments
- Discontinued operation
- Acquisitions
- Accounts receivable
- Inventories
- Property, plant and equipment
- Goodwill and intangible assets
- Long-term receivables, investments and other
- Equity-accounted investees
- Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
- Short-term debt
- Long-term debt
- Other liabilities
- Provisions
- Share capital
- Employee benefit expense
- Finance costs
- Other income (expense)
- Income taxes
- Per share amounts
- Statements of cash flows
- Share-based compensation plans
- Pension and other post-retirement benefits
- Financial instruments and related risk management
- Capital management
- Segmented information
- Group entities
- Joint operations
- Related parties
- Subsequent event
4. Determination of fair values
A number of the Company’s accounting policies and disclosures require the measurement of fair value, for both financial and non-financial assets and liabilities.
The fair value of an asset or liability is generally estimated as the amount that would be received on sale of an asset, or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the reporting date. Fair values of assets and liabilities traded in an active market are determined by reference to last quoted prices, in the principal market for the asset or liability. In the absence of an active market for an asset or liability, fair values are determined based on market quotes for assets or liabilities with similar characteristics and risk profiles, or through other valuation techniques. Fair values determined using valuation techniques require the use of inputs, which are obtained from external, readily observable market data when available. In some circumstances, inputs that are not based on observable data must be used. In these cases, the estimated fair values may be adjusted in order to account for valuation uncertainty, or to reflect the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.
All fair value measurements are categorized into one of three hierarchy levels, described below, for disclosure purposes. Each level is based on the transparency of the inputs used to measure the fair values of assets and liabilities:
Level 1 – Values based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the reporting date for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2 – Values based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or model inputs that are observable either directly or indirectly for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.
Level 3 – Values based on prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.
When the inputs used to measure fair value fall within more than one level of the hierarchy, the level within which the fair value measurement is categorized is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
Transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy are recognized at the end of the reporting period during which the transfer occurred. There were no transfers between level 1, level 2, or level 3 during the period. Cameco does not have any recurring fair value measurements that are categorized as level 3 as of the reporting date.
Further information about the techniques and assumptions used to measure fair values is included in the following notes:
Note 10 – Property, plant and equipment
Note 11 – Goodwill and intangible assets
Note 13 – Equity-accounted investees
Note 26 – Share-based compensation plans
Note 28 – Financial instruments and risk management