Prudential 2001 Annual Report Download - page 143

Prudential Financial, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
19. Derivative Instruments
Adoption of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 133
The Company adopted SFAS No. 133, “Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities,” as
amended, on January 1, 2001. Except as noted below, the adoption of this statement did not have a material impact
on the results of operations of the Company.
Upon its adoption of SFAS No. 133, the Company reclassified “held to maturity” securities with a fair market value
of approximately $12,085 million to “available-for-sale” as permitted by the new standard. This reclassification
resulted in unrealized investment gains of $94 million, net of tax, which were recorded as a component of
“Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).”
Accounting for Derivatives and Hedging Activities
Derivatives are financial instruments whose values are derived from interest rates, foreign exchange rates, financial
indices, or the value of securities or commodities. Derivative financial instruments used by the Company include
swaps, futures, forwards and option contracts and may be exchange-traded or contracted in the over-the-counter
market.
Derivatives held for trading purposes are used in the Company’s securities operations to meet the needs of
customers by structuring transactions that allow customers to manage their exposure to interest rates, foreign
exchange rates, indices or prices of securities and commodities. Trading derivatives are also utilized in a limited-
purpose subsidiary primarily through the operation of hedge portfolios and in the Company’s commercial mortgage
securitization business. Trading derivative positions are carried at estimated fair value, generally by obtaining
quoted market prices or through the use of pricing models. Values are affected by changes in interest rates, currency
exchange rates, credit spreads, market volatility and liquidity.
Derivatives held for trading purposes are recorded at fair value in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
either as assets, within “Trading account assets” or “Broker-dealer related receivables,” or as liabilities within
“Broker-dealer related payables” or “Other liabilities.” Realized and unrealized changes in fair value are included in
“Commissions and other income” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the periods in which the changes
occur. Cash flows from trading derivatives are reported in the operating activities section of the Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows.
Derivatives held for purposes other than trading are used to seek to reduce exposure to interest rate and foreign
currency risks associated with assets held or expected to be purchased or sold, and liabilities incurred or expected to
be incurred. Other than trading derivatives are also used to manage the characteristics of the Company’s asset/
liability mix, manage the interest rate characteristics of invested assets and to mitigate the risk of a diminution, upon
translation to U.S. dollars, of expected non-U.S. earnings resulting from unfavorable changes in currency exchange
rates.
Derivatives held for purposes other than trading are recognized on the Consolidated Statements of Financial
Position at their fair value. On the date the derivative contract is entered into, the Company designates the derivative
as either (1) a hedge of the fair value of a recognized asset or liability or unrecognized firm commitment (“fair
value” hedge), (2) a hedge of a forecasted transaction or of the variability of cash flows to be received or paid
related to a recognized asset or liability (“cash flow” hedge), (3) a foreign-currency fair value or cash flow hedge
(“foreign currency” hedge), (4) a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation, or (5) a derivative entered into as
an economic hedge that does not qualify for hedge accounting.
To qualify for hedge accounting treatment, a derivative must be highly effective in mitigating the designated risk of
the hedged item. Effectiveness of the hedge is formally assessed at inception and throughout the life of the hedging
relationship. Even if a derivative qualifies for special hedge accounting treatment, there may be an element of
ineffectiveness of the hedge. Under such circumstances, the ineffective portion of adjusting the derivative to fair
value is recorded in “Realized investment gains (losses), net.” The ineffective portion of derivatives accounted for
using both cash flow and fair value hedge accounting for the period ended December 31, 2001 was not material to
the results of operations of the Company.
The Company discontinues hedge accounting prospectively when (1) it is determined that the derivative is no longer
highly effective in offsetting changes in the fair value or cash flows of a hedged item (including firm commitments
Prudential Financial 2001 Annual Report 141