Â鶹×îгöÆ·

Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Investments In Available-For-Sale Securities And Other Cost Investments

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Investments In Available-For-Sale Securities And Other Cost Investments
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Investments In Available-For-Sale Securities And Other Cost Investments Ìý
Investments in available-for-sale securities and other cost investments [Text Block]
Investments in Available-for-Sale Securities and Other Cost Investments
All marketable equity and debt securities held by the Company are classified as available-for-sale ("AFS") and are carried at fair value generally based on quoted market prices. GAAP permits entities to choose to measure many financial instruments, such as AFS securities, and certain other items at fair value and to recognize the changes in fair value of such instruments in the entity's statement of operations. The Company previously had entered into economic hedges for certain of its non-strategic AFS securities (although such instruments were not accounted for as fair value hedges by the Company). Changes in the fair value of those economic hedges were reflected in the Company's statement of operations as unrealized gains (losses). In order to better match the changes in fair value of the subject AFS securities and the changes in fair value of the corresponding economic hedges in the Company's financial statements, the Company has elected to account for those of its AFS securities which it considers to be non-strategic ("Fair Value Option Securities") at fair value. Accordingly, changes in the fair value of Fair Value Option Securities, as determined by quoted market prices, are reported in realized and unrealized gains (losses) on financial instruments in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
Investments in AFS securities, including Fair Value Option Securities separately aggregated, and other cost investments are summarized as follows:
Ìý
DecemberÌý31, 2012
Ìý
DecemberÌý31,
2011

Ìý
amounts in millions
Fair Value Option Securities
Ìý
Ìý
Ìý
ÌýÌýTime WarnerÌýInc.(1)
$
211

Ìý
340

ÌýÌýTime Warner CableÌýInc.
230

Ìý
150

ÌýÌýSprint Nextel Corporation ("Sprint")(2)
—

Ìý
44

ÌýÌýViacom,ÌýInc.Ìý(3)
192

Ìý
345

ÌýÌýCentury Link,ÌýInc.
70

Ìý
67

ÌýÌýBarnes & Noble, Inc.
262

Ìý
253

ÌýÌýOther equity securities
58

Ìý
34

ÌýÌýOther debt securities
56

Ìý
202

Total Fair Value Option Securities
1,079

Ìý
1,435

ÌýAFS and cost investments
Ìý
Ìý
Ìý
ÌýÌýSIRIUS XM debt securities (4)
249

Ìý
384

ÌýÌýLive Nation debt Securities (5)
25

Ìý
24

Other AFS and cost investments
39

Ìý
16

Total AFS and cost investments
313

Ìý
424


$
1,392

Ìý
1,859

___________________________
(1)
In November 2012, Â鶹×îгöÆ· physically settled a call option on 5 million shares of Time Warner Inc. common stock for proceeds of $225 million offset by a $24 million payment to settle the derivative obligation.
(2)
In November and December 2012, Â鶹×îгöÆ· physically settled call options on 15 million shares of Sprint common stock for proceeds of $84 million offset by a $33 million payment to settle the derivative obligation.
(3)
In the fourth quarter of 2012, Â鶹×îгöÆ· physically settled call options on 2 million shares of Viacom, Inc. common stock for proceeds of $105 million offset by a $6 million payment to settle the derivative obligation.
(4)
During 2012 SIRIUS XM tendered and retired the 13% and 9.75% bonds of which Â鶹×îгöÆ· owned approximately $125 million in principal.
(5)
In June 2011, Â鶹×îгöÆ· acquired an additional 5.5 million shares of Live Nation for $58 million. The additional ownership required the Company to account for the investment as an equity method affiliate. For additional discussion see note 7. Â鶹×îгöÆ· continues to hold debt securities in Live Nation which are included in available-for-sale securities.
Unrealized Holding Gains and Losses
Unrealized holding gains and losses related to investments in AFS securities are summarized below.
Ìý
DecemberÌý31, 2012
Ìý
DecemberÌý31, 2011
Ìý
Equity
securities
Ìý
Debt
securities
Ìý
Equity
securities
Ìý
Debt
securities
Ìý
amounts in millions
Gross unrealized holding gains
$
2

Ìý
37

Ìý
1

Ìý
57

Gross unrealized holding losses (1)
$
—

Ìý
—

Ìý
—

Ìý
—

___________________________

(1)
Â鶹×îгöÆ· does not currently have any gross unrealized losses that have been in such position for greater than a year.