Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Fair Value

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Fair Value
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]  
Fair Value
Fair Value
Wyndham Hotels measures its financial assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis and utilizes the fair value hierarchy to determine such fair values. Financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value are classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:
Level 1: Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets.
Level 2: Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations whose inputs are observable or whose significant value driver is observable.
Level 3: Unobservable inputs used when little or no market data is available. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls has been determined based on the lowest level input (closest to Level 3) that is significant to the fair value measurement. Wyndham Hotels’ assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the asset or liability.
The fair value of financial instruments is generally determined by reference to market values resulting from trading on a national securities exchange or in an over-the-counter market. In cases where quoted market prices are not available, fair value is based on estimates using present value or other valuation techniques, as appropriate. The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, trade receivables, accounts payable and accrued expenses and other current liabilities approximate fair value due to the short-term maturities of these assets and liabilities. The carrying amounts and estimated fair values of all other financial instruments are as follows:
 
December 31, 2018
 
Carrying Amount
 
Estimated Fair Value
Debt
 
 
 
Total debt
$
2,141

 
$
2,091


The Company estimates the fair value of its debt, excluding capital leases, using Level 2 inputs based on indicative bids from investment banks or quoted market prices.
Financial Instruments
Changes in interest rates and foreign exchange rates expose Wyndham Hotels to market risk. The Company uses cash flow hedges as part of its overall strategy to manage its exposure to market risks associated with fluctuations in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates. As a matter of policy, the Company only enters into transactions that it believes will be highly effective at offsetting the underlying risk, and it does not use derivatives for trading or speculative purposes.
Interest Rate Risk

A portion of debt used to finance the Company’s operations is exposed to interest rate fluctuations. The Company uses various hedging strategies and derivative financial instruments to create a desired mix of fixed and floating rate assets and liabilities. Derivative instruments currently used in these hedging strategies include interest rate swaps. The derivatives used to manage the risk associated with the Company’s floating rate debt are derivatives designated as cash flow hedges. The amount of gains or losses the Company expects to reclassify from AOCI to earnings during the next 12 months is not material.

Foreign Currency Risk
The Company has currency rate exposure to exchange rate fluctuations worldwide particularly with respect to the Canadian Dollar, the Chinese Yuan, the Euro, the British Pound and the Argentine Peso. The Company uses foreign currency forward contracts at various times to manage and reduce the currency exchange rate risk associated with its foreign currency denominated receivables and payables, forecasted royalties, and forecasted earnings and cash flows of foreign subsidiaries and other transactions. Losses recognized in income from freestanding foreign currency exchange contracts were $2 million for 2018 and 2017. Gains recognized in income from freestanding foreign currency exchange contracts were $2 million in 2016.
As required, the Company began accounting for Argentina as a highly inflationary economy as of July 1, 2018. The Company incurred $3 million in foreign currency exchange losses related to Argentina during 2018. Such losses are included in operating expenses in the Consolidated and Combined Statements of Income.
Credit Risk and Exposure
The Company is exposed to counterparty credit risk in the event of nonperformance by counterparties to various agreements and sales transactions. The Company manages such risk by evaluating the financial position and creditworthiness of such counterparties and often by requiring collateral in instances in which financing is provided. The Company mitigates counterparty credit risk associated with its derivative contracts by monitoring the amounts at risk with each counterparty to such contracts, periodically evaluating counterparty creditworthiness and financial position, and where possible, dispersing its risk among multiple counterparties.
As of December 31, 2018, Wyndham Hotels had $46 million of management guarantee receivables related to hotel management agreements that provide the owner of the hotels with a guarantee of a certain level of profitability based upon various metrics. The collectability of these receivables is contingent on the future profitability of the managed hotels subject to the management agreements. See Note 13 - Commitments and Contingencies for further detail.
Market Risk
The Company is subject to risks relating to the geographic concentration of its hotel properties, which may result in the Company's results of operations being more sensitive to local and regional economic conditions and other factors, including competition, natural disasters and economic downturns, than the Company's results of operations would be, absent such geographic concentrations. Local and regional economic conditions and other factors may differ materially from prevailing conditions in other parts of the world. Included within the Consolidated and Combined Statements of Income are net revenues from transactions in the states of Texas and Florida of approximately 12% and 10% during 2018.
During 2018, the Company had one customer which accounted for 22% of net revenues. Excluding cost reimbursement revenues, which are offset by cost reimbursement expenses, such customer accounted for 6% of the Company's net revenues.