Investments and Fair Value Measurements

3 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2023

The Company follows ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements, with respect to cash equivalents that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis. Under the standard, fair value is defined as the exit price, or the amount that would be received to sell an asset or a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants as of the measurement date. The standard also establishes a hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used when available. Observable inputs are inputs market participants would use in valuing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Company. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the Company’s assumptions about the factors market participants would use in valuing the asset or liability based upon the best information available in the circumstances.

The hierarchy is broken down into three levels as follows:

Level 1 Assets and liabilities whose values are based on unadjusted quoted market prices for identical assets and liabilities in active markets

Level 2 Assets and liabilities whose values are based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or inputs that are observable for substantially the full term of the asset or liability

Level 3 Assets and liabilities whose values are based on prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement

Categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

The Company’s fair value hierarchy for its financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis are as follows (in thousands):


	April 30, 2023								January 31, 2023
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total

Assets(1)
Cash equivalents (2)
Money market funds	$	2,630,767	$	—	$	—	$	2,630,767	$	64,752	$	—	$	—	$	64,752
Other assets
Deferred compensation investments	359		—		—		359		64		—		—		64
Total assets	$	2,631,126	$	—	$	—	$	2,631,126	$	64,816	$	—	$	—	$	64,816

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(1)$100.0 million and $250.0 million of time deposits, which are included in short-term investments, are excluded since they are carried at cost and approximate fair value as of April 30, 2023 and January 31, 2023, respectively.

(2)Cash equivalents exclude an immaterial amount of time deposits, which are carried at cost and approximate fair value, as of April 30, 2023. Cash equivalents exclude $1.6 billion of time deposits, which are carried at cost and approximate fair value, as of January 31, 2023.

There were no transfers between the levels of the fair value hierarchy during the periods presented.

The following summarizes the changes in the net carrying value of strategic investments, which are Level 3, within the fair value hierarchy for the three months ended April 30, 2023 and April 30, 2022 (in thousands):


	April 30, 2023		April 30, 2022

Carrying amount, beginning of period	$	47,270	$	23,632
Adjustments related to non-marketable securities:
Purchases	10,607		2,825
Unrealized net gains due to changes in fair value	—		2,207




Carrying amount, end of period	$	57,877	$	28,665

Cumulative unrealized gains and losses for equity securities held as of April 30, 2023 are $9.6 million and $2.9 million, respectively.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

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