The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. 2009 Annual Report

MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
(continued)

Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Activities
We address certain financial exposures through a controlled program of risk management that includes the use of derivative financial instruments. We primarily enter into foreign currency forward and option contracts to reduce the effects of fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates and interest rate derivatives to manage the effects of interest rate movements on our aggregate liability portfolio. We also enter into foreign currency forward and option contracts, not designated as hedging instruments, to mitigate the change in fair value of specific assets and liabilities on the balance sheet. We do not utilize derivative financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes. Costs associated with entering into these derivative financial instruments have not been material to our consolidated financial results.

For each derivative contract entered into where we look to obtain special hedge accounting treatment, we formally document all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as our risk-management objective and strategy for undertaking the hedge transaction, the nature of the risk being hedged, how the hedging instruments' effectiveness in offsetting the hedged risk will be assessed prospectively and retrospectively, and a description of the method of measuring ineffectiveness. This process includes linking all derivatives to specific assets and liabilities on the balance sheet or to specific firm commitments or forecasted transactions. We also formally assess, both at the hedge's inception and on an ongoing basis, whether the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in fair values or cash flows of hedged items. If it is determined that a derivative is not highly effective, or that it has ceased to be a highly effective hedge, we will be required to discontinue hedge accounting with respect to that derivative prospectively.

Foreign Exchange Risk Management
We enter into foreign currency forward contracts to hedge anticipated transactions, as well as receivables and payables denominated in foreign currencies, for periods consistent with our identified exposures. The purpose of the hedging activities is to minimize the effect of foreign exchange rate movements on costs and on the cash flows that we receive from foreign subsidiaries. The majority of foreign currency forward contracts are denominated in currencies of major industrial countries. We also enter into foreign currency option contracts to hedge anticipated transactions where there is a high probability that anticipated exposures will materialize. The foreign currency forward contracts entered into to hedge anticipated transactions have been designated as foreign currency cash-flow hedges and have varying maturities through the end of June 2010. Hedge effectiveness of foreign currency forward contracts is based on a hypothetical derivative methodology and excludes the portion of fair value attributable to the spot-forward difference which is recorded in current-period earnings. Hedge effectiveness of foreign currency option contracts is based on a dollar offset methodology. The ineffective portion of both foreign currency forward and option contracts is recorded in current-period earnings. For hedge contracts that are no longer deemed highly effective, hedge accounting is discontinued and gains and losses accumulated in other comprehensive income (loss) are reclassified to earnings when the underlying forecasted transaction occurs. If it is probable that the forecasted transaction will no longer occur, then any gains or losses in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) are reclassified to current-period earnings. As of June 30, 2009, these foreign currency cash-flow hedges were highly effective, in all material respects.

At June 30, 2009, we had foreign currency forward contracts in the amount of $1,260.8 million. The foreign currencies included in foreign currency forward contracts (notional value stated in U.S. dollars) are principally the British pound ($239.1 million), Euro ($212.5 million), Swiss franc ($206.8 million), Canadian dollar ($168.0 million), Hong Kong dollar ($79.4 million), Japanese yen ($76.0 million) and Australian dollar ($69.6 million).

Interest Rate Risk Management
We enter into interest rate derivative contracts to manage the exposure to interest rate fluctuations on our funded indebtedness and anticipated issuance of debt for periods consistent with the identified exposures. We have interest rate swap agreements, with a notional amount totaling $250.0 million, to effectively convert the fixed rate interest on our 2017 Senior Notes to variable interest rates based on six-month LIBOR. These interest rate swap agreements are designated as fair value hedges of the related long-term debt and meet the accounting criteria that permit changes in the fair values of the interest rate swap agreements to exactly offset changes in the fair value of the underlying long-term debt. As of June 30, 2009, these fair-value hedges were highly effective in all material respects.

Credit Risk
As a matter of policy, we only enter into derivative contracts with counterparties that have at least an "A" (or equivalent) credit rating. The counterparties to these contracts are major financial institutions. Exposure to credit risk in the event of nonperformance by any of the counterparties is limited to the gross fair value of contracts in asset positions, which totaled $41.2 million at June 30, 2009. To manage this risk, we have established strict counterparty credit guidelines that are continually monitored and reported to management. Accordingly, management believes risk of loss under these hedging contracts is remote.

Certain of our derivative financial instruments contain credit-risk-related contingent features. As of June 30, 2009, we were in compliance with such features and there were no derivative financial instruments with credit-risk-related contingent features that were in a net liability position.

Market Risk
We use a value-at-risk model to assess the market risk of our derivative financial instruments. Value-at-risk represents the potential losses for an instrument or portfolio from adverse changes in market factors for a specified time period and confidence level. We estimate value-at-risk across all of our derivative financial instruments using a model with historical volatilities and correlations calculated over the past 250-day period. The high, low and average measured value-at-risk for the twelve months ended June 30, 2009 and 2008 related to our foreign exchange and interest rate contracts are as follows:

The change in the value-at-risk measures from the prior year related to our foreign exchange contracts reflected an increase in foreign exchange volatilities and a different portfolio mix. The change in the value-at-risk measures from the prior year related to our interest rate contracts reflected higher interest rate volatilities. The model estimates were made assuming normal market conditions and a 95 percent confidence level. We used a statistical simulation model that valued our derivative financial instruments against one thousand randomly generated market price paths.

Our calculated value-at-risk exposure represents an estimate of reasonably possible net losses that would be recognized on our portfolio of derivative financial instruments assuming hypothetical movements in future market rates and is not necessarily indicative of actual results, which may or may not occur. It does not represent the maximum possible loss or any expected loss that may occur, since actual future gains and losses will differ from those estimated, based upon actual fluctuations in market rates, operating exposures, and the timing thereof, and changes in our portfolio of derivative financial instruments during the year.

We believe, however, that any such loss incurred would be offset by the effects of market rate movements on the respective underlying transactions for which the derivative financial instrument was intended.

OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
We do not maintain any off-balance sheet arrangements, transactions, obligations or other relationships with unconsolidated entities that would be expected to have a material current or future effect upon our financial condition or results of operations.