1. Significant Accounting Policies
Lincoln Variable Insurance Products Trust (“LVIP” or the “Trust”)–LVIP T. Rowe Price Structured Mid-Cap Growth Fund (the “Fund”) is an investment company in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). Therefore, the Fund follows the accounting and reporting guidelines for investment companies. The following accounting policies are in accordance with U.S. GAAP and are consistently followed by the Fund.
Security Valuation–Equity securities, except those traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”), are valued at the last quoted sales price as of the time of the regular close of the New York Stock Exchange on the valuation date. Equity securities traded on Nasdaq are valued in accordance with the Nasdaq Official Closing Price, which may not be the last sale price. If on a particular day an equity security does not trade, then the mean between the bid and ask prices is used, which approximates fair value. Securities listed on a foreign exchange are valued at the last quoted sales price on the valuation date. Open-end investment companies are valued at their published net asset value (“NAV”). Investments in government money market funds have a stable NAV. Other securities and assets for which market quotations are not reliable or readily available are generally valued at fair value as determined in good faith under policies adopted by the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”). In determining whether market quotations are reliable or readily available, various factors are taken into consideration, such as market closures or suspension of trading in a security. The Fund may use fair value pricing more frequently for securities traded primarily in non-U.S. markets because, among other things, most foreign markets close well before the Fund values its securities, generally as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The earlier close of these foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, government actions or pronouncements, aftermarket trading, or news events may have occurred in the interim. To account for this, the Fund may value foreign securities using fair value prices based on third-party vendor modeling tools (“international fair value pricing”). Restricted securities are valued at fair value by the Fund's Fair Valuation Committee, using methods approved by the Board, taking into account a review of information, assumptions and sub-adviser recommendations, as applicable.
2. Investments
U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price that the Fund would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date under current market conditions. A three level hierarchy for fair value measurements has been established based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability. Inputs may be observable or unobservable and refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available under the circumstances. Each investment in its entirety is assigned a level based upon the observability of the inputs which are significant to the overall valuation. The three level hierarchy of inputs is summarized below.
Level 1– | inputs are quoted prices in active markets for identical investments (e.g., equity securities, open-end investment companies, futures contracts, options contracts) |
Level 2– | other observable inputs (including, but not limited to: quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in markets that are active, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities (such as interest rates, yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks and default rates) or other market-corroborated inputs) (e.g., debt securities, government securities, swap contracts, foreign currency exchange contracts, foreign securities utilizing international fair value pricing) |
Level 3– | inputs are significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund's own assumptions used to determine the fair value of investments) (e.g., indicative quotes from brokers, fair valued securities) |
Level 3 investments are valued using significant unobservable inputs, including related or comparable assets or liabilities, recent transactions, market multiples, book values, and other relevant information for the investment to determine the fair value of the investment. The Fund may also use an income-based valuation approach in which the anticipated future cash flows of the investment are discounted to calculate fair value. Discounts may also be applied due to the nature or duration of any restrictions on the disposition of the investments. Valuations may also be based upon current market prices of securities that are comparable in coupon, rating, maturity and industry. The derived value of a Level 3 investment may not represent the value which is received upon disposition and this could impact the results of operations.