1.                         Basis of Presentation

Unless the context otherwise requires, the use of the terms “Best Buy,” “we,” “us” and “our” in these Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements refers to Best Buy Co., Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

In the opinion of management, the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation as prescribed by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. All adjustments were comprised of normal recurring adjustments, except as noted in these Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Historically, we have realized more of our revenue and earnings in the fiscal fourth quarter, which includes the majority of the holiday shopping season in the U.S., Europe and Canada, than in any other fiscal quarter. Due to the seasonal nature of our business, interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire fiscal year. The interim financial statements and the related notes in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2009.

We consolidate the financial results of our Europe, China and Mexico operations on a two-month lag. There were no intervening events that would have significantly affected our consolidated financial statements had they been recorded during the three months ended November 28, 2009, except for the settlement of a tax matter with a taxing authority within our Best Buy Europe business that favorably impacted our income tax expense and net earnings attributable to Best Buy Co., Inc. by $61 and $31, respectively.  Our policy is to record the effect of events occurring in the lag period that significantly affect our consolidated financial statements; as a result, the settlement is included in our fiscal third quarter results.

In preparing the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, we evaluated the period from November 29, 2009 through January 5, 2010, the date the financial statements herein were available to be issued, for material subsequent events requiring recognition or disclosure. No such events were identified for this period.

Reclassifications

To maintain consistency and comparability, we reclassified certain prior-year amounts to conform to the current-year presentation as described in Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2009. To conform to the current-year presentation, which presents customer relationships separately on our consolidated balance sheets, we reclassified to customer relationships, $420 at November 29, 2008, which was previously reported in other assets on our condensed consolidated balance sheet.

In addition, as a result of the adoption of new guidance related to the treatment of noncontrolling interests in consolidated financial statements, as described below in New Accounting Standards, we:

·                  reclassified to noncontrolling interests, a component of shareholders’ equity, $513 and $674 at February 28, 2009, and November 29, 2008, respectively, which was previously reported as minority interests on our condensed consolidated balance sheets;

·                  reported as separate captions within our consolidated statements of earnings, net earnings including noncontrolling interests, net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests, and net earnings attributable to Best Buy Co., Inc. of $63, $(11) and $52, respectively, for the three months ended November 29, 2008, and $446, $(13) and $433, respectively, for the nine months ended November 29, 2008; and

·                  utilized net earnings including noncontrolling interests of $446 for the nine months ended November 29, 2008, as the starting point on our consolidated statements of cash flows in order to reconcile net earnings to cash flows from operating activities, rather than beginning with net earnings, which was previously exclusive of noncontrolling interests.

These reclassifications had no effect on previously reported consolidated operating income, net earnings attributable to Best Buy Co., Inc., or net cash flows from operating activities.  Also, earnings per share continues to be based on net earnings attributable to Best Buy Co., Inc.

New Accounting Standards

Accounting Standards Codification  —  In June 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued a standard that established the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (the “ASC”), which effectively amended the hierarchy of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and established only two levels of GAAP, authoritative and nonauthoritative. All previously existing accounting standard documents were superseded, and the ASC became the single source of authoritative, nongovernmental GAAP, except for rules and interpretive releases of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), which are sources of authoritative GAAP for SEC registrants. All other non-grandfathered, non-SEC accounting literature not included in the ASC became nonauthoritative. The ASC was intended to provide access to the authoritative guidance related to a particular topic in one place. New guidance issued subsequent to June 30, 2009 will be communicated by the FASB through Accounting Standards Updates. The ASC was effective for financial statements for interim or annual reporting periods ending after September 15, 2009.  We adopted and applied the provisions of the ASC for our third fiscal quarter ended November 28, 2009, and have eliminated references to pre-ASC accounting standards throughout our consolidated financial statements. Our adoption of the ASC did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities  —  In June 2009, the FASB issued new guidance on the consolidation of variable interest entities (“VIE”) in response to concerns about the application of certain key provisions of pre-existing guidance, including those regarding the transparency of the involvement with a VIE. Specifically, this new guidance requires a qualitative approach to identifying a controlling financial interest in a VIE and requires ongoing assessment of whether an entity is a VIE and whether an interest in a VIE makes the holder the primary beneficiary of the VIE. In addition, this new guidance requires additional disclosures about the involvement with a VIE and any significant changes in risk exposure due to that involvement. This new guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2009. We plan to adopt the new guidance in fiscal 2011 and are evaluating the impact it will have on our consolidated financial statements.

Transfers of Financial Assets  —  In June 2009, the FASB issued new guidance on accounting for transfers of financial assets which eliminates the concept of a “qualifying special-purpose entity,” changes the requirements for derecognizing financial assets, and requires additional disclosures in order to enhance information reported to users of financial statements by providing greater transparency about transfers of financial assets, including securitization transactions, and an entity’s continuing involvement in and exposure to the risks related to transferred financial assets. This new guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2009. We plan to adopt the new guidance in fiscal 2011 and are evaluating the impact it will have on our consolidated financial statements.

Subsequent Events  —  In May 2009, the FASB issued new guidance on the treatment of subsequent events which is intended to establish general standards of accounting for and disclosure of events that occur after the balance sheet date but before financial statements are issued or are available to be issued. Specifically, this guidance sets forth the period after the balance sheet date during which management of a reporting entity should evaluate events or transactions that may occur for potential recognition or disclosure in the financial statements, the circumstances under which an entity should recognize events or transactions occurring after the balance sheet date in its financial statements, and the disclosures that an entity should make about events or transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date. This new guidance was effective for fiscal years and interim periods ended after June 15, 2009, and must be applied prospectively. We adopted and applied the provisions of the new guidance for our second fiscal quarter ended August 29, 2009, and have included the required disclosures in the Basis of Presentation section above. Our adoption of the new guidance did not have an impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

Fair Value and Other-Than-Temporary Impairments  —  In April 2009, the FASB issued new guidance intended to provide additional application guidance and enhanced disclosures regarding fair value measurements and impairments of securities. New guidance related to determining fair value when the volume and level of activity for the asset or liability have significantly decreased and identifying transactions that are not orderly provides additional guidelines for estimating fair value in accordance with pre-existing guidance on fair value measurements. New guidance on recognition and presentation of other-than-temporary impairments provides additional guidance related to the disclosure of impairment losses on securities and the accounting for impairment losses on debt securities, but does not amend existing guidance related to other-than-temporary impairments of equity securities. Lastly, new guidance on interim disclosures about the fair value of financial instruments increases the frequency of fair value disclosures. The new guidance was effective for fiscal years and interim periods ended after June 15, 2009.  As such, we adopted the new guidance in the second quarter of fiscal 2010, and have included the additional required interim disclosures about the fair value of financial instruments and valuation techniques within Note 3, Investments, and Note 4, Fair Value Measurements. Our adoption of the new guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

Derivatives and Hedging Disclosures  —  In March 2008, the FASB issued new guidance on disclosures about derivative instruments and hedging activities. This new guidance is intended to improve financial standards for derivative instruments and hedging activities by requiring enhanced disclosures to enable investors to better understand the effect these instruments and activities have on an entity’s financial position, financial performance and cash flows. Entities are required to provide enhanced disclosures about: how and why an entity uses derivative instruments; how derivative instruments and related hedged items are accounted for under existing GAAP; and how derivative instruments and related hedged items affect an entity’s financial position, financial performance and cash flows. This new guidance was effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2008. Our adoption of the guidance in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 had no impact on our consolidated financial statements. However, in the first quarter of fiscal 2010, we entered into significant derivative hedging contracts and, accordingly, we have included the disclosures required by the new guidance in Note 8, Derivative Instruments, which are provided on a prospective basis.

Business Combinations  —  In December 2007, the FASB issued new guidance on business combinations which significantly changed the accounting for business combinations in a number of areas, including the treatment of contingent consideration, preacquisition contingencies, transaction costs, in-process research and development and restructuring costs. In addition, under this new guidance, changes in an acquired entity’s deferred tax assets and uncertain tax positions after the measurement period will impact income tax expense. This new guidance was effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008. We adopted the new guidance on March 1, 2009, which changed our accounting treatment for business combinations on a prospective basis.

Noncontrolling Interests  —  In December 2007, the FASB issued new guidance on noncontrolling interests in consolidated financial statements. This new guidance changes the accounting and reporting for minority interests, which must be recharacterized as noncontrolling interests and classified as a component of shareholders’ equity. This new consolidation method significantly changes the accounting for transactions with minority interest holders. This new guidance was effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008. We adopted the new guidance on March 1, 2009, and applied its provisions prospectively, except for the presentation and disclosure requirements, which we applied retrospectively. Our adoption of the new guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements other than the following reporting and disclosure changes which we applied retrospectively to all periods presented:

(i)             we recharacterized minority interests previously reported on our condensed consolidated balance sheets as noncontrolling interests and classified them as a component of shareholders’ equity;

(ii)          we adjusted certain captions previously utilized on our consolidated statements of earnings to specifically identify net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests and net earnings attributable to Best Buy Co., Inc.; and

(iii)       in order to reconcile net earnings to the cash flows from operating activities, we changed the starting point on our consolidated statements of cash flows from net earnings to net earnings including noncontrolling interests, with net earnings or loss from the noncontrolling interests (previously, minority interests) no longer a reconciling item in arriving at net cash flows from operating activities in our consolidated statement of cash flows.

Additional disclosures required by this new guidance are included in Note 11, Supplemental Equity and Comprehensive Income Information.

2.                         Acquisitions

Five Star

We acquired a 75% interest in Jiangsu Five Star Appliance Co., Ltd. (“Five Star”) in June 2006, for $184, which included a working capital injection of $122. At the time of the acquisition, we also entered into an agreement with Five Star’s minority shareholders to acquire the remaining 25% interest in Five Star within four years, subject to Chinese government approval.

On February 6, 2009, we were granted a business license to acquire the remaining 25% interest in Five Star and our acquisition converted Five Star into a wholly-owned foreign enterprise. The $191 purchase price for the remaining 25% interest was primarily based on a previously agreed-upon pricing formula, consisting of a base purchase price and an earn-out for the remaining Five Star shareholders. The amount paid in excess of the fair value of the net assets acquired, as agreed to at the time of the initial purchase, furthers our international growth plans and accelerates the integration of Best Buy and Five Star in China.

The acquisition of the remaining 25% interest in Five Star for $191 was accounted for using the purchase method. We recorded the net assets acquired at their estimated fair values. We included Five Star’s operating results, which are reported on a two-month lag, from the date of acquisition as part of our International segment. The purchase price allocation is preliminary and will be finalized no later than the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010. None of the goodwill is deductible for tax purposes.

The preliminary purchase price allocation was as follows:

Napster

On October 25, 2008, we acquired Napster, Inc. (“Napster”) for $122 (or $101 net of cash acquired), pursuant to a cash tender offer whereby all issued and outstanding shares of Napster common stock, and all stock purchase rights associated with such shares, were acquired by us at a price of $2.65 per share. Of the $122 purchase price, $4 represented our previous ownership interest in Napster common shares. The effective acquisition date for accounting purposes was the close of business on October 31, 2008, the end of Napster’s fiscal October.

We entered into this transaction as we believe Napster has one of the most comprehensive and easy-to-use digital music offerings in the industry. The amount we paid in excess of the fair value of the net assets acquired was to obtain Napster’s capabilities and digital subscriber base to reach new customers with an enhanced experience for exploring and selecting music and other digital entertainment products over an increasing array of devices, such as bundling the sale of hardware with digital services. We believe the combined capabilities of our two companies allows us to build stronger relationships with customers and expand the number of subscribers.

We have consolidated Napster in our financial results as part of our Domestic segment from the date of acquisition. We recorded the net assets acquired at their estimated fair values and allocated the purchase price on a preliminary basis using information then available. The allocation of the purchase price to the acquired assets and liabilities was finalized in the third quarter of fiscal 2010, with no material adjustments made to the preliminary allocation. None of the goodwill is deductible for tax purposes.

The final purchase price allocation was as follows:

Best Buy Europe

On May 7, 2008, we entered into a Sale and Purchase Agreement with The Carphone Warehouse Group PLC (“CPW”). All conditions to closing were satisfied, and the transaction was consummated on June 30, 2008. The effective acquisition date for accounting purposes was the close of business on June 28, 2008, the end of CPW’s fiscal first quarter. Pursuant to the transaction, CPW contributed certain assets and liabilities into a newly-formed company, Best Buy Europe Distributions Limited (“Best Buy Europe”), in exchange for all of the ordinary shares of Best Buy Europe, and our wholly-owned subsidiary, Best Buy Distributions Limited, purchased 50% of such ordinary shares of Best Buy Europe from CPW for an aggregate purchase price of $2,167. In addition to the purchase price paid to CPW, we incurred $29 of transaction costs for an aggregate purchase price of $2,196.

Pursuant to a shareholders’ agreement with CPW, our designees to the Best Buy Europe board of directors have ultimate approval rights over select Best Buy Europe senior management positions and the annual capital and operating budgets of Best Buy Europe.

The assets and liabilities contributed to Best Buy Europe by CPW included CPW’s retail and distribution business, consisting of retail stores and online offerings; mobile airtime reselling operations; device insurance operations; fixed line telecommunications businesses in Spain and Switzerland; facilities management business, under which it bills and manages the customers of network operators in the U.K.; dealer business, under which it acts as a wholesale distributor of handsets and airtime vouchers; and economic interests in pre-existing commercial arrangements with us (Best Buy Mobile in the U.S. and the Geek Squad joint venture in the U.K. and Spain).

The amount we paid at the time of acquisition in excess of the fair value of the net assets acquired was primarily for (i) the expected future cash flows derived from the existing business and infrastructure contributed to Best Buy Europe by CPW, which included over 2,400 retail stores, (ii) immediate access to the European market with a management team that is experienced in both retailing and wireless service technologies in this marketplace, and (iii) the expected synergies our management believes the venture will generate, which include benefits from joint purchasing, sourcing and merchandising. In addition, Best Buy Europe plans to introduce new product and service offerings in its retail stores and, beginning in fiscal 2011, launch large-format Best Buy-branded stores and Web sites in the European market.

We have consolidated Best Buy Europe in our financial results as part of our International segment from the date of acquisition. We consolidate the financial results of Best Buy Europe on a two-month lag to align with CPW’s quarterly reporting periods.

We recorded the net assets acquired at their estimated fair values and allocated the purchase price on a preliminary basis using information then available. The allocation of the purchase price to the acquired assets and liabilities was finalized in the second quarter of fiscal 2010, with no material adjustments made to the preliminary allocation. None of the goodwill is deductible for tax purposes.

The final purchase price allocation was as follows:

1                   We recorded the fair value adjustments only in respect of the 50% of net assets acquired, with the remaining 50% of the net assets of Best Buy Europe being consolidated and recorded at their historical cost basis. This also resulted in a $643 noncontrolling interest being reflected in our condensed consolidated balance sheet in respect of the 50% owned by CPW.

The valuation of the identifiable intangible assets acquired was based on management’s estimates, available information and reasonable and supportable assumptions. The valuation was generally based on the fair value of these assets using income and market approaches. The amortizable intangible assets are being amortized using a straight-line method over their respective estimated useful lives. The following table summarizes the identified intangible asset categories and their respective weighted average amortization periods:

We recorded an estimate for costs to terminate certain activities associated with Best Buy Europe operations. A restructuring accrual of $20 has been recorded and reflects the accrued restructuring costs incurred at the date of acquisition, primarily for store closure costs and agreement termination fees expected to be utilized in fiscal 2010 and fiscal 2011.

Our interest in Best Buy Europe is separate and distinct from our investment in the common stock of CPW, as discussed in Note 3, Investments.

Pro Forma Financial Results

Our pro forma condensed consolidated financial results of operations are presented in the following table as if the acquisitions described above had been completed at the beginning of each period presented:

These pro forma condensed consolidated financial results have been prepared for comparative purposes only and include certain adjustments, such as increased interest expense on acquisition debt, foregone interest income and amortization related to acquired customer relationships and tradenames. They have not been adjusted for the effect of costs or synergies that would have been expected to result from the integration of these acquisitions or for costs that are not expected to recur as a result of the acquisitions. The pro forma information does not purport to be indicative of the results of operations that actually would have resulted had the acquisitions occurred at the beginning of each period presented, or of future results of the consolidated entities.

3.                        Investments

Investments were comprised of the following:

Debt Securities

Our debt securities are comprised of auction-rate securities (“ARS”). We classify our investments in ARS as available-for-sale and carry them at fair value. ARS were intended to behave like short-term debt instruments because their interest rates reset periodically through an auction process, most commonly at intervals of 7, 28 and 35 days. The auction process had historically provided a means by which we could rollover the investment or sell these securities at par in order to provide us with liquidity as needed.

In mid-February 2008, auctions began to fail due to insufficient buyers, as the amount of securities submitted for sale in auctions exceeded the aggregate amount of the bids. For each failed auction, the interest rate on the security moves to a maximum rate specified for each security, and generally resets at a level higher than specified short-term interest rate benchmarks. To date, we have collected all interest due on our ARS and expect to continue to do so in the future. We sold $36 of ARS at par during the first nine months of fiscal 2010. However, at November 28, 2009, our entire remaining ARS portfolio, consisting of 49 investments in ARS, was subject to failed auctions. Subsequent to November 28, 2009, and through January 5, 2010, we sold $1 (par value) of our ARS.

As a result of the persistent failed auctions, and the uncertainty of when these investments could be liquidated at par, we have classified all of our investments in ARS as non-current assets within equity and other investments in our consolidated balance sheet at November 28, 2009, except for $89, which was marketed and sold by UBS AG and its affiliates (collectively, “UBS”) and is classified within short-term investments. In October 2008, we accepted a settlement with UBS pursuant to which UBS issued to us Series C-2 Auction Rate Securities Rights (“ARS Rights”). The ARS Rights provide us the right to receive the full par value of our UBS-brokered ARS of $89 plus accrued but unpaid interest at any time between June 30, 2010, and July 2, 2012.  We plan to exercise our ARS Rights in the second quarter of fiscal 2011.

Our ARS portfolio consisted of the following at November 28, 2009, February 28, 2009, and November 29, 2008, at fair value:

1                   The par value and weighted-average interest rates (taxable equivalent) of our ARS were $293, $329 and $339 and 0.95%, 2.04% and 3.61%, respectively, at November 28, 2009, February 28, 2009, and November 29, 2008, respectively.

At November 28, 2009, our ARS portfolio was 78% AAA/Aaa-rated, 10% AA/Aa-rated and 12% A/A-rated.

The investment principal associated with failed auctions will not be accessible until successful auctions occur, a buyer is found outside of the auction process, the issuers establish a different form of financing to replace these securities, or final payments are due according to the contractual maturities of the debt issues, which range from seven to 38 years. We intend to hold our ARS until we can recover the full principal amount through one of the means described above, and have the ability to do so based on our other sources of liquidity.

We evaluated our entire ARS portfolio of $293 (par value) for impairment at November 28, 2009, based primarily on the methodology described in Note 4, Fair Value Measurements. As a result of this review, we determined that the fair value of our ARS portfolio at November 28, 2009, was $284. Accordingly, we recognized a $9 pre-tax unrealized loss in accumulated other comprehensive income. This unrealized loss reflects a temporary impairment on all of our investments in ARS, except for our investments in ARS with UBS, for which we have determined that fair value approximates par value. The estimated fair value of our ARS portfolio could change significantly based on future market conditions. We will continue to assess the fair value of our ARS portfolio for substantive changes in relevant market conditions, changes in our financial condition or other changes that may alter our estimates described above.

We may be required to record an additional unrealized holding loss or an impairment charge to earnings if we determine that our ARS portfolio has incurred a further decline in fair value that is temporary or other-than-temporary, respectively. Factors that we consider when assessing our ARS portfolio for other-than-temporary impairment include the duration and severity of the impairment, the reason for the decline in value, the potential recovery period and the nature of the collateral or guarantees in place, as well as our intent and ability to hold an investment.

We had $(5), $(10) and $0 in unrealized (loss) gain, net of tax, recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income at November 28, 2009, February 28, 2009, and November 29, 2008, respectively, related to our investments in debt securities.

Marketable Equity Securities

We invest in marketable equity securities and classify them as available-for-sale. Investments in marketable equity securities are classified as non-current assets within equity and other investments in our condensed consolidated balance sheets, and are reported at fair value based on quoted market prices.

Our investments in marketable equity securities were as follows:

We review all investments for other-than-temporary impairment at least quarterly or as indicators of impairment exist. Indicators of impairment include the duration and severity of the decline in fair value as well as the intent and ability to hold the investment to allow for a recovery in the market value of the investment. In addition, we consider qualitative factors that include, but are not limited to: (i) the financial condition and business plans of the investee including its future earnings potential, (ii) the investee’s credit rating, and (iii) the current and expected market and industry conditions in which the investee operates. If a decline in the fair value of an investment is deemed by management to be other-than-temporary, we write down the cost basis of the investment to fair value, and the amount of the write-down is included in net earnings. Such a determination is dependent on the facts and circumstances relating to each investment.

We purchased shares of CPW’s common stock in fiscal 2008 for $183 and in the third quarter of fiscal 2009, recorded a $111 other-than-temporary impairment charge.  Subsequent to November 29, 2008, the market price of CPW common stock increased and, accordingly, we recorded a $29 pre-tax unrealized gain in accumulated other comprehensive income related to this investment at November 28, 2009.

All unrealized holding gains or losses related to our investments in marketable equity securities are reflected net of tax in accumulated other comprehensive income in shareholders’ equity. Net unrealized gain (loss), net of tax, included in accumulated other comprehensive income was $26, $(4) and $1 at November 28, 2009, February 28, 2009, and November 29, 2008, respectively.

Other Investments

The aggregate carrying values of investments accounted for using either the cost method or the equity method at November 28, 2009, February 28, 2009, and November 29, 2008, were $51, $43 and $47, respectively.

4.                         Fair Value Measurements

We adopted new guidance related to fair value measurements on March 2, 2008. Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. We use a three-tier valuation hierarchy based upon observable and non-observable inputs:

Level 1 —     Unadjusted quoted prices that are available in active markets for the identical assets or liabilities at the measurement date.

Level 2 —     Significant other observable inputs available at the measurement date, other than quoted prices included in Level 1, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3 —     Significant unobservable inputs that cannot be corroborated by observable market data and reflect the use of significant management judgment. These values are generally determined using pricing models for which the assumptions utilize management’s estimates of market participant assumptions.

Assets and Liabilities that are Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

The fair value hierarchy requires the use of observable market data when available. In instances in which the inputs used to measure fair value fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the fair value measurement has been determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Our assessment of the significance of a particular item to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, including the consideration of inputs specific to the asset or liability. The following tables set forth by level within the fair value hierarchy, our financial assets and liabilities that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis at November 28, 2009, February 28, 2009, and November 29, 2008, according to the valuation techniques we used to determine their fair values.

The following tables provide a reconciliation between the beginning and ending balances of items measured at fair value on a recurring basis in the tables above that used significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) for the three and nine months ended November 28, 2009 and November 29, 2008.

The following methods and assumptions were used to estimate the fair value of each class of financial instrument:

Money Market Funds.  Our money market fund investments were classified as Level 1 or 2. If a fund is not trading on a regular basis, and we have been unable to obtain pricing information on an ongoing basis, we classify the fund as Level 2.

U.S. Treasury Bills.  Our U.S. Treasury notes were classified as Level 1 as they trade with sufficient frequency and volume to enable us to obtain pricing information on an ongoing basis.

Derivative Instruments.  Comprised primarily of foreign currency forward contracts and foreign currency swaps, our derivative instruments were measured at fair value using readily observable market inputs, such as quotations on forward foreign exchange points and foreign interest rates. Our derivative instruments were classified as Level 2 as these instruments are custom, over-the-counter contracts with various bank counterparties that are not actively traded.

Auction-Rate Securities.  Our investments in auction-rate securities were classified as Level 3 as quoted prices were unavailable due to events described in Note 3, Investments. Due to limited market information, we utilized a discounted cash flow (“DCF”) model to derive an estimate of fair value at November 28, 2009. The assumptions used in preparing the DCF model included estimates with respect to the amount and timing of future interest and principal payments, forward projections of the interest rate benchmarks, the probability of full repayment of the principal considering the credit quality and guarantees in place, and the rate of return required by investors to own such securities given the current liquidity risk associated with auction-rate securities.

Marketable Equity Securities.  Our marketable equity securities were measured at fair value using quoted market prices. They were classified as Level 1 as they trade in an active market for which closing stock prices are readily available.

Deferred Compensation.  Our deferred compensation liabilities and the assets that fund our deferred compensation consist of investments in mutual funds. These investments were classified as Level 1 as the shares of these mutual funds trade with sufficient frequency and volume to enable us to obtain pricing information on an ongoing basis.

Assets and Liabilities that are Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis

Disclosures for nonfinancial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value, but are recognized and disclosed at fair value on a nonrecurring basis, were required prospectively beginning March 1, 2009. During the nine months ended November 28, 2009, we had no significant measurements of assets or liabilities at fair value on a nonrecurring basis subsequent to their initial recognition.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Our financial instruments, other than those presented in the disclosures above, include cash, receivables, other investments, accounts payable, accrued liabilities and short- and long-term debt. The fair values of cash, receivables, accounts payable, accrued liabilities and short-term debt approximated carrying values because of the short-term nature of these instruments. Fair values for other investments held at cost are not readily available, but are estimated to approximate fair value. See Note 7, Debt, for information about the fair value of our long-term debt.

5.                         Goodwill and Intangible Assets

The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill and indefinite-lived tradenames by segment were as follows in the nine months ended November 28, 2009 and November 29, 2008:

1                   Adjustment related to the resolution of certain tax matters associated with our acquisition of Jiangsu Five Star Appliance Co., Ltd. in fiscal 2007.

The following table provides the gross carrying amount and related accumulated amortization of definite-lived intangible assets:

Total amortization expense for the three months ended November 28, 2009 and November 29, 2008 was $24 and $41, respectively, and was $66 and $42 for the nine months then ended, respectively.  The estimated future amortization expense for identifiable intangible assets during the remainder of fiscal 2010 and for the next four years is as follows:

6.                         Restructuring Charges

In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009, we implemented a restructuring plan for our domestic and international businesses to support our fiscal 2010 strategy and long-term growth plans. We believe these changes have provided an operating structure that supports a more effective and efficient use of our resources and provides a platform from which key strategic initiatives can progress despite changing economic conditions. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009, we recorded charges of $78, related primarily to voluntary and involuntary separation plans at our corporate headquarters.

In April 2009, we notified our U.S. Best Buy store employees of our intention to update our store operating model, which included eliminating certain positions. In addition, we incurred restructuring charges related to employee termination benefits and business reorganization costs at Best Buy Europe within our International segment.  As a result of our restructuring efforts, we recorded charges of $52 in the first quarter of fiscal 2010.  No restructuring charges were recorded in the second or third quarters of fiscal 2010, and we believe we are substantially complete with our announced restructuring activities.

All charges related to our restructuring plans were presented as restructuring charges in our consolidated statements of earnings. The composition of our restructuring charges incurred in the nine months ended November 28, 2009, as well as the cumulative amount incurred through November 28, 2009, for both the Domestic and International segments, were as follows: