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 (“GAAP”). 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 27, 2010.

In order to align our fiscal reporting periods and comply with statutory filing requirements in certain foreign jurisdictions, we consolidate the financial results of our Europe, China, Mexico and Turkey operations on a two-month lag. There were no significant intervening events which would have materially affected our consolidated financial statements had they been recorded during the three months ended November 27, 2010.

In preparing the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements, we evaluated the period from November 28, 2010 through the date the financial statements were issued for material subsequent events requiring recognition or disclosure. No such events were identified for this period.

New Accounting Standards

Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities — In June 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued new guidance on the treatment of a 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 an 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 an involvement with a VIE and any significant changes in risk exposure due to that involvement. This new guidance was effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2009. As such, we adopted the new guidance on February 28, 2010, and determined that it did not have an impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

Transfers of Financial Assets — In June 2009, the FASB issued new guidance on the treatment of 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 was effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2009. As such, we adopted the new guidance on February 28, 2010, and determined that it did not have an impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

2.                        Investments

Investments were comprised of the following:

Debt Securities

Our debt securities are comprised of auction-rate securities (“ARS”). 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 seven, 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. As a result, we classify our investments in ARS as available-for-sale and carry them at fair value.

In 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. Due to 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 condensed consolidated balance sheet at November 27, 2010.

In October 2008, we accepted a settlement with UBS AG and its affiliates (collectively, “UBS”) pursuant to which UBS issued to us Series C-2 Auction Rate Securities Rights (“ARS Rights”). The ARS Rights provided us the right to receive the full par value of our UBS-brokered ARS plus accrued but unpaid interest at any time between June 30, 2010, and July 2, 2012. Of the $88 UBS-brokered ARS held at the end of fiscal 2010, we sold $35 at par in the first quarter of fiscal 2011, and exercised our right to sell the remaining $53 at par in the second quarter of fiscal 2011.

During the third quarter of fiscal 2011, we sold $3 of ARS at par. At November 27, 2010, our entire remaining ARS portfolio, consisting of 24 investments in ARS having an aggregate par value of $141, was subject to failed auctions. Subsequent to November 27, 2010, and through December 30, 2010, we sold $8 of ARS at par.

Our ARS portfolio consisted of the following, at fair value:

(1)             The par value and weighted-average interest rates (taxable equivalent) of our ARS were $141, $285 and $293, and 0.91%, 1.10% and 0.95%, respectively, at November 27, 2010, February 27, 2010, and November 28, 2009, respectively.

At November 27, 2010, our ARS portfolio was 73% AAA/Aaa-rated, 20% AA/Aa-rated and 7% 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 issuances, which range from six to 33 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 $141 (par value) for impairment at November 27, 2010, based primarily on the methodology described in Note 3, Fair Value Measurements. As a result of this review, we determined that the fair value of our ARS portfolio at November 27, 2010, was $131. Accordingly, a $10 pre-tax unrealized loss is recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income. This unrealized loss reflects a temporary impairment on all of our investments in ARS. 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 $(6), $(3) and $(5) of unrealized loss, net of tax, recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income at November 27, 2010, February 27, 2010, and November 28, 2009, 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 purchased shares of The Carphone Warehouse Group PLC (“CPW”) common stock in fiscal 2008, representing nearly 3% of CPW’s then outstanding shares. In March 2010, CPW demerged into two new holding companies: TalkTalk Telecom Group PLC (“TalkTalk”), which is the holding company for the fixed line voice and broadband telecommunications business of the former CPW, and Carphone Warehouse Group plc (“Carphone Warehouse”), which includes the former CPW’s 50% noncontrolling interest in Best Buy Europe Distributions Limited (“Best Buy Europe”). Accordingly, our investment in CPW was exchanged for equivalent levels of investment in TalkTalk and Carphone Warehouse.  An $84 pre-tax unrealized gain is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income related to these investments at November 27, 2010.

We review all investments for other-than-temporary impairment at least quarterly or as we observe indicators of impairment. 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.

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 Total Best Buy Co., Inc. shareholders’ equity. The total unrealized gain, net of tax, included in accumulated other comprehensive income was $75, $17 and $26 at November 27, 2010, February 27, 2010, and November 28, 2009, respectively.

Other Investments

The aggregate carrying values of investments accounted for using either the cost method or the equity method, at November 27, 2010, February 27, 2010, and November 28, 2009, were $67, $55 and $51, respectively.

3.                         Fair Value Measurements

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, including:

·                  Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets;

·                  Quoted prices for identical or similar assets in non-active markets;

·                  Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability; and

·                  Inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by other observable market data.

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 27, 2010, February 27, 2010, and November 28, 2009, 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 27, 2010, and November 28, 2009.

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.

Foreign Currency Derivative Instruments.  Comprised primarily of foreign currency forward contracts and foreign currency swap contracts, our foreign currency 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 foreign currency derivative instruments were classified as Level 2 as these instruments are custom, over-the-counter contracts with various bank counterparties that are not traded in an active market.

Auction-Rate Securities.  Our investments in ARS were classified as Level 3 as quoted prices were unavailable due to events described in Note 2, Investments. Due to limited market information, we utilized a discounted cash flow (“DCF”) model to derive an estimate of fair value. The assumptions we 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 ARS.

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

Measurements to fair value on a nonrecurring basis relate primarily to our tangible fixed assets, goodwill and other intangible assets and occur when the derived fair value is below carrying value on our condensed consolidated balance sheet. During the nine months ended November 27, 2010, and November 28, 2009, we had no significant remeasurements of such assets or liabilities to fair value.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Our financial instruments, other than those presented in the disclosures above, include cash, receivables, other investments, accounts payable, other payables and short- and long-term debt. The fair values of cash, receivables, accounts payable, other payables 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 we estimate that the carrying values for these investments approximate fair value. See Note 6, Debt, for information about the fair value of our long-term debt.

4.                         Goodwill and Intangible Assets

The changes in the carrying values of goodwill and indefinite-lived tradenames by segment were as follows in the nine months ended November 27, 2010, and November 28, 2009:

(1)             As a result of the sale of our Speakeasy business in the second quarter of fiscal 2011, we wrote off the carrying value of the goodwill and indefinite-lived tradenames associated with such business as of the date of sale. See Note 13, Sale of Business, for additional information regarding the sale.

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