MIME 2017 Annual Report

55 Inflation Risk Inflationary factors, such as increases in our operating expenses, may adversely affect our results of operations, as our customers typically purchase services from us on a subscription basis over a period of time. Although we do not believe that inflation has had a material impact on our financial position or results of operations to date, an increase in the rate of inflation in the future may have an adverse effect on our levels of operating expenses as a percentage of revenue if we are unable to increase the prices for our subscription-based services to keep pace with these increased expenses. Interest Rate Risk We are exposed to market risk related to changes in interest rates. Our investments primarily consist of short-term investments and money market funds. As of March 31, 2018 and 2017, we had cash, cash equivalents and investments of $137.2 million and $111.7 million, respectively. The carrying amount of our cash equivalents reasonably approximates fair value, due to the short maturities of these investments. The primary objectives of our investment activities are the preservation of capital, the fulfillment of liquidity needs and the fiduciary control of cash and investments. We do not enter into investments for trading or speculative purposes. Our investments are exposed to market risk due to a fluctuation in interest rates, which may affect our interest income and the fair market value of our investments. Due to the short-term nature of our investment portfolio, we believe only dramatic fluctuations in interest rates would have a material effect on our investments. We do not believe that an immediate 10% increase in interest rates would have a material effect on the fair market value of our portfolio. As such we do not expect our operating results or cash flows to be materially affected by a sudden change in market interest rates.