foreign currency exchange rates for the year ended december 31 , 2015 as compared to the prior year period had a negative impact on net earnings of $ 2.0 million , or $ 0.15 per diluted share . the results of operations for the years ended december 31 , 2015 and 2014 include items affecting comparability as listed in the reconciliations below . the reconciliations below include certain financial measures which are not recognized in accordance with u.s. generally accepted accounting principles ( `` gaap `` ) , including adjusted gross profits , adjusted gross profit margin , adjusted net earnings ( loss ) , and adjusted net earnings ( loss ) per diluted share . these non-gaap measures should not be viewed as an alternative to gaap measures of performance . non-gaap measures such as adjusted gross profit margin , adjusted net earnings ( loss ) , and adjusted net earnings ( loss ) per diluted share do not have uniform definitions . these measures , as calculated by vpg , may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies . management believes that these measures are meaningful because they provide insight with respect to intrinsic operating results . the reconciling items presented below represent significant charges or credits which are important to understanding our intrinsic operations . - 26 - the items affecting comparability are ( dollars in thousands , except per share amounts ) : replace_table_token_5_th replace_table_token_6_th ( a ) acquisition purchase accounting adjustments include fair market value adjustments associated with inventory and advance customer payments . financial metrics we utilize several financial measures and metrics to evaluate the performance and assess the future direction of our business . these key financial measures and metrics include net revenues , gross profit margin , end-of-period backlog , book-to-bill ratio , and inventory turnover . gross profit margin is gross profit shown as a percentage of net revenues . gross profit is generally net revenues less costs of products sold , but could also include certain other period costs . gross profit margin is clearly a function of net revenues , but also reflects our cost-cutting programs and our ability to contain fixed costs . end-of-period backlog is one indicator of potential future sales . we include in our backlog only open orders that have been released by the customer for shipment in the next twelve months . if demand falls below customers ' forecasts , or if customers do not control their inventory effectively , they may cancel or reschedule the shipments that are included in our backlog , in many instances without the payment of any penalty . therefore , the backlog is not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for future periods . another important indicator of demand in our industry is the book-to-bill ratio , which is the ratio of the amount of product ordered during a period compared with the product that we ship during that period . a book-to-bill ratio that is greater than one indicates that demand is higher than current revenues and manufacturing capacities , and it indicates that we may generate increasing revenues - 27 - in future periods . conversely , a book-to-bill ratio that is less than one is an indicator of lower demand compared to existing revenues and current capacities and may foretell declining sales . we focus on our inventory turnover as a measure of how well we are managing our inventory . we define inventory turnover for a financial reporting period as our costs of products sold for the four fiscal quarters ending on the last day of the reporting period divided by our average inventory ( computed using each quarter-end balance ) for this same period . a higher level of inventory turnover reflects more efficient use of our capital . the quarter-to-quarter trends in these financial metrics can also be an important indicator of the likely direction of our business . the following table shows net revenues , gross profit margin , the end-of-period backlog , the book-to-bill ratio , and the inventory turnover for our business as a whole during the five quarters beginning with the fourth quarter of 2014 and through the fourth quarter of 2015 ( dollars in thousands ) : replace_table_token_7_th replace_table_token_8_th - 28 - net revenues for the fourth quarter of 2015 increased 3 % from the net revenues reported in the third quarter of 2015 , and decreased 2.2 % from $ 60.2 million of net revenues for the comparable prior year period . higher net revenues in the force sensors and weighing and control systems segments were due to higher volumes in each segment , partially offset by a decrease in net revenues in our foil technology products segment , where we experienced lower volume . net revenues for the fourth quarter of 2015 were negatively impacted by the effect of foreign exchange rates of $ 3.6 million as compared to the fourth quarter of 2014. exchange rates had minimal impact on net revenues from the third quarter of 2015 to the fourth quarter of 2015. the gross profit margin in the fourth quarter of 2015 increased 1.2 % as compared to the fourth quarter of 2014. higher gross profit margin in the weighing and control systems segment was partially offset by declines in the gross profit margins in the foil technology products and force sensors segments . the gross profit margin in the fourth quarter of 2015 decreased 2.3 % from the third quarter of 2015. higher gross profit margin in the weighing and control systems segment was offset by declines in the gross profit margins in the foil technology products and force sensors segments . story_separator_special_tag if the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value , then we are required to perform the second step of the goodwill impairment . to measure the amount of the impairment , we determine the implied fair value of goodwill in the same manner as if we had acquired those reporting units . specifically , we must allocate the fair value of the reporting unit to all of the assets of that unit , including any unrecognized intangible assets , in a hypothetical calculation that would yield the implied fair value of goodwill . the impairment loss is measured as the difference between the book value of the goodwill and the implied fair value of the goodwill computed in step two . the indefinite-lived trade names are tested for impairment by comparing the carrying value to the fair value based on current revenue projections of the related operations , under the relief from royalty method . any excess carrying value over the applicable fair value is recognized as impairment . any impairment would be recognized in the reporting period in which it has been identified . we estimate the fair value of our iprd asset using an income approach to valuation , whereby we estimate the future cash flows associated with the iprd and discount those cash flows back to their net present value using a discount rate determined using the capital asset pricing model , and adjusted for the forecast risk inherent in our projections of cash flows associated with this asset . our estimates of cash flows include revenues to be generated by the products supported by the iprd and the expected profits on those product sales . definite-lived assets , such as customer relationships , patents and acquired technology , non-competition agreements , and certain trade names are amortized on a straight-line method over their estimated useful lives . patents and acquired technology are being amortized over useful lives of seven to twenty years . customer relationships are being amortized over useful lives of five to eighteen years . trade names are being amortized over useful lives of seven to ten years . non-competition agreements are being amortized over periods of five to ten years . we continually evaluate the reasonableness of the useful lives of these assets . additionally , we review the carrying values of these assets for possible impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable based on undiscounted estimated cash flows expected to result from its use and eventual disposition . - 32 - during 2015 and 2014 , we recognized impairment losses associated with the goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets from the kelk acquisition , which were recognized in the third quarter of fiscal 2015 and the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. the impairments were driven principally by the impacts of excess steel manufacturing capacity , particularly in china , on our current and forecasted sales of product manufactured and sold by the reporting unit with the impairment losses . after considering the impact of the impairment charges , the carrying value of goodwill , indefinite-lived trade names , and iprd of this reporting unit as of december 31 , 2015 was $ 6.2 million , $ 1.0 million , and $ 0.1 million , respectively . the carrying values of goodwill , indefinite-lived trade names , and iprd of this reporting unit as of december 31 , 2014 were $ 12.8 million , $ 1.4 million , and $ 0.1 million , respectively . additional impairments could be recognized in the future to the extent that actual future operating results of the reporting unit are less favorable than those included in the forecasts used to derive our estimates of the fair value of the reporting unit , trade name , and iprd . we believe that our estimates of the future operating performance of the reporting unit are reasonable in the circumstances and were based on the best available information as of the dates of our impairment tests . impairment of long-lived assets we assess the impairment of our long-lived assets , other than goodwill and other intangible assets , including property and equipment , whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable . factors we consider important , which could trigger an impairment review , include significant changes in the manner of our use of the asset , changes in historical or projected operating performance , and significant negative economic trends . pension and other postretirement benefits accounting for defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans involves numerous assumptions and estimates . the discount rate at which obligations could effectively be settled and the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets are two critical assumptions in measuring the cost and benefit obligations of our pension and other postretirement benefit plans . other important assumptions include the anticipated rate of future increases in compensation levels , estimated mortality , and for postretirement medical plans , increases or trends in health care costs . management reviews these assumptions at least annually . we use independent actuaries to assist us in formulating assumptions and making estimates . these assumptions are updated periodically to reflect the actual experience and expectations on a plan-specific basis , as appropriate . our defined benefit plans are concentrated in the united states and the united kingdom . plans in these countries comprise approximately 88 % of our retirement obligations at december 31 , 2015 . we utilize published long-term high-quality bond indices to determine the discount rate at the measurement date . we utilize bond yields at various maturity dates to reflect the timing of expected future benefit payments . we believe the discount rates selected are the rates at which these obligations could effectively be settled . for benefit plans which are funded , we establish strategic asset allocation percentage targets and appropriate benchmarks for

. the debt is payable monthly over the next 6 years at a zero percent interest rate . see note 7 to our consolidated financial statements for more details . due to our strong product portfolio and market position , our business has historically generated significant cash flow . our cash provided by operating activities for the year ended december 31 , 2015 was $ 13.9 million as compared to $ 23.3 million for the year ended december 31 , 2014 , and $ 14.6 million for the year ended december 31 , 2013 . cash provided by operating activities for the year ended december 31 , 2015 was impacted by a decrease in net earnings . cash provided by operating activities for the year ended december 31 , 2014 was impacted by an increase in net earnings , offset by a net increase in working capital accounts . cash provided by operating activities for the year ended december 31 , 2013 was impacted by a decrease in net earnings . approximately 90 % and 73 % of our cash and cash equivalents balance at december 31 , 2015 and 2014 , respectively , was held by our non-u.s. subsidiaries . the decline in the cash held by our u.s. subsidiaries during 2015 was primarily due to our repurchase of common stock with an aggregate value of $ 8.7 million and $ 5.0 million related to the acquisition of stress-tek .


 Write a concise suspicious activity report of the following text delimited by triple backquotes. Return your response as a formal report which covers the key points highlighting the location,dates,entity names and account holder information in chronological order of the text.
     ```. the debt is payable monthly over the next 6 years at a zero percent interest rate . see note 7 to our consolidated financial statements for more details . due to our strong product portfolio and market position , our business has historically generated significant cash flow . our cash provided by operating activities for the year ended december 31 , 2015 was $ 13.9 million as compared to $ 23.3 million for the year ended december 31 , 2014 , and $ 14.6 million for the year ended december 31 , 2013 . cash provided by operating activities for the year ended december 31 , 2015 was impacted by a decrease in net earnings . cash provided by operating activities for the year ended december 31 , 2014 was impacted by an increase in net earnings , offset by a net increase in working capital accounts . cash provided by operating activities for the year ended december 31 , 2013 was impacted by a decrease in net earnings . approximately 90 % and 73 % of our cash and cash equivalents balance at december 31 , 2015 and 2014 , respectively , was held by our non-u.s. subsidiaries . the decline in the cash held by our u.s. subsidiaries during 2015 was primarily due to our repurchase of common stock with an aggregate value of $ 8.7 million and $ 5.0 million related to the acquisition of stress-tek .
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 Suspicious Activity Report : foreign currency exchange rates for the year ended december 31 , 2015 as compared to the prior year period had a negative impact on net earnings of $ 2.0 million , or $ 0.15 per diluted share . the results of operations for the years ended december 31 , 2015 and 2014 include items affecting comparability as listed in the reconciliations below . the reconciliations below include certain financial measures which are not recognized in accordance with u.s. generally accepted accounting principles ( `` gaap `` ) , including adjusted gross profits , adjusted gross profit margin , adjusted net earnings ( loss ) , and adjusted net earnings ( loss ) per diluted share . these non-gaap measures should not be viewed as an alternative to gaap measures of performance . non-gaap measures such as adjusted gross profit margin , adjusted net earnings ( loss ) , and adjusted net earnings ( loss ) per diluted share do not have uniform definitions . these measures , as calculated by vpg , may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies . management believes that these measures are meaningful because they provide insight with respect to intrinsic operating results . the reconciling items presented below represent significant charges or credits which are important to understanding our intrinsic operations . - 26 - the items affecting comparability are ( dollars in thousands , except per share amounts ) : replace_table_token_5_th replace_table_token_6_th ( a ) acquisition purchase accounting adjustments include fair market value adjustments associated with inventory and advance customer payments . financial metrics we utilize several financial measures and metrics to evaluate the performance and assess the future direction of our business . these key financial measures and metrics include net revenues , gross profit margin , end-of-period backlog , book-to-bill ratio , and inventory turnover . gross profit margin is gross profit shown as a percentage of net revenues . gross profit is generally net revenues less costs of products sold , but could also include certain other period costs . gross profit margin is clearly a function of net revenues , but also reflects our cost-cutting programs and our ability to contain fixed costs . end-of-period backlog is one indicator of potential future sales . we include in our backlog only open orders that have been released by the customer for shipment in the next twelve months . if demand falls below customers ' forecasts , or if customers do not control their inventory effectively , they may cancel or reschedule the shipments that are included in our backlog , in many instances without the payment of any penalty . therefore , the backlog is not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for future periods . another important indicator of demand in our industry is the book-to-bill ratio , which is the ratio of the amount of product ordered during a period compared with the product that we ship during that period . a book-to-bill ratio that is greater than one indicates that demand is higher than current revenues and manufacturing capacities , and it indicates that we may generate increasing revenues - 27 - in future periods . conversely , a book-to-bill ratio that is less than one is an indicator of lower demand compared to existing revenues and current capacities and may foretell declining sales . we focus on our inventory turnover as a measure of how well we are managing our inventory . we define inventory turnover for a financial reporting period as our costs of products sold for the four fiscal quarters ending on the last day of the reporting period divided by our average inventory ( computed using each quarter-end balance ) for this same period . a higher level of inventory turnover reflects more efficient use of our capital . the quarter-to-quarter trends in these financial metrics can also be an important indicator of the likely direction of our business . the following table shows net revenues , gross profit margin , the end-of-period backlog , the book-to-bill ratio , and the inventory turnover for our business as a whole during the five quarters beginning with the fourth quarter of 2014 and through the fourth quarter of 2015 ( dollars in thousands ) : replace_table_token_7_th replace_table_token_8_th - 28 - net revenues for the fourth quarter of 2015 increased 3 % from the net revenues reported in the third quarter of 2015 , and decreased 2.2 % from $ 60.2 million of net revenues for the comparable prior year period . higher net revenues in the force sensors and weighing and control systems segments were due to higher volumes in each segment , partially offset by a decrease in net revenues in our foil technology products segment , where we experienced lower volume . net revenues for the fourth quarter of 2015 were negatively impacted by the effect of foreign exchange rates of $ 3.6 million as compared to the fourth quarter of 2014. exchange rates had minimal impact on net revenues from the third quarter of 2015 to the fourth quarter of 2015. the gross profit margin in the fourth quarter of 2015 increased 1.2 % as compared to the fourth quarter of 2014. higher gross profit margin in the weighing and control systems segment was partially offset by declines in the gross profit margins in the foil technology products and force sensors segments . the gross profit margin in the fourth quarter of 2015 decreased 2.3 % from the third quarter of 2015. higher gross profit margin in the weighing and control systems segment was offset by declines in the gross profit margins in the foil technology products and force sensors segments . story_separator_special_tag if the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value , then we are required to perform the second step of the goodwill impairment . to measure the amount of the impairment , we determine the implied fair value of goodwill in the same manner as if we had acquired those reporting units . specifically , we must allocate the fair value of the reporting unit to all of the assets of that unit , including any unrecognized intangible assets , in a hypothetical calculation that would yield the implied fair value of goodwill . the impairment loss is measured as the difference between the book value of the goodwill and the implied fair value of the goodwill computed in step two . the indefinite-lived trade names are tested for impairment by comparing the carrying value to the fair value based on current revenue projections of the related operations , under the relief from royalty method . any excess carrying value over the applicable fair value is recognized as impairment . any impairment would be recognized in the reporting period in which it has been identified . we estimate the fair value of our iprd asset using an income approach to valuation , whereby we estimate the future cash flows associated with the iprd and discount those cash flows back to their net present value using a discount rate determined using the capital asset pricing model , and adjusted for the forecast risk inherent in our projections of cash flows associated with this asset . our estimates of cash flows include revenues to be generated by the products supported by the iprd and the expected profits on those product sales . definite-lived assets , such as customer relationships , patents and acquired technology , non-competition agreements , and certain trade names are amortized on a straight-line method over their estimated useful lives . patents and acquired technology are being amortized over useful lives of seven to twenty years . customer relationships are being amortized over useful lives of five to eighteen years . trade names are being amortized over useful lives of seven to ten years . non-competition agreements are being amortized over periods of five to ten years . we continually evaluate the reasonableness of the useful lives of these assets . additionally , we review the carrying values of these assets for possible impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable based on undiscounted estimated cash flows expected to result from its use and eventual disposition . - 32 - during 2015 and 2014 , we recognized impairment losses associated with the goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets from the kelk acquisition , which were recognized in the third quarter of fiscal 2015 and the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. the impairments were driven principally by the impacts of excess steel manufacturing capacity , particularly in china , on our current and forecasted sales of product manufactured and sold by the reporting unit with the impairment losses . after considering the impact of the impairment charges , the carrying value of goodwill , indefinite-lived trade names , and iprd of this reporting unit as of december 31 , 2015 was $ 6.2 million , $ 1.0 million , and $ 0.1 million , respectively . the carrying values of goodwill , indefinite-lived trade names , and iprd of this reporting unit as of december 31 , 2014 were $ 12.8 million , $ 1.4 million , and $ 0.1 million , respectively . additional impairments could be recognized in the future to the extent that actual future operating results of the reporting unit are less favorable than those included in the forecasts used to derive our estimates of the fair value of the reporting unit , trade name , and iprd . we believe that our estimates of the future operating performance of the reporting unit are reasonable in the circumstances and were based on the best available information as of the dates of our impairment tests . impairment of long-lived assets we assess the impairment of our long-lived assets , other than goodwill and other intangible assets , including property and equipment , whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable . factors we consider important , which could trigger an impairment review , include significant changes in the manner of our use of the asset , changes in historical or projected operating performance , and significant negative economic trends . pension and other postretirement benefits accounting for defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans involves numerous assumptions and estimates . the discount rate at which obligations could effectively be settled and the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets are two critical assumptions in measuring the cost and benefit obligations of our pension and other postretirement benefit plans . other important assumptions include the anticipated rate of future increases in compensation levels , estimated mortality , and for postretirement medical plans , increases or trends in health care costs . management reviews these assumptions at least annually . we use independent actuaries to assist us in formulating assumptions and making estimates . these assumptions are updated periodically to reflect the actual experience and expectations on a plan-specific basis , as appropriate . our defined benefit plans are concentrated in the united states and the united kingdom . plans in these countries comprise approximately 88 % of our retirement obligations at december 31 , 2015 . we utilize published long-term high-quality bond indices to determine the discount rate at the measurement date . we utilize bond yields at various maturity dates to reflect the timing of expected future benefit payments . we believe the discount rates selected are the rates at which these obligations could effectively be settled . for benefit plans which are funded , we establish strategic asset allocation percentage targets and appropriate benchmarks for

