UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

As of November 1, 2017,October 31, 2018, the registrant had 15,109,13814,827,021 shares of Common Stock outstanding.

Organization

Piper Jaffray Companies is the parent company of Piper Jaffray & Co. ("Piper Jaffray"), a securities broker dealer and investment banking firm; Piper Jaffray Ltd., a firm providing securities brokerage and mergers and acquisitions services in Europe; Piper Jaffray Finance LLC, which facilitates corporate debt underwriting in conjunction with affiliated credit vehicles; Advisory Research, Inc. ("ARI"), which provides asset management services to separately managed accounts, closed-end and open-end funds and partnerships; Piper Jaffray Investment Group Inc., and PJC Capital Management LLC, which consistsconsist of entities providing alternative asset management services; Piper Jaffray Financial Products Inc. and Piper Jaffray Financial Products II Inc., entities that facilitate derivative transactions; and other immaterial subsidiaries.

Effective August 7, 2017, Piper Jaffray transitioned from a self clearing securities broker dealer to a fully disclosed clearing model. Pershing LLC ("Pershing") is Piper Jaffray's clearing broker dealer responsible for the clearance and settlement of firm and customer cash and security transactions.

The Capital Markets segment provides investment banking services and institutional sales, trading and research services. Investment banking services include financial advisory services, management of and participation in underwritings financial advisory services and public finance activities. Revenues are generated through the receipt of advisory and financing fees. Institutional sales, trading and research services focus on the trading of equity and fixed income products with institutions, government and non-profit entities. Revenues are generated through commissions and sales credits earned on equity and fixed income institutional sales activities, net interest revenues on trading securities held in inventory, and profits and losses from trading these securities. Also, the Company generates revenue through strategic trading and investing activities, which focus on investments in municipal bonds, U.S. government agency securities, and merchant banking activities involving equity or debt investments in late stage private companies. The Company has created alternative asset management funds in merchant banking, energy and senior living in order to invest firm capital and to manage capital from outside investors. The Company receives management and performance fees for managing these funds.

The Asset Management segment provides traditional asset management services with product offerings in equity securities and master limited partnerships and equity securities to institutions and individuals. Revenues are generated in the form of management and performance fees. Revenues are also generated through investments in the partnerships and funds that the Company manages.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Pursuant to this guidance, certain information and disclosures have been omitted that are included within complete annual financial statements. Except as disclosed herein, there have been no material changes in the information reported in the financial statements and related disclosures in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016.2017.

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Piper Jaffray Companies, its wholly owned subsidiaries, and all other entities in which the Company has a controlling financial interest. Noncontrolling interests represent equity interests in consolidated entities that are not attributable, either directly or indirectly, to Piper Jaffray Companies. Noncontrolling interests include the minority equity holders’holders' proportionate share of the equity in the Company's alternative asset management funds. All material intercompany balances have been eliminated.

Management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Although these estimates and assumptions are based on the best information available, actual results could differ from those estimates.

Refer to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 20162017 for a full description of the Company's significant accounting policies. Changes to the Company's significant accounting policies are described below.

Asset management revenues may also include performance fees. Performance fees, if earned, are recognized when it is probable that such revenue will not be reversed in a future period. For the Company's alternative asset management funds, management will consider such factors as the remaining assets and residual life of the award. Compensation expense relatedfund to stock-based awardsconclude whether it is probable that doa significant reversal of revenue will not require future serviceoccur in the future. For the Company's traditional asset management funds, performance fees are earned when the investment return on assets under management exceeds certain benchmark targets or other performance targets over a specified measurement period (e.g., monthly, quarterly or annually). These performance fees are typically annual performance hurdles and recognized in the fourth quarter of the applicable year, in which the awards were deemed to be earned. Stock-based awards that require future service are amortized over the relevant service period. Forfeitures of awards with service conditions are accounted for when they occur. or upon client liquidation.

See Note 1615 for additional information on the Company's accounting for stock-based compensation.revenues from contracts with customers disaggregated by major business activity.

In May 2014, the FASBFinancial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASUAccounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)," ("ASU 2014-09"), which supersedes currentprevious revenue recognition guidance, including most industry-specific guidance. ASU 2014-09, as amended, requires a company to recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services, and also requires enhanced disclosures.

The Company has identified its revenues and costs that are within the scope of the new guidance. The currentprevious broker dealer industry treatment of netting deal expenses with investment banking revenues will changewas superseded under the new guidance. As a result of adopting ASU 2014-09, the Company will generally presentnow presents investment banking revenues gross of related client reimbursed deal expenses on a gross basisand deal-related expenses as non-interest expenses on the consolidated statements of operations, rather than the currentprevious presentation of netting deal expenses incurred for completed investment banking deals within revenues. This change will not impact earnings, however,For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company will reportreported higher investment banking revenues and higher non-compensation expenses.expenses of $7.7 million and $18.9 million, respectively. This change did not impact earnings. In addition, the Company expects to defernow defers the recognition of performance fees on its merchant banking, energy and senior living alternative asset management funds until such fees are no longer subject to reversal, which will cause a delay in the recognition of these fees as revenue. TheFor the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the amount of asset management revenue from performance fees that the Company anticipates that its currentwould have recognized if not for this change was not material. With the exception of the above, the Company's previous methods of recognizing investment banking revenues willwere not be significantly impacted by the new guidance.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, "Financial Instruments – Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities" ("ASU 2016-01"). The amendments in ASU 2016-01 address certain aspects of the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments. ASU 2016-01 isbecame effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Except for the early application guidance outlined in ASU 2016-01, early adoption is not permitted. The adoptionCompany as of ASU 2016-01 is not expected to have aJanuary 1, 2018. There was no material impact onto the Company's results of operations, or financial position but may impactor disclosures upon adoption as the Company's disclosures.financial instruments are already recorded at fair value.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, "Leases (Topic 842)" ("ASU 2016-02"). ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and lease liability on the consolidated statements of financial position and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. The recognition, measurement and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from a lease by a lessee have not significantly changed from current U.S. GAAP. ASU 2016-02 is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018.the Company as of January 1, 2019. As of December 31, 2016,September 30, 2018, the Company had approximately 65 operating leases for office space with aggregate minimum lease commitments of $78.4$71.1 million. Upon adoption, lease commitments will be reflected on the statement of financial condition as a right-of-use asset and a lease commitment liability. The Company is evaluating other service contracts which may include embedded leases.has identified its arrangements that are within the scope of the new guidance, and continues to evaluate their potential impact on the consolidated statements of financial condition and related disclosures. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-02, the Company does not expect material changes to the recognition of rent expense in its consolidated statements of operations. The impact of the new guidance onis not expected to materially impact Piper Jaffray’sJaffray's net capital is expected to be minimal.position.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, "Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments" ("ASU 2016-13"). The new guidance requires an entity to measure all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts as opposed to delaying recognition until the loss was probable of occurring. ASU 2016-13 is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2016-13 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Financial instruments and other inventory positions sold, but not yet purchased represent obligations of the Company to deliver the specified security at the contracted price, thereby creating a liability to purchase the security in the market at prevailing prices. The Company is obligated to acquire the securities sold short at prevailing market prices, which may exceed the amount reflected on the consolidated statements of financial condition. The Company economically hedges changes in the market value of its financial instruments and other inventory positions owned using inventory positions sold, but not yet purchased, interest rate derivatives, credit default swap index contracts, U.S. treasury bond futures and exchange traded options.

The Company uses interest rate swaps, interest rate locks, credit default swap index contracts, U.S. treasury bond futures and equity option contracts as a means to manage risk in certain inventory positions. The Company also enters into interest rate swaps to facilitate customer transactions. The following describes the Company’sCompany's derivatives by the type of transaction or security the instruments are economically hedging.

Derivatives are reported on a net basis by counterparty (i.e., the net payable or receivable for derivative assets and liabilities for a given counterparty) when a legal right of offset exists and on a net basis by cross product when applicable provisions are stated in master netting agreements. Cash collateral received or paid is netted on a counterparty basis, provided a legal right of offset exists. The total absolute notional contract amount, representing the absolute value of the sum of gross long and short derivative contracts, provides an indication of the volume of the Company's derivative activity and does not represent gains and losses. The following table presents the gross fair market value and the total absolute notional contract amount of the Company's outstanding derivative instruments, prior to counterparty netting, by asset or liability position:

Based on the nature of the Company’sCompany's business and its role as a "dealer" in the securities industry or as a manager of alternative asset management funds, the fair values of its financial instruments are determined internally. The Company’sCompany's processes are designed to ensure that the fair values used for financial reporting are based on observable inputs wherever possible. In the event that observable inputs are not available, unobservable inputs are developed based on an evaluation of all relevant empirical market data, including prices evidenced by market transactions, interest rates, credit spreads, volatilities and correlations and other security-specific information. Valuation adjustments related to illiquidity or counterparty credit risk are also considered. In estimating fair value, the Company may utilize information provided by third party pricing vendors to corroborate internally-developed fair value estimates.

The Company employs specific control processes to determine the reasonableness of the fair value of its financial instruments. The Company’sCompany's processes are designed to ensure that the internally-estimated fair values are accurately recorded and that the data inputs and the valuation techniques used are appropriate, consistently applied, and that the assumptions are reasonable and consistent with the objective of determining fair value. Individuals outside of the trading departments perform independent pricing verification reviews as of each reporting date. The Company has established parameters which set forth when the fair value of securities are independently verified. The selection parameters are generally based upon the type of security, the level of estimation risk of a security, the materiality of the security to the Company’sCompany's financial statements, changes in fair value from period to period, and other specific facts and circumstances of the Company’sCompany's securities portfolio. In evaluating the initial internally-estimated fair values made by the Company’sCompany's traders, the nature and complexity of securities involved (e.g., term, coupon, collateral, and other key drivers of value), level of market activity for securities, and availability of market data are considered. The independent price verification procedures include, but are not limited to, analysis of trade data (both internal and external where available), corroboration to the valuation of positions with similar characteristics, risks and components, or comparison to an alternative pricing source, such as a discounted cash flow model. The Company’sCompany's valuation committee, comprised of members of senior management and risk management, provides oversight and overall responsibility for the internal control processes and procedures related to fair value measurements.

The following is a description of the valuation techniques used to measure fair value.

The Company records financial instruments and other inventory positions owned and financial instruments and other inventory positions sold, but not yet purchased at fair value on the consolidated statements of financial condition with unrealized gains and losses reflected on the consolidated statements of operations.

Investments

The Company’sCompany's investments valued at fair value include equity investments in private companies and partnerships, investments in registered mutual funds warrants of public and private companies and private company debt. Investments in registered mutual funds are valued based on quoted prices on active markets and classified as Level I. Company-owned warrants, which have a cashless exercise option, are valued based upon the Black-Scholes option-pricing model and certain unobservable inputs. The Company applies a liquidity discount to the value of its warrants in public and private companies. For warrants in private companies, valuation adjustments, based upon management’s judgment, are made to account for differences between the measured security and the stock volatility factors of comparable companies. Company-owned warrants are reported as Level III assets. Investments in private companies are valued based on an assessment of each underlying security, considering rounds of financing, third party transactions and market-based information, including comparable company transactions, trading multiples (e.g., multiples of revenue and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA")) and changes in market outlook, among other factors. These securities are generally categorized as Level III.