Fair Value Measurements (Notes)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

The Company determines the fair value of our cash equivalents and certain investments using the following broad levels listed below:

Level 1 - Unadjusted quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets.

Level 2 - Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model-driven valuations in which all significant inputs are observable.

Level 3 - Valuations derived from techniques in which significant inputs are unobservable. We do not value any investments using Level 3 inputs.

These levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with investments.

The following table summarizes investments that are recognized in our consolidated balance sheet using fair value measurements (excludes investments classified as equity method investments) determined based upon the differing levels as of December 31, 2018 and 2017:



December 31, 2018	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Cash equivalents	$	80,690,647	$	—	$	—	$	80,690,647
Fair value investments
Securities held in Consolidated Funds^(a)	43,595,438		110,135,042		—		$	153,730,480
Company sponsored investments	33,418,088		—		—		$	33,418,088

December 31, 2017
Cash equivalents	72,669,083		—		—		$	72,669,083
Fair value investments
Securities held in Consolidated Funds^(a)	24,618,578		41,271,922		—		$	65,890,500
Company sponsored investments	36,541,818		—		—		$	36,541,818

(a) Of the securities held in the Consolidated Funds as of December 31, 2018, $84.7 million were held directly by the Company and $69.0 million were held by noncontrolling shareholders. Of the securities held in the Consolidated Funds as of December 31, 2017, $42.6 million were held directly by the Company and $23.3 million were held by noncontrolling shareholders.

Level 1 investments are comprised of investments in registered investment companies (mutual funds) or equity securities held in the Consolidated Funds and include, as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, $80.7 million and $72.7 million, respectively, of investments in money market mutual funds owned by DHCM that the Company classifies as cash equivalents.

Level 2 investments are comprised of investments in debt securities held in the Consolidated Funds, which are valued by an independent pricing service using pricing techniques which take into account factors such as trading activity, readily available market quotations, yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, call features, credit rates and other observable inputs.

The Company determines transfers between fair value hierarchy levels at the end of the reporting period. There were no transfers in or out of the levels during any of the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016.

Changes to fair values of the investments are recorded in the Company’s consolidated statements of income as investment income (loss), net.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

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