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Note 4 - Investments
 12 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2016
Notes to Financial Statements  
Investments in Debt and Marketable Equity Securities (and Certain Trading Assets) Disclosure [Text Block]
Note 4-Investments:
 
Securities Available-for-Sale:
 
Investments held by the Company and its subsidiaries are classified as securities available-for-sale in accordance with FASB's ASC 320, Investments - Debt and Equity Securities. All of the Company's securities classified as available-for-sale were readily marketable or had a maturity of twelve months or less and are classified as current assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
 
Equity Securities:
 
Equity securities classified as available-for-sale on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, consist of ETFs held for dividend yield that attempt to replicate the performance of certain equity indexes and ETFs that hold preferred shares primarily of financial institutions.
 
As of April 30, 2016, the aggregate cost of the equity securities classified as available-for-sale, which consist of investments in the SPDR Series Trust S&P Dividend ETF (SDY), First Trust Value Line Dividend Index ETF (FVD) and PowerShares Financial Preferred ETF (PGF) was $3,445,000 and the fair value was $3,637,000. During the second quarter ended October 31, 2015, the Company made a decision to reduce its dividend paying ETF position and liquidate its non dividend paying inverse ETF positions. The liquidated portfolio of investments generated an annual dividend return averaging 3% annually during the years it was held. As of April 30, 2015 the aggregate cost of the equity securities classified as available-for-sale, which consisted of investments in the iShares Dow Jones Select Dividend Index (DVY), SPDR S&P Dividend (SDY), First Trust Value Line Dividend Index (FVD), PowerShares Financial Preferred (PGF), certain common shares of equity securities and inverse equity index ETFs, was $9,470,000, and the fair value was $9,632,000.
 
Proceeds from sales of equity securities classified as available-for-sale during the twelve months ended April 30, 2016 were $10,206,000 and the related capital gains of $224,000 and capital gain distributions of $105,000 were reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated Balance Sheet to the Consolidated Statement of Income. The increase in gross unrealized gains on equity securities classified as available-for-sale of $29,000, net of deferred taxes of $9,000 was included in Shareholders' Equity at April 30, 2016. The decreases in gross unrealized gains on equity securities classified as available-for-sale of $217,000, net of deferred taxes of $76,000, were included in Shareholders' Equity at April 30, 2015. There were capital gain distributions from certain ETFs of $105,000 and $57,000, respectively, during fiscal years 2016 and 2015. There were no sales or proceeds from sales of equity securities during the fiscal year ended April 30, 2015.
 
The carrying value and fair value of securities available-for-sale at April 30, 2016 were as follows:
 
($ in thousands)
  
Cost
    
Gross Unrealized Gains
    
Gross Unrealized Losses
    
Fair Value
  
ETFs - equities
   $ 3,445     $ 194     $ (2 )   $ 3,637  
 
The carrying value and fair value of securities available-for-sale at April 30, 2015 were as follows:
 
($ in thousands)
  
Cost
    
Gross Unrealized Gains
    
Gross Unrealized Losses
    
Fair Value
  
Common stocks
   $ 101     $ 74     $ -     $ 175  
ETFs - equities
     3,903       1,508       -       5,411  
Inverse ETFs - equities
     5,466       -       (1,420 )     4,046  
    $ 9,470     $ 1,582     $ (1,420 )   $ 9,632  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Government Debt Securities (Fixed Income Securities):
 
Fixed income securities held from time to time consist of government debt securities issued by the United States federal government. There were no fixed income securities as of April 30, 2016 or April 30, 2015.
 
 
Income from securities transactions was comprised of the following:
 
   
Fiscal Years Ended April 30,
  
($ in thousands)
  
2016
    
2015
    
2014
  
Dividend income
   $ 142     $ 157     $ 147  
Interest income
    -       3       5  
Capital gain distribution from ETFs (1)
     105       57       36  
Exchange loss
     (2 )     (16 )     -  
Interest expense
     -       -       (5 )
Capital gains (2)
     224       -       -  
Other
     8       (75 )     (5 )
Total income/(loss) from securities transactions and other, net
   $ 477     $ 126     $ 178  
 
(1) Capital gain distributions of $105,000 and $57,000 were reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated Balance Sheets to the Consolidated Statements of Income in fiscal 2016 and 2015, respectively.
(2) Capital gains of $224,000 were reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated Balance Sheets to the Consolidated Statements of Income in fiscal 2016.
 
The changes in the value of equity and fixed income securities investments are recorded in Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated Financial Statements. Realized gains and losses are recorded on the trade date in the Consolidated Statements of Income when securities are sold, mature or are redeemed. As of April 30, 2016 and April 30, 2015, gross unrealized gains of $192,000 and $162,000, net of deferred taxes of $68,000 and $57,000, respectively, are recorded in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
 
Investment in Unconsolidated Entities:
Equity Method Investment:
 
As of April 30, 2016 and April 30, 2015, the Company's investment in EAM Trust, on the Consolidated Balance Sheets was $57,942,000 and $58,048,000, respectively.
 
The value of VLI’s investment in EAM at April 30, 2016 and April 30, 2015 reflects the fair value of contributed capital of $55,805,000 at inception, which included $5,820,000 of cash and liquid securities in excess of working capital requirements contributed to EAM’s capital account by VLI, plus VLI's share of non-voting revenues and non-voting profits from EAM less distributions, made quarterly to VLI by EAM, during the period subsequent to its initial investment through the dates of the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
 
It is anticipated that EAM will have sufficient liquidity and earn enough profit to conduct its current and future operations so the management of EAM will not need additional funding.
 
The Company monitors its Investment in EAM Trust for impairment to determine whether an event or change in circumstances has occurred that may have a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment. Impairment indicators include, but are not limited to the following: (a) a significant deterioration in the earnings performance, asset quality, or business prospects of the investee, (b) a significant adverse change in the regulatory, economic, or technological environment of the investee, (c) a significant adverse change in the general market condition of the industry in which the investee operates, or (d) factors that raise significant concerns about the investee’s ability to continue as a going concern such as negative cash flows, working capital deficiencies, or noncompliance with statutory capital and regulatory requirements. EAM did not record any impairment losses for its assets during the fiscal years 2016 or 2015.
 
The components of EAM’s investment management operations, provided to the Company by EAM, were as follows:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
Fiscal Years Ended April 30,
  
($ in thousands)
  
2016
    
2015
    
2014
  
Investment management fees earned from the Value Line Funds, net of waivers shown below
   $ 14,548     $ 15,014     $ 14,452  
12b-1 fees and other fees, net of waivers shown below
   $ 5,669     $ 5,459     $ 5,061  
Other income
   $ (14 )   $ 34     $ 16  
Investment management fee waivers and reimbursements (1)
   $ 262     $ 192     $ 89  
12b-1 fee waivers (1)
   $ 1,071     $ 1,518     $ 1,683  
Value Line’s non-voting revenues interest
   $ 7,211     $ 7,346     $ 6,767  
EAM's net income (2)
   $ 880     $ 1,248     $ 1,464  
 
(1) During fiscal 2016 and 2015 investment management fee waivers and reimbursements primarily related to one Value Line Mutual Fund and the 12b-1 fee waivers related to four and six of the Value Line Mutual Funds, respectively. Subsequent to April 30, 2015, EAM changed its money market option to the Federated Government Obligations Fund which was added as an option for the direct Value Line Funds’ shareholders to exchange into and is now available in place of the Daily Income Fund.
(2) Represents EAM's net income, after giving effect to Value Line’s non-voting revenues interest, but before distributions to voting profits interest holders and to the Company in respect of its 50% non-voting profits interest.
 
   
Fiscal Years Ended April 30,
  
($ in thousands)
  
2016
    
2015
  
EAM's total assets
   $ 60,292     $ 60,159  
EAM's total liabilities (1)
     (3,021 )     (3,104 )
EAM's total equity
   $ 57,271     $ 57,055  
 
(1) At April 30, 2016 and 2015, EAM's total liabilities included a payable to VLI for its accrued non-voting revenues and non-voting profits interests of $1,750,000 and $1,951,000, respectively.