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Note 4 - Investments | 12 Months Ended
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Apr. 30, 2020
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, 2020 and April 30, 2019, 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), PowerShares Financial Preferred ETF (PGF), Select Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU), First Trust Value Line 100 ETF (FVL), ProShares Trust S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL), SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) and iShares Select Dividend ETF (DVY) and equity securities portfolio under EAM management held at Charles Schwab was $12,877,000 and $8,541,000, respectively, and the fair value was $14,125,000 and $10,622,000, respectively. Proceeds from sales of equity securities classified as available-for-sale during the twelve months ended April 30, 2020 were $4,387,000 and the related capital losses of $581,000 were reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated Balance Sheet to the Consolidated Statement of Income. There were no gains or losses on sales of equity securities classified as available-for-sale during fiscal 2019 or fiscal 2018. Capital gain distributions of $152,000 were reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated Balance Sheet to the Consolidated Statement of Income during the twelve months ended April 30, 2018. There were no capital gain distributions in fiscal 2020 and 2019. The decrease in gross unrealized gains on equity securities classified as available-for-sale of $833,000, net of deferred tax benefit of $112,000 was included in Shareholders' Equity at April 30, 2020. The increase in gross unrealized gains on equity securities classified as available-for-sale of $1,087,000, net of deferred taxes of $228,000 was included in Shareholders' Equity at April 30, 2019. As of April 30,2020 and April 30, 2019, accumulated other comprehensive income included net unrealized gains of $1,248,000 and $2,081,000, net of deferred taxes of $325,000 and $437,000, respectively. The carrying value and fair value of securities available-for-sale at April 30, 2020 were as follows:
($ in thousands) |  | Cost |  |  | Gross Unrealized Gains |  |  | Gross Unrealized Losses |  |  | Fair Value |
ETFs - equities |  | $ | 12,877 |  |  | $ | 1,317 |  |  | $ | (69 | ) |  | $ | 14,125 |
The carrying value and fair value of securities available-for-sale at April 30, 2019 were as follows:
($ in thousands) |  | Cost |  |  | Gross Unrealized Holding Gains |  |  | Fair Value |
ETFs - equities |  | $ | 8,541 |  |  | $ | 2,081 |  |  | $ | 10,622 |
Government Debt Securities (Fixed Income Securities): Fixed income securities consist of certificates of deposits and securities issued by federal, state and local governments within the United States. Proceeds from maturities and sales of government debt securities classified as available-for-sale during the twelve months ended April 30, 2020 and April 30, 2019, were $8,663,000 and $8,346,000, respectively. As of April 30, 2020 and April 30, 2019, accumulated other comprehensive income included unrealized gains of $177,000 and $43,000, net of deferred taxes of $46,000 and $9,000, respectively. The aggregate cost and fair value at April 30, 2020 of fixed income securities classified as available-for-sale were as follows:
|  | Amortized |  |  | Gross Unrealized |  |  |  |  |
($ in thousands) |  | Historical Cost |  |  | Holding Gains |  |  | Fair Value |
Maturity |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Due within 1 year |  | $ | 14,652 |  |  | $ | 177 |  |  | $ | 14,829 |
Due 1 year through 5 years |  |  | 250 |  |  |  | - |  |  |  | 250 |
Total investment in government debt securities |  | $ | 14,902 |  |  | $ | 177 |  |  | $ | 15,079 |
The increase in gross unrealized gains of $134,000 on fixed income securities classified as available-for-sale net of deferred income taxes of $37,000, was included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of April 30, 2020. The aggregate cost and fair value at April 30, 2019 of fixed income securities classified as available-for-sale were as follows:
|  | Amortized |  |  | Gross Unrealized |  |  |  |  |
($ in thousands) |  | Historical Cost |  |  | Holding Gains |  |  | Fair Value |
Maturity |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Due within 1 year |  | $ | 6,913 |  |  | $ | 33 |  |  | $ | 6,946 |
Due 1 year through 5 years |  |  | 4,250 |  |  |  | 10 |  |  |  | 4,260 |
Total investment in government debt securities |  | $ | 11,163 |  |  | $ | 43 |  |  | $ | 11,206 |
The increase in gross unrealized gains of $46,000 on fixed income securities classified as available-for-sale net of deferred income taxes of $10,000, was included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of April 30, 2019. The average yield on the Government debt securities classified as available-for-sale at April 30, 2020 and April 30, 2019 was 2.27% and 2.09%, respectively. Income from Securities Transactions: Income from securities transactions was comprised of the following:
|  |  | Fiscal Years Ended April 30, |
($ in thousands) |  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |
Dividend income |  | $ | 352 |  |  | $ | 257 |  |  | $ | 226 |
Interest income |  |  | 279 |  |  |  | 201 |  |  |  | 103 |
Capital gain distributions from ETFs (1) |  |  | - |  |  |  | - |  |  |  | 152 |
Realized loss on sale of securities (2) |  |  | (581 | ) |  |  | - |  |  |  | - |
Other |  |  | (6 | ) |  |  | 46 |  |  |  | 59 |
Total income from securities transactions, net |  | $ | 44 |  |  | $ | 504 |  |  | $ | 540 |
( 1 ) Capital gain distributions of $152,000 were reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated Balance Sheets to the Consolidated Statements of Income in fiscal 2018. ( 2 ) Realized losses of $581,000 were reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated Balance Sheets to the Consolidated Statements of Income in fiscal 2020. 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, 2020, the changes in gross unrealized gains of $699,000, net of deferred tax benefit of $76,000, were recorded in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of April 30, 2019, the changes in gross unrealized gains of $1,133,000, net of deferred tax expense of $238,000 were recorded in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Investment in Unconsolidated Entities: Equity Method Investment: As of April 30, 2020 and April 30, 2019, the Company's investment in EAM Trust, on the Consolidated Balance Sheets was $59,165,000 and $58,625,000, respectively. The value of VLI's investment in EAM at April 30, 2020 and April 30, 2019 reflects the fair value of contributed capital of $55,805,000 at inception, which included $5,820,000 of cash and liquid securities in excess of working capital requirements contributed to EAM's capital account by VLI, plus VLI's share of non-voting revenues and non-voting profits from EAM less distributions, made quarterly to VLI by EAM, during the period subsequent to its initial investment through the dates of the Consolidated Balance Sheets. It is anticipated that EAM will have sufficient liquidity and earn enough profit to conduct its current and future operations so the management of EAM will not need additional funding. The Company monitors its Investment in EAM Trust for impairment to determine whether an event or change in circumstances has occurred that may have a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment. Impairment indicators include, but are not limited to the following: (a) a significant deterioration in the earnings performance, asset quality, or business prospects of the investee, (b) a significant adverse change in the regulatory, economic, or technological environment of the investee, (c) a significant adverse change in the general market condition of the industry in which the investee operates, or (d) factors that raise significant concerns about the investee's ability to continue as a going concern such as negative cash flows, working capital deficiencies, or noncompliance with statutory capital and regulatory requirements. EAM did not record any impairment losses for its assets during the fiscal years 2020 or 2019. The components of EAM's investment management operations, provided to the Company by EAM, were as follows:
|  | Fiscal Years Ended April 30, |
($ in thousands) |  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |
Investment management fees earned from the Value Line Funds, net of waivers shown below |  | $ | 21,985 |  |  | $ | 16,715 |  |  | $ | 15,988 |
12b-1 fees and other fees, net of waivers shown below |  | $ | 8,436 |  |  | $ | 6,811 |  |  | $ | 6,455 |
Other income |  | $ | (156 | ) |  | $ | 273 |  |  | $ | 171 |
Investment management fee waivers and reimbursements |  | $ | 302 |  |  | $ | 421 |  |  | $ | 487 |
12b-1 fee waivers |  | $ | 667 |  |  | $ | 654 |  |  | $ | 754 |
Value Line's non-voting revenues interest |  | $ | 11,184 |  |  | $ | 8,260 |  |  | $ | 8,040 |
EAM's net income (1) |  | $ | 2,332 |  |  | $ | 2,098 |  |  | $ | 1,492 |
( 1 ) 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) |  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |
EAM's total assets |  | $ | 61,335 |  |  | $ | 60,683 |
EAM's total liabilities (1) |  |  | (4,192 | ) |  |  | (3,547 | )
EAM's total equity |  | $ | 57,143 |  |  | $ | 57,136 |
( 1 ) At April 30, 2020 and 2019, EAM's total liabilities included a payable to VLI for its accrued non-voting revenues and non-voting profits interests of $2,949,000 and $2,420,000, respectively.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for investments in certain debt and equity securities. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 942 -SubTopic 320 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2209399 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 946 -SubTopic 320 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2324412 Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2196928 Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 940 -SubTopic 320 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2176304 + Details
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