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Note 4 - Investments

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2023

Notes to Financial Statements

Investments in Debt and Marketable Equity Securities (and Certain Trading Assets) Disclosure [Text Block]

Note 4 - Investments:

Investments held by the Company and its subsidiaries are classified as equity securities and available-for-sale fixed income securities in accordance with FASB's ASC 321, Investments - Equity Securities and with FASB's ASC 320, Investments - Debt Securities. All of the Company's securities 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 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, 2023 and April 30, 2022, the aggregate cost of the equity securities, which consist of investments in the SPDR Series Trust S&P Dividend ETF (SDY), First Trust Value Line Dividend Index ETF (FVD), ProShares Trust S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL), IShares DJ Select Dividend ETF (DVY) and other Exchange Traded Funds and common stock equity securities was a combined total $10,169,000 and $13,318,000, respectively, and the fair value was $14,546,000 and $17,647,000, respectively.

The carrying value and fair value of equity securities at April 30, 2023 were as follows:

($ in thousands)		Cost				Gross Unrealized Gains				Gross Unrealized Losses				Fair Value
ETFs - equities		$	10,169			$	4,392			$	(15	)		$	14,546

The carrying value and fair value of equity securities at April 30, 2022 were as follows:

($ in thousands)		Cost				Gross Unrealized Gains				Gross Unrealized Losses				Fair Value
ETFs - equities		$	13,318			$	4,348			$	(19	)		$	17,647

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, 2023 and April 30, 2022, were $9,907,000 and $2,496,000, respectively. As of April 30, 2023, Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income included unrealized gains of $473,000, net of deferred taxes of $99,000. As of April 30, 2022, Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income included unrealized gains of $30,000, net of deferred taxes of $6,000.

The aggregate cost and fair value at April 30, 2023 of fixed income securities classified as available-for-sale were as follows:

		Amortized				Gross Unrealized				Gross Unrealized
($ in thousands)		Historical Cost				Holding Gains				Holding Losses				Fair Value
Maturity
Due within 1 year		$	34,384			$	486			$	(5	)		$	34,865
Due within 1 year through 5 years			5,071				-				(8	)			5,063
Total investment in government debt securities		$	39,455			$	486			$	(13	)		$	39,928

The increase in gross unrealized gains of $503,000 on fixed income securities classified as available-for-sale net of deferred income tax liability of $105,000, was included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of April 30, 2023.

The aggregate cost and fair value at April 30, 2022 of fixed income securities classified as available-for-sale were as follows:

		Amortized				Gross Unrealized
($ in thousands)		Historical Cost				Holding Losses				Fair Value
Maturity
Due within 1 year		$	10,505			$	(30	)		$	10,475
Total investment in government debt securities		$	10,505			$	(30	)		$	10,475

The increase in gross unrealized losses of $34,000 on fixed income securities classified as available-for-sale net of deferred income tax benefit of $7,000, was included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of April 30, 2022.

The average yield on the Government debt securities classified as available-for-sale at April 30, 2023 and April 30, 2022 was 2.55% and 0.6%, respectively.

Investment Gains/(Losses):

Investment gains/(losses) were comprised of the following:

		Fiscal Years Ended April 30,
($ in thousands)		2023				2022				2021
Dividend income		$	595			$	851			$	573
Interest income			706				18				137
Investment gains/(losses) recognized on sales of equity securities during the period			(81	)			(1,568	)			835
Unrealized gains/(losses) recognized on equity securities held at the end of the period			(45	)			167				3,875
Other			(1	)			(2	)			-
Total investment gains/(losses)		$	1,174			$	(534	)		$	5,420

Proceeds from sales of equity securities during the twelve months ended April 30, 2023 and April 30, 2022 were $4,706,000 and $12,039,000, respectively. Taxable realized gains/(losses) on equity securities sold during fiscal years 2023 and 2022, which are generally the difference between the proceeds from sales and our original cost, were losses of $174,000 in fiscal 2023 and losses of $1,254,000 in fiscal 2022.

Investment in Unconsolidated Entities:

Equity Method Investment:

As of April 30, 2023 and April 30, 2022, the Company's investment in EAM Trust, on the Consolidated Balance Sheets was $58,775,000 and $59,971,000, respectively.

The value of VLI’s investment in EAM at April 30, 2023 and April 30, 2022 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 2023 or 2022.

The components of EAM’s investment management operations, provided to the Company by EAM, were as follows:

						Fiscal Years Ended April 30,
($ in thousands)		2023				2022				2021
Investment management fees earned from the Value Line Funds, net of waivers shown below		$	19,824			$	29,598			$	29,022
12b-1 fees and other fees, net of waivers shown below		$	5,964			$	9,310			$	9,604
Other income/(losses)		$	142			$	(20	)		$	361
Investment management fee waivers and reimbursements		$	164			$	547			$	121
12b-1 fee waivers		$	105			$	644			$	651
Value Line’s non-voting revenues interest		$	10,397			$	15,899			$	15,190
EAM's net income (1)		$	1,468			$	4,284			$	4,262

(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)		2023				2022
EAM's total assets		$	61,389			$	63,592
EAM's total liabilities (1)			(4,357	)			(6,282	)
EAM's total equity		$	57,032			$	57,310

(1) At April 30, 2023 and 2022, EAM's total liabilities included a payable to VLI for its accrued non-voting revenues and non-voting profits interests of $2,601,000 and $3,657,000, respectively.