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Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies

3. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

A. Adoption of New Accounting Standards

In December 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2011-11, Balance Sheet (Topic 210): Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities (“ASU 2011-11”), which requires companies to disclose information about offsetting and related arrangements to enable users of financial statements to understand the effect of those arrangements on a company’s financial position. The amendments require enhanced disclosures by requiring improved information about financial statements and derivative instruments that are either (1) offset in accordance with current literature, or (2) subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement, irrespective of whether they are offset in accordance with current literature. ASU 2011-11 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. In January 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-01, Balance Sheet (Topic 210): Clarifying the Scope of Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities (“ASU 2013-01”),  which clarifies that the scope of the intended disclosures required by ASU 2011-11 applies to derivatives accounted for in accordance with Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, including bifurcated embedded derivatives, repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements, and securities borrowing and securities lending transactions that are either offset in accordance with Section 210-20-45 or Section 815-10-45 or subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement. ASU 2013-01 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning on or after January 1, 2013. An entity is required to provide the disclosures retrospectively for all comparative periods presented. The Company’s adoption of the provisions of ASU 2011-11 and ASU 2013-01 effective January 1, 2013 did not have an effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows since the repurchase agreements, receivables under resale agreements and derivatives that it holds are not subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement.

In July 2012, the FASB issued ASU No. 2012-02, Intangibles — Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment (“ASU 2012-02”), which provides an option for companies to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events and circumstances indicates that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. If a company concludes that it is not more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired, then the company is not required to take further action. However, if a company concludes otherwise, then it is required to determine the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset and perform the quantitative impairment test by comparing the fair value with the carrying amount in accordance with Subtopic 350-30. A company also has the option to bypass the qualitative assessment for any indefinite-lived intangible asset in any period and proceed directly to performing the quantitative assessment in any subsequent period. The Company’s adoption of the provisions of ASU 2012-02 effective January 1, 2013 did not have an effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

In February 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-02, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reporting Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (“ASU 2013-02”), which includes amendments that require an entity to provide information about the amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income by component. The amendments do not change the current requirements for reporting net income or other comprehensive income in financial statements. In addition, an entity is required to present, either on the face of the statement where net income is presented or in the notes, significant amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income by the respective line items of net income but only if the amount reclassified is required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified to net income in its entirety in the same reporting period. For other amounts that are not required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified in their entirety to net income, an entity is required to cross-reference to other disclosures required under U.S. GAAP that provide additional detail about those amounts. For public entities, the amendments are effective prospectively for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2012. Early adoption was permitted. Since ASU 2013-02 only impacts disclosures, the Company’s adoption of the provisions of ASU 2013-02 effective January 1, 2013 did not have an effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

B. Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The following methods and assumptions were used by the Company in estimating the fair value of its financial instruments. These determinations were based on available market information and appropriate valuation methodologies. Considerable judgment is required to interpret market data to develop the estimates and, therefore, these estimates may not necessarily be indicative of the amount the Company could realize in a current market exchange. The use of different market assumptions and/or estimation methodologies may have a material effect on the estimated fair value amounts. Refer to note 7 for a discussion of the fair value hierarchy with respect to investments-trading, other investments, at fair value and the derivatives held by the Company.

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents: Cash is carried at historical cost, which is assumed to approximate fair value. The estimated fair value measurement of cash and cash equivalents is classified within level 1 of the valuation hierarchy.

Investments-trading: These amounts are carried at fair value. The fair value is based on either quoted market prices of an active exchange, independent broker market quotations, market price quotations from third party pricing services, or valuation models when quotations are not available. See note 7 for disclosures about the categorization of the fair value measurements of investments-trading within the three level fair value hierarchy.

Other investments, at fair value: These amounts are carried at fair value. The fair value is based on quoted market prices of an active exchange, independent broker market quotations, or valuation models when quotations are not available. In the case of investments in alternative investment funds, fair value is generally based on the reported net asset value of the underlying fund. See note 7 for disclosures concerning the categorization of the fair value measurements of other investments, at fair value within the three level fair value hierarchy.  

Receivables under resale agreements: Receivables under resale agreements are carried at their contracted resale price, have short-term maturities, and are repriced frequently or bear market interest rates and, accordingly, these contracts are at amounts that approximate fair value. The estimated fair value measurements of receivables under resale agreements are based on observations of actual market activity and are generally classified within level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.  

Trading securities sold, not yet purchased: These amounts are carried at fair value. The fair value is based on quoted market prices of an active exchange, independent market quotations, market price quotations from third party pricing services, or valuation models when quotations are not available. See note 7 for disclosures concerning the categorization of the fair value measurements of trading securities sold, not yet purchased within the three level fair value hierarchy.

Securities sold under agreement to repurchase: The liabilities for securities sold under agreement to repurchase are carried at their contracted repurchase price, have short-term maturities, and are repriced frequently with amounts normally due in one month or less and, accordingly, these contracts are at amounts that approximate fair value. The estimated fair value measurements of securities sold under agreement to repurchase are based on observations of actual market activity and are generally classified within level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

Debt: These amounts are carried at outstanding principal less unamortized discount. However, a substantial portion of the debt was assumed in the Merger and recorded at fair value as of that date. As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the fair value of the Company’s debt was estimated to be $45.1 million and $34.6 million, respectively. The estimated fair value measurements of the debt are generally based on discounted cash flow models prepared by the Company’s management primarily using discount rates for similar instruments issued to companies with similar credit risks to the Company and are generally classified within level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

Derivatives: These amounts are carried at fair value. Derivatives may be included as a component of investments-trading; trading securities sold, not yet purchased; and other investments, at fair value. See notes 7 and 8. The fair value is generally based on quoted market prices on an exchange that is deemed to be active for derivative instruments such as foreign currency forward contracts and Eurodollar futures. For derivative instruments, such as TBAs, the fair value is generally based on market price quotations from third party pricing services. See note 7 for disclosures concerning the categorization of the fair value measurements within the three level fair value hierarchy.

C. Recent Accounting Developments

In February 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-04, Liabilities (Topic 405): Obligations Resulting from Joint and Several Liability Arrangements for Which the Total Amount of the Obligation Is Fixed at the Reporting Date, which requires an entity to measure obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements for which the total amount of the obligation within the scope of the guidance is fixed at the reporting date, as the sum of the following: (a) the amount the reporting entity agreed to pay on the basis of its arrangement among its co-obligors; and (b) any additional amount the reporting entity expects to pay on behalf of its co-obligors. Examples of obligations within the scope of this ASU include debt arrangements, other contractual obligations, and settled litigation and judicial rulings. The guidance in this ASU also requires an entity to disclose the nature and amount of the obligation as well as other information about those obligations. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. The amendments in this ASU should be applied retrospectively to all prior periods presented for those obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements within the ASU’s scope that exist at the beginning of the entity’s fiscal year of adoption. An entity may elect to use hindsight for the comparative periods presented in the initial year of adoption (if it changed its accounting as a result of adopting the guidance) and shall disclose that fact. The use of hindsight would allow an entity to recognize, measure, and disclose obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements within the scope of this ASU in comparative periods using information available at adoption rather than requiring an entity to make judgments about what information it had in each of the prior periods to measure the obligation. Early adoption is permitted. The Company will adopt the provisions of ASU 2013-04 effective January 1, 2014 and is currently evaluating the effect of the adoption on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations.

 

In March 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-05, Foreign Currency Matters (Topic 830): Parent’s Accounting for the Cumulative Translation Adjustment upon Derecognition of Certain Subsidiaries or Groups of Assets within a Foreign Entity or of an Investment in a Foreign Entity, which addresses the accounting for the cumulative translation adjustment when a parent either sells a part or all of its investment in a foreign entity or no longer holds a controlling financial interest in a subsidiary or group of assets that is a nonprofit activity or a business within a foreign entity. When a reporting entity (parent) ceases to have a controlling financial interest in a subsidiary or group of assets that is a nonprofit activity or a business (other than a sale of in substance real estate or conveyance of oil and gas mineral rights) within a foreign entity, the parent is required to apply the guidance in Subtopic 830-30 to release any related cumulative translation adjustment into net income. Accordingly, the cumulative translation adjustment should be released into net income only if the sale or transfer results in the complete or substantially complete liquidation of the foreign entity in which the subsidiary or group of assets had resided. For an equity method investment that is a foreign entity, the partial sale guidance in Section 830-30-40 still applies, specifically, a pro rata portion of the cumulative translation adjustment should be released into net income upon a partial sale of such an equity method investment. However, this treatment does not apply to an equity method investment that is not a foreign entity. In those instances, the cumulative translation adjustment is released into net income only if the partial sale represents a complete or substantially complete liquidation of the foreign entity that contains the equity method investment. Additionally, the amendments in this ASU clarify that the sale of an investment in a foreign entity includes both (1) events that result in the loss of a controlling financial interest in a foreign entity (that is, irrespective of any retained investment) and (2) events that result in an acquirer obtaining control of an acquiree in which it held an equity interest immediately before the acquisition date (sometimes referred to as a step acquisition). Accordingly, the cumulative translation adjustment should be released into net income upon the occurrence of those events. For public entities, the ASU is effective prospectively for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. Early adoption is permitted. The Company will adopt the provisions of ASU 2013-05 effective January 1, 2014, and the Company does not expect that the adoption of the provisions will have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or financial statement disclosures.

 

In June 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-08, Financial Services-Investment Companies (Topic 946): Amendments to the Scope, Measurement, and Disclosure Requirements, which changes the approach to the investment company assessment in Topic 946, clarifies the characteristics of an investment company, and provides comprehensive guidance for assessing whether an entity is an investment company. The amendments require an investment company to measure non-controlling ownership interests in other investment companies at fair value rather than using the equity method of accounting.  The amendments also require the following additional disclosures: (a) the fact that the entity is an investment company and is applying the guidance in Topic 946, (b) information about changes, if any, in an entity’s status as an investment company, and (c) information about financial support provided or contractually required to be provided by an investment company to any of its investees.  The amendments in this ASU are effective for an entity’s interim and annual reporting periods in fiscal years that begin after December 15, 2013. Earlier application is prohibited. The Company has investments in the equity securities of investment funds and other non-publicly traded entities that have the attributes of investment companies as currently described in FASB ASC 946-15-2.  The Company will adopt the provisions of this ASU effective January 1, 2014, and is currently evaluating the effect of the adoption on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations.

 

In July 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists, which provides guidance on the presentation of unrecognized tax benefits.  This ASU applies to all entities that have unrecognized tax benefits when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists at the reporting date.  An unrecognized tax benefit, or a portion of an unrecognized tax benefit, should be presented in the financial statements as a reduction to a deferred tax asset for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward, except as follows: to the extent a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward is not available at the reporting date under the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction to settle any additional income taxes that would result from the disallowance of a tax position or the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction does not require the entity to use, and the entity does not intend to use, the deferred tax asset for such purpose, the unrecognized tax benefit should be presented in the financial statements as a liability and should not be combined with deferred tax assets.  This ASU is effective prospectively for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2013, with early adoption permitted.  The Company will adopt the ASU on January 1, 2014, and is currently evaluating the effect of the adoption on the Company’s consolidated statements.