Accounting Standards and Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2019

The Consolidated Financial Statements of Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. (the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for full year financial statements. In the opinion of management, all normal and recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair statement of the Company’s interim financial position and results of operations have been included and all intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior period’s financial statements to conform to the current period’s presentation. Operating results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any other period or for the full year. The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 includes additional information about its operations, financial position and accounting policies, and should be read in conjunction with this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

All amounts in these notes, except per share data in the text and tables herein, are stated in millions unless otherwise indicated

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

Effective January 1, 2019, the Company adopted the following new Accounting Standard Updates (“ASUs”):


•	ASU 2016-02, Leases (and related ASUs);


•	ASU 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income: Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income; and


•	ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (and related ASUs, effective for the Company’s equity method Affiliates)

The adoption of ASU 2016-02 was the only ASU that had a significant impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

The Company adopted ASU 2016-02 using a modified retrospective method and, as a result, recorded a lease liability of $190.8 million and after certain reclassifications, primarily related to accrued lease payments and unamortized lease incentives, a right-of-use asset of $163.6 million as of January 1, 2019. Additionally, the Company elected the transition practical expedients provided by ASU 2016-02, which allowed the Company to carryforward its historical lease classification. Having adopted ASU 2016-02, the Company updated its leases accounting policy as described below. For a complete list of significant accounting policies, see the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018.

Leases

Leases are classified as either operating leases or finance leases. The Company and its Affiliates currently lease office space and equipment primarily under operating lease arrangements. As these leases expire, it is expected that, in the normal course of business, they will be renewed or replaced. Whether a lease is classified as an operating lease or a finance lease, the Company and its Affiliates must record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases at the commencement date of the lease, other than for leases with an initial term of 12 months or less. As permitted under ASU 2016-02, the Company and its Affiliates elect not to record short-term leases with an initial lease term less than 12 months on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. Right-of-use assets and lease liabilities are reported in Other assets and Other liabilities, respectively, on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. A lease liability is initially and subsequently reported at the present value of the outstanding lease payments determined by discounting those lease payments over the remaining lease term using the incremental borrowing rate of the legal entity entering into the lease as of the commencement date. A right-of-use asset is initially reported at the present value of the corresponding lease liability plus any prepaid lease payments and initial direct costs of entering into the lease, and reduced by any lease incentives. Subsequently, a right-of-use asset is reported at the present value of the lease liability adjusted for any prepaid or accrued lease payments, remaining balances of any lease incentives received, unamortized initial direct costs of entering into the lease and any impairments of the right-of-use asset. The Company and its Affiliates test for possible impairments of right-of-use assets annually or more frequently whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of a right-of-use asset may exceed its fair value. If the carrying value of the right-of-use asset exceeds its fair value, then the carrying value of the right-of-use asset is reduced to its fair value and the expense is recorded in Other expenses (net) on the Consolidated Statements of Income. Subsequent to an impairment, the carrying value of the right-of-use asset is amortized on a straight-line basis over the remaining lease term.

Lease liabilities and right-of-use assets based on variable lease payments that depend on an index or rate are initially measured using the index or rate at the commencement date with any subsequent changes in variable lease payments reported in Other expenses (net) as incurred. Most lease agreements for office space that are classified as operating leases contain renewal options, rent escalation clauses or other lease incentives provided by the lessor. Lease expense is accrued to recognize lease escalation provisions and renewal options that are reasonably certain to be exercised, as well as lease incentives provided by the lessor, on a straight-line basis over the lease term and is reported in Other expenses (net). If a right-of-use asset is impaired, the lease expense is subsequently reported in Other expenses (net) as the straight-line amortization of the right-of-use asset and the accretion of the lease liability, thereby transitioning to a front-loaded expense recognition profile for the associated lease.

The Company and its Affiliates combine lease and non-lease components for their office space leases and separate non-lease components for their equipment leases in calculating their lease liabilities. Sublease income is reported in Investment and other income on the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Investments in Affiliates and Affiliate Sponsored Investments Products

Investments in Affiliates and Affiliate Sponsored Investment Products

In evaluating whether an investment must be consolidated, the Company evaluates the risk, rewards and significant terms of each of its Affiliates and other investments to determine if an investment is considered a voting rights entity (“VRE”) or a variable interest entity (“VIE”). An entity is a VRE when the total equity investment at risk is sufficient to enable the entity to finance its activities independently, and when the equity holders have the obligation to absorb losses, the right to receive residual returns and the right to direct the activities of the entity that most significantly impact its economic performance. An entity is a VIE when it lacks one or more of the characteristics of a VRE, which, for the Company, are Affiliate investments structured as partnerships (or similar entities) where the Company is a limited partner and lacks substantive kick-out or substantive participation rights over the general partner. Assessing whether an entity is a VRE or VIE involves judgment. Upon the occurrence of certain events, management reviews and reconsiders its previous conclusion regarding the status of an entity as a VRE or a VIE.

The Company consolidates VREs when it has control over significant operating, financial and investing decisions of the entity. When the Company lacks such control, but is deemed to have significant influence, the Company accounts for the entity under the equity method. Other investments in which the Company does not have rights to exercise significant influence are recorded at fair value, with changes in fair value reflected within Investment and other income on the Consolidated Statements of Income.

The Company consolidates VIEs when it is the primary beneficiary of the entity, which is defined as having the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses of, or the right to receive benefits from, the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Substantially all of the Company’s consolidated Affiliates considered VIEs are controlled because the Company holds a majority of the voting interests or it is the managing member or general partner. Furthermore, an Affiliates’ assets can be used for purposes other than the settlement of the respective Affiliate’s obligations. The Company applies the equity method of accounting to VIEs where the Company is not the primary beneficiary, but has the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial matters of the VIE.

Investments in Affiliates

Substantially all of the Company’s Affiliates are considered VIEs and are either consolidated or accounted for under the equity method. A limited number of the Company’s Affiliates are considered VREs and most of these are accounted for under the equity method.

When an Affiliate is consolidated, the portion of the earnings attributable to Affiliate management’s equity ownership is included in Net income (non-controlling interests) in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Undistributed earnings attributable to Affiliate managements’ equity ownership, along with their share of any tangible or intangible net assets, are presented within Non-controlling interests on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Affiliate equity interests where the holder has certain rights to demand settlement are presented, at their current redemption values, as Redeemable non-controlling interests on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company periodically issues, sells and repurchases the equity of its consolidated Affiliates. Because these transactions take place between entities that are under common control, any gains or losses attributable to these transactions are required to be included within Additional paid-in capital in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, net of any related income tax effects in the period the transaction occurs.

When an Affiliate is accounted for under the equity method, the Company’s share of an Affiliate’s earnings or losses, net of amortization and impairments, is included in Equity method income (loss) (net) in the Consolidated Statements of Income and the carrying value of the Affiliate is reported in Equity method investments in Affiliates (net) in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Any deferred taxes recorded upon acquisition of an equity method Affiliate are presented on a gross basis within Equity method investments in Affiliates (net) and Deferred income tax liability (net) in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company’s share of income taxes incurred directly by Affiliates accounted for under the equity method is recorded within Income tax expense (benefit) in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

The Company periodically evaluates its equity method Affiliates for impairment. In such impairment evaluations, the Company assesses whether or not the fair value of the investment has declined below its carrying value for a period considered to be other-than-temporary. If the Company determines that a decline in fair value below the carrying value of the investment is other-than-temporary, then the carrying value of the investment is reduced to its fair value and the expense is recorded in Equity method income (loss) (net).

Affiliate Sponsored Investment Products

The Company’s Affiliates sponsor various investment products where they also act as the investment adviser. These investment products are typically owned primarily by third-party investors; however, certain products are funded with general partner and seed capital investments from the Company and its Affiliates.

Third-party investors in Affiliate sponsored investment products are generally entitled to substantially all of the economics of these products, except for the asset and performance based fees earned by the Company’s Affiliates or any gains or losses attributable to the Company’s or its Affiliates’ investments in these products. As a result, the Company does not generally consolidate these products unless the Company’s or its consolidated Affiliate’s interest in the product is considered substantial. When the Company’s or its consolidated Affiliates’ interests are considered substantial and the products are consolidated, the Company retains the specialized investment company accounting principles of the underlying products, and all of the underlying investments are carried at fair value in Investments in marketable securities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, with corresponding changes in the investments’ fair values reflected in Investment and other income. Purchases and sales of securities are presented within purchases and sales by consolidated Affiliate sponsored investment products in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and the third-party investors’ interests are recorded in Redeemable non-controlling interests. When the Company or its consolidated Affiliates no longer control these products, due to a reduction in ownership or other reasons, the products are deconsolidated with only the Company’s or its consolidated Affiliate’s investment in the product reported from the date of deconsolidation.