Investments

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

INVESTMENTS

Money Market Investments. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company had money market investments of $178.1 million and $45.2 million, respectively, that are classified as cash and cash equivalents in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Investments in Marketable Equity Securities. Investments in marketable equity securities consist of the following:


	As of
	September 30, 2020		December 31, 2019
(in thousands)
Total cost	$	212,843	$	282,349
Gross unrealized gains	278,329		302,731

Total Fair Value	$	491,172	$	585,080

There were no purchases of marketable equity securities during the first nine months of 2020. The Company purchased $7.5 million of marketable equity securities during the first nine months of 2019.

During the first nine months of 2020, the gross cumulative realized gains from the sales of marketable equity securities were $23.0 million. The total proceeds from such sales were $93.8 million. During the first nine months of 2019, the gross cumulative realized gains from the sales of marketable equity securities were $9.6 million. The total proceeds from such sales were $17.6 million.

The net gain (loss) on marketable equity securities comprised the following:


	Three Months Ended September 30				Nine Months Ended September 30
(in thousands)	2020		2019		2020		2019
Gain (loss) on marketable equity securities, net	$	59,364	$	17,404	$	(1,139)	$	49,261
Less: Net losses (gains) in earnings from marketable equity securities sold and donated	—		61		13,382		(2,919)
Net unrealized gains in earnings from marketable equity securities still held at the end of the period	$	59,364	$	17,465	$	12,243	$	46,342

Investments in Affiliates. As of September 30, 2020, the Company held an approximate 12% interest in Intersection Holdings, LLC, and in several other affiliates; GHG held a 40% interest in Residential Home Health Illinois, a 42.5% interest in Residential Hospice Illinois, a 40% interest in the joint venture formed between GHG and a Michigan hospital, and a 40% interest in the joint venture formed between GHG and Allegheny Health Network (AHN). For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company recorded $2.4 million and $7.1 million, respectively, in revenue for services provided to the affiliates of GHG. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company recorded $2.4 million and $7.0 million, respectively, in revenue for services provided to the affiliates of GHG.

In the first quarter of 2020, the Company recorded impairment charges of $3.6 million on two of its investments in affiliates as a result of the challenging economic environment for these businesses, of which $2.7 million related to the Company’s investment in Framebridge. It is reasonably possible that further COVID-19 disruptions could result in additional impairment charges related to the Company’s investments in affiliates should the impact of COVID-19 not dissipate or have a worsening adverse impact on our affiliates in future periods. The Company records its share of the earnings or losses of its affiliates from their most recent available financial statements. In some instances, the reporting period of the affiliates’ financial statements lags the Company’s financial reporting period, but such lag is never more than three months. It is possible that the Company’s results of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 does not capture the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the earnings or losses of the affiliates whose financial results are recorded on a lag basis.

The Company had $29.4 million and $25.6 million in its investment account that represents cumulative undistributed income in its investments in affiliates as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively.

In the second quarter of 2019, the Company made an investment in Framebridge, a custom framing service company based in Washington, DC. The Company accounted for this investment under the equity method, and included it in Investments in Affiliates on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. In May 2020, the Company made an additional investment in Framebridge (see Note 2) that resulted in the Company obtaining control of the investee. The results of operations, cash flows, assets and liabilities of Framebridge are included in the condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company from the date of the acquisition. Timothy J. O’Shaughnessy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Graham Holdings Company, was a personal investor in Framebridge and served as Chairman of the Board prior to the acquisition of the additional interest. The Company acquired Mr. O’Shaughnessy’s interest under the same terms as the other Framebridge investors.

In February 2019, the Company sold its interest in Gimlet Media. In connection with this sale, the Company recorded a gain of $29.0 million in the first quarter of 2019. The total proceeds from the sale were $33.5 million.

Additionally, Kaplan International Holdings Limited (KIHL) held a 45% interest in a joint venture formed with York University. KIHL loaned the joint venture £22 million, which loan is repayable over 25 years at an interest rate of 7% and guaranteed by the University of York. The loan is repayable by December 2041.

Cost Method Investments. The Company held investments without readily determinable fair values in a number of equity securities that are accounted for as cost method investments, which are recorded at cost, less impairment, and adjusted for observable price changes for identical or similar investments of the same issuer. The carrying value of these investments was $40.4 million and $38.5 million as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019. During the first nine months of 2020, the Company recorded impairment losses of $2.6 million to those equity securities. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company recorded gains of $1.6 million and $4.2 million, respectively, to those equity securities based on observable transactions. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company recorded gains of $3.7 million and $5.1 million, respectively, to those equity securities based on observable transactions.