Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets [Abstract]

Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets

9. Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets

Goodwill is initially measured as the excess of the cost of the acquired business over the sum of the amounts assigned to assets acquired less the liabilities assumed. At September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, there was goodwill of $0.2 million maintained on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition related to G.distributors.

As a result of becoming the advisor to the Gabelli Enterprise Mergers and Acquisitions Fund (the “Enterprise Fund”) and the associated consideration paid, the Company maintains an identifiable intangible asset of $1.3 million at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020. The investment advisory agreement for the Enterprise Fund is next up for renewal in February 2022. As a result of becoming the advisor to the Bancroft Fund Ltd. (the “Bancroft Fund”) and the Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd. (the “Ellsworth Fund”) and the associated consideration paid, the Company maintains an identifiable intangible asset of $1.6 million at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020. The investment advisory agreements for the Bancroft Fund and the Ellsworth Fund are next up for renewal in August 2022. Each of these investment advisory agreements are subject to annual renewal by the respective fund’s board of directors, which the Company expects to be renewed, and the Company does not expect to incur additional expense as a result, which is consistent with other investment advisory agreements entered into by the Company.

The Company assesses the recoverability of goodwill and intangible assets at least annually, or more often should events warrant. In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus (“COVID-19”) surfaced in China and has since spread quickly to numerous countries, including the United States. On March 11, 2020, COVID-19 was identified as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. In response to its spread, governmental authorities imposed restrictions on travel and congregation and the temporary closure of many non-essential businesses in affected jurisdictions, including, beginning in March 2020, in the United States. The pandemic and resulting economic dislocations have had adverse consequences for the portfolios of the Funds, including the Enterprise Fund, Bancroft Fund, and Ellsworth Fund. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, as a result of the dislocations in the financial markets resulting from COVID-19, impairment analyses were performed which resulted in a $589 thousand impairment charge to the identifiable intangible asset related to the Enterprise Fund included within other operating expenses on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. There were no indicators of impairment for the three months ended September 30, 2020 or the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and, as such, there was no impairment analysis performed or charge recorded for such period. There was no impairment charge recorded to the identifiable intangible asset related to the Bancroft Fund or Ellsworth Fund.