Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016
Revenues:
Investment banking	$ 588,978	$ 633,837		$ 490,340
Institutional brokerage	124,517	154,563		161,186
Asset management	49,803	56,835		60,672
Interest	32,749	31,954		33,074
Investment income	4,946	18,002		24,602
Total revenues	800,993	895,191		769,874
Interest expense	16,551	20,268		22,525
Net revenues	784,442	874,923		747,349
Non-interest expenses:
Compensation and benefits	512,847	617,635		510,612
Outside services	39,957	38,012		39,289
Occupancy and equipment	35,721	33,462		34,813
Communications	31,621	29,891		29,626
Marketing and business development	29,377	31,293		30,404
Deal-related expenses	25,120	0		0
Trade execution and clearance	8,014	8,166		7,651
Restructuring and integration costs	3,770	0		10,206
Goodwill impairment	0	114,363		82,900
Intangible asset amortization	10,460	15,400		21,214
Back office conversion costs	0	3,927		561
Other operating expenses	12,678	12,097		10,947
Total non-interest expenses	709,565	904,246		778,223
Income/(loss) before income tax expense/(benefit)	74,877	(29,323)		(30,874)
Income tax expense/(benefit)	19,047	30,229		(17,128)
Net income/(loss)	55,830	(59,552)		(13,746)
Net income/(loss) applicable to noncontrolling interests	(1,206)	2,387		8,206
Net income/(loss) applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies	57,036	(61,939)		(21,952)
Net income/(loss) applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies' common shareholders	$ 49,993	$ (64,875)	[1]	$ (21,952)	[1]
Earnings/(loss) per common share
Basic	$ 3.78	$ (5.07)		$ (1.73)
Diluted	3.72	(5.07)	[2]	(1.73)	[2]
Dividends declared per common share	$ 3.12	$ 1.25		$ 0.00
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding
Basic	13,234	12,807		12,674
Diluted	13,425	12,978	[2]	12,779	[2]

[1] No allocation of undistributed income was made due to loss position. See Note 20.

[2] Earnings per diluted common share is calculated using the basic weighted average number of common shares outstanding for periods in which a loss is incurred.