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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements—In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued guidance to align the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. Under the new standard, implementation costs are deferred and presented in the same financial statement caption on the consolidated statements of financial condition as a prepayment of related arrangement fees. The deferred costs are recognized over the term of the arrangement in the same financial statement caption in the consolidated statements of operations as the related fees of the arrangement. This new guidance became effective on January 1, 2020. The Company has adopted this new standard using a prospective approach to all implementation costs incurred after adoption. The Company's adoption of the new standard did not have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance to simplify the goodwill impairment test by removing the requirement to perform a hypothetical purchase price allocation. As a result of the revised guidance, a goodwill impairment will be the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying value exceeds its fair value. This new guidance became effective on January 1, 2020. The Company's adoption of the new standard did not have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
In June 2016, the FASB issued guidance on the measurement of credit losses on financial instruments. This standard amended guidance related to reporting credit losses for financial assets measured at amortized cost and replaced the incurred loss impairment model with a current expected credit loss (CECL) model. CECL requires a company to estimate lifetime expected credit losses based on relevant information about historical events, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. This new guidance became effective on January 1, 2020. The Company's adoption of the new standard had no impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
Accounting Estimates—The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Management believes the estimates used in preparing the consolidated financial statements are reasonable and prudent. Actual results could differ from those estimates due to factors the Company cannot fully predict including the extent of the impact to the Company's business from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Reclassifications—The Company reclassified certain prior period amounts in the consolidated financial statements to conform with the current period presentation.
Consolidation of Company-sponsored Funds—Investments in Company-sponsored funds and management fees are evaluated at inception and thereafter, if there is a reconsideration event, in order to determine whether to apply the Variable
Interest Entity (VIE) model or the Voting Interest Entity (VOE) model. In performing this analysis, all of the Company’s management fees are presumed to be commensurate and at market and are therefore not considered variable interests.
A VIE is an entity in which either (i) the equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its own activities without additional financial support or (ii) the group of holders of the equity investment at risk lack certain characteristics of a controlling financial interest. The primary beneficiary is the entity that has (i) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly affect its performance, and (ii) the obligation to absorb losses of the entity or the right to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Investments and redemptions or amendments to the governing documents of the respective entities could affect an entity's status as a VIE or the determination of the primary beneficiary. The Company assesses whether it is the primary beneficiary of any VIEs identified by evaluating its economic interests in the entity held either directly by the Company and its affiliates or indirectly through employees. VIEs for which the Company is deemed to be the primary beneficiary are consolidated.
Investments in Company-sponsored funds that are determined to be VOEs are consolidated when the Company’s ownership interest is greater than 50% of the outstanding voting interests of the fund or when the Company is the general partner of the fund and the limited partners do not have substantive kick-out or participating rights in the fund.
The Company records noncontrolling interests in consolidated Company-sponsored funds for which the Company’s ownership is less than 100%.
Cash and Cash Equivalents—Cash and cash equivalents are on deposit with several highly rated financial institutions and include short-term, highly-liquid investments, which are readily convertible into cash and have original maturities of three months or less.
Due from/to Brokers—The Company, including the consolidated Company-sponsored funds, may transact with brokers for certain investment activities. The clearing and custody operations for these investment activities are performed pursuant to contractual agreements. The due from/to brokers balance represents cash and/or cash collateral balances at brokers/custodians and/or receivables and payables for unsettled securities transactions with brokers.
Investments—Management of the Company determines the appropriate classification of its investments at the time of purchase and re-evaluates such determination no less than on a quarterly basis. At December 31, 2020, the Company's investments were comprised of the following:
Equity investments at fair value, which generally represent equity securities held within the consolidated Company-sponsored funds, individual equity securities held directly for the purposes of establishing performance track records and seed investments in Company-sponsored open-end funds where the Company has neither control nor the ability to exercise significant influence.
Trading investments, which generally represent debt securities held within the consolidated Company-sponsored funds and individual debt securities held directly for the purposes of establishing performance track records.
Held-to-maturity investments, which generally represent corporate investments in U.S. Treasury securities recorded at amortized cost. Under the CECL model, any expected credit losses are recognized as an allowance, which represents an adjustment to the amortized costs basis. The Company did not record any provision for credit losses on these securities during the year ended December 31, 2020.
Equity method investments, which generally represent seed investments in Company-sponsored funds in which the Company owns between 20-50% of the outstanding voting interests or when it is determined that the Company is able to exercise significant influence but not control over the investments. When using the equity method, the Company recognizes its respective share of net income or loss for the period which is recorded as gain (loss) from investments—net in the Company's consolidated statements of operations.
Realized and unrealized gains and losses on equity investments at fair value, trading investments and equity method investments are recorded in gain (loss) from investments—net in the Company's consolidated statements of operations.
From time to time, the Company, including the consolidated Company-sponsored funds, may enter into derivative contracts, including options, futures and swaps contracts, to gain exposure to the underlying commodities markets or to economically hedge market risk of the underlying portfolios. Gains and losses on derivative contracts are recorded as gain (loss) from investments—net in the Company's consolidated statements of operations. The fair values of these instruments are recorded in other assets or other liabilities and accrued expenses on the Company's consolidated statements of financial condition.
Additionally, from time to time, the Company, including the consolidated Company-sponsored funds, may enter into forward foreign exchange contracts to economically hedge its currency exposure. These instruments are measured at fair value based on the prevailing forward exchange rate with gains and losses recorded in foreign currency gain (loss)—net in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. The fair values of these contracts are recorded in other assets or other liabilities and accrued expenses on the Company’s consolidated statements of financial condition.
Leases—The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. The Company has operating leases for corporate offices and certain information technology equipment and these leases are included in operating lease right-of-use (ROU) assets and operating lease liabilities on the Company’s consolidated statements of financial condition.
ROU assets represent the right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent obligations to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and lease liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the net present value of lease payments over the lease term. The majority of the Company’s lease agreements do not provide an implicit rate. As a result, the Company used an incremental borrowing rate based on the information available as of lease commencement dates in determining the present value of lease payments. The operating lease ROU asset reflects any upfront lease payments made as well as lease incentives received. The lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease and these are factored into the determination of the ROU asset and lease liability at lease inception when and if it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. Lease expense for fixed lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
The Company has certain lease agreements with non-lease components such as maintenance and executory costs, which are accounted for separately and not included in ROU assets.
ROU assets are tested for impairment whenever changes in facts or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Modification of a lease term would result in re-measurement of the lease liability and a corresponding adjustment to the ROU asset.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets—Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of the Company’s investment in the net assets of an acquired company over the fair value of the underlying identifiable net assets at the date of acquisition. Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized but are tested at least annually for impairment by comparing the fair value to their carrying amounts.
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests—Redeemable noncontrolling interests represent third-party interests in the consolidated Company-sponsored funds. These interests are redeemable at the option of the investors and therefore are not treated as permanent equity. Redeemable noncontrolling interest is recorded at fair value which approximates the redemption value at each reporting period.
Investment Advisory and Administration Fees—The Company earns revenue by providing asset management services to institutional accounts, Company-sponsored open-end and closed-end funds as well as model-based portfolios. Investment advisory fees are earned pursuant to the terms of investment management agreements and are generally based on a contractual fee rate applied to the average daily assets under management. The Company also earns administration fees from certain Company-sponsored open-end and closed-end funds pursuant to the terms of underlying administration contracts. Administration fees are based on the average daily assets under management of such funds. Investment advisory and administration fee revenue is recognized when earned and is recorded net of any fund reimbursements. The investment advisory and administration contracts each include a single performance obligation as the services provided are not separately identifiable and are accounted for as a series satisfied over time using a time-based method (days elapsed). Additionally,
investment advisory and administration fees represent variable consideration, as fees are based on average assets under management which fluctuate daily.
In certain instances, the Company may earn performance fees when specified performance hurdles are met during the performance period. Performance fees are forms of variable consideration and are not recognized until it becomes probable that there will not be a significant reversal of the cumulative revenue recognized.
Distribution and Service Fee Revenue—Distribution and service fee revenue is based on the average daily net assets of certain share classes of the Company’s sponsored open-end funds distributed by CSS. Distribution and service fee revenue is earned daily and is generally recorded gross of any third-party distribution and service fee expense for applicable share classes.
Distribution fee agreements include a single performance obligation that is satisfied at a point in time when an investor purchases shares in a Company-sponsored open-end fund. Distribution fees represent variable consideration, as fees are based on average assets under management which fluctuate daily. For all periods presented, a portion of the distribution fee revenue recognized in the period may relate to performance obligations satisfied (or partially satisfied) in prior periods. Service fee agreements include a single performance obligation as the services provided are not separately identifiable and are accounted for as a series satisfied over time using a time-based method (days elapsed). Service fees represent variable consideration, as fees are based on average assets under management which fluctuate daily.
Distribution and Service Fee Expense—Distribution and service fee expense includes distribution fees, shareholder servicing fees and intermediary assistance payments. Distribution and service fee expense is recorded on an accrual basis.
Distribution fees represent payments made to qualified intermediaries for (i) assistance in connection with the distribution of the Company’s sponsored open-end funds’ shares and (ii) for other expenses such as advertising, printing and distribution of prospectuses to investors. Such amounts may also be used to pay financial intermediaries for services as specified in the terms of written agreements complying with Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Distribution fees are based on the average daily net assets under management of certain share classes of certain of the funds.
Shareholder servicing fees represent payments made to qualified intermediaries for shareholder account service and maintenance. These services are provided pursuant to written agreements with such qualified institutions. Shareholder servicing fees are generally based on the average daily assets under management.
Intermediary assistance payments represent payments to qualified intermediaries for activities related to distribution, shareholder servicing and marketing and support of the Company’s sponsored open-end funds and are incremental to those described above. Intermediary assistance payments are generally based on the average assets under management.
Stock-based Compensation—The Company recognizes compensation expense for the grant-date fair value of awards of equity instruments to certain employees. This expense is recognized over the period during which employees are required to provide service. Forfeitures are recorded as incurred.
Income Taxes—The Company records the current and deferred tax consequences of all transactions that have been recognized in the consolidated financial statements in accordance with the provisions of the enacted tax laws. Deferred tax assets are recognized for temporary differences that will result in deductible amounts in future years at tax rates that are expected to apply in those years. Deferred tax liabilities are recognized for temporary differences that will result in taxable income in future years at tax rates that are expected to apply in those years. The Company records a valuation allowance, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to an amount that more likely than not will be realized.
The calculation of tax liabilities involves uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws and regulations across the Company’s global operations. A tax benefit from an uncertain tax position is recognized when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, on the basis of the technical merits. The Company records potential interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in the provision for income taxes in the consolidated statements of operations.
Currency Translation and Transactions—Assets and liabilities of subsidiaries having non-U.S. dollar functional currencies are translated at exchange rates at the applicable consolidated statement of financial condition date. Revenue and expenses of such subsidiaries are translated at average exchange rates during the period. The gains or losses resulting from translating non-U.S. dollar functional currency into U.S. dollars are included in the Company’s consolidated statements of comprehensive income. The cumulative translation adjustment was $(4,134,000), $(6,326,000) and $(7,323,000) as of December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Gains or losses resulting from transactions denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar within certain foreign subsidiaries are included in non-operating income (loss) in the consolidated statements of operations. Gains and losses arising on revaluation of U.S. dollar-denominated assets and liabilities held by foreign subsidiaries are also included in non-operating income (loss) in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
Comprehensive Income—The Company reports all changes in comprehensive income in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Comprehensive income generally includes net income or loss attributable to common stockholders and amounts attributable to foreign currency translation gain (loss), net of tax.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements—In December 2019, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying Accounting for Income Taxes. The standard is intended to simplify various aspects related to income taxes and removes certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740. This new guidance will be effective on January 1, 2021. The Company does not expect the adoption of the new standard to have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.