Stockholder's Equity

Preferred Stock and Purchase of Capped Call Option

On May 19, 2015, the Company completed its offering of 120,750 shares of the Company's 5.625% Series A cumulative perpetual convertible preferred stock ("Series A Convertible Preferred Stock") that provided $117.2 million of proceeds, net of underwriting fees and issuance costs of $3.6 million. Each share of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock is entitled to dividends at a rate of 5.625% per annum which will be payable, when and if declared by the board of directors of the Company, quarterly, in arrears, on February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15 of each year. The Company may, at its option, pay dividends in cash, common stock or a combination thereof. The Company declared and accrued a cash dividend of $1.7 million and $1.7 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, and $3.4 million and $3.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Each share of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock is non-voting and has a liquidity preference over the Company's Class A common stock and ranks senior to all classes or series of the Company's Class A common stock, but junior to all of the Company's existing and future indebtedness with respect to divided rights and rights upon the Company's involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding down.

Each share of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock is convertible, at the option of the holder, into a number of shares of our Class A common stock equal to the liquidation preference of $1,000 divided by the conversion rate. The initial conversion rate (subsequent to the December 5, 2016 reverse stock split) is 38.0619 shares (which equates to $26.27 per share) of the Company's Class A common stock for each share of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock. At any time on or after May 20, 2020, the Company may elect to convert all outstanding shares of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock into shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, cash or a combination thereof, at the Company’s election, in each case, based on the then-applicable conversion rate, if the last reported sale price of the Company’s Class A common stock equals or exceeds 150% of the then-current conversion price on at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during the period of 30 consecutive trading days (including on the last trading day of such period) immediately prior to such election. At the time of conversion, the conversion rate may be adjusted based on certain events including but not limited to the issuance of cash dividends or Class A common stock as a dividends to the Company's Class A common shareholders or a share split or combination.

In connection with the issuance and sale of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, the Company entered into a capped call option transaction (the “Capped Call Option Transaction”) with Nomura Global Financial Products Inc. (the “option counterparty”) for $15.9 million. The Capped Call Option Transaction is expected generally to reduce the potential dilution to the Company’s Class A common stock (if the Company elects to convert to common shares) and/or offset any cash payments that the Company is required to make upon conversion of any Series A Convertible Preferred Stock. The Capped Call Option Transaction has an initial effective strike price of $26.27 per share, which matches the initial conversion price of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, and a cap price of $33.54 per share. However, to the extent that the market price of Class A common stock, as measured under the terms of the Capped Call Option Transaction, exceeds the cap price thereof, there would nevertheless be dilution and/or such cash payments would not be offset. As the Capped Call Option Transaction is a free standing derivative that is indexed to the Company's own stock price and the Company controls if it is settled in cash or stock it qualifies for equity classification as a reduction to additional paid in capital.

Embedded Cash Conversion Option on the 2022 Convertible Notes

Upon issuance of the 2022 Convertible Notes (see Note 17), the Company recognized the embedded cash conversion option at fair value of $23.4 million which was valued as of June 26, 2018 at $29.0 million. On June 26, 2018, the Company received Cowen shareholder approval for the Company to settle the 2022 Convertible Note entirely in class A common shares. Upon receiving shareholder approval, the Company reclassified the separately recognized conversion option from a derivative liability to equity.

Treasury Stock

Treasury stock of $208.0 million as of June 30, 2018, compared to $186.8 million as of December 31, 2017, resulted from $8.4 million acquired through repurchases of shares to cover employee minimum tax withholding obligations related to stock compensation vesting events under the Company's Equity Plan or other similar transactions, $1.9 million received from an escrow account established to satisfy the Company’s indemnification claims arising under the terms of the purchase agreement entered into in connection with the Company’s acquisition of Convergex Group, LLC and $10.9 million purchased in connection with a share repurchase program.

The following represents the activity relating to the treasury stock held by the Company during the six months ended June 30, 2018:



	Treasury stock shares	Cost (dollars in thousands)		Average cost per share
Balance outstanding at December 31, 2017	12,133,276	$	186,846	$	15.40
Shares purchased for minimum tax withholding under the Equity Plan or other similar transactions	567,598	8,376		14.76
Shares of stock received in respect of indemnification claims	136,817	1,925		14.07
Purchase of treasury stock	757,888	10,862		14.33
Balance outstanding at June 30, 2018	13,595,579	$	208,009	$	15.30