Stockholder's Equity

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Preferred Stock

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 September 30, 2020 and 2019 and $5.1 million and $5.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, 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 dividend 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 the Company's 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, when the Company's capped call option expired, 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 dividends to the Company's Class A common shareholders or a share split or combination. The Company has the intent and ability to settle the preferred shares in cash and, as a result, the preferred shares do not have an impact on the Company's diluted earnings per share calculation (See Note 21).

Embedded Cash Conversion Option on the December 2022 Convertible Notes

Upon issuance of the December 2022 Convertible Notes (see Note 18), 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 shareholder approval for the Company to settle the December 2022 Convertible Notes entirely in Class A common stock. Upon receiving shareholder approval, the Company reclassified the separately recognized conversion option from a derivative liability to equity.

Cash Dividends to Common Stockholders

During the first quarter of 2020, the Company began the declaration of a quarterly cash dividend payable on its common stock. During March, June and July 2020, the Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.04 per common share. Dividends are payable on all outstanding shares and on granted but unvested shares under the Equity Plans on the date of record (See Note 15). During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company paid $1.1 million and $3.4 million, respectively, of cash dividends to its common stockholders.

Treasury Stock

Treasury stock of $334.1 million as of September 30, 2020, compared to $284.3 million as of December 31, 2019, resulted from $6.3 million acquired through repurchases of shares to cover employee minimum tax withholding obligations related to stock compensation vesting events under the Equity Plans or other similar transactions, $0.10 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 $43.4 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 nine months ended September 30, 2020:


	Treasury Stock Shares	Cost (dollars in thousands)		Average Cost per Share
Balance outstanding at December 31, 2019	18,605,581	$	284,301	$	15.28
Shares purchased for minimum tax withholding under the 2010 Equity Plan or other similar transactions	505,702	6,296		12.45
Shares of stock received in respect of indemnification claims	7,026	96		13.66
Purchase of treasury stock	2,974,711	43,442		14.60
Balance outstanding at September 30, 2020	22,093,020	$	334,135	$	15.12