Variable Interest Entities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

A variable interest entity (“VIE”) is an entity that lacks one or more of the following characteristics: (i) the total equity investment at risk is sufficient to enable the entity to finance its activities independently and (ii) the equity holders have the power to direct the activities of the entity that most significantly impact its economic performance, the obligation to absorb the losses of the entity and the right to receive the residual returns of the entity.

The Company will be considered to have a controlling financial interest and will consolidate a VIE if it has both (i) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and (ii) the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE.

The Company has interests in two joint ventures (“JV”) that build and maintain microwave communication networks in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. The Company and its JV partners each pay monthly fees for the use of the microwave communication networks in connection with their respective trading activities, and the JVs may sell excess bandwidth that is not utilized by the JV members to third parties. As of December 31, 2021, the Company held noncontrolling interests of 10.0% and 50.0%, respectively, in these JVs.

The Company has an interest in a JV that offers derivatives trading technology and execution services to broker-dealers, professional traders and select hedge funds. As of December 31, 2021, the Company held approximately a 9.8% noncontrolling interest in this JV.

The Company has an interest in a JV that is developing a member-owned equities exchange with the goal of increasing competition and transparency, while reducing fixed costs and simplifying execution of equity trading in the U.S. As of December 31, 2021, the Company held approximately a 15.1% noncontrolling interest in this JV.

The Company's four JVs meet the criteria to be considered VIEs, which it does not consolidate. The Company records its interest in each JV under the equity method of accounting and records its investment in the JVs within Other assets and its amounts payable for communication services provided by the applicable JVs within Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities on the Statements of Financial Condition. The Company records its pro-rata share of each JV's earnings or losses within Other, net and fees related to the use of communication services provided by the JVs within Communications and data processing on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

The Company’s exposure to the obligations of these VIEs is generally limited to its interests in each respective JV, which is the carrying value of the equity investment in each JV.

The following table presents the Company’s nonconsolidated VIEs at December 31, 2021:


	Carrying Amount				Maximum Exposure to Loss		VIEs' assets
(in thousands)	Asset		Liability
Equity investment	$	38,319	$	—	$	38,319	$	136,378

The following table presents the Company’s nonconsolidated VIEs at December 31, 2020:


	Carrying Amount				Maximum Exposure to Loss		VIEs' assets
(in thousands)	Asset		Liability
Equity investment	$	28,969	$	—	$	28,969	$	175,547