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Fair Value Measurements
6 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2014
Fair Value Measurements Disclosure [Abstract]  
Fair Value Measurements

6. Fair Value Measurements

 

The following tables summarize financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis and their assigned levels within the valuation hierarchy at April 30, 2014 and October 31, 2013:

April 30, 2014              
(in thousands)    Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Other Assets Not Held at Fair Value  Total
                
Financial assets:              
Cash equivalents   $ 11,684$ 16,199$ -$ -$ 27,883
Investments:              
Investment securities, trading:           
Short-term debt  -  192,509   -  -  192,509
Other debt - consolidated sponsored funds           
and separately managed accounts  3,705  87,269   -  -  90,974
Equity - consolidated sponsored funds           
and separately managed accounts  63,108  57,573   -  -  120,681
Investment securities, available-for-sale  12,583  6,079  -  -  18,662
Investment in non-consolidated CLO            
entities(1)  -  -  -  7,714  7,714
Investments in equity method investees(2)  -  -  -  214,238  214,238
Investments, other(3)  -  61  -  3,728  3,789
Derivative instruments     -  819  -  -  819
Assets of consolidated CLO entities:            
Cash equivalents     65,600  -  -  -  65,600
Bank loans and other investments -  601,172  7  -  601,179
Total financial assets   $ 156,680$ 961,681$ 7$ 225,680$ 1,344,048
                
Financial liabilities:              
Derivative instruments $ -$ 4,815$ -$ -$ 4,815
Securities sold, not yet purchased  -  716  -  -  716
Liabilities of consolidated CLO entities:            -
Senior and subordinated note obligations -  2,655  605,826  -  608,481
Redeemable preferred shares -  -  27,333  -  27,333
Total financial liabilities   $ -$ 8,186$ 633,159$ -$ 641,345

October 31, 2013              
(in thousands)    Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Other Assets Not Held at Fair Value  Total
                
Financial assets:              
Cash equivalents   $ 104,261$ 2,900$ -$ -$ 107,161
Investments:              
Investment securities, trading:           
Short-term debt  -  20,116   -  -  20,116
Other debt - consolidated sponsored funds           
and separately managed accounts  7,053  90,597   -  -  97,650
Equity - consolidated sponsored funds           
and separately managed accounts  61,615  56,143   -  -  117,758
Investment securities, available-for-sale  17,083  5,644  -  -  22,727
Investments in non-consolidated CLO            
entities(1)  -  -  -  5,378  5,378
Investments in equity method investees(2)  -  -  -  269,683  269,683
Investments, other(3)  -  60  -  2,951  3,011
Derivative instruments     -  334  -  -  334
Assets of consolidated CLO entities:            
Cash equivalents     29,970  -  -  -  29,970
Bank loans and other investments -  684,436  1,245  -  685,681
Total financial assets   $ 219,982$ 860,230$ 1,245$ 278,012$ 1,359,469
                
Financial liabilities:              
Derivative instruments   $ -$ 8,412$ -$ -$ 8,412
Securities sold, not yet purchased    -  687  -  -  687
Liabilities of consolidated CLO entities:          
Senior and subordinated note obligations -  2,651  276,476  -  279,127
Total financial liabilities   $ -$ 11,750$ 276,476$ -$ 288,226
                
(1) The Company’s investments in these CLO entities are measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis using Level 3 inputs.
 The investments are carried at amortized cost (or cost for warehouse stage entities) unless facts and circumstances 
 indicate that the investments have been impaired, at which time the investments are written down to fair value.  
(2) Investments in equity method investees are not measured at fair value in accordance with GAAP.
(3) Investments, other, includes investments carried at cost that are not measured at fair value in accordance with GAAP.

Valuation methodologies

 

The Company utilizes third-party pricing services to value investments in various asset classes, including debt obligations, interests in senior floating-rate loans, derivatives and certain foreign equity securities, as further discussed below. Valuations provided by the pricing services are subject to exception reporting that identifies securities with significant movements in valuation, as well as investments with no movements in valuation. These exceptions are reviewed by the Company on a daily basis. The Company compares the price of trades executed by the Company to the valuations provided by the third-party pricing services to identify and research significant variances. The Company periodically reviews the pricing service valuations to valuations provided by a secondary independent source when available. Market data provided by the pricing services and other market participants, such as the Loan Syndication and Trading Association (“LSTA”) trade study, are reviewed by the Company to assess the reliability of the pricing service's valuations. The Company's Valuation Committee reviews the general assumptions underlying the methodologies used by the pricing services to value various asset classes at least annually. Throughout the year, members of the Company's Valuation Committee or its designees meet with the service providers to discuss any significant changes to the service providers' valuation methodologies or operational processes.

 

Cash equivalents

Cash equivalents include investments in money market funds, holdings of U.S. Treasury and government agency securities, commercial paper and certificates of deposit with original maturities of less than three months. Cash investments in actively traded money market funds are valued using published net asset values and are classified as Level 1 within the fair value measurement hierarchy. U.S. Treasury and government agency securities are valued based upon quoted market prices for similar assets in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets that are not active, and inputs other than quoted prices that are observable or corroborated by observable market data. The carrying amounts of commercial paper and certificates of deposit are measured at amortized cost, which approximates market value due to the short time between the purchase and expected maturity of the investments. Depending on the nature of the inputs, these assets are generally classified as Level 1 or 2 within the fair value measurement hierarchy.

 

Investment securities, trading short-term debt

Short-term debt securities include certificates of deposit, commercial paper and corporate debt obligations with remaining maturities from three months to 12 months. Short-term debt securities held are generally valued on the basis of valuations provided by third-party pricing services, as derived from such services' pricing models. Inputs to the models may include, but are not limited to, reported trades, executable bid and ask prices, broker-dealer quotations, prices or yields of securities with similar characteristics, benchmark curves or information pertaining to the issuer, as well as industry and economic events. The pricing services may use a matrix approach, which considers information regarding securities with similar characteristics to determine the valuation for a security. Depending on the nature of the inputs, these assets are generally classified as Level 1 or 2 within the fair value measurement hierarchy.

 

Investment securities, trading other debt

Other debt securities classified as trading include debt obligations held in the portfolios of consolidated sponsored funds and separately managed accounts. Other debt securities held are generally valued on the basis of valuations provided by third-party pricing services as described above for investment securities, trading – short-term debt. Other debt securities purchased with a remaining maturity of 60 days or less (excluding those that are non-U.S. denominated, which typically are valued by a third-party pricing service or dealer quotes) are generally valued at amortized cost, which approximates fair value. Depending upon the nature of the inputs, these assets are generally classified as Level 1 or 2 within the fair value measurement hierarchy.

 

Investment securities, trading equity

Equity securities classified as trading include foreign and domestic equity securities held in the portfolios of consolidated sponsored funds and separately managed accounts. Equity securities listed on a U.S. securities exchange generally are valued at the last sale or closing price on the day of valuation or, if no sales took place on such date, at the mean between the closing bid and asked prices on the exchange where such securities are principally traded. Equity securities listed on the NASDAQ Global or Global Select market generally are valued at the NASDAQ official closing price. Unlisted or listed securities for which closing prices or closing quotations are not available are valued at the mean between the latest available bid and ask prices. When valuing foreign equity securities that meet certain criteria, the portfolios use a fair value service that values such securities to reflect market trading that occurs after the close of the applicable foreign markets of comparable securities or other instruments that have a strong correlation to the fair-valued securities. In addition, the Company performs its own independent back test review of fair values versus the subsequent local market opening prices when available. Depending upon the nature of the inputs, equity securities classified as trading are generally classified as Level 1 or 2 within the fair value measurement hierarchy.

 

Investment securities, available-for-sale

Investment securities classified as available-for-sale include investments in sponsored mutual funds and privately offered equity funds. Sponsored mutual funds that are listed on an active exchange are valued using published net asset values and are classified as Level 1 within the fair value measurement hierarchy. Investments in sponsored privately offered equity funds and portfolios that are not listed on an active exchange but have net asset values that are comparable to mutual funds and have no redemption restrictions are classified as Level 2 within the fair value measurement hierarchy.

 

Derivative instruments

Derivative instruments, which include foreign exchange contracts, stock index futures contracts and commodity futures contracts, are recorded as either other assets or other liabilities on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets. Foreign exchange contracts are valued by interpolating a value using the spot foreign exchange rate and forward points, which are based on spot rate and currency interest rate differentials. Stock index futures contracts and commodity futures contracts are valued using a third-party pricing service that determines fair value based on bid and ask prices. Derivative instruments are generally classified as Level 2 within the fair value measurement hierarchy.

 

Assets of consolidated CLO entities

Assets of consolidated CLO entities include investments in money market funds, equity securities, debt securities, bank loans and warrants. Fair value is determined utilizing unadjusted quoted market prices when available. Investments in actively traded money market funds are valued using published net asset values and are classified as Level 1 within the fair value measurement hierarchy. Equity securities, debt securities and warrants are valued using the same techniques as described above for trading securities. Interests in senior floating-rate loans for which reliable market quotations are readily available are valued generally at the average mid-point of bid and ask quotations obtained from a third-party pricing service. Fair value may also be based upon valuations obtained from independent third-party brokers or dealers utilizing matrix pricing models that consider information regarding securities with similar characteristics. In certain instances, fair value has been determined utilizing discounted cash flow analyses or single broker non-binding quotes. Depending on the nature of the inputs, these assets are classified as Level 1, 2 or 3 within the fair value measurement hierarchy.

 

Securities sold, not yet purchased

Securities sold, not yet purchased, are recorded as other liabilities on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets and are valued by a third-party pricing service that determines fair value based on bid and ask prices. Securities sold, not yet purchased, are generally classified as Level 2 within the fair value measurement hierarchy.

 

Liabilities of consolidated CLO entities

Liabilities of consolidated CLO entities include debt securities, senior and subordinated note obligations and redeemable preferred shares. Debt securities are valued based upon quoted prices for identical or similar liabilities that are not active and inputs other than quoted prices that are observable or corroborated by observable market data. Senior and subordinated notes and redeemable preferred shares are valued utilizing an income approach model in which one or more significant inputs are unobservable in the market. A full description of the valuation technique is included within the valuation process disclosure included below. Depending on the nature of the inputs, these liabilities are classified as Level 2 or 3 within the fair value measurement hierarchy.

Transfers in and/or out of Levels

 

The following table summarizes fair value transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value measurement hierarchy for the three and six months ended April 30, 2014 and 2013:

     Three Months Ended April 30,  Six Months Ended April 30,
(in thousands)  2014 2013  2014 2013
Transfers from Level 1 into Level 2(1) $ 542$ 120 $ 214$ 120
Transfers from Level 2 into Level 1(2)   1,524  137   1,027  1,743
             
(1) Transfers from Level 1 into Level 2 primarily represent debt and equity securities that were valued based on prices of similar
 securities because unadjusted quoted market prices were not available in the current period.
(2) Transfers from Level 2 into Level 1 primarily represent debt and equity securities due to the availability of unadjusted quoted
 market prices in active markets.

Level 3 assets and liabilities

 

The following table presents a reconciliation of the beginning and ending fair value measurements of assets and liabilities valued on a recurring basis and classified as Level 3 within the fair value measurement hierarchy for the three and six months ended April 30, 2014 and 2013:

    Three Months Ended  Three Months Ended
    April 30, 2014  April 30, 2013
(in thousands) Bank loans and other investments of consolidated CLO entities  Senior and subordinated note obligations and redeemable preferred shares of consolidated CLO entities  Bank loans and other investments of consolidated CLO entity  Senior and subordinated note obligations of consolidated CLO entity
              
Beginning balance$ 7 $ 665,970 $ 2,658 $ 408,924
Net gains (losses) on investments and            
 note obligations included in net           
 income(1)  -   1,026   57   1,671
Amortization of original issue discount            
 on senior notes  -   75   -   -
Principal paydown  -   (33,912)   -   (45,135)
Transfers into Level 3(2)  -   -   104   -
Ending balance$ 7 $ 633,159 $ 2,819 $ 365,460
Change in unrealized gains (losses)          
 included in net income relating to            
 assets and liabilities held$ - $ 1,026 $ 57 $ 1,671

    Six Months Ended  Six Months Ended
    April 30, 2014  April 30, 2013
(in thousands) Bank loans and other investments of consolidated CLO entities  Senior and subordinated note obligations and redeemable preferred shares of consolidated CLO entities  Bank loans and other investments of consolidated CLO entity  Senior and subordinated note obligations of consolidated CLO entity
              
Beginning balance$ 1,245 $ 276,476 $ 2,203 $ 443,946
Issuance of senior and subordinated notes           
 and redeemable preferred shares  -   421,523   -   -
Net gains (losses) on investments and            
 note obligations included in net           
 income(1)  (186)   (1,135)   21   5,256
Sales (1,052)   -  0   -
Amortization of original issue discount           
 on senior notes 0   75   -   -
Principal paydown 0   (63,780)   -   (83,742)
Transfers into Level 3(2)  -   -   595   -
Ending balance$ 7 $ 633,159 $ 2,819 $ 365,460
Change in unrealized gains (losses)          
 included in net income relating to            
 assets and liabilities held$ (9) $ (1,135) $ 21 $ 5,256
(1)Substantially all net gains and losses on investments and note obligations and redeemable preferred shares attributable to the assets and
  borrowings of the Company's consolidated CLO entities are allocated to non-controlling and other beneficial interests on the Company's
  Consolidated Statements of Income.           
(2)Transfers into Level 3 were the result of a reduction in the availability of significant observable inputs used in determining the fair value
  of the securities, including a loan that utilized a discount applied to the demanded yield.

The following table shows the valuation technique and significant unobservable inputs utilized in the fair value measurement of Level 3 liabilities of the consolidated CLO entities at April 30, 2014 and October 31, 2013:

April 30, 2014    Valuation  Unobservable Value/
($ in thousands)  Fair Value Technique Inputs(1) Range
          
       Prepayment rate 30 percent
Senior and subordinated note     Recovery rate 70 percent
obligations and redeemable     Default rate 100-200 bps
preferred shares$ 633,159 Income approach Discount rate 85-700 bps

October 31, 2013   Valuation  Unobservable Value/
($ in thousands) Fair Value  Technique Inputs(1) Range
          
       Prepayment rate 30 percent
       Recovery rate 70 percent
Senior and subordinated     Default rate 200 bps
note obligations$ 276,476 Income approach Discount rate 105-375 bps
          
(1) Discount rate refers to spread over LIBOR. Lower spreads relate to the more senior tranches in the CLO note structure;
 higher spreads relate to the less senior tranches. The default rate refers to the constant annual default rate. The recovery rate is
 the expected recovery of defaulted amounts received through asset sale or recovery through bankruptcy restructuring or other
 settlement processes. The prepayment rate is the rate at which the underlying collateral is expected to repay principal.

Valuation process

Senior and subordinated note obligations and redeemable preferred shares of the Company's consolidated CLO entities are issued in various tranches with different risk profiles. The notes and redeemable preferred shares are valued on a quarterly basis by the Company's bank loan investment team utilizing an income approach that projects the cash flows of the collateral assets using the team's projected default rate, prepayment rate, recovery rate and discount rate, as well as observable assumptions about market yields, collateral reimbursement assumptions, callability and other market factors that vary based on the nature of the investments in the underlying collateral pool. Once the undiscounted cash flows of the collateral assets have been determined, the bank loan team applies appropriate discount rates that it believes a reasonable market participant would use to determine the discounted cash flow valuation of the notes and redeemable preferred shares. The bank loan team routinely monitors market conditions and model inputs for cyclical and secular changes in order to identify any material factors that could influence the Company's valuation method. The bank loan team reports directly to the Chief Income Investment Officer.

 

Sensitivity to changes in significant unobservable inputs

For senior and subordinated notes and redeemable preferred shares issued by the Company's consolidated CLO entities, increases (decreases) in discount rates, default rates or prepayment rates in isolation would result in lower (higher) fair value measurements, while increases (decreases) in recovery rates in isolation would result in higher (lower) fair value measurements. Generally, a change in the assumption used for the probability of default is accompanied by a directionally similar change in the assumption used for discount rates and a directionally opposite change in the assumptions used for prepayment and recovery rates.

 

Although the Company believes the valuation methods described above are appropriate, the use of different methodologies or assumptions to determine fair value could result in different estimates of fair value at the reporting date.