Receivables From Customers, Net and Notes Receivable, Net (Notes)

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

Receivables from customers and notes receivable, net [Abstract]

Financing Receivables [Text Block]

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The allowance for doubtful accounts related to deposits with and receivables from broker-dealers, clearing organizations, and counterparties was $1.3 million and $36.9 million as of June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, respectively. During the nine months ended June 30, 2020, the Company charged off $35.6 million of receivables against the allowance for doubtful accounts related to the physical coal business, which the Company exited in fiscal 2018.

The allowance for doubtful accounts related to receivables from clients was $19.7 million and $11.7 million as of June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, respectively. The allowance increase is related to additional bad debt reserves as discussed below and recoverable amounts due from affiliated parties and recorded in ‘other assets’ in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company had no allowance for doubtful accounts related to notes receivable as of June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019.

During the three months ended June 30, 2020, the Company recorded bad debt expense of $1.8 million, primarily related to $2.4 million of client trading account deficits in the Clearing and Execution Services segment and $1.1 million of OTC client account deficits in Commercial Hedging, partially offset by a recovery of a client trading account deficit of $0.6 million in the Commercial Hedging segment. During the three months ended June 30, 2019, the Company recorded bad debt expense of $0.5 million. The bad debt expense was primarily related to agricultural and metals OTC client trading account deficits in the Commercial Hedging segment.

During the nine months ended June 30, 2020, the Company recorded bad debt expense of $6.2 million, primarily related to $2.7 million of client trading account deficits in the Clearing and Execution Services segment, $3.3 million of client trading account deficits in the Commercial Hedging segment, and $0.2 million in uncollected receivables in the Physical Commodities segment.

During the nine months ended June 30, 2019, the Company recorded bad debt expense of $1.5 million. The bad debt expense was primarily related to agricultural and metals OTC client trading account deficits in the Company’s Commercial Hedging segment.

Additionally, during the nine months ended June 30, 2019, the Company reached settlements with clients, paying $8.4 million

related to demurrage, dead freight, and other penalty charges regarding coal supplied during fiscal 2017. The settlement amount

paid was less than the accrued liability for the transactions recorded during fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2018, and accordingly the

Company recorded a recovery on the bad debt on physical coal of $2.4 million.