Investments (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Equity Method Investments And Joint Ventures [Abstract]

Equity Method and Cost Method Investments

(in thousands)	September 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Equity method investments	$	134,905	$	30,844
Cost method investments		3,088		2,595
Investments	$	137,993	$	33,439

Investments in Variable Interest Entities

The following table sets forth the Company’s investment in its unconsolidated VIEs and the maximum exposure to loss with respect to such entities as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016. The amounts presented in the “Investment” column below are included in, and not in addition to, the equity method investment table above (in thousands):

September 30, 2017

December 31, 2016

Investment

Maximum

Exposure to

Loss

Investment

Maximum

Exposure to

Loss

Variable interest entities¹

3,651

4,631

4,608

5,588

The Company has entered into a subordinated loan agreement with Aqua, whereby the Company agreed to lend the principal sum of $980 thousand. As of September 30, 2017, the Company’s maximum exposure to loss with respect to its unconsolidated VIEs includes the sum of its equity investments in its unconsolidated VIEs and the $980 thousand subordinated loan to Aqua.

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of the significant judgments and assumptions made in determining whether a variable interest (as defined) held by the entity requires the variable interest entity (VIE) (as defined) to be consolidated and (or) disclose information about its involvement with the VIE, individually or in aggregate (as applicable); the nature of restrictions, if any, on the consolidated VIE's assets and on the settlement of its liabilities reported by an entity in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets and liabilities; the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with involvement in the VIE; how involvement with the VIE affects the entity's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows; the lack of recourse if creditors (or beneficial interest holders) of the consolidated VIE have no recourse to the general credit of the primary beneficiary (if applicable); the terms of arrangements, giving consideration to both explicit arrangements and implicit variable interests, if any, that could require the entity to provide financial support to the VIE, including events or circumstances that could expose the entity to a loss; the methodology used by the entity for determining whether or not it is the primary beneficiary of the variable interest entity; the significant factors considered and judgments made in determining that the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE's economic performance are shared (as defined); the carrying amounts and classification of assets and liabilities of the VIE included in the statement of financial position; the entity's maximum exposure to loss, if any, as a result of its involvement with the VIE, including how the maximum exposure is determined and significant sources of the entity's exposure to the VIE; a comparison of the carrying amounts of the assets and liabilities and the entity's maximum exposure to loss; information about any liquidity arrangements, guarantees, and (or) other commitments by third parties that may affect the fair value or risk of the entity's variable interest in the VIE; whether or not the entity has provided financial support or other support (explicitly or implicitly) to the VIE that it was not previously contractually required to provide or whether the entity intends to provide that support, including the type and amount of the support and the primary reasons for providing the support; and supplemental information the entity determines necessary to provide.

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