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Note 1 - Organization and Description of Business
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Notes to Financial Statements  
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]
1.
Organization and Description of Business
 
       JMP Group LLC, together with its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”), is a diversified capital markets firm headquartered in San Francisco, California. The Company conducts its investment banking and institutional brokerage business through JMP Securities LLC (“JMP Securities”) and its asset management business through Harvest Capital Strategies LLC (“HCS”), HCAP Advisors LLC (“HCAP Advisors”), JMP Asset Management LLC (“JMPAM”) JMP Credit Advisors LLC ("JMPCA") (through
March 19, 2019).
The Company conducts certain principal investment transactions through JMP Investment Holdings LLC (“JMP Investment Holdings”) and other subsidiaries. The above entities, other than HCAP Advisors, are wholly-owned subsidiaries. JMP Securities is a U.S. registered broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934,
 as amended (the "Exchange Act”), and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). JMP Securities operates as an introducing broker and does 
not
 hold funds or securities for, or owe any money or securities to customers and does 
not
 carry accounts for customers. All customer transactions are cleared through another broker-dealer on a fully disclosed basis. HCS is a registered investment advisor under the Investment Advisers Act of 
1940,
 as amended, and provides investment management services for sophisticated investors in investment partnerships and other entities managed by HCS. HCAP Advisors provides investment advisory services to Harvest Capital Credit Corporation (“HCC”). JMPAM currently manages 
two
 fund strategies: 
one
 that invests in real estate and real estate-related enterprises and another that provides credit to small and midsized private companies. JMPCA is an asset management platform that underwrites and manages investments in senior secured debt. JMPCA currently manages
four
collateralized loan obligations (“CLO”) vehicles. The Company completed a Reorganization Transaction in 
January 2015 
pursuant to which JMP Group Inc. became a wholly-owned subsidiary of JMP Group LLC (the “Reorganization Transaction”). The Company entered into a Contribution Agreement in
November 2017
pursuant to which JMP Group Inc. became a wholly-owned subsidiary of JMP Investment Holdings, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of JMP Group LLC. 
 
Recent Transactions
 
On
January 17, 2019,
the non-call period of JMP Credit Advisors CLO III Ltd. (“CLO III”) expired, which resulted in a change in the entity with the control over the most significant activities of the variable interest entity (“VIE”). Previously the Company concluded that it was the primary beneficiary of CLO III through its combination of control over the manager and its economic interest in CLO III. When the non-call period expired, an election of the majority holders of the subordinated notes can refinance or liquidate the CLO and this ability has been determined to be the most significant activity. The expiration of the non-call period resulted in the Company losing control over the most significant activities of CLO III as it cannot unilaterally direct this activity. The Company deconsolidated CLO III as of
January 17, 2019.
The Company continues to hold approximately
47%
of the outstanding subordinated notes of CLO III and accounts for its ownership of the CLO III subordinated notes as an investment in a debt security. The Company has classified the subordinated notes as held-to-maturity. The Company recognized a gain of
$1.6
million as revenue from principal transactions on the deconsolidation of CLO III for the
three
months ended
March 31, 2019
 
On
March 19, 2019,
the Company sold a
50.1%
equity interest in JMPCA to Medalist Partners LP (“Medalist”), an alternative asset management firm specializing in structured credit and asset-backed lending, and a
4.9%
interest to management employees of JMPCA. The Company retained
45.0%
of the equity interest in JMPCA. The sale of JMPCA was considered a reconsideration event as defined in Accounting Standard Codification (“ASC”)
810,
Consolidation
, which requires a new consolidation analysis, and the Company determined that JMPCA is a VIE after the transaction date. The Company determined that it is
not
the primary beneficiary of JMPCA as the Company is
not
the party with the power to direct the most significant activities of JMPCA. As the Company was determined that it is
not
the primary beneficiary, the Company deconsolidated JMPCA as of the date of sale. As the Company retained
45.0%
of the equity interest of JMPCA and has significant influence, the Company has determined that it is required to account for its retained interest as an equity method investment, however the Company has made the election to apply the fair value option to this investment. The Company received a cash payment of
$0.3
million in consideration for the limited liability company interest and recorded a gain of
$3.4
million on deconsolidation as revenue from principal transactions. The Company will receive a portion of the subordinated management fees from the CLOs JMPCA currently manages and from CLO VI once it securitizes. After the sale, JMPCA was renamed Medalist Partners Corporate Finance LLC.
 
The sale of JMPCA also required Medalist to provide additional capital to purchase preference shares in JMP Credit Advisors Long-Term Warehouse Ltd (“CLO VI”) to finance the acquisition of broadly syndicated corporate loans. On
March 19, 2019,
Medalist related entities purchased
66%
of the outstanding preference shares of CLO VI on
March 19, 2019
for
$7.6
million. There was
no
gain or loss recognized on the sale of the preference shares.
 
After the sale of JMPCA, the Company lost the ability to direct the most significant activities of the following VIEs: JMP Credit Advisors CLO IV Ltd (“CLO IV”), JMP Credit Advisors CLO V Ltd (“CLO V”), and CLO VI (collectively with CLO III the “CLOs”) and as a result, deconsolidated those CLOs as of
March 19, 2019.
Previously the Company concluded that it was the primary beneficiary of CLO IV, CLO V, and CLO VI warehouse through its control over JMPCA and its ownership of
100%
of the equity tranches or preference shares of these CLOs. The Company continues to hold
100
%
of the junior subordinated notes of CLO IV and CLO V,
100%
and
25%
of the senior subordinated notes of CLO IV and CLO V, respectively, and
33%
of the preference shares of CLO VI as of
March 31, 2019.
The Company accounts for its ownership of the subordinated notes as an investment in a debt security and accounts for its ownership of the CLO VI preference shares as an equity investment. The Company will classify the junior subordinated notes as available-for-sale securities and will classify the senior subordinated notes as trading securities. Collectively, the Company recognized a loss on the deconsolidation of CLO IV, CLO V, and CLO VI of
$1.9
million for the
three
months ended
March 31, 2019
in revenues from principal transactions
 
The deconsolidation of the CLOs and JMPCA was accounted for based on the guidance in ASC
810,
Consolidation
. According to that guidance, the gain or loss on deconsolidation is calculated as the difference between (i) the aggregate of the fair value of the retained interest in the former subsidiaries, the fair value of any consideration received, and the carrying value of the non-controlling interest in the former subsidiaries; and (ii) the carrying value of the assets and liabilities of the former subsidiaries. The gain recognized by the Company is primarily the result of the remeasurement of the retained interest in the CLOs and JMPCA. The difference between these was recorded as a gain on deconsolidation in the Consolidated Statement of Operations under principal transactions revenue. The following table represents the consideration received, the fair value of the retained interest, and the resulting gain on deconsolidation of the CLOs and JMPCA:
 
Cash received:
  $
7,942
 
Retained interest, at fair value
(1)
   
74,989
 
Non-controlling interest, at carrying value
   
12,842
 
Total of consideration received, retained interest, and non-controlling interest   $
95,773
 
Less:
       
Net assets of deconsolidated subsidiaries at carrying value (2)
   
92,581
 
Gain on deconsolidation
  $
3,192
 
 
(
1
)
The fair value of the Company's retained interest in CLO III, CLO IV, CLO V, CLO VI, and JMPCA as of the deconsolidation date was
$13.3
million,
$27.8
million,
$26.5
million,
$3.8
million, and
$3.6
million, respectively
(
2
)
The book value of the net assets of CLO III, CLO IV, CLO V, CLO VI, and JMPCA as of the deconsolidation date
was 
$24.5
million,
$30.2
million,
$25.8
million,
$11.6
million, and
$0.5
million,
respectively
 
See Item
5
of this Form
10
-Q for the pro forma information on the sale of JMPCA and the resulting deconsolidation of JMPCA, CLO III, CLO IV, CLO V, and CLO VI.