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Note 4 - Investments
12 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2019
Notes to Financial Statements  
Investments in Debt and Marketable Equity Securities (and Certain Trading Assets) Disclosure [Text Block]
Note
4
- Investments:
 
Securities Available-for-Sale:
 
Investments held by the Company and its subsidiaries are classified as securities available-for-sale in accordance with FASB's ASC
320,
Investments - Debt and Equity Securities.  All of the Company's securities classified as available-for-sale were readily marketable or had a maturity of
twelve
months or less and are classified as current assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
 
Equity Securities:
 
Equity securities classified as available-for-sale on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, consist of ETFs held for dividend yield that attempt to replicate the performance of certain equity indexes and ETFs that hold preferred shares primarily of financial institutions.  
 
As of
April 30, 2019
and
April 30, 2018,
the aggregate cost of the equity securities classified as available-for-sale, which consist of investments in the SPDR Series Trust S&P Dividend ETF (SDY), First Trust Value Line Dividend Index ETF (FVD), PowerShares Financial Preferred ETF (PGF), Select Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU), First Trust Value Line
100
ETF (FVL), Proshares Trust S&P
500
Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL) and Ishares Select Dividend ETF (DVY) was
$8,541,000
and
$8,385,000,
respectively, and the fair value was
$10,622,000
and
$9,379,000,
respectively.   
 
Proceeds from sales of equity securities classified as available-for-sale  were
$0
and
$152,000
during the
twelve
months ended
April 30, 2019
and
April 30, 2018,
respectively.  Capital gain distributions of
$152,000
were reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated Balance Sheet to the Consolidated Statement of Income during the
twelve
months ended
April 30, 2018. 
There were
no
capital gain distributions in fiscal
2019.
  There were
no
gains or losses on sales of equity securities classified as available-for-sale during fiscal
2019
or fiscal
2018.
  The increase in gross unrealized gains on equity securities classified as available-for-sale of
$1,087,000,
net of deferred  taxes of
$228,000
was included in Shareholders' Equity at
April 30, 2019. 
The increase in gross unrealized gains on equity securities classified as available-for-sale of
$282,000,
net of deferred  tax benefit of
$42,000
was included in Shareholders' Equity at
April 30, 2018.
 
The carrying value and fair value of securities available-for-sale at
April 30, 2019
were as follows:
 
($ in thousands)
 
Cost
   
Gross Unrealized
Gains
   
Fair Value
 
ETFs - equities
  $
8,541
    $
2,081
    $
10,622
 
 
The carrying value and fair value of securities available-for-sale at
April 30, 2018
were as follows:
 
($ in thousands)
 
Cost
   
Gross Unrealized
Holding Gains
   
Fair Value
 
ETFs - equities
  $
8,385
    $
994
    $
9,379
 
 
Government Debt Securities (Fixed Income Securities):
 
Fixed income securities consist of certificates of deposits and securities issued by federal, state and local governments within the United States. 
 
The aggregate cost and fair value at
April 30, 2019
of fixed income securities classified as available-for-sale were as follows:
 
   
Amortized
   
Gross Unrealized
         
($ in thousands)
 
Historical Cost
   
Holding Gains
   
Fair Value
 
Maturity
                       
Due within 1 year
  $
6,913
    $
33
    $
6,946
 
Due 1 year through 5 years
   
4,250
     
10
     
4,260
 
Total investment in government debt securities
  $
11,163
    $
43
    $
11,206
 
 
The increase in gross unrealized  gains of
$46,000
on fixed income securities classified as available-for-sale net of deferred income taxes of
$10,000,
was included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of
April 30, 2019. 
 
The aggregate cost and fair value at
April 30, 2018
of fixed income securities classified as available-for-sale were as follows:
 
   
Amortized
   
Gross Unrealized
   
Gross Unrealized
         
($ in thousands)
 
Historical Cost
   
Holding Gains
   
Holding Losses
   
Fair Value
 
Maturity
                               
Due within 1 year
  $
7,868
    $
10
    $
(12
)   $
7,866
 
Due 1 year through 5 years
   
600
     
-
     
(1
)    
599
 
Total investment in government debt securities
  $
8,468
    $
10
    $
(13
)   $
8,465
 
 
The decrease in gross unrealized  losses of
$2,500
on fixed income securities classified as available-for-sale net of deferred income taxes of
$1,200,
was included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of
April 30, 2018. 
 
The average yield on the Government debt securities classified as available-for-sale at
April 30, 2019
and
April 30, 2018
was
2.09%
and
1.24%,
respectively.
 
Income from Securities Transactions:
 
Income from securities transactions was comprised of the following:
 
   
Fiscal Years Ended April 30,
 
($ in thousands)
 
2019
   
2018
   
2017
 
Dividend income
  $
257
    $
226
    $
193
 
Interest income
   
201
     
103
     
33
 
Capital gain distributions from ETFs (1)
   
-
     
152
     
39
 
Other
   
46
     
59
     
47
 
Total income from securities transactions, net
  $
504
    $
540
    $
312
 
 
(
1
) Capital gain distributions of
$152,000
and
$39,000
were reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated  Balance Sheets to the Consolidated  Statements of Income in fiscal
2018
and
2017,
respectively. 
 
The changes in the value of equity and fixed income securities investments are recorded in Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated Financial Statements.  Realized gains and losses are recorded on the trade date in the Consolidated Statements of Income when securities are sold, mature or are redeemed.  As of
April 30, 2019,
the changes in gross unrealized gains of
$1,133,000,
net of deferred tax expense of
$238,000
were recorded in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.  As of
April 30, 2018,
the changes in gross unrealized gains of
$285,000,
net of deferred tax benefit of
$40,000,
were recorded in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
 
Investment in Unconsolidated Entities:
 
Equity Method Investment:
 
As of
April 30, 2019
and
April 30, 2018,
the Company's investment in EAM Trust, on the Consolidated Balance Sheets was
$58,625,000
and
$58,233,000,
respectively.
 
The value of VLI’s investment in EAM at
April 30, 2019
and
April 30, 2018
reflects the fair value of contributed capital of
$55,805,000
at inception, which included
$5,820,000
of cash and liquid securities in excess of working capital requirements contributed to EAM’s capital account by VLI, plus VLI's share of non-voting revenues and non-voting profits from EAM less distributions, made quarterly to VLI by EAM, during the period subsequent to its initial investment through the dates of the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
 
It is anticipated that EAM will have sufficient liquidity and earn enough profit to conduct its current and future operations so the management of EAM will
not
need additional funding. 
 
The Company monitors its Investment in EAM Trust for impairment to determine whether an event or change in circumstances has occurred that
may
have a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment.  Impairment indicators include, but are
not
limited to the following: (a) a significant deterioration in the earnings performance, asset quality, or business prospects of the investee, (b) a significant adverse change in the regulatory, economic, or technological environment of the investee, (c) a significant adverse change in the general market condition of the industry in which the investee operates, or (d) factors that raise significant concerns about the investee’s ability to continue as a going concern such as negative cash flows, working capital deficiencies, or noncompliance with statutory capital and regulatory requirements.  EAM did
not
record any impairment losses for its assets during the fiscal years
2019
or
2018.
 
The components of EAM’s investment management operations, provided to the Company by EAM, were as follows:
 
    Fiscal Years Ended April 30,  
($ in thousands)
 
2019
   
2018
   
2017
 
Investment management fees earned from the Value Line Funds, net of waivers shown below
  $
16,715
    $
15,988
    $
14,701
 
12b-1 fees and other fees, net of waivers shown below
  $
6,811
    $
6,455
    $
5,822
 
Other income
  $
273
    $
171
    $
205
 
Investment management fee waivers and reimbursements
  $
421
    $
487
    $
474
 
12b-1 fee waivers
  $
654
    $
754
    $
923
 
Value Line’s non-voting revenues interest
  $
8,260
    $
8,040
    $
7,195
 
EAM's net income (1)
  $
2,098
    $
1,492
    $
1,038
 
 
(
1
) Represents EAM's net income, after giving effect to Value Line’s non-voting revenues interest, but before distributions to voting profits interest holders and to the Company in respect of its
50%
non-voting profits interest. 
 
   
Fiscal Years Ended April 30,
 
($ in thousands)
 
2019
   
2018
 
EAM's total assets
  $
60,683
    $
60,203
 
EAM's total liabilities (1)
   
(3,547
)    
(3,128
)
EAM's total equity
  $
57,136
    $
57,075
 
 
(
1
) At
April 30, 2019
and
2018,
EAM's total liabilities included a payable to VLI for its accrued non-voting revenues and non-voting profits interests of
$2,420,000
and
$2,113,000,
respectively.