Note 3 - Short Term Investments Available for Sale

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Notes to Financial Statements

Investments in Debt and Marketable Equity Securities (and Certain Trading Assets) Disclosure [Text Block]

3.

SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS AVAILABLE FOR SALE

Short term investments available for sale of

$1,680,000

and

$10,799,890

as of

December

31,

2016

and

2015,

respectively, consist of money market funds, commercial paper, corporate debt securities, and government agency debt securities. They are valued at estimated fair value, with unrealized gains and losses reported as a separate component of stockholders’ equity in accumulated other comprehensive loss.

Securities available for sale are evaluated periodically to determine whether a decline in their value is other than temporary.  The term “other than temporary” is not intended to indicate a permanent decline in value.  Rather, it means that the prospects for near term recovery of value are not necessarily favorable, or that there is a lack of evidence to support fair values equal to, or greater than, the carrying value of the security.  Management reviews criteria such as the magnitude and duration of the decline, as well as the reasons for the decline, to predict whether the loss in value is other than temporary.  Once a decline in value is determined to be other than temporary, the value of the security is reduced and a corresponding charge to earnings is recognized.  

A summary of the cost, fair value and maturities of the Company’s short-term investments is as follows:

	December 31, 201 6				December 31, 201 5
	Cost		Fair Value		Cost		Fair Value
Short-term investments
Certificate of deposit	$	1,680,000	$	1,680,000	$	4,800,000	$	4,798,810
Bonds - corporate issuances		–		–		6,003,748		6,001,080
Total short-term investments	$	1,680,000	$	1,680,000	$	10,803,748	$	10,799,890

	December 31, 201 6				December 31, 201 5
	Cost		Fair Value		Cost		Fair Value
Short-term investment maturities
Within 3 months	$	1,680,000	$	1,680,000	$	10,803,748	$	10,799,890
Between 3-12 months		–		–		–		–
Total	$	1,680,000	$	1,680,000	$	10,803,748	$	10,799,890

Investment income, which includes net realized losses on sales of available for sale securities and investment income interest and dividends, is summarized as follows:  

	201 6			201 5
Interest and dividends accrued and paid	$	31,262		$	186,322
Accretion of investment premium		(3,808	)		(122,998	)
(Losses) gains on investment maturity and sales, net		(532	)		264
Investment income net	$	26,922		$	63,588

The following table shows the Company’s investment securities gross unrealized losses and fair value by investment category and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position at

December

31,

2015.

The fair value of the each short term investment at

December

31,

2016,

$1,680,000

in total, was equal to its cost. Therefore,

no

unrealized gains or losses existed at

December

31,

2016.

The Company has reviewed individual securities to determine whether a decline in fair value below the amortizable cost basis is other than temporary.

	December 31, 201 5
Description of Investment Securities	Fair Value		Unrealized Holding Gains (Losses)
Available for sale (all unrealized holding gains and losses are less than 12 months at date of measurement)
Short-term investments with unrealized gains – Certificates of deposit	$	240,024	$	24
Short-term investments with unrealized losses – Certificates of deposit		4,558,786		(1,214	)
Short-term investments with unrealized losses – Bonds - corporate issuances		6,001,080		(2,668	)
Total	$	10,799,890	$	(3,858	)