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Investments
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Investments  
Investments

NOTE 10. Investments

        The Company's investment portfolio includes interests in publicly and privately held companies and private equity securities. Fair value information regarding these investments has been aggregated and is presented below as of and for the years ended December 31:

(In thousands)
  2011   2010  

Investment in FATV

  $ 15,863   $ 16,800  

Employee Investment Funds net of Company's ownership interest

    1,247     1,284  

Other investment

    1,200      
           

Total Investments

  $ 18,310   $ 18,084  
           

        Investment gains and losses were comprised of the following:

(In thousands)
  2011   2010   2009  

Investments (realized and unrealized gains)

  $ 2,996   $ 7   $ 5,698  
               

        The Company has an investment in FATV of approximately $15.9 million and approximately $16.8 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. FATV's primary purpose is to provide investment returns consistent with the risk of investing in venture capital. FA Technology Ventures Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, is the investment advisor to FATV. There are no material open commitments to fund this portfolio at December 31, 2011. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, total Partnership capital for all investors in FATV equaled $63.7 million and $65.0 million, respectively. The Partnership was scheduled to end in July 2011, subject to extension by the vote of a majority of the limited partners, as provided in the limited partnership agreement applicable to the Partnership (the "Partnership Agreement"). The term of the Partnership was extended for one year pursuant to such provision and is now scheduled to terminate on July 19, 2012. Although the term may be again extended for another one-year period under the Partnership Agreement, the Company currently expects the Partnership to terminate on such date. The Partnership is considered a variable interest entity. The Company is not the primary beneficiary, due to other investors' level of investment in the Partnership. Accordingly, the Company has not consolidated the Partnership in these consolidated financial statements, but has only recorded the fair value of its investment, which also represented the Company's maximum exposure to loss in the Partnership at December 31, 2011 and 2010. The Company's share of management fee income derived from the Partnership for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 were $0.7 million and $0.8 million, respectively.

        The Employee Investment Funds ("EIF") are limited liability companies, established by the Company for the purpose of having select employees invest in private equity securities. The EIF is managed by Broadpoint Management Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, which has contracted with FATV to act as an investment advisor with respect to funds invested in parallel with the Partnership. The Company has consolidated EIF resulting in approximately $1.2 million and $1.3 million of Investments and a corresponding Payable to others being recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Management fees are not material.

        Other investment is an investment in a privately held company.