GAMCO INVESTORS, INC. ET AL - Annual Report: 2008 (Form 10-K)
UNITED
STATES
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SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
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Washington,
D.C. 20549
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FORM
10-K
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[ X
] ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF 1934
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For
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008
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or
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[ ]
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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For
the transition period from ______ to ______
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Commission
file number 1-14761
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GAMCO
Investors, Inc.
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(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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New
York
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13-4007862
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(State
or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
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(I.R.S.
Employer Identification No.)
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One
Corporate Center, Rye, NY
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10580-1422
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(Address
of principal executive offices)
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(Zip
Code)
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Registrant’s telephone number, including area
code (914) 921-5100
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Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Title
of each class
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Name
of each exchange on which registered
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Class
A Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share
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New
York Stock Exchange, Inc.
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Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
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Indicate by check mark if the
registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the
Securities Act Yes o No x.
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Indicate by check mark if the
registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or
Section 15(d) of the Act Yes o No x.
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Indicate by check mark whether
the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section
13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12
months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to
file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements
for the past 90 days Yes x No o.
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Indicate by check mark if
disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation
S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best
of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment
to this Form 10-K o.
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Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting
company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer",
"accelerated filer", and "smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act. (Check one):
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Large accelerated filer
o
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Accelerated filer x
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Non-accelerated filer
o
(Do
not check if a smaller reporting
company)
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Smaller reporting company
o
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Indicate by check mark whether
the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Exchange Act Rule
12b-2) Yes o No x.
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The
aggregate market value of the class A common stock held by non-affiliates of the
registrant as of June 30, 2008 (the last business day of the Registrant’s most
recently completed second fiscal quarter) was $366,282,100.
As of
March 1, 2009, 7,383,415 shares of class A common stock and 20,378,699
shares of class B common stock were outstanding. 20,028,500 shares
of class B common stock were held by GGCP, Inc.
DOCUMENTS
INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: The definitive proxy statement for the
2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
2
GAMCO
Investors, Inc.
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Annual Report on Form 10-K For
the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2008
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2008
Selected Dynamics
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Overview
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Item 4 | Submission Of Matters To A Vote Of Security Holders | 27 | ||
Certifications
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3
Forward-Looking
Statements
Our
disclosure and analysis in this report and in documents that are incorporated by
reference contain some forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements
give our current expectations or forecasts of future events. You can
identify these statements because they do not relate strictly to historical or
current facts. They use words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,”
“project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” and other words and terms of similar
meaning. They also appear in any discussion of future operating or
financial performance. In particular, these include statements relating to
future actions, future performance of our products, expenses, the outcome of any
legal proceedings, and financial results.
Although
we believe that we are basing our expectations and beliefs on reasonable
assumptions within the bounds of what we currently know about our business and
operations, there can be no assurance that our actual results will not differ
materially from what we expect or believe. Some of the factors that could cause
our actual results to differ from our expectations or beliefs include, without
limitation: the adverse effect from a decline in the securities markets; a
decline in the performance of our products; a general downturn in the economy;
changes in government policy or regulation; changes in our ability to attract or
retain key employees; and unforeseen costs and other effects related to legal
proceedings or investigations of governmental and self-regulatory organizations.
We also direct your attention to any more specific discussions of risk contained
in Item 1A below and in our other public filings or in documents incorporated by
reference here or in prior filings or reports.
We
are providing these statements as permitted by the Private Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. We do not undertake to update publicly any forward-looking statements
if we subsequently learn that we are unlikely to achieve our expectations or if
we receive any additional information relating to the subject matters of our
forward-looking statements.
Unless we
have indicated otherwise, or the context otherwise requires, references in this
report to “GAMCO Investors, Inc.,” “GBL,” “we,” “us” and “our” or similar terms
are to GAMCO Investors, Inc., its predecessors and its
subsidiaries.
Since our
initial public offering in February 1999, GBL’s class A common stock has
generated a 76% total return (including dividends) for its shareholders through
December 31, 2008 versus a total negative return of 13% (including dividends)
for the S&P 500 Index during the same period. Our class A common
stock, which is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “GBL”,
ended the year at a closing market price of $27.32.
During
2008, we returned $95.6 million of our earnings to shareholders through
dividends and our stock buyback program. We paid $56.2 million, or $2.02 per
share, in dividends to our common shareholders and purchased 896,525
million shares at $39.4 million, for an investment of $43.93 per
share.
In March,
Gabelli Funds, LLC ("Funds Advisor") assumed the role of investment advisor to
the AXA Enterprise Mergers and Acquisitions Fund, a fund that has been
sub-advised by GAMCO Asset Management Inc. (“GAMCO”), an affiliate, since the
fund’s inception on February 28, 2001. The portfolio management team, which has
managed the fund since inception, remained the same.
In May,
Nicholas F. Galluccio was named as the President and CEO of Teton Advisors, Inc.
(“Teton”), a subsidiary of GAMCO, effective July 1. GAMCO is finalizing the
distribution of its shares held in Teton to shareholders of GAMCO in March of
2009. Teton is the adviser to seven open-end mutual funds under the GAMCO
Westwood brand. Mr. Galluccio was with Trust Company of the West for 25 years,
where he served as the Group Managing Director, U.S. Equities and Senior
Portfolio Manager.
In July,
Jeffrey M. Farber joined us as Executive Vice President Finance/Corporate
Development and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Farber will help us expand our
business both internally and through acquisitions and lift-outs. He was
previously with Bear Stearns, most recently as Senior Vice President – Finance
and Controller; and prior to that with Deloitte & Touche as an audit
partner.
In
October, GBL privately placed a $60 million convertible promissory note with
Cascade Investment, L.L.C. (“Cascade”). The ten-year note pays interest at 6.5%
and provides Cascade with certain put rights and an escrow agreement. The note
is convertible into GBL class A common stock at $70 per share.
In
October, Virgil Chan joined GAMCO to manage our Asia operations from Hong Kong
and will oversee all management functions in Asia. Mr. Chan has held
a number of positions in investment banking and private equity, most recently
with Symphony Capital Partners (formerly Schroder Capital Partners) in
Singapore. He received his MBA from the Fellows Program at the MIT of the Sloan
School of Management and holds an undergraduate degree from Washington
University in St. Louis. A U.S. citizen, Mr. Chan is a Hong Kong Permanent
Resident.
During
November, the Bjurman, Barry Micro-Cap Growth Fund selected Teton, a subsidiary
of GBL, as the interim investment adviser. Shareholders of the fund
are in the process of voting to merge the fund into our GAMCO Westwood Mighty
MitesSM
Fund.
GBL
formed a research and portfolio team to focus on the clean-technology and
alternative-energy sector, with the future possibility of launching an
investment fund. "Gabelli Green", led by John Segrich, will focus on
investment opportunities in existing companies whose core operations are within
wind, solar, emission controls and energy efficiency, nuclear, water and waste,
energy storage, bio fuels, and all aspects of carbon capture, storage and
trading. Gabelli Green broadens our platform joining other global teams that
focus on Digital, Food of All Nations, Healthcare & Wellness, and
Productivity Enhancers.
GAM GAMCO
Equity Fund was awarded Standard & Poor’s AAA Rating for the fifth
consecutive year and is one of only four S&P AAA rated funds out of the
95 fund Mainstream Equities Group. The Standard & Poor’s AAA rating is a
widely acknowledged measure of excellence, awarded only when, in S&P’s
words: “The fund demonstrates the highest standards of quality based on its
investment process and management’s consistency of performance as compared to
funds with similar objectives.”
Our
liquid balance sheet, coupled with investment grade credit ratings from both
Moody's and Standard & Poor's, provides access to financial markets and the
flexibility to opportunistically add operating resources to our firm, repurchase
our stock and consider strategic initiatives. As a result of GBL's shelf
registration in the third quarter 2006, we have the right to issue any
combination of senior and subordinate debt securities, convertible debt
securities and equity securities (including common and preferred securities) up
to a total amount of $520 million.
4
Our
financial strength is underscored by having received an investment grade rating
from two ratings agencies, Moody’s Investors Services and Standard and Poor’s
Ratings Services. We believe that maintaining these investment grade
ratings will provide greater access to the capital markets, enhance liquidity
and lower overall borrowing costs. However, we will also consider the use of
leverage as part of our corporate financial strategy even if it results in a
lowering of our investment rating.
Gabelli
& Company hosted six institutional symposiums and conferences during
2008. These meetings are an important component of the research
services the firm provides its institutional clients. Specifically,
2008 featured our 32nd annual
Automotive Aftermarket Symposium, our 18th annual
Pump Valve & Motor Symposium, our 14th annual
Aircraft Supplier Conference, seventh annual Dental Conference, and our
inaugural Specialty Chemicals and Best Ideas Conferences. In 2009, we
have already initiated our first Movie Conference to be held in
March.
GAMCO
Investors, Inc. (New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE"): GBL), well known for its
Private Market Value (PMV) with a CatalystTM investment
approach, is a
widely-recognized provider of investment advisory services to mutual funds,
institutional and private wealth management investors, and investment
partnerships, principally in the United States. Through Gabelli &
Company, Inc. ("Gabelli & Company"), we provide institutional research
services to institutional clients and investment partnerships. We
generally manage assets on a discretionary basis and invest in a variety of U.S.
and international securities through various investment styles. Our
revenues are based primarily on the firm’s levels of assets under management
("AUM") and to a lesser extent, incentive fees associated with our various
investment products.
Since
1977, we have been identified with and enhanced the “value” style approach to
investing. Over the 31 years since the inception of the firm, consistent with
our fundamental objective of providing an absolute rate of return for our
clients, GBL generated over $10.5 billion in investment returns for our
institutional and private wealth management clients. The 31 year
CARR (compounded annual rate of return) for the institutional clients (as
measured by our composite return) was 16.2% on a gross basis and 15.3% on a net
basis. As stated in our mission statement, our investment objective is to earn a
superior risk-adjusted return for our value clients over the long-term through
our proprietary fundamental research. In addition to our value
portfolios, we offer our clients a broad array of investment strategies that
include global, growth, international and convertible products. We
also offer a series of investment partnership (performance fee-based) vehicles
that provide a series of long-short investment opportunities, both market and
sector specific opportunities, including offerings of non-market correlated
investments in merger arbitrage, as well as fixed income
strategies.
As of
December 31, 2008, we had $20.7 billion of AUM, 93% of which were in equity
products. We conduct our investment advisory business principally
through our subsidiaries: GAMCO Asset Management Inc. (Separate Accounts),
Gabelli Funds, LLC (Mutual Funds) and Gabelli Securities, Inc. (Investment
Partnerships). We also act as an underwriter, are a distributor of
our open-end mutual funds and provide institutional research through Gabelli
& Company, our broker-dealer subsidiary.
Our
assets under management are organized into three groups:
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Investment
Partnerships: we provide
advisory services to limited partnerships and offshore funds (“Investment
Partnerships”). We managed a total of $295 million in
Investment Partnership assets on December 31,
2008.
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Institutional
and Private Wealth Management: we provide advisory services to a
broad range of investors, including private wealth management,
corporate pension and profit-sharing plans, foundations, endowments,
jointly-trusteed plans and municipalities, and also serve as sub-advisor
to certain other third-party investment funds including registered
investment companies (“Institutional and Private Wealth
Management”). Each Institutional and Private Wealth Management
portfolio is managed to meet the specific needs and objectives of the
particular client by utilizing investment strategies and techniques within
our areas of expertise. On December 31, 2008, we had $8.5
billion of Institutional and Private Wealth Management
AUM.
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Open and
Closed-End Funds: we provide
advisory services to (i) twenty one open-end funds and nine closed-end
funds under Gabelli, GAMCO and Comstock brands; and (ii) seven open-end
funds including the Westwood family of funds and the B.B. Micro Cap Growth
Fund (collectively, the “Funds”). The Funds had $11.9 billion
of assets under management on December 31,
2008.
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GBL is a
holding company formed in connection with our initial public offering
(“Offering”) in February 1999. GGCP, Inc. owns a majority of the
outstanding shares of class B common stock of GBL, which ownership represented
approximately 95% of the combined voting power of the outstanding common stock
and approximately 72% of the equity interest on December 31,
2008. GGCP, Inc. is majority-owned by Mr. Mario J. Gabelli (“Mr.
Gabelli”). Accordingly, Mr. Gabelli could be deemed to control
GBL.
Our
principal executive offices are located at One Corporate Center, Rye, New York
10580. Our telephone number is (914) 921-5100. We post or
provide a link on our website, www.gabelli.com, to
the following filings as soon as reasonably practicable after they are
electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission
("Commission" or “SEC”): our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on
Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports
filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934. All such filings on our website are available free of
charge.
Performance
Highlights
Institutional
and Private Wealth Management
The
institutional client composite of our Institutional and Private Wealth
Management business has achieved a compound annual return of approximately 15.3%
on a net basis for over 31 years since inception through December 31, 2008, even
after reflecting a 38.2% decline in this composite last year. The accounts in
this composite are managed in our absolute return, research-driven PMV with a
CatalystTM style
since inception.
5
The table
below compares the long-term performance record for our Institutional and
Private Wealth Management composite since 1977, using our traditional
value-oriented product, the Gabelli PMV with a CatalystTM
investment approach, versus various benchmarks.
GAMCO
Value
1977 – 2008
GAMCO(a)
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S&P
500(b)
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Russel
2000(b)
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CPI+10(b)
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Number
of Up Years
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28
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25
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21
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Number
of Down Years
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4
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7
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9
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Years
GAMCO Value Beat Index
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22
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21
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20
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Total
Return (CAGR) gross
(a)
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16.2
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10.8
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10.8
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14.0
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Total
Return (CAGR) net
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15.3
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Beta
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0.82
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Note:
1977 is a stub period of 10/1/77 to 12/31/77.
Footnotes
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(a) |
The
GAMCO Value composite represents fully discretionary, tax-exempt
institutional accounts managed for at least one full quarter and meeting
minimum account size requirements. The minimum size requirement
for inclusion in 1985 was $500,000; $1 million in 1986; and $5 million in
1987 and thereafter. The performance calculations include accounts under
management during the respective periods. As of 12/31/08, the GAMCO Value
composite included 41 accounts with an aggregate market value of $2.5
billion. No two portfolios are identical. Accounts
not within this size and type may have experienced different results. Not
all accounts in the GAMCO Value Composite are included in the
composite.
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GAMCO
Value performance results are computed on a total-return basis, which
includes all dividends, interest, and realized and unrealized gains and
losses. The summary of past performance is not intended as a
prediction of future results. Returns are presented in U.S.
dollars. All returns are before taxes and custodial fees. The
inception date of the GAMCO Value composite is
10/1/77.
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The
net
returns from 1990 to 2008 are net of actual fees and actual transaction
costs. The net returns before 1990 reflects the calculation
using a model investment fee (1% compounded quarterly) and actual
transaction costs. Gross returns are before investment
management fees.
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GAMCO
Value Total Return represents the total net return of the composite from
10/1/77 through 12/31/08.
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Beta
is the measure of the GAMCO Value composite’s risk (volatility) in
relation to the S&P 500
Index.
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(b)
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The
S&P 500 is an unmanaged index of 500 U.S. stocks and performance
represents total return of the index including reinvestment of
dividends. The Russell 2000 is an unmanaged index of 2,000
small capitalization stocks and performance represents total return of the
index including reinvestment of dividends. The performance
figures for the Russell 2000 are based on an inception date of
1/1/79. The S&P 500 and Russell 2000 do not necessarily
reflect how a managed portfolio of equity securities would have
performed. The CPI is a widely-used measure of inflation, and
the CPI+10 measure is used to show the results that would have been
achieved by obtaining a rate of return that exceeded the CPI by a constant
10% as a basis of comparison versus the results of the GAMCO Value
composite.
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GAM
GAMCO
Equity Fund was awarded Standard & Poor’s AAA Rating for
the fifth consecutive year and is one of only four S&P AAA
rated funds out of the 95 fund Mainstream Equities Group. The Standard
& Poor’s AAA rating is a widely acknowledged measure of excellence,
awarded only when, in S&P’s words: “The fund demonstrates the
highest standards of quality based on its investment process and
management’s consistency of performance as compared to funds with similar
objectives.” GAM
GAMCO
Equity Fund has been sub-advised by GAMCO for London UK based GAM since
the fund’s launch in October 1987. We plan to enhance our position
as a sub-advisor with other financial sponsors where we have investment
capacity.
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Open and Closed-End Funds |
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Our
100% US Treasury Money Market Fund¹, exceeded $1 billion as investors fled
enhanced-money market funds in favor of funds that focus on the highest
quality U.S. Treasury instruments and superior yield. The fund
ranked second in total return for the 12 months ended December 31, 2008
among 78 US Treasury money market funds tracked by Lipper Inc.², For the 5
year and 10 year periods ended December 31, 2008, the fund ranked 2nd out
of 69 funds and 3rd out of 47 funds, respectively, within that
category.
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(1) Past performance is no
guarantee of future results. An investment in any money market fund is not
insured or guaranteed by the US government, the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation or any government agency. Although the Fund seeks to maintain
the value of an investment at $1.00 per share it is possible to lose money by
investing in the Fund. Dividend yields and returns have been enhanced due to
expense limitations initiated by the Adviser. Equity funds involve the risk
that the underlying investments may lose value. Accordingly, it is
possible to lose money by investing in these funds. Investing in gold stocks is
considered speculative and is affected by a variety of worldwide economic,
financial, and political risks. Small capitalization companies present greater
risks than securities of larger more established companies. They trade less
frequently and experience more abrupt price movements. Investors should
consider the investment objectives, risks, sales charges and expense of the fund
carefully before investing. The prospectus contains more complete information
about this and other matters. The prospectus should be read carefully before
investing. You can obtain a prospectus by calling Gabelli & Company,
Inc. at 1-800-GABELLI (1-800-422-3554) or contacting your financial
representative or by visiting http://www.gabelli.com.
(2) Lipper
Inc. is a nationally-recognized independent provider of investment company
data.
6
Our
business strategy targets global growth of the franchise through continued
leveraging of our proven asset management strengths including our brand name,
long-term performance record, diverse product offerings and experienced
investment, research and client service professionals. In order to
achieve growth in AUM and profitability, we are pursuing a strategy which
includes the following key elements:
·
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Gabelli
“Private Market Value (PMV) with a CatalystTM” Investment
Approach. While we
have expanded our investment product offerings, our “value investing”
approach remains the core of our business. This method is based
on the value investing principles articulated by Graham & Dodd in 1934
and further augmented by Mario J. Gabelli, CFA with his development
of Private Market Value (PMV) with a CatalystTM and his
introduction of a catalyst into the value investment
methodology. The development of PMV analysis combined with the
concept of a catalyst has evolved from the original Graham & Dodd
value investing approach to a Gabelli augmented Graham & Dodd and,
which attributable to Gabelli, is commonly referred to as Private Market
Value (PMV) with a CatalystTM investing.
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Private
Market Value (PMV) with a CatalystTM investing
is a disciplined, research-driven approach based on intensive security
analysis. In this process, we generally select stocks whose
intrinsic value, based on our estimate of current asset value and future
growth and earnings power, is significantly different from the value as
reflected in the public market. We then calculate the firm’s
PMV, which is defined as the price an informed industrial buyer would be
likely to pay to acquire the
business.
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Our
value team generally looks for situations in which catalyst(s) is
(are) working to help eliminate the premium or realize the discount
between the public market price and the estimated
PMV. Catalysts which are company specific
include: realization of hidden assets, recognition of
underperforming subsidiaries, share buybacks, spin-offs, mergers and
acquisitions, balance sheet changes, new products, accounting changes, new
management and cross-shareholder unwinding. Other catalysts are
related to industry dynamics or macroeconomics and include but are not
limited to: industry consolidation, deregulation, accounting, tax, pension
and political reforms, technological change and the macroeconomic
backdrop. The time horizons for catalysts to trigger change can
either be short-term, medium-term or
long-term.
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·
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Establishing
Research and Relationship Centers. To extend
our research into new areas and add to our core research competency, we
opened two research offices in Shanghai and Singapore supplementing
our existing offices in London, New York, Chicago, Greenwich CT,
Reno, Palm Beach, and Minneapolis. We will continue to evaluate
adding additional research offices throughout the
world.
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·
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Introducing
New Products and Services. We believe
we have the capacity for development of new products and services around
the Gabelli and GAMCO brands to complement our existing product offerings.
New products since our initial public offering
include:
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Six
closed-end funds: The Gabelli Dividend & Income Trust, The Gabelli
Global Deal Fund, The Gabelli Global Utility and Income Trust, The Gabelli
Global Gold, Natural Resources & Income Trust, The Gabelli Utility
Trust, and The Gabelli Healthcare and WellnessRX
Trust.
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Four
open-end funds: Gabelli Blue Chip Value Fund (1999), Gabelli
Utilities Fund (1999) Gabelli Woodland Small Cap Value Fund (2003),
Gabelli SRI Fund (2007), to be rebranded as Gabelli Green SRI Fund, Inc.
in 2009.
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-
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Four
offshore funds: Gabelli Global Partners, Ltd., Gabelli Japanese
Value Partners, Ltd., Gabelli Capital Structure Arbitrage Fund Ltd., and
GAMCO SRI Partners,
Ltd.
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-
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Eight
private limited partnerships: Gemini Global Partners, L.P.,
Gabelli Capital Structure Arbitrage Fund LP., Gabelli Intermediate Credit,
L.P., Gabelli Japanese Value Partners, L.P., Gabelli Associates Fund II,
L.P., GAMA Select Energy Plus, L.P., GAMCO Medical Opportunities, L.P.,
and the GAMCO Long/Short Equity Fund, L.P. to be launched in
2009.
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·
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Incentive
Fees and
Fulcrum Fees. Our investment
strategy is focused on adding stock specific alpha through our proprietary
Private Market Value (PMV) with a CatalystTM
equity research efforts. We expect to receive an increasing portion
of our revenues and earnings through various products with incentive and
fulcrum fees. Since we envision that a growing percentage of
the firm's revenues will be directly linked to performance-based fees,
this will also increase the variability of our revenues and
profits. As of December 31, 2008, approximately $1.0 billion of
Institutional and Private Wealth Management assets are managed on a
performance fee basis along with $1.0 billion of preferred issues of
closed-end funds, the $344 million The Gabelli Global Deal Fund and $295
million of investment partnership assets. Unlike most money
management firms, we elected not to receive a management fee on a majority
of the preferred offerings in our closed-end funds until the fund’s
overall performance exceeds each preferred’s nominal cost of
capital. In addition, the incubation of new product strategies using
proprietary capital will compensate the investment team with a performance
fee model to reinforce our pay-for-performance
approach.
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7
·
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Expanding
Mutual Fund Distribution. We continue
to expand our distribution network primarily through national and regional
brokerage firms and have developed additional classes of shares for most
of our mutual funds for sale through these firms and other third-party
distribution channels on a commission basis. We intend to
increase our wholesaling efforts to market the multi-class shares, which
have been designed to meet the needs of investors who seek advice through
financial consultants.
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·
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Increasing
Presence in Private Wealth Management Market. Our
private wealth
management business focuses, in general, on serving clients who have
established an account relationship of $1 million or more with
us. According to industry estimates, the number of households
with over $1 million in investable assets will continue to grow in the
future, subject to ups and downs in the equity and fixed income
markets. With our 32-year history of serving this segment,
long-term performance record, customized portfolio approach, dominant,
tax-sensitive, buy-hold investment strategy, brand name recognition and
broad array of product offerings, we believe that we are well-positioned
to capitalize on the growth opportunities in this
market.
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·
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Increasing
Marketing for Institutional and Private Wealth
Management. The Institutional
and Private Wealth Management business was principally developed through
direct marketing channels. Historically, pension and financial consultants
have not been a major source of new institutional and private wealth
management business for us. We plan to augment our
institutional sales force through the addition of staff to market directly
to the consultant community as well as our traditional marketing
channels.
|
·
|
Attracting
and Retaining Experienced Professionals. We
offer
significant variable compensation that provides opportunities to our
staff. We have increased the scope of our investment management
capabilities by adding portfolio managers and other investment personnel
in order to expand our broad array of products. The ability to
attract and retain highly-experienced investment and other professionals
with a long-term commitment to us and our clients has been, and will
continue to be, a significant factor in our long-term growth. At December
2008, we have 369,900 restricted stock awards outstanding to our
professional staff recommended by and excluding Mr. Gabelli, which have
three- and five-year vesting, which will reward long-term commitment to
our goals.
|
·
|
Sponsorship
of Industry Conferences. Gabelli & Company,
our institutional research boutique, sponsors industry conferences and
management events throughout the year. At these conferences and events,
senior management from leading industry companies share their thoughts on
the industry, competition, regulatory issues and the challenges and
opportunities in their businesses with portfolio managers and securities
analysts.
|
·
|
Hosting of
Institutional Investor Symposiums. We have
a tradition of sponsoring institutional investor symposiums that bring
together prominent portfolio managers, members of academia and other
leading business professionals to present, discuss and debate current
issues and topics in the investment
industry.
|
-1997
|
“Active
vs. Passive Stock Selection”
|
-1998
|
“The
Role of Hedge Funds as a Way of Generating Absolute
Returns”
|
-2001
|
“Virtues
of Value Investing”
|
-2003
|
“Dividends,
Taxable versus Non-Taxable Issues”
|
-2006
|
“Closed-End
Funds: Premiums vs. Discounts, Dividends and
Distributions”
|
We also
hold annual conferences for our investment partnership clients and prospects in
New York and London at which our portfolio management team discusses the
investment environment, our strategies and portfolios, and event-driven
investment opportunities.
·
|
Capitalizing
on
Acquisitions, Alliances and Lift-outs. We
intend
to selectively and opportunistically pursue acquisitions, alliances and
lift-outs that will broaden our product offerings and add new sources of
distribution. In November 2002, we completed our alliance with
Woodland Partners LLC, a Minneapolis based investment advisor of
institutional, high net-worth and sub-advisory accounts. On
October 1, 1999, we completed our alliance with Mathers and Company, Inc.
and now act as investment advisor to the Mathers Fund (renamed GAMCO
Mathers Fund), and in May 2000, we added Comstock Partners Funds, Inc.,
(renamed Comstock Funds, Inc.). The Mathers and Comstock funds
are part of our Non-Market Correlated mutual fund product line. On March
11, 2008, Funds Advisor assumed the role of investment advisor to the AXA
Enterprise Mergers and Acquisitions Fund, a fund that has been sub-advised
by GAMCO since the fund’s inception on February 28, 2001. In
November 2008, the Board of Directors of the B.B. Micro Cap Growth Fund
selected Teton, a subsidiary of GBL, as its interim investment
adviser. Shareholders of the fund have been asked to approve a
merger of the fund into the GAMCO Westwood Mighty MitesSM
Fund.
|
We believe
that we have the financial capacity to pursue acquisitions and
lift-outs.
We
believe that our growth to date is traceable to the following
factors:
·
|
Strong
Industry Fundamentals: According
to
data compiled by the U.S. Federal Reserve, the investment management
industry has grown faster than more traditional segments of the financial
services industry, including the banking and insurance industries. Since
GBL began managing for institutional and private wealth management clients
in 1977, world equity markets have grown at a 10.2% compounded annual
growth rate through December 31, 2008 to nearly $32 trillion(a). The
U.S. equity market comprises about $10.6 trillion(a)
or roughly 33% of world equity markets. We believe that
demographic trends and the growing role of money managers in the placement
of capital compared to the traditional role played by banks and life
insurance companies will result in continued growth of the investment
management industry.
|
·
|
Long-Term
Performance: We have a
superior long-term record of achieving relatively high returns for our
Institutional and Private Wealth Management clients. We believe that our
performance record represents a competitive advantage and a recognized
component of our franchise.
|
·
|
Stock
Market Gains: Since
we
began managing for institutional and private wealth management clients in
1977, our traditional value-oriented Institutional and Private Wealth
Management composite has earned a compound annual return of 15.3% net of
fees versus a compound annual return of 10.8% for the S&P 500
through December 31, 2008. Since our initial public offering in
February 1999 through December 2008, the compound annual return for our
traditional value-oriented Institutional and Private Wealth Management
composite was 5.3% versus the S&P 500’s compound annual total negative
return of 1.5%.
|
·
|
Widely-Recognized
“Gabelli” and “GAMCO” Brand Names: For much of our
history, our portfolio managers and investment products have been featured
in a variety of financial print media, including both U.S. and
international publications such as The Wall Street Journal,
Financial Times, Money Magazine, Barron's, Fortune, Business Week, Nikkei
Financial News, Forbes Magazine, Consumer Reports and Investor's Business
Daily. We also underwrite publications written by our investment
professionals, including Deals…Deals…and More
Deals which examines the practice of merger arbitrage and Global Convertible Investing:
The Gabelli Way, a comprehensive guide to effective investing in
convertible securities.
|
·
|
Diversified
Product Offerings: Since the inception of our investment
management activities, we have sought to expand the breadth of our product
offerings. We currently offer a wide spectrum of investment products and
strategies, including product offerings in U.S. equities, U.S. fixed
income, global and international equities, convertible securities, U.S.
balanced and investment
partnerships.
|
(a)
Source: Birinyi Associates, LLC
8
GBL was
originally founded in 1976 as an institutional broker-dealer. We
entered the institutional and private wealth management business in 1977,
management of investment partnerships in 1985 and the mutual fund business in
1986. Our initial product offerings centered on our tax sensitive,
buy-hold, value-oriented investment philosophy. Starting in the
mid-1980s, we began building on our core value-oriented equity investment
products by adding new investment strategies designed for a broad array of
clients seeking to invest in growth-oriented equities, convertible securities
and fixed income products. Since then, we have continued to build our
franchise by expanding our investment management capabilities through the
addition of industry specific, international, global, non-market correlated,
venture capital, leveraged buy-out and merchant banking product
offerings. Throughout our 31-year history, we have marketed most of
our products under the “Gabelli” and “GAMCO” brand names. Specialty
brands offered to investors include Mathers, Comstock, Westwood and
Woodland.
Our AUM
are clustered mostly in three groups: Institutional and Private
Wealth Management, Mutual Funds and Investment Partnerships.
Institutional and
Private Wealth Management: Since 1977, we have provided
investment management services through our subsidiary GAMCO to a broad
spectrum of institutional and private wealth investors. At
December 31, 2008, we had $8.5 billion of AUM in approximately 1,700
Institutional and Private Wealth Management accounts, representing approximately
41% of our total AUM. We currently provide advisory services to a broad range of
investors, the majority of which (in total number of accounts) are
private wealth management client accounts – defined as individuals and
their retirement assets generally having minimum account balances of $1
million. As of December 31, 2008, Institutional client accounts,
which include corporate pension and profit sharing plans, jointly-trusteed plans
and public funds, represented 43% of the Institutional and Private Wealth
Management assets and 7% of the accounts. Private wealth
management accounts comprised approximately 83% of the total number of
Institutional and Private Wealth Management accounts and approximately 28% of
the assets as of December 31, 2008.
Private wealth
management clients are attracted to us by our returns and the tax efficient
nature of the underlying investment process in these traditional
products. Foundation and endowment fund assets represented 9% of the
number of Institutional and Private Wealth Management accounts and approximately
10% of the assets. The sub-advisory portion of the Institutional and
Private Wealth Management (where we act as sub-advisor to certain other
third-party investment funds) held approximately $1.6 billion or 19% of total
Institutional and Private Wealth Management assets with less than 1% of the
number of accounts.
The ten
largest relationships comprised approximately 45% of our total Institutional and
Private Wealth Management AUM and approximately 20% of our total Institutional
and Private Wealth Management revenues as of and for the year ended December 31,
2008, respectively.
In
general, our Institutional and Private Wealth Management AUM are managed to meet
the specific needs and objectives of each client by utilizing investment
strategies – “value”, “large cap value”, “small cap value”, “large cap growth”,
“global”, “international growth” and “convertible bond” – and techniques that
are within our areas of expertise. We distinguish between taxable and
tax-free assets and manage client portfolios with tax sensitivity within given
investment strategies.
At
December 31, 2008, over 91.7% of our Institutional and Private Wealth Management
AUM were obtained through direct sales relationships. Sales efforts
are conducted on a regional and product specialist basis. Members of
the sales and marketing staff for the Institutional and Private Wealth
Management business have an average of more than ten years of experience with us
and focus on developing and maintaining direct, long-term relationships with
their Institutional and Private Wealth Management clients. The firm will
host its 24th Annual Client Conference in May 2009. This event will be held at
the Pierre Hotel in New York and will include presentations by our portfolio
managers and analysts.
We act as
a sub-advisor on certain funds for several large and well-known fund
managers. Similar to corporate clients, sub-advisory clients are also
subject to business combinations which may result in the curtailment of product
distribution or the termination of the relationship.
Investment
advisory agreements for our Institutional and Private Wealth Management are
typically subject to termination by the client without penalty on 30 days'
notice or less.
Open and
Closed-End Funds: Gabelli Funds, LLC provides advisory
services to twenty-one open-end funds and nine closed-end funds. The
Company, through Teton, advises the GAMCO Westwood family of funds, consisting
of six open-end funds, three of which are managed on a day-to-day basis by
Teton, and three are sub-advised by Westwood Management Corp., a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. Teton also advises the
B.B. Micro Cap Growth Fund. At December 31, 2008, we had $11.9
billion of AUM in open-end funds and closed-end funds, representing
approximately 58% of our total AUM. Our equity funds and closed-end
funds were $10.4 billion in AUM on December 31, 2008, 35.7% below the $16.1
billion on December 31, 2007.
On
February 25, 2009, we announced the completion of our previously disclosed plan
to distribute shares in majority-controlled Teton. On the March 10,
2009 record date for this transaction, shareholders of GBL will receive 14.93
shares of Teton for each 1,000 shares of GBL owned. The distribution
date is March 20, 2009.
As a
result of the Teton spin-off, the following Teton advised funds will no longer
be a part of GBL: GAMCO Westwood Equity Fund, GAMCO Westwood Balanced Fund,
GAMCO Westwood Income Fund, GAMCO Westwood SmallCap Equity Fund, GAMCO Westwood
Intermediate Bond Fund, GAMCO Westwood Mighty MitesSM Fund
and the B.B. Micro Cap Growth Fund.
The Board
of Trustees of the B.B. Micro Cap Growth Fund has selected Teton to act as the
interim investment advisor and, subject to shareholder approval, the fund will
be merged into the GAMCO Westwood Mighty MitesSM
Fund.
The GAMCO
brand encompasses a panoply of portfolios. It is the brand for our “Growth”
business, which is primarily represented by The GAMCO Growth Fund, The GAMCO
Global Growth Fund, and The GAMCO International Growth Fund. GAMCO
also includes other distinct investment strategies and styles including our
gold, convertible securities and contrarian funds.
9
The eight
GAMCO branded open-end funds are:
· GAMCO
Growth
|
· “ International
Growth
|
· “ Gold
|
· “ Global
Telecommunications
|
· “ Global
Growth
|
· “ Global
Opportunity
|
· “ Global
Convertible Securities
|
· “ Mathers
|
The
Gabelli brand represents our “Value” business, primarily representing our
absolute return, research-driven Private Market Value (PMV) with a CatalystTM funds.
The GAMCO Westwood Mighty MitesSM Fund,
GAMCO Westwood SmallCap Equity Fund, GAMCO Westwood Income Fund and the
GAMCO Global Telecommunications Fund, are value portfolios but retain the
GAMCO name. The Gabelli brand also includes The Gabelli Blue Chip Value Fund and
The Gabelli Woodland Small Cap Growth Fund as well as all of the closed-end
funds.
Open-end
Funds
On
December 31, 2008, we had $8.1 billion of AUM in twenty-eight open-end funds. At
year-end, of the AUM in open-end funds having an overall rating from
Morningstar, Inc. ("Morningstar"), 87% were ranked "three stars" or better, with
approximately 77% ranked "five stars" or "four stars" on an overall basis
(i.e., derived from a
weighted average of the performance figures associated with their three-, five-,
and ten-year Morningstar Rating metrics). There can be no assurance,
however, that these funds will be able to maintain such ratings or that past
performance will be indicative of future results.
At
December 31, 2008, approximately 27% of our AUM in open-end, equity funds had
been obtained through direct sales relationships. We also sell our open-end
funds through Third-Party Distribution Programs, particularly No-Transaction Fee
(“NTF”) Programs, and have developed additional classes of shares for many of
our funds for sale through additional third-party distribution channels on a
commission basis. At December 31, 2008, Third Party Distribution
Programs accounted for approximately 73% of all assets in open-end
funds.
In March
2008, Gabelli Funds, LLC, through acquisition, assumed the role of investment
advisor to the AXA Enterprise Mergers and Acquisitions Fund, a fund that has
been sub-advised by GAMCO since the fund’s inception on February 28, 2001. The
GAMCO portfolio management team, which has managed the fund since inception,
remained the same.
Closed-end
Funds
We act as
investment advisor to nine closed-end funds, all of which trade on the NYSE:
Gabelli Equity Trust (GAB), Gabelli Global Deal Fund (GDL), Gabelli Global
Multimedia Trust (GGT), Gabelli Healthcare & Wellness Rx Trust
(GRX), Gabelli Convertible and Income Securities Fund (GCV), Gabelli Utility
Trust (GUT), Gabelli Dividend & Income Trust (GDV), Gabelli Global Utility
& Income Trust (GLU) and Gabelli Global Gold, Natural Resources & Income
Trust (GGN). As of December 31, 2008, the nine Gabelli closed-end funds had
total assets of $3.8 billion, representing 31.9% of the total assets in our
Mutual Funds business.
The
Gabelli Equity Trust, which raised $400 million through its initial public
offering in August 1986, finished its 22nd year
with net assets of $1.1 billion. Since inception, the Equity Trust
has distributed $2.2 billion in cash to common shareholders through its 10%
Distribution Policy and spawned three other closed-end funds, the Gabelli Global
Multimedia Trust, the Gabelli Utility Trust and the Gabelli HealthCare &
Wellness Rx Trust.
In 2006, the Equity Trust also received net proceeds of $144.8 million of assets
attributable to the issuance of 6.20% Series F Preferred Stock.
The
Gabelli Dividend & Income Trust, launched in November 2003, raised $196.6
million in net proceeds through its placement of Series D and Series E Preferred
Shares in November 2005. The Gabelli Dividend & Income Trust,
which invests primarily in dividend-paying equity securities, had net assets of
$1.5 billion as of December 31, 2008.
The
Gabelli Global Gold, Natural Resources & Income Trust raised gross proceeds
of $352 million through its initial public offering in March 2005 and the
exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment option in May 2005. The
Gabelli Global Gold, Natural Resources & Income Trust, which invests
primarily in equity securities of gold and natural resources companies and
utilizes a covered call option writing program to generate current income, had
net assets of $289 million as of December 31, 2008.
In
January 2007, we launched the Gabelli Global Deal Fund, a closed-end fund which
seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in announced
merger and acquisition transactions and, to a lesser extent, in corporate
reorganizations involving stubs, spin-offs and liquidations.
A
detailed description of our Funds is provided within this Item 1 beginning on
page 16.
10
Investment
Partnerships: We manage Investment Partnerships through our
92% majority-owned subsidiary, Gabelli Securities, Inc. ("GSI"). The Investment
Partnerships consist primarily of limited partnerships, offshore funds,
Institutional and Private Wealth Management and merchant banking. We
had $295 million of Investment Partnership AUM.
We
introduced our first investment partnership, a merger arbitrage partnership, in
1985. An offshore version of this strategy was added in
1989. Building on our strengths in global event-driven value
investing, several new Investment Partnerships have been added to balance
investors’ geographic, strategy and sector needs. Today we offer a
broad range of absolute return products. Within our merger arbitrage strategy,
we manage approximately $230 million of assets for investors who seek positive
returns not correlated to fluctuations of the general market. These funds seek
to drive returns by investing in announced merger and acquisition transactions
that are primarily dependent on deal closure and less on the overall market
environment. In event-driven strategies, we manage $35 million of
assets focused on the U.S., Japanese, and European markets. We also
manage a series of sector-focused absolute return funds designed to offer
investors a mechanism to diversify their portfolios by global economic sector
rather than by geographic region. We currently offer three
sector-focused portfolios: the Gabelli International Gold Fund Ltd., GAMA Select
Energy Plus, L.P., and GAMCO Medical Opportunities,
L.P. Merchant banking activities are carried out through ALCE
Partners, L.P. and Gabelli Multimedia Partners, L.P., both of which are closed
to new investors.
The
following table sets forth total AUM by product type as of the dates shown and
their compound annual growth rates ("CAGR"):
Assets
Under Management
By
Product Type
(Dollars
in millions)
January
1,
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2004
to
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
December
31,
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
At
December 31,
|
2008
|
%
Change
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
CAGR(a)
|
2008
/ 07
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Equity:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mutual
Funds
|
$
|
12,371
|
$
|
12,963
|
$
|
14,195
|
$
|
16,115
|
$
|
10,367
|
(2.3
|
)%
|
(35.7
|
)%
|
||||||||||||||||
Institutional
& Private Wealth Management
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Direct
|
9,881
|
9,550
|
10,282
|
10,708
|
6,861
|
(5.5
|
)
|
(35.9
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Sub-advisory
|
3,706
|
2,832
|
2,340
|
2,584
|
1,585
|
(16.6
|
)
|
(38.7
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Total
Equity
|
25,958
|
25,345
|
26,817
|
29,407
|
18,813
|
(5.3
|
)
|
(36.0
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Fixed
Income:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Money
Market Mutual Funds
|
1,488
|
724
|
734
|
1,112
|
1,507
|
9.2
|
35.5
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Bond
Mutual Funds
|
11
|
11
|
10
|
10
|
14
|
4.9
|
40.0
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Institutional
& Private Wealth Management
|
388
|
84
|
50
|
24
|
22
|
(46.5
|
)
|
(8.3
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Total
Fixed Income
|
1,887
|
819
|
794
|
1,146
|
1,543
|
(7.0
|
)
|
34.6
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Investment
Partnerships
|
814
|
634
|
491
|
460
|
295
|
(15.7
|
)
|
(35.9
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Total
Assets Under Management
|
$
|
28,659
|
$
|
26,798
|
$
|
28,102
|
$
|
31,013
|
$
|
20,651
|
(5.6
|
)
|
(33.4
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Breakdown
of Total Assets Under Management:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mutual
Funds
|
$
|
13,870
|
$
|
13,698
|
$
|
14,939
|
$
|
17,237
|
$
|
11,888
|
(2.3
|
)
|
(31.0
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Institutional
& Private Wealth Management
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Direct
|
10,269
|
9,634
|
10,332
|
10,732
|
6,883
|
(6.5
|
)
|
(35.9
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Sub-advisory
|
3,706
|
2,832
|
2,340
|
2,584
|
1,585
|
(16.6
|
)
|
(38.7
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Investment
Partnerships
|
814
|
634
|
491
|
460
|
295
|
(15.7
|
)
|
(35.9
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Total
Assets Under Management
|
$
|
28,659
|
$
|
26,798
|
$
|
28,102
|
$
|
31,013
|
$
|
20,651
|
(5.6
|
)
|
(33.4
|
)
|
(a) Compound
annual growth rate.
11
Summary
of Investment Products
We manage
assets in the following wide spectrum of investment products and strategies,
many of which are focused on fast-growing areas:
U.S. Equities:
|
Global and International
Equities:
|
Investment Partnerships:
|
All
Cap Value
|
International
Growth
|
Merger
Arbitrage
|
Large
Cap Value
|
Global
Growth
|
U.S.
Long/Short
|
Large
Cap Growth
|
Global
Value
|
Global
Long/Short
|
Mid
Cap Value
|
Global
Telecommunications
|
European
Arbitrage (a)
|
Small
Cap Value
|
Global
Multimedia
|
Japanese
Long/Short
|
Small
Cap Growth
|
Gold
|
Sector-Focused
|
Micro
Cap
|
-
Energy
|
|
Natural
Resources
|
U.S. Fixed Income:
|
-
Gold
|
Income
|
Corporate
|
-
Medical Opportunities
|
Utilities
|
Government
|
Merchant
Banking
|
Non-Market
Correlated
|
Asset-backed
|
|
Options
Income
|
Intermediate
|
|
Short-term
|
||
Convertible Securities:
|
U.S. Balanced:
|
|
U.S.
Convertible Securities
|
Balanced
Growth
|
|
Global
Convertible Securities
|
Balanced
Value
|
(a) This
strategy is no longer offered in
2009.
In 2008,
we
continued to develop the skills of our investment team by allocating firm
capital to incubate investment strategies. This began with a capital structure
arbitrage strategy (2004) and now includes a merger-arbitrage and a global
trading strategy.
Additional
Information on Mutual Funds
Through
our affiliates, we act as advisor to all of the Funds, except with respect to
the Gabelli Capital Asset Fund for which we act as a
sub-advisor. Guardian Investment Services Corporation, an
unaffiliated company, acts as manager. As sub-advisor, we make day-to-day
investment decisions for the $109 million Gabelli Capital Asset
Fund.
Funds
Advisor, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GBL, acts as the investment advisor for
all of the Funds other than the GAMCO Westwood family of funds (six portfolios)
and The B.B. Micro Cap Growth Fund.
Teton, a
subsidiary controlled by GBL, until its March 20, 2009 spin-off, acts as
investment advisor to the GAMCO Westwood family of funds and The B.B. Micro Cap
Growth Fund and has retained Westwood Management Corp., the advisory subsidiary
of Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. (NYSE: WHG), to act as sub-advisor for three
portfolios. The GAMCO Westwood Mighty MitesSM Fund,
GAMCO Westwood SmallCap Equity Fund and GAMCO Westwood Income Fund, and B.B.
Micro Cap Growth Fund are directly advised by Teton. Subsequent
to the Teton spin-off, WHG will own an approximately 15.3% equity interest in
Teton.
12
The
following table lists the Funds, together with the December 31, 2008 Morningstar
overall rating for the open-end mutual funds, where rated (ratings are not
available for the money-market fund and other open-end mutual funds, which
collectively represent 20.8% of the open-end mutual fund AUM in the Funds), and
provides a description of the primary investment objective, fund
characteristics, fees, the date that the fund was initially offered to
investors, and the AUM in the funds as of December 31, 2008.
Net
Assets as of
|
||||||||||||||||
December
31,
|
||||||||||||||||
Fund
|
Advisory
|
12b-1
|
Initial
|
2008
|
||||||||||||
(Morningstar
Overall
|
Primary
Investment
|
Fund
|
Fees
|
Fees
|
Offer
|
(all
classes)
|
||||||||||
Rating)
(1)
|
Objective
|
Characteristics
|
(%)
|
(%)
|
Date
|
($
in millions)
|
||||||||||
OPEN-END
FUNDS:
|
||||||||||||||||
EQUITY
INCOME:
|
||||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli Equity
|
High
level of total return
|
Class
AAA,
|
1.00
|
.25
|
01/02/92
|
$
|
906
|
|||||||||
Income
Fund
|
with
an emphasis on
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
««««
|
income-producing
equities
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
with
yields greater than
|
Diversified,
|
|||||||||||||||
the
S&P 500 average.
|
Multi-class
Shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
GAMCO
Westwood
|
Both
capital appreciation
|
Class
AAA,
|
.75
|
.25
|
10/01/91
|
$
|
143
|
|||||||||
Balanced
Fund
|
and
current income using
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
«««««
|
portfolios
containing stocks,
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
(12)
|
bonds,
and cash as appropriate
|
Diversified,
|
||||||||||||||
in
light of current economic
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
and
business conditions.
|
||||||||||||||||
GAMCO
Westwood
|
High
level of current income
|
Class
AAA,
|
1.00
|
(9)
|
.25
|
09/30/97
|
$
|
6
|
||||||||
Income
Fund
|
as
well as long-term capital
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
«««
|
appreciation
by investing
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
(12)
|
primarily
in income producing
|
Diversified,
|
||||||||||||||
equity
and fixed income
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
securities.
|
||||||||||||||||
VALUE:
|
||||||||||||||||
GAMCO
Westwood
|
Capital
appreciation through a
|
Class
AAA,
|
1.00
|
.25
|
01/02/87
|
$
|
143
|
|||||||||
Equity
Fund
|
diversified
portfolio of equity
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
«««««
|
securities
using bottom-up
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
(12)
|
fundamental
research with a
|
Diversified,
|
||||||||||||||
focus
on identifying
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
well-seasoned
companies.
|
||||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli
|
Growth
of capital as a primary
|
Class
AAA,
|
1.00
|
.25
|
03/03/86
|
$
|
1,744
|
|||||||||
Asset
Fund
|
investment
objective, with
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
««««
|
current
income as a secondary
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
investment
objective. Invests in
|
Diversified,
|
|||||||||||||||
equity
securities of companies
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
selling
at a significant discount
|
||||||||||||||||
to
their private market value.
|
||||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli Blue Chip
|
Capital
appreciation through
|
Class
AAA,
|
1.00
|
.25
|
08/26/99
|
$
|
19
|
|||||||||
Value
Fund
|
investments
in equity securities
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
«««
|
of
established companies, which
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
are
temporarily out of favor and
|
Diversified,
|
|||||||||||||||
which
have market capitalizations
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
in
excess of $5 billion.
|
||||||||||||||||
SMALL
CAP VALUE:
|
||||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli Small Cap
|
High
level of capital appreciation
|
Class
AAA,
|
1.00
|
.25
|
10/22/91
|
$
|
838
|
|||||||||
Growth
Fund
|
from
equity securities of smaller
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
«««««
|
companies
with market
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
capitalization
of $2 billion or less
|
Diversified,
|
|||||||||||||||
at
the time of purchase.
|
Multi-class
Shares (2)
|
13
Net
Assets as of
|
||||||||||||||||
December
31,
|
||||||||||||||||
Fund
|
Advisory
|
12b-1
|
Initial
|
2008
|
||||||||||||
(Morningstar
Overall
|
Primary
Investment
|
Fund
|
Fees
|
Fees
|
Offer
|
(all
classes)
|
||||||||||
Rating)
(1)
|
Objective
|
Characteristics
|
(%)
|
(%)
|
Date
|
($
in millions)
|
||||||||||
The
Gabelli Woodland
|
Long
Term capital appreciation
|
Class
AAA,
|
1.00
|
(9)
|
.25
|
12/31/02
|
$
|
4
|
||||||||
Small
Cap Value Fund
|
investing
at least 80% of its
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
«««
|
in
equity securities of
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
companies
with market
|
Non-diversified,
|
|||||||||||||||
capitalizations
less than
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
the
greater of $3.0 billion
|
||||||||||||||||
or
the largest company
|
||||||||||||||||
in
the Russell 2000 Index.
|
||||||||||||||||
GAMCO
Westwood
|
Long-term
capital
|
Class
AAA,
|
1.00
|
(9)
|
.25
|
04/15/97
|
$
|
7
|
||||||||
SmallCap
Equity Fund
|
appreciation,
investing
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
««
|
at
least 80% of its assets
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
(12)
|
in
equity securities of
|
Diversified,
|
||||||||||||||
companies
with market
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
capitalizations
of $2.5 billion
|
||||||||||||||||
or
less at the time of purchase.
|
||||||||||||||||
FOCUSED
VALUE:
|
||||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli
|
High
level of capital
|
Class
A,
|
1.00
|
.25
|
09/29/89
|
$
|
381
|
|||||||||
Value
Fund
|
appreciation
from
|
Front
end-load,
|
||||||||||||||
««
|
undervalued
equity
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
securities
that are
|
Non-diversified,
|
|||||||||||||||
held
in a concentrated
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
portfolio.
|
||||||||||||||||
GROWTH:
|
||||||||||||||||
The
GAMCO
|
Capital
appreciation from
|
Class
AAA,
|
1.00
|
.25
|
04/10/87
|
$
|
463
|
|||||||||
Growth
Fund
|
companies
that have
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
««
|
favorable,
yet undervalued,
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
prospects
for earnings
|
Diversified,
|
|||||||||||||||
growth.
Invests in equity
|
Multi-class
Shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
securities
of companies
|
||||||||||||||||
that
have above-average
|
||||||||||||||||
or
expanding market
|
||||||||||||||||
shares
and profit margins.
|
||||||||||||||||
GAMCO
International
|
Capital
appreciation
|
Class
AAA,
|
1.00
|
.25
|
06/30/95
|
$
|
27
|
|||||||||
Growth
Fund
|
by
investing primarily
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
«««
|
in
equity securities of
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
foreign
companies with
|
Diversified,
|
|||||||||||||||
rapid
growth in revenues
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
and
earnings.
|
||||||||||||||||
AGGRESSIVE
GROWTH:
|
||||||||||||||||
The
GAMCO Global
|
High
level of capital
|
Class
AAA,
|
1.00
|
.25
|
02/07/94
|
$
|
53
|
|||||||||
Growth
Fund
|
appreciation
through
|
No
load,
|
||||||||||||||
«««
|
investment
in a
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
portfolio
of equity
|
Non-diversified,
|
|||||||||||||||
securities
focused on
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
companies
involved
|
||||||||||||||||
in
the global marketplace.
|
||||||||||||||||
MICRO-CAP:
|
||||||||||||||||
GAMCO
Westwood
|
Long-term
capital appreciation
|
Class
AAA,
|
1.00
|
.25
|
05/11/98
|
$
|
70
|
|||||||||
Mighty
MitesSM Fund
|
by
investing primarily
|
No
load,
|
||||||||||||||
«««««
|
in
equity securities with
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
(12)
|
market
capitalization
|
Diversified,
|
||||||||||||||
of
$300 million or less
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
at
the time of purchase.
|
14
Net
Assets as of
|
||||||||||||||||
December
31,
|
||||||||||||||||
Fund
|
Advisory
|
12b-1
|
Initial
|
2008
|
||||||||||||
(Morningstar
Overall
|
Primary
Investment
|
Fund
|
Fees
|
Fees
|
Offer
|
(all
classes)
|
||||||||||
Rating)
(1)
|
Objective
|
Characteristics
|
(%)
|
(%)
|
Date
|
($
in millions)
|
||||||||||
SPECIALTY
EQUITY:
|
||||||||||||||||
The
GAMCO Global
|
High
level of capital
|
Class
AAA,
|
1.00
|
(9)
|
.25
|
05/11/98
|
$
|
12
|
||||||||
Opportunity
Fund
|
appreciation
through
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
«««
|
worldwide
investments
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
in
equity securities.
|
Non-diversified,
|
|||||||||||||||
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
||||||||||||||||
The
GAMCO Global
|
High
level of total return
|
Class
AAA,
|
1.00
|
(9)
|
.25
|
02/03/94
|
$
|
4
|
||||||||
Convertible
|
through
a combination of
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
Securities
Fund
|
current
income and capital
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
««
|
Appreciation
through
|
Non-diversified,
|
||||||||||||||
investment
in convertible
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
securities
of U.S. and
|
||||||||||||||||
non-U.S.
issuers.
|
||||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli Capital
|
Capital
appreciation from
|
No-load,
|
.75
|
n/a
|
05/01/95
|
$
|
109
|
|||||||||
Asset
Fund
|
equity
securities of companies
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
(not
rated) (8)
|
selling
at a significant
|
Diversified,
|
||||||||||||||
discount
to their private
|
Variable
Annuity
|
|||||||||||||||
market
value.
|
||||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli SRI Fund
|
Capital
appreciation from
|
Class
A,
|
1.00
|
(9)
|
.25
|
6/1/07
|
$
|
2
|
||||||||
(not
rated) (8)
|
equity
securities of companies
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
the
fund deems to be
|
Open-end,
|
|||||||||||||||
socially
responsible.
|
Diversified,
|
|||||||||||||||
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
||||||||||||||||
SECTOR:
|
||||||||||||||||
GAMCO
|
Seeks
capital
|
Class
AAA,
|
1.00
|
.25
|
07/11/94
|
$
|
387
|
|||||||||
Gold
Fund
|
appreciation
and
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
«««
|
employs
a value
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
approach
to investing
|
Diversified,
|
|||||||||||||||
primarily
in equity
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
securities
of gold-
|
||||||||||||||||
related
companies
|
||||||||||||||||
worldwide.
|
||||||||||||||||
The
GAMCO Global
|
High
level of capital
|
Class
AAA,
|
1.00
|
.25
|
11/01/93
|
$
|
142
|
|||||||||
Telecommunications
|
appreciation
through
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
Fund
|
worldwide
investments
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
««««
|
in
equity securities,
|
Non-diversified,
|
||||||||||||||
including
the U.S.,
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
primarily
in the
|
||||||||||||||||
telecommunications
|
||||||||||||||||
industry.
|
||||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli
|
High
level of total return through
|
Class
AAA,
|
1.00
|
.25
|
08/31/99
|
$
|
590
|
|||||||||
Utilities
Fund
|
a
combination of capital
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
««««
|
appreciation
and current income
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
from
investments in utility
|
Diversified,
|
|||||||||||||||
companies.
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
ABSOLUTE
RETURN:
|
||||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli
|
Total
returns that are
|
No-load,
|
.50
|
(7)
|
n/a
|
(7)
|
5/14/93
|
$
|
179
|
|||||||
ABC
Fund
|
attractive
to investors
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
«««««
|
in
various market conditions
|
Non-diversified
|
||||||||||||||
without
excessive risk of
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
capital
loss, utilizing certain
|
||||||||||||||||
arbitrage
strategies and
|
||||||||||||||||
investing
in value orientated
|
||||||||||||||||
common
stocks at a significant
|
||||||||||||||||
discount
to their PMV.
|
15
Net
Assets as of
|
||||||||||||||||
December
31,
|
||||||||||||||||
Fund
|
Advisory
|
12b-1
|
Initial
|
2008
|
||||||||||||
(Morningstar
Overall
|
Primary
Investment
|
Fund
|
Fees
|
Fees
|
Offer
|
(all
classes)
|
||||||||||
Rating)
(1)
|
Objective
|
Characteristics
|
(%)
|
(%)
|
Date
|
($
in millions)
|
||||||||||
The
Gabelli Enterprise
|
Capital
appreciation through
|
Class
A
|
.94
|
.45
|
$
|
182
|
||||||||||
Mergers
and Acquisitions
|
investment
in companies believed
|
Load,
|
||||||||||||||
Fund
|
to
be likely acquisition targets
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
««««
|
within
12 to 18 months and
|
Diversified
|
||||||||||||||
companies
involved with
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
publically
announced mergers,
|
||||||||||||||||
takeovers,
tender offers, leveraged
|
||||||||||||||||
buyouts,
spin-offs, liquidations,
|
||||||||||||||||
and
other corporate reorganizations.
|
||||||||||||||||
CONTRARIAN:
|
||||||||||||||||
Comstock
Capital
|
Maximize
total return
|
Class
A
|
1.00
|
.25
|
10/10/85
|
$
|
70
|
|||||||||
Value
Fund
|
consisting
of capital
|
Load,
|
||||||||||||||
(not
rated) (8)
|
appreciation
and
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
current
income.
|
Diversified
|
|||||||||||||||
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
||||||||||||||||
GAMCO
Mathers
|
Long-term
capital appreciation
|
Class
AAA:
|
1.00
|
.25
|
8/19/65
|
$
|
27
|
|||||||||
Fund
|
in
various market conditions
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
«««
|
without
excess risk of capital loss.
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
Diversified
|
||||||||||||||||
FIXED
INCOME:
|
||||||||||||||||
GAMCO
Westwood
|
Total
return and current
|
Class
AAA:
|
.60
|
(9)
|
.25
|
10/01/91
|
$
|
14
|
||||||||
Intermediate
Bond
|
income,
while limiting
|
No-load,
|
||||||||||||||
Fund
|
risk
to principal. Pursues
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
««««
|
higher
yields than shorter
|
Diversified
|
||||||||||||||
(12)
|
maturity
funds and has
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
||||||||||||||
more
price stability than
|
||||||||||||||||
generally
higher yielding
|
||||||||||||||||
long-term
funds.
|
||||||||||||||||
CASH
MANAGEMENT-MONEY MARKET:
|
||||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli U.S. Treasury
|
High
current income
|
Money
Market,
|
.30
|
(9)
|
n/a
|
10/01/92
|
$
|
1,507
|
||||||||
Money
Market Fund
|
with
preservation of
|
Open-end,
|
||||||||||||||
(11)
|
principal
and liquidity,
|
Diversified
|
||||||||||||||
while
striving to keep expenses among the
|
Multi-class
shares (2)
|
|||||||||||||||
lowest
of all U.S.
|
||||||||||||||||
Treasury
money market funds.
|
16
Net
Assets as of
|
||||||||||||||||
December
31,
|
||||||||||||||||
Fund
|
Advisory
|
Initial
|
2008
|
|||||||||||||
(Morningstar
Overall
|
Primary
Investment
|
Fund
|
Fees
|
Offer
|
(all
classes)
|
|||||||||||
Rating)
(1)
|
Objective
|
Characteristics
|
(%)
|
Date
|
($
in millions)
|
|||||||||||
CLOSED-END
FUNDS:
|
||||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli
|
Long-term
growth of
|
Closed-end,
|
1.00
|
(10)
|
08/14/86
|
$
|
1,107
|
|||||||||
Equity
Trust Inc.
|
capital
by investing
|
Non-diversified
|
||||||||||||||
in
equity securities.
|
NYSE
Symbol: GAB
|
|||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli
|
High
total return
|
Closed-end,
|
1.00
|
(10)
|
07/03/89
|
$
|
92
|
|||||||||
Convertible
and Income
|
from
investing
|
Diversified
|
||||||||||||||
Securities
Fund Inc. (4)
|
primarily
in
|
NYSE
Symbol: GCV
|
||||||||||||||
convertible
|
||||||||||||||||
instruments.
|
||||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli Global
|
Long-term
capital
|
Closed-end,
|
1.00
|
(10)
|
11/15/94
|
$
|
122
|
|||||||||
Multimedia
Trust Inc. (3)
|
appreciation
from
|
Non-diversified
|
||||||||||||||
equity
investments in
|
NYSE
Symbol: GGT
|
|||||||||||||||
global
telecommunications,
|
||||||||||||||||
media,
publishing and
|
||||||||||||||||
entertainment
holdings.
|
||||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli
|
High
total return from
|
Closed-end,
|
1.00
|
(10)
|
07/09/99
|
$
|
207
|
|||||||||
Utility
Trust (5)
|
investments
primarily in
|
Non-diversified
|
||||||||||||||
securities
of companies
|
NYSE
Symbol: GUT
|
|||||||||||||||
involved
in gas, electricity
|
||||||||||||||||
and
water industries.
|
||||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli
|
Qualified
dividend income
|
Closed-end,
|
1.00
|
(10)
|
11/24/03
|
$
|
1,522
|
|||||||||
Dividend
& Income
|
and
capital appreciation
|
Non-diversified
|
||||||||||||||
Trust
|
potential.
|
NYSE
Symbol: GDV
|
||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli
|
A
consistent level of after-tax
|
Closed-end,
|
1.00
|
5/28/04
|
$
|
56
|
||||||||||
Global
Utility & Income
|
total
return with an emphasis
|
Non-diversified
|
||||||||||||||
Trust
|
on
tax-advantaged dividend
|
NYSE
Symbol: GLU
|
||||||||||||||
income.
|
||||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli
|
High
level of current income
|
Closed-end,
|
1.00
|
3/29/05
|
$
|
289
|
||||||||||
Global
Gold, Natural
|
through
an option writing strategy
|
Non-diversified
|
||||||||||||||
Resources
& Income Trust
|
on
equity securities owned in the
|
NYSE
Symbol: GGN
|
||||||||||||||
gold
and natural resources
|
||||||||||||||||
industries.
|
||||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli Global Deal Fund
|
Achieve
absolute return through
|
Closed-end,
|
0.50
|
1/26/07
|
$
|
344
|
||||||||||
in
various market conditions
|
Non-diversified
|
|||||||||||||||
without
excessive risk of
|
NYSE
Symbol: GDL
|
|||||||||||||||
capital.
|
||||||||||||||||
The
Gabelli Healthcare
|
Seeks
long-term growth of
|
Closed-end,
|
1.00
|
6/28/07
|
$
|
53
|
||||||||||
and
Wellness Rx Fund
(6)
|
capital
within the health and
|
Non-diversified
|
||||||||||||||
wellness
industries.
|
NYSE
Symbol: GRX
|
17
(1)
|
Morningstar
RatingTM
as of December 31, 2008 is provided if available for open-end funds only.
Morningstar ratings may be available for certain closed-end
funds. Morningstar ratings are not an indication of absolute
performance. Current performance for some of the funds in 2008
were negative. Call 800-GABELLI for performance results through
the most recent month end. For each fund with at least a
three-year history, Morningstar calculates a Morningstar RatingTM
based on a Morningstar risk-adjusted return measure that accounts for
variation in a fund’s monthly performance (including the effects of sales
charges, loads and redemption fees) placing more emphasis on downward
variations and rewarding consistent performance. The top 10% of
the funds in an investment category receive five stars, the next 22.5%
receive four stars, the next 35% receive three stars, the next 22.5%
receive two stars and the bottom 10% receive one star. The
Overall Morningstar Rating for a fund is derived from a weighted average
of the performance figures associated with its three, five, and ten-year
(if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. Morningstar Ratings
are shown for the respective class shown; other classes may have different
performance characteristics. There were 484 Conservative
Allocation funds rated for three years, 290 funds for five years and 140
funds for ten years (GAMCO Mathers Fund). There were 423
Mid-Cap Blend funds rated for three years, 337 funds for five
years and 163 funds for ten years (The Gabelli Asset Fund, The Gabelli ABC
Fund, The Gabelli Value Fund, The Gabelli Enterprise Mergers &
Acquisition Fund). There were 1,185 Large Value funds rated for
three years, 963 funds for five years and 451 funds
for ten years (The Gabelli Blue Chip Value Fund, GAMCO Westwood
Equity Fund, The Gabelli Equity Income Fund). There were 72
Convertibles funds rated for three years, 67 funds for five years
and 46 funds for ten years (The GAMCO Global Convertible
Securities Fund). There were 507 World Stock funds rated for
three years, 420 funds for five years and 236 funds for ten years (The
GAMCO Global Growth Fund, The GAMCO Global Opportunity
Fund). There were 37 Specialty-Communications funds rated for
three years, 34 funds for five years and 13 funds for ten years (The GAMCO
Global Telecommunications Fund). There were 61
Specialty-Precious Metals funds rated for three years, 58 funds
for five years and 36 funds for ten years (GAMCO Gold
Fund).
|
There
were 1,507 Large Growth funds rated for three years, 1,243 funds for five years
and 608 funds for ten years (The GAMCO Growth Fund). There
were 209 Foreign Large Growth funds rated for three years, 164 funds for five
years and 80 funds for ten years (GAMCO International Growth
Fund). There were 341 Small Value funds rated for three years, 269
funds for five years and 121 funds for ten years (GAMCO Westwood Mighty
MitesSM Fund,
). There were 93 Specialty-Utilities funds rated for three
years, 76 funds rated for five years and 50 funds for ten years (The
Gabelli Utilities Fund). There were 962 Moderate Allocation funds
rated for three years, 768 funds for five years and 448 funds for ten years
(GAMCO Westwood Balanced Fund, GAMCO Westwood Income Fund). There
were 991 Intermediate-Term Bond funds rated for three years, 857
funds for five years and 458 funds for ten years (GAMCO Westwood Intermediate
Bond Fund). There were 561 Small Blend funds rated for three
years and 449 funds for five years and 216 funds for ten years (The Gabelli
Small Cap Growth Fund, GAMCO Westwood SmallCap Equity Fund, The Gabelli Woodland
Small Cap Value Fund). There were 704 Small Growth funds rated for
three years and 574 funds for five years and 291 funds for ten years (B.B. Micro
Cap Growth Fund). (a) 2008 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights
reserved. This information is (1) proprietary to Morningstar and/or
its content providers (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not
warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor
its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any
use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future
results.
(2)
|
These
funds have multi-classes of shares available. Multi-class
shares include Class A shares which have a front-end sales charge, Class B
shares which are subject to a back-end contingent deferred sales charge
for up to 6 years and Class C which shares are subject to a 1%
back-end contingent deferred sales charge for up to two
years. However, Class B shares are no longer offered for new
purchases as of July 2004. Comstock Capital Value Fund Class R shares,
which are no-load, are available only for retirement and certain
institutional accounts. Comstock Capital Value class AAA shares
are no-load and became available on December 8, 2008 Class I
shares are available to institutional accounts. Net assets
include all share classes.
|
(3)
|
The
Gabelli Global Multimedia Trust Inc. was formed in 1994 through a spin-off
of assets from The Gabelli Equity
Trust.
|
(4)
|
The
Gabelli Convertible and Income Securities Fund Inc. was originally formed
in 1989 as an open-end investment company and was converted to a
closed-end investment company in March
1995.
|
(5)
|
The
Gabelli Utility Trust was formed in 1999 through a spin-off of assets from
The Gabelli Equity Trust.
|
(6)
|
The
Gabelli Healthcare and WellnessRX
Trust was formed in 2007 through a spin-off of assets from The Gabelli
Equity Trust.
|
(7)
|
Funds
Advisor has reduced the Advisory fee from 1.00% to 0.50% since April 1,
2002. Gabelli & Company waived receipt of the 12b-1 Plan
distribution fees as of January 1, 2003, and on February 25, 2004, the
Fund’s Board of Directors agreed with the Funds Advisor’s request to
terminate the 12b-1 Plan. The advisory fee was contractually set at 0.50%
as of May 1, 2007. The Gabelli ABC Fund – Advisor class has a
12b-1 Plan which pays 0.25%.
|
(8)
|
Certain
funds are not rated because they do not have a three-year history, or
there are not enough similar funds in the category determined by
Morningstar.
|
(9)
|
Funds
Advisor
and Teton have agreements in place to waive its advisory fee or reimburse
expenses of the Fund to maintain fund expenses at a specified level for
Class AAA shares; multi-class shares have separate limits as described in
the Fund’s prospectus. (The Gabelli Woodland Small Cap Value
Fund – 2.00%; GAMCO Westwood Income Fund – 1.50%; The GAMCO Global
Opportunity Fund – 2.00%; The GAMCO Global Convertible Securities Fund –
2.00%; The Gabelli SRI Fund - 2.00%; GAMCO Westwood SmallCap Equity Fund –
1.50%; GAMCO Westwood Intermediate Bond Fund – 1.00%; The Gabelli
Enterprise Mergers and Acquisitions Fund – 1.90% for class A; B.B. Micro
Cap Growth Fund – 1.80%; The Gabelli U.S. Treasury Money Market Fund
–0.08%. Such agreements are renewable
annually).
|
(10)
|
Funds
Advisor has agreed to reduce its advisory fee on the liquidation value of
preferred stock outstanding if certain performance levels are not
met.
|
(11)
|
The
Gabelli
U.S. Treasury Money Market Fund ranked 2nd in total return for the twelve
months ended December 31, 2008 among 78 US Treasury money market funds
tracked by Lipper Inc. For the 5 year and 10 year periods ended December
31, 2008, the fund ranked 2nd out of 69 funds and 3rd out of 47 funds,
respectively, within that category. Investment returns and yield will
fluctuate. An investment in a money market fund is not guaranteed by the
United States government nor insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation or any government agency. Although the Fund seeks to preserve
the value of an investment at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose
money by investing on the
Fund.
|
(12)
|
These
funds are advised by Teton and will be spun-off as part of the Teton
distribution to be completed March 20,
2009.
|
18
Shareholders
of
the open-end Funds are allowed to exchange shares among the same class of shares
of the other open-end Funds as economic and market conditions and investor needs
change at no additional cost. However, as noted below, certain
open-end Funds impose a 2% redemption fee on shares redeemed in seven days or
less after a purchase. We periodically introduce new funds designed to
complement and expand our investment product offerings, respond to competitive
developments in the financial marketplace and meet the changing needs of
investors.
On
December 30, 2004, the shareholders of The Gabelli ABC Fund voted to approve a
charter amendment that would require investment accounts held at the fund's
transfer agent, State Street Bank & Trust Company, to be directly registered
to the beneficial owners of the fund. This permits the redemption of
shares held through certain brokers and financial consultants in omnibus and
individual accounts where the beneficial owner is not
disclosed.
Our
marketing efforts for the open-end Funds are currently focused on increasing the
distribution and sales of our existing funds as well as creating new products
for sale through our distribution channels. We believe that our marketing
efforts for the Funds will continue to generate additional revenues from
investment advisory fees. We have traditionally distributed most of our open-end
Funds by using a variety of direct response marketing techniques, including
telemarketing and advertising, and as a result we maintain direct relationships
with many of our no-load open-end Fund customers. Beginning in late 1995, we
expanded our product distribution by offering several of our open-end Funds
through Third-Party Distribution Programs, including NTF Programs. In 1998 and
1999, we further expanded these efforts to include substantially all of our
open-end Funds in Third-Party Distribution Programs. More than 27% of the AUM in
the open-end Funds are still attributable to our direct response marketing
efforts. Third-Party Distribution Programs have become an increasingly important
source of asset growth for us. Of the $6.6 billion of AUM in the
open-end equity Funds as of December 31, 2008, approximately 73% were generated
through Third-Party Distribution Programs. We are responsible for
paying the service and distribution fees charged by many of the Third-Party
Distribution Programs, although a portion of such service fees under certain
circumstances are payable by the funds. During 2000, we completed
development of additional classes of shares for many of our Funds for sale
through national brokerage and investment firms and other third-party
distribution channels on a commission basis. The multi-class shares
are available in all of the Gabelli Funds, except for the Gabelli Capital
Asset Fund and the GAMCO Mathers Fund. The use of multi-class share
products will expand the distribution of Gabelli Fund products into the advised
sector of the mutual fund investment community. During 2003, we
introduced Class I shares, which are no-load shares with higher minimum initial
investment and without distribution fees available to Institutional and
Retirement Plan Accounts held directly through Gabelli & Company. The
no-load shares are designated as Class AAA shares and are available for new and
current investors. In general, distribution through Third-Party
Distribution Programs has greater variable cost components and lower fixed cost
components than distribution through our traditional direct sales
methods.
We provide
investment advisory and management services pursuant to an investment management
agreement with each Fund. The investment management agreements with the Funds
generally provide that we are responsible for the overall investment and
administrative services, subject to the oversight of each Fund's Board of
Directors or Trustees and in accordance with each Fund's fundamental investment
objectives and policies. The investment management agreements permit us to enter
into separate agreements for administrative and accounting services on behalf of
the respective Funds.
Our
affiliated advisors provide the Funds with administrative services pursuant to
the management contracts. Such services include, without limitation,
supervision of the calculation of net asset value, preparation of financial
reports for shareholders of the Funds, internal accounting, tax accounting and
reporting, regulatory filings and other services. Most of these administrative
services are provided through sub-contracts with unaffiliated third parties.
Transfer agency and custodial services are provided directly to the Funds by
unaffiliated third parties.
Our Fund
investment management agreements may continue in effect from year to year only
if specifically approved at least annually by (i) the Fund's Board of Directors
or Trustees or (ii) the Fund's shareholders and, in either case, the vote of a
majority of the Fund's directors or trustees who are not parties to the
agreement or "interested persons" of any such party, within the meaning of the
Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). Each
Fund may terminate its investment management agreement at any time upon 60 days'
written notice by (i) a vote of the majority of the Board of Directors or
Trustees cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such
termination or (ii) a vote at a meeting of shareholders of the lesser of either
67% of the voting shares represented in person or by proxy or 50% of the
outstanding voting shares of such Fund. Each investment management agreement
automatically terminates in the event of its assignment, as defined in the
Investment Company Act. We may terminate an investment management
agreement without penalty on 60 days' written notice.
Gabelli
& Company, the
wholly-owned subsidiary of our 92% majority-owned subsidiary GSI, is a
broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is
regulated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
(“FINRA”). Gabelli & Company's revenues are derived primarily
from the distribution of our Funds, brokerage commissions, underwriting fees and
selling concessions.
Mutual
Fund Distribution
Gabelli
& Company distributes our open-end Funds pursuant to distribution agreements
with each Fund. Under each distribution agreement with an open-end Fund, Gabelli
& Company offers and sells such open-end Fund's shares on a continuous basis
and pays the majority of the costs of marketing and selling the shares,
including printing and mailing prospectuses and sales literature, advertising
and maintaining sales and customer service personnel and sales and services
fulfillment systems, and payments to the sponsors of Third-Party Distribution
Programs, financial intermediaries and Gabelli & Company sales
personnel. Gabelli & Company receives fees for such services
pursuant to distribution plans adopted under provisions of Rule 12b-1 (“12b-1”)
of the Investment Company Act. Distribution fees from the open-end Funds are
computed daily based on average net assets and are accrued monthly. Distribution
fees from the open-end Funds amounted to $23.8 million, $25.0 million and $20.6
million for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively.
Gabelli & Company is the principal underwriter for funds distributed in
multiple classes of shares which carry either a front-end or back-end sales
charge. Underwriting fees and sales charges retained amounted to
$627,000, $983,000 and $859,000 for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and
2006, respectively.
Under the
distribution plans, the open-end Class AAA shares of the Funds (except The
Gabelli US Treasury Money Market Fund, Gabelli Capital Asset Fund and The
Gabelli ABC Fund) and the Class A shares of various funds pay Gabelli &
Company a distribution or service fee of .25% per year (except the Class A
shares of the GAMCO Westwood Funds which pay .50% per year, the GAMCO Westwood
Intermediate Bond Fund which pay 0.35% per year and the Gabelli Enterprise
Mergers & Acquisition Fund which pays 0.45% per year) on the average daily
net assets of the fund. Class B and Class C shares have a 12b-1 distribution
plan with a service and distribution fee totaling 1%. Gabelli &
Company’s distribution agreements with the Funds may continue in effect from
year to year only if specifically approved at least annually by (i) the Fund's
Board of Directors or Trustees or (ii) the Mutual Fund's shareholders and, in
either case, the vote of a majority of the Fund's directors or trustees who are
not parties to the agreement or "interested persons" of any such party, within
the meaning of the Investment Company Act. Each Fund may terminate its
distribution agreement, or any agreement thereunder, at any time upon 60 days'
written notice by (i) a vote of the majority of its directors or trustees cast
in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such termination or
(ii) a vote at a meeting of shareholders of the lesser of either 67% of the
voting shares represented in person or by proxy or 50% of the outstanding voting
shares of such Fund. Each distribution agreement automatically terminates in the
event of its assignment, as defined in the Investment Company
Act. Gabelli & Company may terminate a distribution agreement
without penalty upon 60 days' written notice.
Gabelli
& Company also offers our open-end Fund products through our website, www.gabelli.com,
where directly registered mutual fund investors can access their personal
account information and buy, sell and exchange Fund shares. Fund
prospectuses, quarterly reports, fund applications, daily net asset values and
performance charts are all available online.
19
Institutional
Research
Gabelli
& Company provides institutional investors with investment ideas on numerous
industries and special situations, with a particular focus on small-cap and
mid-cap companies. Our research analysts are industry-focused,
following sectors that stem from our core competencies. They are
experts on their industries, and look at companies of all market capitalizations
on a global basis. Their financial models look five years into the
past, and project five years forward, to understand earnings power and free cash
flow. They look for growing companies, with improving balance sheets
and shareholder-sensitive management. The goal is to find companies
with the above characteristics that trade at a significant discount to Private
Market Value (PMV), or the price an informed industrialist would pay to buy the
company.
During
2008, we assigned the analysts to research teams, each coordinated by a senior
analyst, in order to enhance idea cross-fertilization, and more efficiently
share knowledge acquired in related industry subsectors. Our teams
are broken down into Digital, which includes cable, telecommunications,
broadcasting, publishing, advertising, and entertainment; Gabelli Green, which
researches investment opportunities in clean and renewable energy; Food of All
Nations; Health and Wellness; and Industrial.
Brokerage
Commissions
Gabelli
& Company
generates brokerage commission revenues from securities transactions executed on
an agency basis on behalf of institutional and private wealth
management clients as well as from retail customers and mutual
funds. Commission revenues totaled $16.1 million, $15.7 million, and
$12.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006,
respectively. Gabelli & Company has considered and continues to explore
expansion of such activities.
Underwriting
In 2008,
Gabelli & Company did not participate in any underwritings. In 2007, Gabelli
& Company participated in 5 underwritings with commitments of $47.0
million, of which 2 included a commitment of $42.5 million for participation in
offerings of Gabelli closed-end funds shares. In 2006, Gabelli & Company
participated in 4 underwritings with commitments of $15.5 million, of
which 1 included a commitment of $14.0 million for participation in
offerings of Gabelli closed-end funds shares.
We
compete with other investment management firms and mutual fund companies,
insurance companies, banks, brokerage firms and other financial institutions
that offer products that have similar features and investment objectives to
those offered by us. Many of the investment management firms with
which we compete are subsidiaries of large diversified financial companies and
many others are much larger in terms of AUM and revenues and, accordingly, have
much larger sales organizations and marketing budgets. Historically,
we have competed primarily on the basis of the long-term investment performance
of many of our investment products. However, we have taken steps to
increase our distribution channels, brand name awareness and marketing
efforts.
The market
for providing investment management services to institutional and
private wealth management Institutional and Private Wealth Management
is also highly competitive. Approximately 35% of our investment advisory fee
revenue for the year ended December 31, 2008 was derived from our Institutional
and Private Wealth Management. Selection of investment advisors by
U.S. institutional investors is often subject to a screening process and to
favorable recommendations by investment industry consultants. Many of
these investors require their investment advisors to have a successful and
sustained performance record, often five years or longer, and also focus on
one-year and three-year performance records. We have significantly
increased our AUM on behalf of U.S. institutional investors since our entry
into the institutional asset management business in 1977. At the current time,
we believe that our investment performance record would be attractive to
potential new institutional and private wealth
management clients. However, no assurance can be given that our
efforts to obtain new business will be successful.
Service
marks and brand name recognition are important to our business. We have rights
to the service marks under which our products are offered. We have
registered certain service marks in the United States and will continue to do so
as new trademarks and service marks are developed or acquired. We
have rights to use the “Gabelli” name, the “GAMCO” name, and other
names. Pursuant to an assignment agreement, Mr. Gabelli has assigned
to us all of his rights, title and interests in and to the “Gabelli” name for
use in connection with investment management services, mutual funds and
securities brokerage services. However, under the agreement, Mr. Gabelli will
retain any and all rights, title and interests he has or may have in the
“Gabelli” name for use in connection with (i) charitable foundations controlled
by Mr. Gabelli or members of his family or (ii) entities engaged in private
investment activities for Mr. Gabelli or members of his family. In addition, the
funds managed by Mr. Gabelli outside GBL have entered into a license agreement
with us permitting them to continue limited use of the “Gabelli” name under
specified circumstances. We have taken, and will continue to take, action to
protect our interests in these service marks.
20
Virtually
all
aspects of our businesses are subject to various federal and state laws and
regulations. These laws and regulations are primarily intended to protect
investment advisory clients and shareholders of registered investment companies.
Under such laws and regulations, agencies that regulate investment advisors and
broker-dealers have broad administrative powers, including the power to limit,
restrict or prohibit such an advisor or broker-dealer from carrying on its
business in the event that it fails to comply with such laws and regulations. In
such an event, the possible sanctions that may be imposed include the suspension
of individual employees, limitations on engaging in certain lines of business
for specified periods of time, revocation of the investment advisor and other
registrations, censures, and fines. We believe that we are in substantial
compliance with all material laws and regulations.
Our
business is subject to regulation at both the federal and state level by the SEC
and other regulatory bodies. Certain of our subsidiaries are registered with the
SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and the Funds are registered with
the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940. We also have a
subsidiary that is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC and is subject to
regulation by the FINRA and various states.
The
subsidiaries of GBL
that are registered with the Commission under the Investment Advisers Act (Funds
Advisor, Teton, Gabelli Fixed Income LLC, GAMCO and GSI) are regulated by
and subject to examination by the SEC. The Investment Advisers Act imposes
numerous obligations on registered investment advisors including fiduciary
duties and disclosure obligations and record keeping, operational and marketing
requirements. The Commission is authorized to institute proceedings and impose
sanctions for violations of the Investment Advisers Act, ranging from censure to
termination of an investment advisor's registration. The failure of a subsidiary
to comply with the requirements of the SEC could have a material adverse effect
on us. We believe that we are in substantial compliance with the
requirements of the regulations under the Investment Advisers
Act.
We derive a
substantial majority of our revenues from investment advisory services through
our various investment management agreements. Under the Investment Advisers Act,
our investment management agreements terminate automatically if assigned without
the client's consent. Under the Investment Company Act, advisory agreements with
registered investment companies such as our Funds terminate automatically upon
assignment. The term "assignment" is broadly defined and includes direct as well
as assignments that may be deemed to occur, under certain circumstances, upon
the transfer, directly or indirectly, of a controlling interest in
GBL.
In its
capacity as a broker-dealer, Gabelli & Company is required to maintain
certain minimum net capital and cash reserves for the benefit of our customers.
Gabelli & Company’s net capital, as defined, has consistently met or
exceeded all minimum requirements. Gabelli & Company is also
subject to periodic examination by FINRA.
Subsidiaries
of GBL are subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended (“ERISA”), and to regulations promulgated there under, insofar as they
are “fiduciaries” under ERISA with respect to certain of their clients. ERISA
and applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
“Code”), impose certain duties on persons who are fiduciaries under ERISA and
prohibit certain transactions involving ERISA plan clients. Our failure to
comply with these requirements could have a material adverse effect on
us.
Investments
by
GBL and on behalf of our advisory clients investment companies and partnerships
often represent a significant equity ownership position in an issuer's class of
stock. As of December 31, 2008, we had five percent or more beneficial ownership
with respect to approximately 113 equity securities. This activity raises
frequent regulatory, legal, and disclosure issues regarding our aggregate
beneficial ownership level with respect to portfolio securities, including
issues relating to issuers' shareholder rights plans or “poison pills,” state
gaming laws and regulations, federal communications laws and regulations, public
utility holding company laws and regulations, federal proxy rules governing
shareholder communications and federal laws and regulations regarding the
reporting of beneficial ownership positions. Our failure to comply
with these requirements could have a material adverse effect on
us.
The USA
Patriot Act of 2001, contains anti-money laundering and financial transparency
laws and mandates the implementation of various new regulations applicable to
broker-dealers, mutual funds and other financial services companies, including
standards for verifying client identification at account opening, and
obligations to monitor client transactions and report suspicious
activities. Anti-money laundering laws outside of the U.S. contain
some similar provisions. Our failure to comply with these
requirements could have a material adverse effect on us.
We and
certain of our affiliates are subject to the laws of non-U.S. jurisdictions and
non-U.S. regulatory agencies or bodies. In particular, we are subject to
requirements in numerous jurisdictions regarding reporting of beneficial
ownership positions in securities issued by companies whose securities are
publicly-traded in those countries. In addition, GAMCO is registered as an
international advisor, investment counsel and portfolio manager with the Ontario
Securities Commission in Canada in order to market our services to prospective
clients who reside in Ontario. Several of our investment partnerships
are organized under the laws of foreign jurisdictions. In connection with our
opening of an office in London and our plans to market certain products in
Europe, we are required to comply with the laws of the United Kingdom and other
European countries regarding these activities. Our subsidiary, GAMCO
Asset Management (UK) Limited, is regulated by the Financial Services
Authority. In connection with our registration in the United Kingdom,
we have minimum capital requirements that have been consistently met or
exceeded. We opened research offices in Shanghai and Singapore and therefore
are subject to national and local laws in those
jurisdictions.
Regulatory
matters
The
investment management industry is likely to continue facing a high level of
regulatory scrutiny and become subject to additional rules designed to increase
disclosure, tighten controls and reduce potential conflicts of
interest. In addition, the Commission has substantially increased its
use of focused inquiries in which it requests information from a number of fund
complexes regarding particular practices or provisions of the securities
laws. We participate in some of these inquiries in the normal course
of our business. Changes in laws, regulations and administrative
practices by regulatory authorities, and the associated compliance costs, have
increased our cost structure and could in the future have a material
impact.
See item
3 below.
On
February 28, 2009, we had a full-time staff of 214 individuals, of whom 65
served in the portfolio management, research and trading areas
(including 16 portfolio managers for the Mutual Funds, Institutional and
Private Wealth Management and Investment Partnerships), 74 served in the
marketing and shareholder servicing areas and 75 served in the administrative
area.
21
Business
Risks
We
caution the reader that the following business risks and those risks described
elsewhere in this report and in our other SEC filings could cause our actual
results to differ materially from expectations stated in our forward-looking
statements.
Risks
Related to Our Industry
Changes
in laws or regulations or in governmental policies could limit the sources and
amounts of our revenues, increase our costs of doing business, decrease our
profitability and materially and adversely affect our business.
Our business
is subject to extensive regulation in the United States, primarily at the
federal level, including regulation by the SEC under the Investment Company Act
and the Investment Advisers Act, by the Department of Labor under ERISA, as well
as regulation by FINRA and state regulators. The Funds managed by Funds
Advisor and Teton are registered with the SEC as investment companies
under the Investment Company Act. The Investment Advisers Act imposes numerous
obligations on investment advisors, including record-keeping, advertising and
operating requirements, disclosure obligations and prohibitions on fraudulent
activities. The Investment Company Act imposes similar obligations, as well as
additional detailed operational requirements, on registered investment companies
and investment advisors. Our failure to comply with applicable laws or
regulations could result in fines, censure, suspensions of personnel or other
sanctions, including revocation of our registration as an investment advisor or
broker-dealer. Industry regulations are designed to protect our clients and
investors in our funds and other third parties who deal with us and to ensure
the integrity of the financial markets. They are not designed to protect our
stockholders. Changes in laws or regulations or in governmental policies could
limit the sources and amounts of our revenues, increase our costs of doing
business, decrease our profitability and materially and adversely affect our
business.
To
the extent we are forced to compete on the basis of price, we may not be able to
maintain our current fee structure.
The investment
management business is highly competitive and has relatively low barriers to
entry. To the extent we are forced to compete on the basis of price, we may not
be able to maintain our current fee structure. Although our investment
management fees vary from product to product, historically we have competed
primarily on the performance of our products and not on the level of our
investment management fees relative to those of our competitors. In recent
years, however, there has been a trend toward lower fees in the investment
management industry. In order to maintain our fee structure in a competitive
environment, we must be able to continue to provide clients with investment
returns and service that make investors willing to pay our fees. In addition,
the board of directors of each Fund managed by Funds Advisor and Teton must
make certain findings as to the reasonableness of its fees. We cannot be assured
that we will succeed in providing investment returns and service that will allow
us to maintain our current fee structure. Fee reductions on existing or future
new business could have an adverse effect on our profit margins and results of
operations.
We
derive a substantial portion of our revenues from contracts that may be
terminated on short notice.
A substantial
majority of all of our revenues are derived from investment management
agreements and distribution arrangements. Investment management
agreements and distribution arrangements with the Funds are terminable without
penalty on 60 days' notice (subject to certain additional procedural
requirements in the case of termination by a Fund) and must be specifically
approved at least annually, as required by law. Such annual renewal
requires, among other things, approval by the disinterested members of each
Fund's board of directors or trustees. Investment advisory agreements
with the Institutional and Private Wealth Management are typically terminable by
the client without penalty on 30 days' notice or less. Any failure to
renew or termination of a significant number of these agreements or arrangements
would have a material adverse effect on us.
Investors
in the open-end funds can redeem their investments in these funds at any time
without prior notice, which could adversely affect our earnings.
Open-end
fund investors may redeem their investments in those funds at any time without
prior notice. Investors may reduce the aggregate amount of AUM for any number of
reasons, including investment performance, changes in prevailing interest rates
and financial market performance. In a declining stock market, the pace of
mutual fund redemptions could accelerate. Poor performance relative to other
asset management firms tends to result in decreased purchases of mutual fund
shares and increased redemptions of mutual fund shares. The redemption of
investments in mutual funds managed by Funds Advisor or Teton would
adversely affect our revenues, which are substantially dependent upon
the AUM in our funds. If redemptions of investments in mutual funds
caused our revenues to decline, it could have a material adverse effect on our
earnings.
Certain
changes in control of our company would automatically terminate our investment
management agreements with our clients, unless our Institutional and Private
Wealth Management clients consent and, in the case of fund clients, the funds’
boards of directors and shareholders vote to continue the agreements, and could
prevent us for a two-year period from increasing the investment advisory fees we
are able to charge our mutual fund clients.
Under the
Investment Company Act, an investment management agreement with a fund must
provide for its automatic termination in the event of its assignment. The fund’s
board and shareholders must vote to continue the agreement following its
assignment, the cost of which ordinarily would be borne by us.
Under the
Investment Advisers Act, a client’s investment management agreement may not be
“assigned” by the investment advisor without the client’s consent. An investment
management agreement is considered under both acts to be assigned to another
party when a controlling block of the advisor’s securities is transferred. In
our case, an assignment of our investment management agreements may occur if,
among other things, we sell or issue a certain number of additional common
shares in the future. We cannot be certain that our clients will consent to
assignments of our investment management agreements or approve new agreements
with us if an assignment occurs. Under the Investment Company Act, if a fund’s
investment advisor engages in a transaction that results in the assignment of
its investment management agreement with the fund, the advisor may not impose an
“unfair burden” on that fund as a result of the transaction for a two-year
period after the transaction is completed. The term “unfair burden” has been
interpreted to include certain increases in investment advisory fees. This
restriction may discourage potential purchasers from acquiring a controlling
interest in our company.
Regulatory
developments designed to increase oversight of hedge funds may adversely affect
our business.
The SEC
has proposed a rule that would limit the eligibility of individuals to invest in
hedge funds by requiring that such individuals own not less than $2.5 million in
investments at the time of their hedge fund investment. The SEC may also propose
or enact other rules designed to increase oversight of hedge funds by the SEC.
Any regulations applicable to hedge funds that may be adopted could have an
impact on our operations and may adversely affect our hedge fund business and
decrease our future income.
22
A
decline in the prices of securities would lead to a decline in our assets under
management, revenues and earnings.
Substantially
all of our revenues are determined by the amount of our AUM. Under our
investment advisory contracts with our clients, the investment advisory fees we
receive are typically based on the market value of AUM. In addition, we receive
asset-based distribution and/or service fees with respect to the open-end funds
managed by Funds Advisor or Teton over time pursuant to distribution plans
adopted under provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act.
Rule 12b-1 fees typically are based on the market value of AUM and
represented approximately 9.7%, 8.6% and 7.9% of our total revenues for the
years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006,
respectively. Accordingly, a decline in the prices of securities
generally may cause our revenues and net income to decline by either causing the
value of our AUM to decrease, which would result in lower investment advisory
and Rule 12b-1 fees, or causing our clients to withdraw funds in favor of
investments they perceive to offer greater opportunity or lower risk, which
would also result in lower fees. The securities markets are highly volatile, and
securities prices may increase or decrease for many reasons, including economic
and political events and acts of terrorism beyond our control. If a decline in
securities prices caused our revenues to decline, it could have a material
adverse effect on our earnings.
Catastrophic
and unpredictable events could have a material adverse effect on our
business.
A
terrorist attack, war, power failure, cyber-attack, natural disaster or other
catastrophic or unpredictable event could adversely affect our future revenues,
expenses and earnings by: interrupting our normal business operations;
sustaining employee casualties, including loss of our key executives; requiring
substantial expenditures and expenses to repair, replace and restore normal
business operations; and reducing investor confidence.
We have a
disaster recovery plan to address certain contingencies, but we cannot be
assured that this plan will be sufficient in responding or ameliorating the
effects of all disaster scenarios. If our employees or vendors we rely upon for
support in a catastrophic event are unable to respond adequately or in a timely
manner, we may lose clients resulting in a decrease in AUM which may have a
material adverse effect on revenues and net income.
Risks
Related to Our Business
Control
by Mr. Gabelli of a majority of the combined voting power of our common stock
may give rise to conflicts of interests.
Since
our
initial public offering in 1999, Mr. Gabelli, through his majority ownership of
GGCP, has beneficially owned a majority of our outstanding class B common stock.
As of December 31, 2008, GGCP’s holdings of our class B common stock represent
approximately 95% of the combined voting power of all classes of our voting
stock. As long as Mr. Gabelli indirectly beneficially owns a majority
of the combined voting power of our common stock, he will have the ability to
elect all of the members of our Board of Directors and thereby control our
management and affairs, including determinations with respect to acquisitions,
dispositions, borrowings, issuances of common stock or other securities, and the
declaration and payment of dividends on the common stock. In
addition, Mr. Gabelli will be able to determine the outcome of matters submitted
to a vote of our shareholders for approval and will be able to cause or prevent
a change in control of our company. As a result of Mr. Gabelli's
control, none of our agreements with Mr. Gabelli and other companies controlled
by him can be assumed to have been arrived at through "arm's-length"
negotiations, although we believe that the parties endeavor to implement
market-based terms. There can be no assurance that we would not have
received more favorable terms from an unaffiliated party.
In order
to minimize conflicts and potential competition with our investment management
business, in 1999 and as part of our initial public offering, Mr. Gabelli
entered into a written agreement to limits his activities outside of
GBL. On February 6, 2008, Mr. Gabelli entered into an amended and
restated employment agreement which was approved by the GBL shareholders on
November 30, 2007 and which limits his activities outside of GBL. The
amended agreement ("Amended Agreement") amended Mr. Gabelli’s Employment
Agreement primarily by (i) eliminating outdated provisions, clarifying certain
language and reflecting our name change, (ii) revising the term of the
Employment Agreement from an indefinite term to automatically renewed one-year
periods in perpetuity following the initial three-year term unless either party
gives 90 days written notice prior to the expiration of the annual term
following the initial three-year term, (iii) allowing for services to be
performed for former subsidiaries that are spun off to shareholders or otherwise
cease to be subsidiaries in similar transactions, (iv) allowing new investors in
the permitted outside accounts if all of the performance fees, less expenses,
generated by assets attributable to such investors are paid to us, (v) allowing
for the management fee to be paid directly to Mr. Gabelli or to an entity
designated by him, and (vi) adding certain language to ensure that the Amended
Agreement is construed to avoid the imposition of any tax pursuant to Section
409A of the Code.
Prior to
our initial public offering in February 1999, GAMCO entered into an Employment
Agreement with Mr. Gabelli. Under the Amended Agreement, the manner of computing
Mr. Gabelli’s remuneration from GAMCO is unchanged.
Mr.
Gabelli (or his designee under the Amended Agreement) will continue receiving an
incentive-based management fee in the amount of 10% of our aggregate pre-tax
profits, if any, as computed for financial reporting purposes in accordance with
U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (before consideration of this fee)
so long as he is an executive of GAMCO and devotes the substantial majority of
his working time to our business. This incentive-based management fee is subject
to the Compensation Committee’s review at least annually for compliance with its
terms.
Consistent
with the firm’s practice since its inception in 1977, Mr. Gabelli will also
continue receiving a percentage of revenues or net operating contribution, which
are substantially derived from AUM, as compensation relating to or generated by
the following activities: (i) managing or overseeing the management of various
investment companies and partnerships, (ii) attracting mutual fund shareholders,
(iii) attracting and managing Institutional and Private Wealth Management, and
(iv) otherwise generating revenues for the company. Such payments are made in a
manner and at rates as agreed to from time to time by GAMCO, which rates have
been and generally will be the same as those received by other professionals at
GAMCO performing similar services. With respect to our institutional and high
net worth asset management and mutual fund advisory business, we pay out up to
40% of the revenues or net operating contribution to the portfolio managers and
marketing staff who introduce, service or generate such business, with payments
involving the Institutional and Private Wealth Management being typically based
on revenues and payments involving the mutual funds being typically based on net
operating contribution.
Mr. Gabelli
has agreed that while he is employed by us he will not provide investment
management services outside of GAMCO, except for certain permitted accounts.
These accounts held assets at December 31, 2008 and 2007 of approximately $75.0
million and $91.4 million, respectively. The Amended Agreement may not be
amended without the approval of the Compensation Committee.
We
depend on Mario J. Gabelli and other key personnel.
We are
dependent on the efforts of Mr. Gabelli, our Chairman of the Board, Chief
Executive Officer and the primary portfolio manager for a significant majority
of our AUM. The loss of Mr. Gabelli's services would have a material adverse
effect on us.
23
In
addition to Mr. Gabelli, our future success depends to a substantial degree on
our ability to retain and attract other qualified personnel to conduct our
investment management business. The market for qualified portfolio
managers is extremely competitive and has grown more so in recent periods as the
investment management industry has experienced growth. We anticipate
that it will be necessary for us to add portfolio managers and investment
analysts as we further diversify our investment products and
strategies. There can be no assurance, however, that we will be
successful in our efforts to recruit and retain the required
personnel. In addition, our investment professionals and senior
marketing personnel have direct contact with our Institutional and Private
Wealth Management clients, which can lead to strong client
relationships. The loss of these personnel could jeopardize our
relationships with certain Institutional and Private Wealth Management clients,
and result in the loss of such accounts. The loss of key management
professionals or the inability to recruit and retain sufficient portfolio
managers and marketing personnel could have a material adverse effect on our
business.
Potential
adverse effects on our performance prospects from a decline in the performance
of the securities markets.
Our results
of operations are affected by many economic factors, including the performance
of the securities markets. During the 1990s, unusually favorable and
sustained performance of the U.S. securities markets, and the U.S. equity
market, in particular, attracted substantial inflows of new investments in these
markets and has contributed to significant market appreciation which has, in
turn, led to an increase in our AUM and revenues. At December 31,
2008, approximately 93% of our AUM were invested in portfolios consisting
primarily of equity securities. More recently, the securities markets
in general have experienced significant volatility. Any decline in the
securities markets, in general, and the equity markets, in particular, could
reduce our AUM and consequently reduce our revenues. In addition, any
such decline in the equity markets, failure of these markets to sustain their
prior levels of growth, or continued short-term volatility in these markets
could result in investors withdrawing from the equity markets or decreasing
their rate of investment, either of which would be likely to adversely affect
us. From time to time, a relatively high proportion of the assets we
manage may be concentrated in particular industry sectors. A general
decline in the performance of securities in those industry sectors could have an
adverse effect on our AUM and revenues.
Possibility
of losses associated with proprietary investment activities.
We may
from time to time make or maintain large proprietary investment positions in
securities. Market fluctuations and other factors may result in
substantial losses in our proprietary accounts, which could have an adverse
effect on our balance sheet, reduce our ability or willingness to make new
investments or impair our credit ratings.
Future
investment performance could reduce revenues and other income.
Success
in
the investment management and mutual fund businesses is dependent on investment
performance as well as distribution and client servicing. Good
performance generally stimulates sales of our investment products and tends to
keep withdrawals and redemptions low, which generates higher management fees
(which are based on the amount of AUM). Conversely, relatively poor
performance tends to result in decreased sales, increased withdrawals and
redemptions in the case of the open-end Funds, and in the loss of Institutional
and Private Wealth Management, with corresponding decreases in revenues to
us. Many analysts of the mutual fund industry believe that investment
performance is the most important factor for the growth of open and closed-end
funds, such as those we offer. Failure of our investment products to
perform well could, therefore, have a material adverse effect on
us.
Loss
of
significant Institutional and Private Wealth Management accounts could affect
our revenues.
We had
approximately 1,700 Institutional and Private Wealth Management accounts as of
December 31, 2008, of which the ten largest accounts generated approximately 6%
of our total revenues during the year ended December 31, 2008. Loss
of these accounts for any reason would have an adverse effect on our
revenues. Not withstanding performance, we have from time to time
lost large Institutional and Private Wealth Management as a result of corporate
mergers and restructurings, and we could continue to lose accounts under these
or other circumstances.
During
2008, as
in prior years, we experienced client “turnover”. In 2008, terminated
relationships accounted for just over $200 million of the decline in
AUM. Alternatively, the level of closed accounts was less than
one-fifth of the average for the previous five years.
A
decline in the market for closed-end funds could reduce our ability to raise
future assets to manage.
Market
conditions may preclude us from increasing the assets we manage in closed-end
funds. A significant portion of our recent growth in the assets we manage has
resulted from public offerings of the common and preferred shares of closed-end
funds. We have raised $1.6 billion in gross assets through closed-end fund
offerings since January 2004. The market conditions for these offerings may not
be as favorable in the future, which could adversely impact our ability to grow
the assets we manage and our revenue.
We
rely on third-party distribution programs.
We have
since 1996 experienced significant growth in sales of our open-end Funds through
Third-Party Distribution Programs, which are programs sponsored by third-party
intermediaries that offer their mutual fund customers a variety of competing
products and administrative services. Most of the sales growth from
our Third-Party Distribution Programs is from programs with no transaction fees
payable by the customer, which we refer to as NTF
Programs. Approximately $2.4 billion of our AUM in the open-end Funds
as of December 31, 2008 were obtained through NTF Programs. The cost
of participating in Third-Party Distribution Programs is higher than our direct
distribution costs, and it is anticipated that the cost of Third-Party
Distribution Programs will increase in the future. Any increase would
be likely to have an adverse effect on our profit margins and results of
operations. In addition, there can be no assurance that the
Third-Party Distribution Programs will continue to distribute the
Funds. At December 31, 2008, approximately 89% of the NTF Program net
assets in the Gabelli/GAMCO and Westwood families of funds are attributable to
two NTF Programs. The decision by these Third-Party Distribution
Programs to discontinue distribution of the Funds, or a decision by us to
withdraw one or more of the Funds from the programs, could have an adverse
effect on our growth of AUM.
Possibility
of losses associated with underwriting, trading and market-making
activities.
Our
underwriting and trading activities are primarily conducted through our
subsidiary, Gabelli & Company, primarily as agent. Such
activities subject our capital to significant risks of loss. The
risks of loss include those resulting from ownership of securities, extension of
credit, leverage, liquidity, counterparty failure to meet commitments, client
fraud, employee errors, misconduct and fraud (including unauthorized
transactions by traders), failures in connection with the processing of
securities transactions and litigation. We have procedures and
internal controls to address such risks, but there can be no assurance that
these procedures and controls will prevent losses from occurring.
24
We
may have liability as a general partner or otherwise with respect to our
alternative investment products.
Certain
of
our subsidiaries act as general partner for investment partnerships, including
arbitrage, event-driven long/short, sector focused and merchant banking limited
partnerships. As a general partner of these partnerships, we may be
held liable for the partnerships' liabilities in excess of their ability to pay
such liabilities. In addition, in certain circumstances, we may be
liable as a control person for the acts of our investment
partnerships. As of December 31, 2008, our AUM included approximately
$295 million in investment partnerships. A substantial adverse
judgment or other liability with respect to our investment partnerships could
have a material adverse effect on us.
Operational
risks may disrupt our businesses, result in regulatory action against us or
limit our growth.
We face
operational risk arising from errors made in the execution, confirmation or
settlement of transactions or from transactions not being properly recorded,
evaluated or accounted for. Our business is highly dependent on our
ability to process, on a daily basis, transactions across markets in an
efficient and accurate manner. Consequently, we rely heavily on our financial,
accounting and other data processing systems. If any of these systems do not
operate properly or are disabled, we could suffer financial loss, a disruption
of our businesses, liability to clients, regulatory intervention or reputational
damage.
Dependence
on information systems.
We
operate in an industry that is highly dependent on its information systems and
technology. We outsource a significant portion of our information
systems operations to third parties who are responsible for providing the
management, maintenance and updating of such systems. There can be no
assurance, however, that our information systems and technology will continue to
be able to accommodate our growth or that the cost of maintaining such
outsourcing arrangements will not increase from its current
level. Such a failure to accommodate growth, or an increase in costs
related to these information systems, could have a material adverse effect on
us.
We
may not be able to refinance or have the funds necessary to repurchase our
existing indebtedness.
On August
10, 2001, we and certain of our affiliates entered into a note purchase
agreement with Cascade, pursuant to which Cascade purchased $100 million in
principal amount of a convertible promissory note (the “2011
Note”). Pursuant to the terms of the 2011 Note, Cascade may require
us, or upon a change in control or Mr. Gabelli ceasing to provide our
predominant executive leadership, to repurchase the 2011 Note (i.e., put option)
at par plus accrued and unpaid interest on the 2011 Note. In March
2005, we amended the terms of the 2011 Note. The new terms extended
the exercise date of Cascade's put option to September 15, 2006, reduced the
principal of the 2011 Note to $50 million, effective April 1, 2005, and removed
limitations on the issuance of additional debt. In June 2006, GBL and Cascade
agreed to amend the terms of the 2011 Note. Effective September 15,
2006, the rate on the 2011 Note increased from 5% to 6% while the conversion
price was raised to $53 per share from $52 per share. In addition,
the exercise date of Cascade’s put option was extended to May 15, 2007, the
expiration date of the related letter of credit was extended to May 22, 2007 and
a call option was included giving GBL the right to redeem the 2011 Note at 101%
of its principal amount together with all accrued but unpaid interest thereon
upon at least 30 days prior written notice, subject to certain provisions. On
April 18, 2007, the Company and Cascade amended the terms of the 2011 Note
maturing in August 2011, to extend the exercise date for Cascade’s put option
from May 15, 2007 to December 17, 2007 and to extend the expiration date of the
related letter of credit to December 24, 2007. The put option expired on
December 17, 2007, the related letter of credit expired on December 24, 2007,
and the collateral securing the letter of credit was released and became
unrestricted company assets as of that date. On January 3, 2008, GBL
filed a Form S-3 to register the resale of shares of GBL by Cascade. On
January 22, 2008, Cascade elected to convert $10 million of the 2011 Note into
188,679 GBL shares. Cascade requested that the remaining $40 million face value
of the 2011 Note be segregated into eight notes each with a face value of $5
million.
In
October 2008, GBL privately placed a $60 million convertible note with Cascade
(“2018 Note”). The ten-year note pays interest at 6.5% and provides
Cascade with certain put rights and an escrow agreement. The 2018
Note is convertible into GBL class A common stock at $70 per
share.
Our
credit ratings affect our borrowing costs.
Our
borrowing costs and our access to the debt capital markets depend significantly
on our credit ratings. A reduction in our credit ratings could increase our
borrowing costs and limit our access to the capital markets.
We
face
exposure to litigation and arbitrage claims within our
business.
The volume of
litigation and arbitrage claims against financial services firms and the amount
of damages claimed has increased over the past several years. The
types of claims that we may face are varied. For example, we may face
claims against us for purchasing securities that are inconsistent with a
client’s investment objectives or guidelines, in connection with the operation
of the Funds or arising from an employment dispute. The risk of
litigation is difficult to assess or quantify, and may occur years after the
activities or events at issue. Even if we prevail in a legal action
brought against us, the costs alone of defending against the action could have a
material adverse effect on us.
Compliance
failures and changes in regulation could adversely affect us.
Our
investment management activities are subject to client guidelines, and our
Mutual Fund business involves compliance with numerous investment, asset
valuation, distribution and tax requirements. A failure to adhere to
these guidelines or satisfy these requirements could result in losses which
could be recovered by the client from us in certain
circumstances. Although we have installed procedures and utilize the
services of experienced administrators, accountants and lawyers to assist us in
adhering to these guidelines and satisfying these requirements, and maintain
insurance to protect ourselves in the case of client losses, there can be no
assurance that such precautions or insurance will protect us from potential
liabilities.
Our
businesses are subject to extensive regulation in the United States, including
by the SEC and FINRA. We are also subject to the laws of non-U.S.
jurisdictions and non-U.S. regulatory agencies or bodies. Our failure
to comply with applicable laws or regulations could result in fines, suspensions
of personnel or other sanctions, including revocation of our subsidiaries'
registrations as an investment advisor or broker-dealer. Changes in
laws or regulations or in governmental policies could have a material adverse
effect on us. The regulatory matters described in the “Regulatory
Matters” section above or other regulatory or compliance matters could also have
a material adverse effect on us.
Our
reputation is critical to our success.
Our
reputation is critical to maintaining and developing relationships with our
clients, Mutual Fund shareholders and third-party intermediaries. In
recent years, there have been a number of well-publicized cases involving fraud,
conflicts of interest or other misconduct by individuals in the financial
services industry. Misconduct by our staff, or even unsubstantiated
allegations, could result not only in direct financial harm but also harm to our
reputation, causing injury to the value of our brands and our ability to retain
or attract AUM. In addition, in certain circumstances, misconduct on
the part of our clients or other parties could damage our
reputation. Harm to our reputation could have a material adverse
effect on us.
25
We
face strong competition from numerous and sometimes larger
companies.
We
compete with numerous investment management companies, stock brokerage and
investment banking firms, insurance companies, banks, savings and loan
associations and other financial institutions. Continuing
consolidation in the financial services industry has created stronger
competitors with greater financial resources and broader distribution channels
than our own. Additionally, competing securities dealers whom we rely
upon to distribute our mutual funds also sell their own proprietary funds and
investment products, which could limit the distribution of our investment
products. To the extent that existing or potential customers,
including securities dealers, decide to invest in or distribute the products of
our competitors, the sales of our products as well as our market share, revenues
and net income could decline.
Fee
pressures could reduce our profit margins.
There has
been a trend toward lower fees in some segments of the investment management
industry. In order for us to maintain our fee structure in a
competitive environment, we must be able to provide clients with investment
returns and service that will encourage them to be willing to pay such
fees. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we will be able to
maintain our current fee structure. Fee reductions on existing or
future new business could have an adverse impact on our profit margins and
results of operations.
Risks
Related to the Company
The
disparity in the voting rights among the classes of shares may have a potential
adverse effect on the price of our class A common stock.
The holders
of class A common stock and class B common stock have identical rights except
that (i) holders of class A common stock are entitled to one vote per share,
while holders of class B common stock are entitled to ten votes per share on all
matters to be voted on by shareholders in general, and (ii) holders of class A
common stock are not eligible to vote on matters relating exclusively to class B
common stock and vice versa. The differential in voting rights and
the ability of our company to issue additional class B common stock could
adversely affect the value of the class A common stock to the extent the
investors, or any potential future purchaser of our company, view the superior
voting rights of the class B common stock to have value. On November 30,
2007, class A common stock shareholders approved that the Board of
Directors should consider the conversion and reclassification of our shares of
class B common stock into class A common stock at a ratio of 1.15 shares of
class A common stock for each share of class B common stock. The
Board of Directors have yet to take action.
Future
sales of our class A common stock in the public market or sales or
distributions of our class B common stock could lower our stock price, and any
additional capital raised by us through the sale of equity or convertible
securities may dilute our stockholders’ ownership in us.
We may
sell additional shares of class A common stock in subsequent public
offerings. We also may issue additional shares of class A common stock or
convertible debt securities. As of December 31, 2008, we had 7,367,090
outstanding shares of class A common stock. On September 1, 2006, a shelf
registration statement on Form S-3 was declared effective by the SEC for the
re-sale of up to 2,486,763 class A shares. On January 18, 2008, a registration
statement on Form S-3 was declared effective by the SEC for
the registration for resale by Cascade of an aggregate of 943,396
shares of class A common stock issuable upon conversion of the 2011
Note. The 2011 Note matures on August 14, 2011. On
January 22, 2008, Cascade elected to convert $10 million of the 2011 Note into
188,697 GBL shares. Cascade requested that the remaining $40 million
face value of the 2011 Notes be segregated into eight notes each with a face
value of $5 million. 857,143 shares of class A common stock are
issuable to Cascade upon conversion of the $60 million 6.5% note due October 2,
2018. Cascade has registration rights with respect to these
shares.
No
prediction can be made as to the effect, if any, that future sales or
distributions of class B common stock owned by GGCP will have on the market
price of the class A common stock prevailing from time to
time. Sales or distributions of substantial amounts of class A
or class B common stock, or the perception that such sales or distributions
could occur, could adversely affect the prevailing market price for the class A
common stock.
26
None.
At
December 31, 2008, we leased our principal offices which consisted of a single
60,000 square foot building located at 401 Theodore Fremd Avenue, Rye, New York
which expires on December 31, 2023. This building was leased in December 1997
(prior to our 1999 IPO) from an entity controlled by members of Mr. Gabelli's
immediate family. For 2008, 2007 and 2006 we paid approximately
$890,000, $856,000 and $834,000, respectively, and $14.83, $14.27 and
$13.90 per square foot, respectively, under this lease. 5,000 square feet
was subleased to affiliates. We receive rental payments under the sublease
agreements, which totaled approximately $151,000 in 2008 and were used to offset
operating expenses incurred for the property. The lease provides that
in addition to the lease payments, all operating expenses related to the
property, which are estimated at $770,000 annually, are to be paid by
us.
We have
also entered into leases for office space in both the U.S. and overseas
principally for portfolio management, research, sales and marketing
personnel. These offices are generally less than 4,000 square feet
and leased for periods of five years or less.
In the
normal course of business, the Company has been, and may continue to be, named
in legal actions, including recently-filed FINRA arbitration claims. These
claims may seek substantial compensatory as well as punitive
damages. At this early stage the Company cannot predict the ultimate
outcome of these claims nor can it estimate a possible loss amount, if
any. However, in the opinion of management, the resolution of such
claims will not be material to the financial condition of the
Company.
In
September 2008, Gabelli Funds, LLC ("Gabelli Funds”) reached agreement in
principle with the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"),
subject to Commission approval, on a previously disclosed matter that had been
ongoing for several years involving compliance with Section 19(a) of the
Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rule 19a-1 there under by two closed-end
funds. The agreement was finalized with the Commission on January 12,
2009. The provisions of Section 19(a) of Rule 19a-1 require registered
investment companies, when making a distribution in the nature of a dividend
from sources other than net investment income, to contemporaneously provide
written statements to shareholders that adequately disclose the source or
sources of such distribution. While the two funds sent annual
statements and provided other materials containing this information, the
shareholders did not receive the notices required by Rule 19a-1 with any of the
distributions that were made for 2002 and 2003. Gabelli Funds
believes that the funds have been in compliance with Section 19(a) and Rule
19a-1 since the beginning of 2004. As part of the settlement, in
which Gabelli Funds neither admits nor denies the findings by the SEC, Gabelli
Funds agreed to pay a civil monetary penalty of $450,000 and to cease and desist
from causing violations of Section 19(a) and Rule 19a-1. In
connection with the settlement, the SEC noted the remedial actions previously
undertaken by Gabelli Funds.
ITEM
4: SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
No matters were submitted to a vote of
our security holders during the fourth quarter
of 2008.
27
Our
shares of class A common stock have been traded on the NYSE under the symbol GBL
since our initial public offering on February 11, 1999. Prior to
that, there was no public market for our common stock.
As of March
1, 2009, there were 242 class A common stockholders of record and 27 class
B common stockholders of record. These figures do not include
stockholders with shares held under beneficial ownership in nominee name, which
are estimated to be approximately 2,000.
The
following table sets forth the high and low prices of our class A common stock
for each quarter of 2008 and 2007 as reported by the NYSE.
Quarter
Ended
|
High
|
Low
|
||||||
March
31, 2008
|
$ | 73.36 | $ | 47.06 | ||||
June
30, 2008
|
$ |
60.01
|
$ | 45.06 | ||||
September
30, 2008
|
$ | 68.52 | $ | 36.84 | ||||
December
31, 2008
|
$ |
59.00
|
$ | 21.66 | ||||
March
31, 2007
|
$
|
43.85
|
$
|
37.51
|
||||
June
30, 2007
|
$
|
58.63
|
$
|
42.67
|
||||
September
30, 2007
|
$
|
62.43
|
$
|
41.90
|
||||
December
31, 2007
|
$
|
70.15
|
$
|
52.02
|
In 2006,
we paid $0.12 per share in dividends to our common shareholders. This
included four quarterly dividends of $0.03 per share on March 28, 2006, June 28,
2006, September 28, 2006, and December 26, 2006, respectively, to all
shareholders of record on February 7, 2006, May 9, 2006, August 8, 2006, and
November 13, 2006, respectively.
In June
2006, the
holders of 2,347,473 Class B shares exchanged their B shares for an equal number
of Class A shares. Subsequently, the holders of an additional 154,383
Class B shares have exchanged their B shares for an equal number of Class A
shares.
In 2007,
we paid $1.12 per share in dividends to our common shareholders. This
included four quarterly dividends of $0.03 per share on March 28, 2007, June 28,
2007, September 28, 2007, and December 28, 2007, respectively, to all
shareholders of record on March 15, 2007, June 15, 2007, September 14, 2007, and
December 14, 2007, respectively. We also paid a special dividend of
$1.00 per share to all of our shareholders, payable on July 30, 2007 to
shareholders of record on July 23, 2007.
In 2008, we
paid $2.02 per share in dividends to our common shareholders. This
included four quarterly dividends of $0.03 per share on March 28, 2008, June 27,
2008, September 30, 2008, and December 30, 2008, respectively, to all
shareholders of record on March 14, 2008, June 13, 2008, September 16, 2008, and
December 16, 2008, respectively. We also paid special dividends of $1.00
and $0.90 per share, respectively, to all of our shareholders, payable on
September 16, 2008 and December 23, 2008, respectively, to shareholders of
record on September 2, 2008 and December 9, 2008,
respectively.
Since our
IPO, we have returned to shareholders approximately $385 million in the form of
dividends and stock buybacks.
The
following table provides information with respect to the shares of our class A
common stock we repurchased during the three months ended December 31,
2008:
Period
|
(a)
Total Number of Shares Repurchased
|
(b)
Average Price Paid Per Share, net of Commissions
|
(c)
Total Number of Shares Repurchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or
Programs
|
(d)
Maximum Number of Shares (or Approximate Dollar Value) That May Yet Be
Purchased Under the Plans or Programs
|
||||||||||||
10/01/08
– 10/31/08
|
61,500
|
$
|
29.68
|
61,500
|
1,000,436
|
|||||||||||
11/01/08
– 11/30/08
|
93,300
|
27.01
|
93,300
|
907,136
|
||||||||||||
12/01/08
– 12/31/08
|
42,300
|
25.07
|
42,300
|
864,836
|
||||||||||||
Totals
|
197,100
|
$
|
27.43
|
197,100
|
Our stock
repurchase program is not subject to an expiration date.
28
We are
required to provide a comparison of the cumulative total return on our class A
common stock as of December 31, 2008 with that of a broad equity market index
and either a published industry index or a peer group index selected by us. The
following chart compares the return on the class A common stock with the return
on the S&P 500 Index and an index comprised of public asset managers (“Peer
group index”). The comparison assumes that $100 was invested in the class A
common stock and in each of the named indices, including the reinvestment of
dividends, on December 31, 2003. This chart is not intended to forecast future
performance of our common stock.
Dec.
31,
|
Dec.
31,
|
Dec.
31,
|
Dec.
31,
|
Dec.
31,
|
Dec.
31,
|
|||||||||||||||||||
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
|||||||||||||||||||
GAMCO
Investors, Inc.
|
100.00
|
126.50
|
113.71
|
100.78
|
184.96
|
77.27
|
||||||||||||||||||
Peer
group index
|
100.00
|
110.88
|
116.33
|
134.70
|
142.10
|
89.53
|
||||||||||||||||||
S&P
500 Index
|
100.00
|
130.47
|
165.93
|
192.43
|
219.04
|
104.10
|
The
following table shows information regarding outstanding options and shares
reserved for future issuance under our equity compensation plans as of December
31, 2008.
Plan
Category
|
Number
of Securities to be Issued upon Exercise of Outstanding Options, Warrants
and Rights
|
Weighted-Average
Exercise Price of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights
|
|||||||||
Equity
compensation plans approved by security holders:
|
|||||||||||
Stock options
|
170,175
|
$
|
32.60
|
||||||||
Restricted stock awards
|
369,900
|
n/a
|
|||||||||
Equity
compensation plans not approved by security holders
|
-0-
|
-0-
|
|||||||||
Total
|
540,075
|
The
number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity
compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in the first column above)
are 868,875. All stock options and RSAs are recommended by the
Company’s Chairman, whom has never received either stock options or RSAs since
the Company went public.
29
General
The
selected historical financial data presented below has been derived in part
from, and should be read in conjunction with Management’s Discussion and
Analysis included in Item 7 and the audited Consolidated Financial Statements of
GAMCO Investors, Inc. and subsidiaries and related notes included in Item 8 of
this report.
2008
|
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
2004
|
||||||||||||||||
Income Statement Data
(in thousands) (unaudited)
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Revenues:
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Investment
advisory and incentive fees
|
$
|
204,293
|
$
|
250,410
|
$
|
227,005
|
$
|
220,464
|
$
|
220,561
|
||||||||||
Commission
revenue
|
16,129
|
15,729
|
12,619
|
12,195
|
15,573
|
|||||||||||||||
Distribution
fees and other income
|
24,590
|
26,230
|
21,839
|
20,673
|
19,651
|
|||||||||||||||
Total
revenues
|
245,012
|
292,369
|
261,463
|
253,332
|
255,785
|
|||||||||||||||
Expenses:
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Compensation
costs
|
102,840
|
120,036
|
102,411
|
106,585
|
104,297
|
|||||||||||||||
Management
fee
|
4,086
|
14,463
|
13,236
|
11,462
|
11,023
|
|||||||||||||||
Distribution
costs
|
25,090
|
28,500
|
25,366
|
21,073
|
19,887
|
|||||||||||||||
Other
operating expenses
|
27,979
|
26,203
|
44,103
|
26,665
|
21,455
|
|||||||||||||||
Total
expenses
|
159,995
|
189,202
|
185,116
|
165,785
|
156,662
|
|||||||||||||||
Operating
income
|
85,017
|
103,167
|
76,347
|
87,547
|
99,123
|
|||||||||||||||
Other
income (expense), net:
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Net
gain/(loss) from investments
|
(52,299
|
)
|
6,147
|
35,613
|
10,912
|
5,627
|
||||||||||||||
Interest
and dividend income
|
13,136
|
32,497
|
35,506
|
18,483
|
10,481
|
|||||||||||||||
Interest
expense
|
(9,674
|
)
|
(11,965
|
)
|
(14,226
|
)
|
(13,782
|
)
|
(16,027
|
)
|
||||||||||
Total
other income (expense), net
|
(48,837
|
)
|
26,679
|
56,893
|
15,613
|
81
|
||||||||||||||
Income
before income taxes and minority interest
|
36,180
|
129,846
|
133,240
|
103,160
|
99,204
|
|||||||||||||||
Income
Taxes
|
12,323
|
49,548
|
50,848
|
38,685
|
36,118
|
|||||||||||||||
Minority
interest expense/(income)
|
(1,009
|
)
|
729
|
10,465
|
533
|
495
|
||||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
24,866
|
$
|
79,569
|
$
|
71,927
|
$
|
63,942
|
$
|
62,591
|
||||||||||
Weighted
average shares outstanding:
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Basic
|
27,805
|
28,142
|
28,542
|
29,805
|
29,673
|
|||||||||||||||
Diluted
|
27,841
|
29,129
|
29,525
|
31,155
|
31,804
|
|||||||||||||||
Net
income per share:
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Basic
|
$
|
0.89
|
$
|
2.83
|
$
|
2.52
|
$
|
2.15
|
$
|
2.11
|
||||||||||
Diluted
|
$
|
0.89
|
$
|
2.79
|
$
|
2.49
|
$
|
2.11
|
$
|
2.06
|
||||||||||
Actual
shares outstanding at December 31st
|
27,746
|
(a)
|
28,446
|
28,241
|
29,543
|
28,837
|
||||||||||||||
Dividends
declared
|
$
|
2.02
|
$
|
1.12
|
$
|
0.12
|
$
|
0.09
|
$
|
1.76
|
(a)
Includes unvested RSAs of 369,900.
December
31,
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
2004
|
||||||||||||||||||
Balance
Sheet Data (in
thousands) (unaudited)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Total
assets
|
$
|
697,634
|
$
|
757,580
|
$
|
837,231
|
$
|
728,138
|
$ |
697,842
|
||||||||||||
Total
liabilities and minority interest
|
257,481
|
256,265
|
385,655
|
303,637
|
363,142
|
|||||||||||||||||
Total
stockholders’ equity
|
$
|
440,153
|
$
|
501,315
|
$
|
451,576
|
$
|
424,501
|
$ |
334,700
|
December
31,
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
2004
|
||||||||||||||||||
Assets
Under Management (unaudited)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
(at
year end, in millions):
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Mutual
Funds
|
$
|
11,888
|
$
|
17,237
|
$
|
14,939
|
$
|
13,698
|
$ | 13,870 | ||||||||||||
Institutional
& PWM Separate Accounts
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Direct
|
6,883
|
10,732
|
10,332
|
9,634
|
10,269 | |||||||||||||||||
Sub-advisory
|
1,585
|
2,584
|
2,340
|
2,832
|
3,706 | |||||||||||||||||
Investment
Partnerships
|
295
|
460
|
491
|
634
|
814 | |||||||||||||||||
Total
|
$
|
20,651
|
$
|
31,013
|
$
|
28,102
|
$
|
26,798
|
$ | 28,659 |
30
The
following discussion should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated
Financial Statements and the notes thereto included in Item 8 to this
report.
Introduction
Our revenues
are highly correlated to the level of AUM and fees associated with our various
investment products, rather than our own corporate assets. AUM, which
are directly influenced by the level and changes of the overall equity markets,
can also fluctuate through acquisitions, the creation of new products, the
addition of new accounts or the loss of existing accounts. Since
various equity products have different fees, changes in our business mix may
also affect revenues. At times, the performance of our equity
products may differ markedly from popular market indices, and this can also
impact our revenues. It is our belief that general stock market
trends will have the greatest impact on our level of AUM and hence,
revenues.
We
conduct our investment advisory business principally through: GAMCO
(Institutional and Private Wealth Management), Funds Advisor (Mutual Funds)
and GSI (Investment Partnerships). We also act as an underwriter
and are a distributor of our open-end mutual funds and provide
institutional research through Gabelli & Company, our broker-dealer
subsidiary.
Overview
Consolidated
Statements of Income
Investment
advisory and incentive fees, which are based on the amount and composition of
AUM in our Mutual Funds, Institutional and Private Wealth Management and
Investment Partnerships, represent our largest source of revenues. In
addition to the general level and trends of the stock market, growth in revenues
depends on good investment performance, which influences the value of existing
AUM as well as contributes to higher investment and lower redemption rates and
facilitates the ability to attract additional investors while maintaining
current fee levels. Growth in AUM is also dependent on being able to
access various distribution channels, which is usually based on several factors,
including performance and service. Historically, we have depended primarily on
direct distribution of our products and services but since 1995 have
participated in Third-Party Distribution Programs, including NTF Programs. A
majority of our cash inflows to mutual fund products have come through these
channels since 1998. The effects of this on our future financial
results cannot be determined at this time but could be material. In
recent years, we have been engaged to act as a sub-advisor for other much larger
financial services companies with much larger sales distribution
organizations. A substantial portion of the cash flows into our
Institutional and Private Wealth Management has come through this
channel. These sub-advisory clients are subject to business
combinations that may result in the termination of the
relationship. The loss of a sub-advisory relationship could have a
significant impact on our financial results in the future.
Advisory
fees from
the open-end mutual funds, closed-end funds and sub-advisory accounts are
computed daily or weekly based on average net assets. Advisory fees
from the Institutional and Private Wealth Management are generally computed
quarterly based on account values as of the end of the preceding quarter and
accrued monthly. Management fees from Investment Partnership fees are
computed either monthly or quarterly and accrued monthly. These revenues are
highly correlated to the stock market and can vary in direct proportion to
movements in the stock market and the level of sales compared with redemptions,
financial market conditions and the fee structure for AUM. Revenues derived from
the equity-oriented portfolios generally have higher management fee rates than
fixed income portfolios.
Revenues
from
Investment Partnerships also generally include an incentive allocation or fee of
20% of the economic profit, as defined. The incentive allocation is
generally based on the absolute gain in a portfolio. We recognize revenue only
when the measurement period has been completed and when the incentive fees have
been earned. We also receive fulcrum fees from certain institutional
Institutional and Private Wealth Management, which are based upon meeting or
exceeding specific benchmark index or indices. These fees are
recognized at the end of the stipulated contract period for the respective
account. Management fees on assets attributable to a majority of the
closed-end preferred shares are earned at year-end if the total return to common
shareholders of the closed-end fund for the calendar year exceeds the dividend
rate of the preferred shares. These fees are recognized at the end of
the measurement period. A total of $1.0 billion of assets in
closed-end funds are subject to such arrangements.
Commission
revenues consist of brokerage commissions derived from securities transactions
executed on an agency basis on behalf of mutual funds, institutional and
private wealth management clients as well as investment banking
revenue, which consists of underwriting profits, selling concessions and
management fees associated with underwriting activities. Commission
revenues vary directly with account trading activity and new account
generation. Investment banking revenues are directly impacted by the
overall market conditions, which affect the number of public offerings which may
take place.
31
Distribution
fees and other income primarily include distribution fee revenue in accordance
with Rule 12b-1 (“12b-1”) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
“Investment Company Act”), along with sales charges and underwriting fees
associated with the sale of the Mutual Funds plus other revenues. Distribution
fees fluctuate based on the level of AUM and the amount and type of Mutual Funds
sold directly by Gabelli & Company and through various distribution
channels.
Compensation
costs
include variable and fixed compensation and related expenses paid to officers,
portfolio managers, sales, trading, research and all other professional
staff. Distribution costs include marketing, product
distribution and promotion costs, clearing charges and fees for Gabelli &
Company’s brokerage operation. Management fee is incentive-based and entirely
variable compensation in the amount of 10% of the aggregate pre-tax profits
which is paid to Mr. Gabelli or his designee for acting as CEO pursuant to his
amended Employment Agreement so long as he is an executive of GBL and devoting
the substantial majority of his working time to the business. Other
operating expenses includes general and administrative operating
costs.
Other
income
and expenses include net gains and losses from investments (which includes both
realized and unrealized gains and losses from trading securities), interest and
dividend income, and interest expense. Net gains and losses from investments is
derived from our proprietary investment portfolio consisting of various public
and private investments.
Minority
interest represents the share of net income attributable to the minority
stockholders, as reported on a separate company basis, of our consolidated
majority-owned subsidiaries and for certain partnerships and offshore funds
whose net income we consolidate under Financial Accounting Standards Board
("FASB") Interpretation No. 46R "Consolidation of Variable Interest
Entities." (“FIN 46R”) and Emerging Issues Task Force Issue No. 04-5
"Determining Whether a General Partner, or the General Partners as a Group,
Controls a Limited Partnership or Similar Entity When the Limited Partners Have
Certain Rights." (“EITF 04-5”). Please refer to Note C in our Consolidated
Financial Statements.
Consolidated
Statements of Financial Condition
We ended the
year with approximately $638.5 million in cash and investments, which includes
$4.1 million of cash and investments held by our consolidated investment
partnerships. Of this amount, $333.3 million were cash and cash
equivalents, primarily our 100% U.S. Treasury Money Market Fund, $80.6 million
was invested in common stocks, $65.9 million was invested in U.S. Treasury
obligations, $60.7 million was invested in partnerships, $14.6 million in net
receivable from brokers, $5.0 million in corporate bonds and $2.3 million in
other types of investments. This also included approximately
$76.1 million of our available for sale securities, consisting of
investments in The Gabelli Dividend & Income Trust, The Gabelli Global Deal
Fund, and Westwood Holdings Group and various other Gabelli and GAMCO open-end
mutual funds. We had cash and investments in securities, net of debt
and minority interest, of $15.47 per share on December 31, 2008 compared with
$18.68 per share on December 31, 2007. We caution that this metric, while
correct from an accounting point of view, is not always the same as investors
would view cash-on-hand.
Our debt
consisted of $99 million of 5.5% senior notes due May 2013, a $60 million 6.5%
convertible note due October 2018 and a $40 million 6% convertible note due
August 2011.
Stockholders'
equity
was $440.2 million or $15.86 per share on December 31, 2008 compared to $501.3
million or $17.62 per share on December 31, 2007. The decrease in
stockholder’s equity from the end of 2007 was principally related to payment of
dividends of $56.2 million and the purchase of treasury stock of $39.4 million
during 2008 partially offset by a $19.0 million increase in total comprehensive
income.
Our
liquid balance sheet, coupled with an investment grade credit rating, provides
access to financial markets and the flexibility to opportunistically add
operating resources to our firm, repurchase our stock and consider strategic
initiatives. As a result of a shelf registration which was filed in June 2005
and which became effective in the third quarter of 2006, we have the right to
issue any combination of senior and subordinate debt securities, convertible
debt securities and equity securities (common and/or preferred securities) up to
a total amount of $520 million.
Our
primary goal is to use our liquid resources to opportunistically and
strategically convert our interest income to operating income. While
this goal is our priority, if opportunities are not present with what we
consider a margin of safety, we will consider other ways to return capital to
our shareholders including stock repurchase and dividends.
32
Asset
Highlights (unaudited)
We
reported assets under management as follows (dollars in millions):
%
Inc(Dec)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
2004
|
CAGR
(a)
|
2008/2007
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mutual
Funds
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Open-End
|
$
|
6,575
|
$
|
9,774
|
$
|
8,389
|
$
|
7,888
|
$
|
8,029
|
(4.1
|
)%
|
(32.7
|
)%
|
|||||||||||||||||
Closed-End
|
3,792
|
6,341
|
5,806
|
5,075
|
4,342
|
1.4
|
(40.2
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Fixed
Income
|
1,521
|
1,122
|
744
|
735
|
1,499
|
(2.4
|
)
|
35.6
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Total
Mutual Funds
|
11,888
|
17,237
|
14,939
|
13,698
|
13,870
|
(2.3
|
)
|
(31.0
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Institutional
and Private Wealth Management
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Equities: direct
|
6,861
|
10,708
|
10,282
|
9,550
|
9,881
|
(5.5
|
)
|
(35.9
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Equities: sub-sudvisory
|
1,585
|
2,584
|
2,340
|
2,832
|
3,706
|
(16.6
|
)
|
(38.7
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Fixed
Income
|
22
|
24
|
50
|
84
|
388
|
(46.5
|
)
|
(8.3
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Total
Institutional and Private Wealth Management
|
8,468
|
13,316
|
12,672
|
12,466
|
13,975
|
(9.0
|
)
|
(36.4
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Investment
Partnerships
|
295
|
460
|
491
|
634
|
814
|
(15.7
|
)
|
(35.9
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Total
Assets Under Management
|
$
|
20,651
|
$
|
31,013
|
$
|
28,102
|
$
|
26,798
|
$
|
28,659
|
(5.6
|
)
|
(33.4
|
)
|
(a) The
%
CAGR is computed for the five-year period January 1, 2004 through December 31,
2008.
Net outflows
in 2008 totaled $122 million compared to net inflows of $600 million in 2007 and
net outflows of $3.0 billion in 2006.
Total
net
outflows from equities products were approximately $495 million in 2008, and net
inflows from fixed income products were $373 million in 2008.
For the three
years ended December 31, 2008, 2007, and 2006 our net cash inflows or
outflows by product line were as follows (in millions):
(unaudited) |
2008
|
2007
|
2006
|
|||||||||
Mutual
Funds
|
||||||||||||
Equities
|
$
|
(518
|
)
|
$
|
829
|
$
|
(802
|
)
|
||||
Fixed
Income
|
376
|
331
|
(18
|
)
|
||||||||
Total
Mutual Funds
|
(142
|
)
|
1,160
|
(820
|
)
|
|||||||
Institutional
& Private Wealth Management
|
||||||||||||
Equities:
direct
|
31
|
(448)
|
(807
|
)
|
||||||||
Equities:
sub-advisory
|
136
|
(31)
|
(1,057
|
)
|
||||||||
Fixed
Income
|
(3
|
)
|
(28)
|
(36
|
)
|
|||||||
Total
Institutional & Private Wealth Management
|
164
|
(507)
|
(1,900
|
)
|
||||||||
Investment
Partnerships
|
(144
|
)
|
(53)
|
(236
|
)
|
|||||||
Total
Equities
|
(495
|
)
|
297
|
(2,902
|
)
|
|||||||
Total
Fixed Income
|
373
|
303
|
(54
|
)
|
||||||||
Total
Net Cash (Out) In Flows
|
$
|
(122
|
)
|
$
|
600
|
$
|
(2,956
|
)
|
33
For the
three years ended December 31, 2008, 2007, and 2006 our net appreciation
and depreciation by product line were as follows (in millions):
(unaudited) |
2008
|
2007
|
2006
|
|||||||||
Mutual
Funds
|
||||||||||||
Equities
|
$
|
(5,645
|
)
|
$
|
1,092
|
$
|
2,034
|
|||||
Fixed
Income
|
23
|
48
|
27
|
|||||||||
Total
Mutual Funds
|
(5,622
|
)
|
1,140
|
2,061
|
||||||||
Institutional
& Private Wealth Management
|
||||||||||||
Equities:
direct
|
(3,878
|
)
|
834
|
1,539
|
||||||||
Equities:
sub-advisory
|
(720
|
)
|
313
|
565
|
||||||||
Fixed
Income
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
|||||||||
Total
Institutional & Private Wealth Management
|
(4,597
|
)
|
1,149
|
2,106
|
||||||||
Total
Investment Partnerships
|
(21
|
)
|
22
|
93
|
||||||||
Total
Equities
|
(10,264
|
)
|
2,261
|
4,231
|
||||||||
Total
Fixed Income
|
24
|
50
|
29
|
|||||||||
Total
Net Appreciation/(Depreciation)
|
$
|
(10,240
|
)
|
$
|
2,311
|
$
|
4,260
|
Note:
$415 million was reclassified from Equities: sub-advisory to Mutual Funds –
Equities during 2008 for the purchase of the Gabelli Enterprise Mergers and
Acquisition Fund advisory contract.
Assets
Under Management (AUM) were $20.7 billion as of December 31, 2008, 33.4% below
December 31, 2007 AUM of $31.0 billion. Equity AUM were $19.1 billion
on December 31, 2008, 36.0% below the $29.9 billion on December 31,
2007.
-
|
Our open-end
equity fund AUM were $6.6 billion on December 31, 2008, 32.7% below $9.8
billion on December 31, 2007. The reclassification of the Gabelli
Enterprise Mergers and Acquisitions Fund from institutional sub-advisory
to mutual fund advisory in March 2008 partially mitigated the decline in
mutual funds AUM from the prior year-end
level.
|
-
|
Our
closed-end
equity funds had AUM of $3.8 billion on December 31, 2008, 40.2% below the
$6.3 billion on December 31,
2007.
|
-
|
Our
institutional
and private wealth management business ended the year with $8.5 billion in
separately managed accounts, 36.4% lower than the $13.3 billion on
December 31, 2007. On a pro-forma basis, AUM were 33.0% lower than the
adjusted $12.6 million AUM on December 31,
2007.
|
-
|
AUM
in
The Gabelli U.S. Treasury Fund, our 100% U.S. Treasury money market fund,
increased 34.6% from the December 31, 2007 AUM of $1.1
billion.
|
-
|
We
have
the
opportunity to earn incentive fees for certain institutional client
assets, preferred issues for our closed-end funds, common shares of the
Gabelli Global Deal Fund (NYSE: GDL) and investment partnership assets. As
of December 31, 2008, assets with incentive fee opportunities were $2.6
billion, down 27.4% below the $3.5 billion on December 31,
2007.
|
-
|
Our
Investment
Partnerships
AUM were $295 million on December 31, 2008 versus $460 million on December
31, 2007.
|
34
Operating Results for the
Year Ended December 31, 2008 as Compared to the Year Ended December 31,
2007
Revenues
Total
revenues
were $245.0 million in 2008, $47.4 million or 16.2% lower than the total
revenues of $292.4 million in 2007. The change in total revenues by
revenue component was as follows (in millions):
Increase
(decrease)
|
||||||||||||||||
(unaudited) |
2008
|
2007
|
$
|
%
|
||||||||||||
Investment
advisory and incentive fees
|
$
|
204.3
|
$
|
250.4
|
$
|
(46.1
|
)
|
(18.4
|
%)
|
|||||||
Commissions
|
16.1
|
15.7
|
0.4
|
2.5
|
||||||||||||
Distribution
fees and other income
|
24.6
|
26.3
|
(1.7
|
)
|
(6.5
|
)
|
||||||||||
Total
revenues
|
$
|
245.0
|
$
|
292.4
|
$
|
(47.4
|
)
|
(16.2
|
%)
|
Investment
Advisory and Incentive Fees: Investment advisory
and incentive fees, which comprised 83.4% of total revenues in 2008, are
directly influenced by the level and mix of AUM. At December 31, 2008
AUM were $20.7 billion, a 33.4% decrease from prior year-end AUM of $31.0
billion. Our equity AUM were $19.1 billion on December 31, 2008
versus $29.9 billion on December 31, 2007. We experienced decreases
in open-end and closed-end fund assets of $5.7 billion, in Institutional and
Private Wealth Management of $4.8 billion and in our investment partnerships of
$165 million. Our fixed income assets increased 34.6% to $1.5 billion
at year-end 2008 from $1.1 billion at the end of 2007. The primary
driver in this increase were net inflows of $369 million.
Mutual
fund revenues decreased $25.4 million or 16.4%, driven by lower average
AUM. Revenue from open-end equity funds decreased $5.3 million or
5.6% from the prior year as average AUM in 2008 declined $0.7 billion to $8.7
billion from the $9.4 billion in 2007. Closed-end fund revenues
decreased $20.1 million, or 33.2%, from the prior year to $40.5
million. The decrease was attributable to both lower average AUM and
the lack of fulcrum fee revenue on the majority of the preferred shares AUM in
2008 as compared to the $10.1 million recognized in 2007. Revenue
from Institutional and Private Wealth Management decreased $16.4 million, or
18.5%, principally due to lower average asset levels and a decrease in fulcrum
fees earned on certain accounts. Assets in our equity Institutional
and Private Wealth Management decreased $4.8 billion or 36.5% for the year to
$8.4 billion.
Total
advisory fees from Investment Partnerships fell to $2.7 million in 2008 from
$7.2 million in 2007. Incentive allocations and fees from
investment partnerships, which generally represent 20% of the economic profit,
decreased to $0.1 million in 2008 compared to $3.5 million in 2007 while
management fees were $2.7 million in 2008 from $3.7 million in
2007.
Commissions: Commission
revenues in 2008 were $16.1 million, a $0.4 million or 2.5% increase from $15.7
million in 2007. Commission revenues derived from transactions on
behalf of our Mutual Funds and Institutional and Private Wealth Management
clients totaled $11.3 million, or approximately 70% of total commission revenues
in 2008.
Distribution
Fees and Other Income: Distribution fees and
other income decreased 6.3%, or $1.7 million, to $24.6 million in 2008 from
2007. The decrease was primarily due to lower distribution fees of
$23.8 million in 2008 versus $25.0 million for the prior year, principally as a
result of decreased average AUM in our open-end equity mutual funds of
7.2%.
Expenses
Compensation: Our
business model from inception in 1977 is to try to payout approximately 40% of
revenues to portfolio managers and sales people. Compensation costs,
which are largely variable in nature, decreased approximately $17.2 million, or
14.3%, to $102.8 million in 2008 from $120.0 million in 2007. Our
variable compensation costs decreased $17.9 million to $71.3 million in 2008
from $89.2 million in 2007 and decreased, as a percent of revenues, to 29.1% in
2008 compared to 30.5% in 2007. The variable compensation is driven by
revenue levels which declined in 2008 from 2007. Fixed compensation costs
rose approximately $0.7 million to $31.5 million in 2008 from $30.8 million in
2007 principally due to increases in stock based compensation amortization
expense of $4.4 million, partially offset by reduced salaries, bonus and payroll
tax expense of $3.7 million.
Management
Fee: Management fee expense is incentive-based and entirely variable
compensation in the amount of 10% of the aggregate pre-tax profits which is paid
to Mr. Gabelli (or his designee) for acting as CEO pursuant to his amended
Employment Agreement so long as he is an executive of GBL and devoting the
substantial majority of his working time to the business. In accordance with his
amended employment agreement, Mr. Gabelli chose to allocate $1.7 million of his
management fee to certain other employees of the Company in 2008. In 2008
management fee expense decreased 71.7% to $4.1 million versus $14.5 million in
2007.
Distribution
Costs: Distribution costs,
which include marketing, promotion and distribution costs decreased $3.4 million
or 12.0% in 2008 from the 2007 period.
Other
Operating Expenses: Our other operating
expenses were $28.0 million in 2008 compared to $26.2 million in
2007. Included in 2008 was a write down of an intangible asset of $1.5
million related to an advisory contract acquired during
2008. Additionally, during 2008 and 2007, we received reimbursements
from our insurance carrier for previously expensed legal costs of $1.2 million
and $3.8 million, respectively.
Other
Income and Expense
Total
other income (expense) (which represents primarily investment income from our
proprietary investments), net of interest expense, was a loss of $48.8 million
for the year ended December 31, 2008 compared to income of $26.7 million in
2007. Contributing to the year over year decline was an impairment
charge of $17.4 million from losses on available for sale securities deemed from
an accounting point of view to be other than temporary in
2008.
Interest
and dividend income was $13.1 million in 2008 compared to $32.5 million in
2007. Dividend income was lower by $11.0 million and interest income
was lower by $8.4 million.
Interest
expense decreased $2.3 million to $9.7 million in 2008, from $12.0 million in
2007. The decrease is primarily to lower margin interest of $1.9
million.
Income
Taxes
The effective
tax rate was 34.1% for the year ended December 31, 2008, versus 38.2% for the
year ended December 31, 2007. The decrease was primarily the result
of revisions to FASB Interpretation No. 48 (“FIN 48”)
accruals.
35
Minority
Interest
Minority
interest was a negative expense of $1.0 million in 2008 compared to an expense
of $0.7 million in 2007. The decrease was primarily due to the loss
at our 92%-owned subsidiary, GSI.
Net
Income
Net
income for 2008 was $24.9 million or $0.89 per fully diluted share versus $79.6
million or $2.79 per fully diluted share for 2007.
Operating
Margin
For the
full year ended December 31, 2008, the operating margin before management fee
was 36.4% versus 40.2% in the prior year. Operating margin after
management fee was 34.7% for the full year ended December 31, 2008 compared
to 35.3% in the prior year.
Shareholder
Compensation and Initiatives
During
2008, we returned $95.6 million of our earnings to shareholders through
dividends and our stock repurchases. We paid $2.02 per share in
dividends ($56.2 million) to our common shareholders in 2008, which included
four quarterly dividends of $0.03 per share on March 28, 2008, June 27, 2008,
September 30, 2008, and December 30, 2008, respectively, to all shareholders of
record on March 14, 2008, June 13, 2008, September 16, 2008, and December 16,
2008, respectively. We also paid a special dividend of $1.00 per
share to all of our shareholders, payable on September 16, 2008 to shareholders
of record on September 2, 2008 and $0.90 per share to all of our shareholders,
payable on December 23, 2008 to shareholders of record on December 9, 2008.
Through our stock buyback program, we repurchased 896,525 shares in 2008 for a
total investment of approximately $39.4 million or $43.93 per
share. There remain approximately 865,000 shares authorized under our
stock buyback program on December 31, 2008.
Weighted
average shares outstanding on a diluted basis in 2008 were 27.8 million and did
not include any shares from the assumed conversion of our 6% convertible note or
the 6.5% convertible note for the full year 2008, as under the applicable
accounting methodology used to compute dilution, the convertible notes were
anti-dilutive. The full number of shares which may be issued upon
conversion of these notes is approximately 1.6 million. During 2008,
we issued 19,750 shares from the exercise of stock options and 25,000
RSAs. RSAs affect weighted average shares for diluted earnings per
share but not for basic earnings per share. See Note I to the financial
statements for details.
At
December 31, 2008, we had 170,175 options outstanding to purchase our class A
common stock and 369,900 RSAs which were granted under our Stock Award and
Incentive Plans (the “Plans”). The allocation of the RSAs was recommended by the
Company's Chairman who did not receive an RSA award.
Operating Results for the Year Ended
December 31, 2007 as Compared to the Year Ended December 31,
2006
Revenues
Total
revenues were $292.4 million in 2007, $30.9 million or 11.8% higher than the
total revenues of $261.5 million in 2006. The increase in total
revenues by revenue component was as follows (in millions):
Increase
(decrease)
|
|||||||||||||||||
(unaudited) | 2007 |
2006
|
$
|
%
|
|||||||||||||
Investment
advisory and incentive fees
|
$ |
250.4
|
$
|
227.0
|
$
|
23.4
|
10.3
|
%
|
|||||||||
Commissions
|
15.7
|
12.6
|
3.1
|
24.6
|
|||||||||||||
Distribution
fees and other income
|
26.3
|
21.9
|
4.4
|
20.1
|
|||||||||||||
Total
revenues
|
$ |
292.4
|
$
|
261.5
|
$
|
30.9
|
11.8
|
%
|
Investment
Advisory and Incentive Fees: Investment advisory and
incentive fees, which comprised 85.6% of total revenues in 2007, are directly
influenced by the level and mix of AUM. At December 31, 2007 AUM were
$31.0 billion, a 10.4% increase from prior year-end AUM of $28.1
billion. Our equity AUM were $29.9 billion on December 31, 2007
versus $27.3 billion on December 31, 2006. Increases in open-end and closed-end
fund assets ($2.3 billion), both from inflows of AUM and the result of market
appreciation and a slight increase in Institutional and Private Wealth
Management ($620 million) were slightly offset by decreases in AUM in our
investment partnerships ($31 million). Our fixed income assets
increased approximately 45% to $1.1 billion at year-end 2007 from $794 million
at the end of 2006.
Mutual
fund revenues increased $20.3 million or 15.1%, driven by record breaking
revenues from our open-end and closed-end equity funds. Revenue from
open-end equity funds increased $13.3 million or 16.6% from the prior year as
average AUM in 2007 rose $1.4 billion to $9.4 billion from the $8.0 billion in
2006. Closed-end fund revenues increased $7.0 million, or 13.0%, from the prior
year to $60.6 million. Revenue from Institutional and Private Wealth Management
increased $7.9 million, or 9.8%, principally due to higher average asset levels
and increase in fulcrum fees earned on certain accounts. Assets in
our equity Institutional and Private Wealth Management increased $0.6 billion or
5.1% for the year to $13.3 billion.
Total
advisory
fees from Investment Partnerships fell to $7.2 million in 2007 from
$12.0 million in 2006. Incentive allocations and fees from
investment partnerships, which generally represent 20% of the economic profit,
decreased to $3.5 million in 2007 compared to $6.4 million in 2006 while
management fees were $3.7 million in 2007 from $5.6 million in
2006.
Commissions: Commission
revenues in 2007 were $15.7 million, a $3.1 million or 24.6% increase from $12.6
million in 2006. Commission revenues derived from transactions on
behalf of our Mutual Funds and Institutional and Private Wealth Management
clients totaled $12.0 million, or approximately 77% of total commission revenues
in 2007.
Distribution
Fees and Other Income: Distribution fees and
other income increased 20.1%, or $4.4 million, to $26.3 million in 2007 from
2006. The increase was primarily due to higher distribution fees of
$25.0 million 2007 versus $20.6 million for the prior year, principally as a
result of an increase in average AUM due to our increased wholesaling of funds
sold through unaffiliated broker dealers.
36
Expenses
Compensation: Compensation
costs, which are largely variable in nature, increased approximately $17.6
million, or 17.2%, to $120.0 million in 2007 from $102.4 million in
2006. Our variable compensation costs increased $16.7 million to
$89.2 million in 2007 from $72.5 million in 2006 and increased, as a percent of
revenues, to 30.5% in 2007 compared to 27.7% in 2006. While overall
revenues increased, revenues in the Investment Partnership area decreased $4.8
million, as disclosed above. As a result, the compensation relating
to the Investment Partnership area decreased from year to year because the
variable compensation is driven by revenue levels. Fixed compensation costs
rose approximately $0.9 million to $30.8 million in 2007 from $29.9 million in
2006 principally due to increases in salaries, partially offset by reduced bonus
expense.
Management
Fee: Management
fee expense is incentive-based and entirely variable compensation in the amount
of 10% of the aggregate pre-tax profits which is paid to Mr. Gabelli (or his
designee) for acting as CEO pursuant to his amended Employment Agreement so long
as he is an executive of GBL and devoting the substantial majority of his
working time to the business. In accordance with his amended employment
agreement, Mr. Gabelli chose to allocate $1.5 million of his management fee to
certain other employees of the Company in 2007. In 2007 management fee
expense increased 9.3% to $14.5 million versus $13.2 million in
2006.
Distribution
Costs: Distribution
costs, which include marketing, promotion and distribution costs increased $3.1
million or 12.4% in 2007 from the 2006 period.
Other
Operating Expenses: Our ongoing other
operating expenses were $26.2 million in 2007 compared to $27.6 million in
2006. However, total other operating expenses decreased 40.6% from
2006 as a result of a reserve against earnings of approximately $15.0
million in 2006 relating to the proposed settlement of an SEC
inquiry.
Other
Income and Expense
Total
other income (which represents primarily investment income from our proprietary
investments), net of interest expense, was $26.7 million for the year ended
December 31, 2007 compared to $56.9 million in 2006. In 2006, we
adopted FIN 46R and EITF 04-5 which led to the consolidation of certain
partnerships and offshore funds. These accounting changes resulted in $14.2
million of other income, absent in the 2007 full year results. Also contributing
to the year over year decline was the fourth quarter 2007 impairment charge of
$5.1 million from losses on available for sale securities deemed from an
accounting point of view to be other than temporary.
Interest
and dividend income was $32.5 million in 2007 compared to $29.4 million in
2006.
Interest
expense
decreased $2.2 million to $12.0 million in 2007, from $14.2 million in
2006. The decrease is due to the maturity of 5.22% Senior notes on
February 17, 2007.
Income
Taxes
The
effective tax rate was 38.2% for the year ended December 31, 2007, consistent
with the prior year’s comparable period.
Minority
Interest
Minority
interest expense was $0.7 million in 2007 compared to $10.5 million in
2006. The decrease was primarily due to the earnings from our
Investment Partnerships, which were consolidated into our results for year ended
December 31, 2006 as a result of FIN 46R and EITF 04-5, and income from
investments at our 92%-owned subsidiary, GSI.
Net
Income
Net
income for 2007 was $79.6 million or $2.79 per fully diluted share versus $71.9
million or $2.49 per fully diluted share for 2006.
Operating
Margin
For the
full year ended December 31, 2007, the operating margin before management fee
was 40.2% versus 40.5% in the prior year. The operating margin in
2006 is before the inclusion of a litigation reserve of approximately $15
million taken in 2006, a prepayment of $3.7 million in net distribution expenses
and the funding of the Graham & Dodd, Murray, Greenwald Prize for Value
Investing. Operating margin after management fee was 35.3% for the full
year ended December 31, 2007 compared to 29.2% in the prior year.
Shareholder
Compensation and Initiatives
During
2007, we returned $40.2 million of our earnings to shareholders through
dividends and our stock repurchases. We paid $1.12 per share in
dividends ($31.5 million) to our common shareholders in 2007, which included
four quarterly dividends of $0.03 per share on March 28, 2007, June 28, 2007,
September 28, 2007, and December 28, 2007, respectively, to all shareholders of
record on March 15, 2007, June 15, 2007, September 14, 2007, and December 14,
2007, respectively. We also paid a special dividend of $1.00 per share
to all of our shareholders, payable on July 30, 2007 to shareholders of record
on July 23, 2007. Through our stock buyback program, we repurchased
approximately 186,400 shares in 2007 for a total investment of approximately
$8.7 million or $46.45 per share. There remain approximately
862,000 shares authorized under our stock buyback program on December 31,
2007.
Weighted
average shares outstanding on a diluted basis in 2007 were 29.1 million and
included 0.9 million shares from the assumed conversion of our 6%
convertible note for the full year 2007, as under the applicable accounting
methodology used to compute dilution, the convertible note was
dilutive. The full number of shares which may be issued upon
conversion of this note is approximately 0.9 million. During 2007, we
issued 9,150 shares from the exercise of stock options and 385,400 RSA's. RSA's
affect weighted average shares for diluted earnings per share but not for basic
earnings per share. See Note I for details.
At
December 31, 2007, we had
183,925 options outstanding to purchase our class A common stock and 382,400
RSA's which were granted under our Stock Award and Incentive Plans (the
“Plans”). The allocation of the RSA's was recommended by the Company's Chairman
who did not receive an RSA award. At December 31, 2006, we had 193,075 options
outstanding to purchase our class A common stock which were granted under our
Stock Award and Incentive Plans (the “Plans”).
37
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
Our
principal assets consist of cash, short-term investments, securities held for
investment purposes and investments in mutual funds, and investment partnerships
and offshore funds, both proprietary and external. Short-term investments are
comprised primarily of United States treasury securities with maturities of less
than one year and money market funds managed by GBL. Although the
investment partnerships and offshore funds are for the most part illiquid, the
underlying investments of such partnerships or funds are for the most part
liquid, and the valuations of these products reflect that underlying
liquidity.
Summary
cash flow data is as follows:
2008
|
2007
|
2006
|
|||||||||||
(unaudited) |
(in
thousands)
|
||||||||||||
Cash
flows (used in) provided by from:
|
|||||||||||||
Operating
activities
|
$
|
183,443
|
$
|
175,263
|
$
|
(5,708
|
)
|
||||||
Investing
activities
|
18,789
|
(21,181
|
)
|
(2,668
|
)
|
||||||||
Financing
activities
|
(36,312
|
)
|
(123,890
|
)
|
(28,390
|
)
|
|||||||
(Decrease)
increase in cash and cash equivalents
|
165,920
|
30,192
|
(36,766
|
)
|
|||||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at beginning of year
|
168,319
|
138,113
|
173,161
|
||||||||||
Net
increase in cash from partnerships and offshore funds consolidated under
FIN 46R and EITF 04-5
|
(609
|
)
|
-
|
1,754
|
|||||||||
Effect
of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents
|
(298
|
)
|
14
|
(36
|
)
|
||||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at end of year
|
$
|
333,332
|
$
|
168,319
|
$
|
138,113
|
Cash
and
liquidity requirements have historically been met through cash generated by
operating income and our borrowing capacity. At December 31, 2008, we
had cash and cash equivalents of $333.3 million, an increase of $165.0 million
from the prior year-end primarily due to the Company’s operating
activities. Under the terms of the Rye office lease, we are obligated
to make minimum total payments of $16.2 million through December
2023.
Net cash
provided by operating activities was $183.4 million for the year ended December
31, 2008, principally resulting from $695.4 million in proceeds from sales of
trading investments in securities, $36.7 million in proceeds from sales of
securities sold, not yet purchased, a $23.6 million decrease in receivable from
brokers, $23.1 million in distributions from investments in partnerships and
affiliates and $22.5 million decrease in investment advisory fees
receivable. These inflows were partially offset by purchases of
trading investments in securities of $611.6 million, $34.9 million in cost of
covers of securities sold, not yet purchased, $23.7 million from a decrease in
accrued expenses and other liabilities and an increase in the tax receivable of
$23.7 million. Net cash provided by operating activities was $175.3
million for the year ended December 31, 2007, principally resulting from
proceeds from sales of investments in securities of $1,364.3 million, net income
of $79.6 million, $17.2 million in distributions from investments in
partnerships and affiliates and a decrease in receivable from brokers of $17.5
million. Cash flows from operations were partially offset by $1,253.5
million in purchases of investments in securities, $18.0 million in purchases of
investments in partnerships and affiliates and a $27.3 million decrease in
payable to brokers. Excluding the net effects of the consolidation of
investment partnerships and offshore funds, our cash provided by operating
activities was $171.1 million.
Net cash
provided by investing activities of $18.8 million in 2008 is due to proceeds
from sales of available for sale securities of $20.6 million, partially offset
by purchases of available for sale securities of $1.8 million. Net cash
used in investing activities of $21.2 million in 2007 is due to purchases of
available for sale securities of $26.4 million, partially offset by proceeds
from sales of available for sale securities of $5.2
million.
Net cash used
in financing activities of $36.3 million in 2008 principally resulted from the
repurchase of our class A common stock under the Stock Repurchase Program of
$39.4 million and dividends paid of $56.2 million, partially offset by the $60
million issuance of the 6.5% convertible note to Cascade. Net cash
used in financing activities of $123.9 million in 2007 principally resulted from
the $82.3 million payoff of 5.22% Senior Notes, the repurchase of our class A
common stock under the Stock Repurchase Program of $8.7 million and dividends
paid of $31.5 million.
We
continue to maintain our investment grade ratings which we have received from
two ratings agencies, Moody’s Investors Services and Standard and Poor’s Ratings
Services. We believe that our ability to maintain our investment
grade ratings will provide greater access to the capital markets, enhance
liquidity and lower overall borrowing costs. As of December 31, 2008
we have debt outstanding of $99 million of 5.5% senior notes due May 15, 2013,
$40 million of 6% convertible notes due August 14, 2011 and $60 million of a
6.5% convertible note due October 2, 2018. In addition to the $333.3
million in cash equivalents at December 31, 2008, we also had $305.2 million in
investments in securities, investments in partnerships and receivable from
brokers, net of securities sold not yet purchased and payables to
brokers. On a per share basis at December 31, 2008 we had $15.47 in
cash and investments, net of debt and minority interest.
Gabelli
& Company is
registered with the SEC as a broker-dealer and is regulated by FINRA. As such,
it is subject to the minimum net capital requirements promulgated by the SEC.
G&Co's net capital has historically exceeded these minimum requirements.
Gabelli & Company computes its net capital under the alternative method
permitted by the SEC, which requires minimum net capital of $250,000. As of
December 31, 2008 and 2007, Gabelli & Company had net capital, as defined,
of approximately $18.2 million and $19.1 million, respectively, exceeding the
regulatory requirement by approximately $18.0 million and $18.9 million,
respectively. Regulatory net capital requirements increase when Gabelli &
Company is involved in underwriting activities.
Our
subsidiary, GAMCO
Asset Management (UK) Limited is a registered member of the Financial Services
Authority. In connection with this registration in the United
Kingdom, we have a minimum Liquid Capital Requirement of £267,000, ($387,000 at
December 31, 2008) and an Own Funds Requirement of €50,000 ($70,000 at December
31, 2008). We have consistently met or exceeded these minimum
requirements.
38
Market
Risk
Our primary
market risk exposure is to changes in equity prices and interest
rates. Since over 92% of our AUM are equities, our financial results
are subject to equity-market risk as revenues from our money management services
are directly correlated to changes in the stock market and are sensitive to
other stock market dynamics. In addition, returns from our
proprietary investment portfolio are exposed to interest rate and equity market
risk.
Equity
Price Risk
At the close
of 2008, global equity markets reflected a general lack of liquidity, concerns
relating to the worldwide financial system, and a looming
recession. The further erosion of equity markets in the second half
of 2008 impacts the value of our client portfolios as well as investment in our
proprietary funds and will translate directly into our 2009 results.
The following table provides a sensitivity analysis for our investments in equity securities and partnerships and affiliates which invest primarily in equity securities, excluding arbitrage products for which the principal exposure is to deal closure and not overall market conditions, as of December 31, 2008. The sensitivity analysis assumes a 10% increase or decrease in the value of these investments (in millions):
With
respect to our proprietary investment activities, included in investments in
securities of $231.7 million and $395.0 million at December 31, 2008 and 2007,
respectively, were investments in United States Treasury Bills and Notes of
$65.9 million and $117.5 million, respectively, mutual funds, largely invested
in equity products, of $47.3 million and $136.8 million, respectively, a
selection of common and preferred stocks totaling $112.4 million and $140.0
million, respectively, and other investments of approximately $6.1 million
and $0.7 million, respectively. Investments in mutual funds
generally lower market risk through the diversification of financial instruments
within their portfolio. In addition, we may alter our investment
holdings from time to time in response to changes in market risks and other
factors considered appropriate by management. Of the approximately
$112.4 million and $140.0 million, invested in common and preferred stocks at
December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively, $29.7 million and $44.9 million,
respectively, was related to our investment in Westwood Holdings Group Inc., and
$58.4 million and $48.8 million, respectively, was invested in risk arbitrage
opportunities in connection with mergers, consolidations, acquisitions, tender
offers or other similar transactions. Securities sold, not yet purchased are
financial instruments purchased under agreements to resell and financial
instruments sold under agreement to repurchase. These financial
instruments are stated at fair value and are subject to market risks resulting
from changes in price and volatility. At December 31, 2008 and 2007, the market
value of securities sold, not yet purchased was $1.7 million and $2.2 million,
respectively. Investments in partnerships and affiliates totaled $60.7 million
and $100.0 million at December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively, the
majority of which consisted of investment partnerships and offshore funds which
invest in risk arbitrage opportunities. These transactions generally
involve announced deals with agreed upon terms and conditions, including
pricing, which typically involve less market risk than common stocks held in a
trading portfolio. The principal risk associated with risk arbitrage
transactions is the inability of the companies involved to complete the
transaction.
The following table provides a sensitivity analysis for our investments in equity securities and partnerships and affiliates which invest primarily in equity securities, excluding arbitrage products for which the principal exposure is to deal closure and not overall market conditions, as of December 31, 2008. The sensitivity analysis assumes a 10% increase or decrease in the value of these investments (in millions):
(In
thousands)
(unaudited) |
Fair
Value
|
Fair
Value assuming
10%
decrease in
equity
prices
|
Fair
Value assuming
10%
increase in
equity
prices
|
|||||||||
At
December 31, 2008:
|
||||||||||||
Equity
price sensitive investments, at fair value
|
$
|
212,826
|
$
|
191,544
|
$
|
234,109
|
||||||
At
December 31, 2007:
|
||||||||||||
Equity
price sensitive investments, at fair value
|
$
|
351,482
|
$
|
316,334
|
$
|
386,631
|
The
Company earns substantially all of its revenue as advisory fees from our Mutual
Fund, Institutional and Private Wealth Management, and Investment Partnership
assets. Such fees represent a percentage of assets under management and the
majority of these assets are in equity investments. Accordingly, since revenues
are proportionate to the value of those investments, a substantial increase or
decrease in equity markets overall will have a corresponding effect on the
Company's revenues.
Investment
advisory fees for mutual funds are based on average daily or weekly asset
values. Advisory fees earned on Institutional and Private Wealth
Management, for any given quarter, are generally determined based on asset
values at the beginning of a quarter. Any significant increases or
decreases in market value of assets managed which occur during a quarter will
result in a relative increase or decrease in revenues for the following
quarter.
Investment
Partnership advisory fees are computed based on monthly or quarterly asset
values. The incentive allocation or fee of 20% of the economic profit
from Investment Partnerships is impacted by changes in the market prices of the
underlying investments of these products and is not recognized until the end of
the measurement period.
39
Interest
Rate Risk
Our
exposure to interest rate risk results, principally, from our investment of
excess cash in U.S. Government securities. These investments are
primarily short term in nature, and the carrying value of these investments
generally approximates market value.
Commitments
and Contingencies
We are
obligated to make future payments under various contracts such as debt
agreements and capital and operating lease agreements. The following
table sets forth our significant contractual cash obligations as of December 31,
2008 (in thousands):
(unaudited) |
Total
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
Thereafter
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Contractual
Obligations:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5.5%
Senior notes
|
$
|
100,000
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
100,000
|
$
|
-
|
||||||||||||||
6%
Convertible note
|
40,000
|
-
|
-
|
40,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
6.5%
Convertible note
|
60,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
60,000
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Capital
lease obligations
|
16,200
|
1,080
|
1,080
|
1,080
|
1,080
|
1,080
|
10,800
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Non-cancelable
operating
lease
obligations
|
1,167
|
533
|
381
|
168
|
60
|
25
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Total
|
$
|
217,367
|
$
|
1,613
|
$
|
1,461
|
$
|
41,248
|
$
|
1,140
|
$
|
101,105
|
$
|
70,800
|
In June
2006, GBL and Cascade agreed to amend the terms of the 2011
Note. Effective September 15, 2006, the rate on the 2011 Note
increased from 5% to 6% while the conversion price was raised to $53 per share
from $52 per share. In addition, the exercise date of Cascade’s put
option was extended to May 15, 2007, the expiration date of the related letter
of credit was extended to May 22, 2007 and a call option was included giving GBL
the right to redeem the 2011 Note at 101% of its principal amount together with
all accrued but unpaid interest thereon upon at least 30 days prior written
notice, subject to certain provisions. On April 18, 2007, the Company and
Cascade amended the terms of the 2011 Note, to extend the exercise date for
Cascade’s put option from May 15, 2007 to December 17, 2007 and to extend the
expiration date of the related letter of credit to December 24, 2007. The
put option expired on December 17, 2007, the related letter of credit expired on
December 24, 2007, and the collateral securing the letter of credit was released
and became unrestricted company assets as of that date. On January 3, 2008, GBL
filed a Form S-3 to register the resale of shares of GBL by Cascade. On
January 22, 2008, Cascade elected to convert $10 million of the 2011 Note into
188,697 GBL shares. Cascade requested that the remaining $40 million face value
of notes be segregated into eight notes each with a face value of $5 million. On
October 2, 2008, GBL privately placed the 2018 Note with
Cascade. The 2018 Note bears interest at a rate of 6.5% per
annum and is convertible into shares of the Company's class A common stock at an
initial conversion price of $70 per share. In connection with the
issuance of the 2018 Note, the Company has set up an escrow account with an
initial sum of $61.95 million, and is disclosed as restricted assets on the
Statements of Financial Condition. The Company is required to
repurchase the 2018 Note at the request of the holder on specified dates and
after certain circumstances involving a Change of Control or Fundamental Change
as defined in the note purchase agreement.
Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
We are
the General Partner or co-General Partner of various limited partnerships whose
underlying assets consist primarily of marketable securities. As General Partner
or co-General Partner, we are contingently liable for all of the limited
partnerships' liabilities.
Our
income from these limited partnerships consists of our share of the management
fees and the 20% incentive allocation from the limited partners. We also receive
our pro-rata return on any investment made in the limited
partnership. We earned management fees of $2.0 million in 2007 and
$1.6 million in 2006 and incentive fees of $1.5 million and $2.4 million in 2007
and 2006, respectively. Our pro-rata gain on investments in these
limited partnerships totaled $0.5 million in 2007 as compared to a pro-rata gain
of $0.8 million in 2006.
We do not
invest in any other off-balance sheet vehicles that provide financing,
liquidity, market or credit risk support or engage in any leasing activities
that expose us to any liability that is not reflected in the Consolidated
Financial Statements.
Critical
Accounting Policies
In the
ordinary course of business, we make a number of estimates and assumptions
relating to the reporting of results of operations and financial condition in
the preparation of our financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally
accepted accounting principles. We base our estimates on historical experience,
when available, and on other various assumptions that are believed to be
reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ significantly
from those estimates under different assumptions and conditions.
We
believe the critical assumptions and estimates are those applied to revenue
recognition, the accounting for and valuation of investments, partnerships, and
offshore funds, goodwill and other long-lived intangibles, income taxes, and
stock based compensation accounting.
40
Major
Revenue-Generating Services and Revenue Recognition
The
Company’s revenues are derived primarily from investment advisory and incentive
fees, commissions and distribution fees.
Investment
advisory
and incentive fees are directly influenced by the level and mix of AUM as fees
are derived from a contractually-determined percentage of AUM for each account
as well as fulcrum fees earned on certain accounts. Advisory fees
from the open-end mutual funds, closed-end funds and sub-advisory accounts are
computed daily or weekly based on average net assets and amounts receivable are
included in investment advisory fees receivable in the consolidated statements
of financial condition. Advisory fees from Institutional and Private
Wealth Management ("Institutional and Private Wealth Management") are generally
computed quarterly based on account values as of the end of the preceding
quarter and accrued monthly, and amounts receivable are included in investment
advisory fees receivable in the consolidated statements of financial
condition. Management fees from Investment Partnerships are computed
either monthly or quarterly and accrued monthly, and amounts receivable are
included in other receivables from affiliates in the consolidated statements of
financial condition. The Company derives approximately 83% of its total revenues
from advisory and management fees. These revenues vary depending upon the level
of sales compared with redemptions, financial market conditions and the fee
structure for AUM. Revenues derived from the equity-oriented portfolios
generally have higher management fee rates than fixed income
portfolios.
Revenues
from
Investment Partnerships also generally include an incentive allocation or a fee
of 20% of the economic profit. The incentive allocation or fee is
generally based on the absolute gain in a portfolio and is recognized at the end
of the measurement period, and amounts receivable are included in other
receivables from affiliates in the consolidated statements of financial
condition. There were $0.1 and $2.8 million in incentive allocations
or fees receivable as of December 31, 2008 and 2007,
respectively. The Company also receives fulcrum fees from certain
institutional Institutional and Private Wealth Management, which are based upon
meeting or exceeding specific benchmark index or indices. These fees are
recognized at the end of the stipulated contract period for the respective
account, and receivables due from fulcrum fees earned are included in investment
advisory fees receivable on the consolidated statements of financial
condition. There was $0.7 and $5.1 million in fulcrum fees receivable
as of December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively. Management fees on a
majority of the closed-end preferred shares are received at year-end if the
total return to common shareholders of the closed-end fund for the calendar year
exceeds the dividend rate of the preferred shares. These fees are
recognized at the end of the measurement period. Receivables due on
management fees on closed-end preferred shares are included in investment
advisory fees receivable on the consolidated statements of financial condition.
There were no fees earned in 2008 and therefore none receivable as of December
31, 2008. There were $10.1 million in management fees receivable on
closed-end preferred shares as of December 31, 2007.
Gabelli
&
Company, Inc., a subsidiary of GBL, generates brokerage commission revenues and
related clearing charges on a trade-date basis from securities transactions
executed on an agency basis on behalf of institutional clients and mutual funds,
private wealth management clients and retail customers of affiliate
companies. It is also involved in syndicated underwriting
activities. It participates in syndicated underwritings of public
equity and debt offerings managed by major investment banks. It provides
institutional investors and investment partnerships with investment ideas on
numerous industries and special situations, with a particular focus on small-cap
and mid-cap companies.
Distribution
fees revenues are derived primarily from the distribution of Gabelli and
GAMCO mutual funds (“Funds”) advised by two subsidiaries of GBL, Gabelli
Funds, LLC and Teton Advisors, Inc. Another GBL subsidiary,
Gabelli & Company, distributes our open-end Funds pursuant to distribution
agreements with each Fund. Under each distribution agreement with an
open-end Fund, Gabelli & Company offers and sells such open-end Fund shares
on a continuous basis and pays all of the costs of marketing and selling the
shares, including printing and mailing prospectuses and sales literature,
advertising and maintaining sales and customer service personnel and sales and
services fulfillment systems, and payments to the sponsors of Third-Party
Distribution Programs, financial intermediaries and Gabelli & Company’s
sales personnel. Gabelli & Company receives fees for such
services pursuant to distribution plans adopted under provisions of Rule 12b-1
of the Investment Company Act. Gabelli & Company is the principal
underwriter for funds distributed in multiple classes of shares which carry
either a front-end or back-end sales charge.
Under the
distribution plans, the open-end Class AAA shares of the Funds (except The
Gabelli US Treasury Money Market Fund, Gabelli Capital Asset Fund and The
Gabelli ABC Fund) and the Class A shares of various Funds pay Gabelli &
Company a distribution or service fee of .25% per year (except the Class A
shares of the Westwood Funds which pay .50% per year) on the average daily net
assets of the fund. Class B and Class C shares have a 12b-1 distribution plan
with a service and distribution fee totaling 1%. Gabelli &
Company’s distribution agreements with the Funds may continue in effect from
year to year only if specifically approved at least annually by (i) the Fund's
Board of Directors or Trustees or (ii) the Fund's shareholders and, in either
case, the vote of a majority of the Fund's directors or trustees who are not
parties to the agreement or "interested persons" of any such party, within the
meaning of the Investment Company Act. Each Fund may terminate its distribution
agreement, or any agreement thereunder, at any time upon 60 days' written notice
by (i) a vote of the majority of its directors or trustees cast in person at a
meeting called for the purpose of voting on such termination or (ii) a vote at a
meeting of shareholders of the lesser of either 67% of the voting shares
represented in person or by proxy or 50% of the outstanding voting shares of
such Fund. Each distribution agreement automatically terminates in the event of
its assignment, as defined in the Investment Company Act. Gabelli
& Company may terminate a distribution agreement without penalty upon 60
days' written notice.
Distribution
fees from the open-end mutual funds are computed daily based on average net
assets and are accrued monthly. The amounts receivable for distribution fees are
included in other receivables from affiliates on the consolidated statements of
financial condition.
Finally,
GBL
also has investment income or loss generated from its proprietary trading
activities.
GBL’s
principal market is in the United States. In 2007, the GBL opened a
research office in Shanghai, China and another in Singapore in early 2008 and
will continue to evaluate adding additional research offices throughout the
world.
41
Investments
in Securities Transactions and Commissions Revenue and Clearing
Charges
Investments
in
securities are accounted for as either “trading securities” or “available for
sale” and are stated at quoted market values, except U.S. Treasury Bills and
Notes, held at amortized cost which approximates market value. Securities that
are not readily marketable are stated at their estimated fair values as
determined by our management. The resulting unrealized gains and losses for
trading securities are included in net gain from investments, and the unrealized
gains and losses for available for sale securities, net of management fees and
tax, are reported as a separate component of stockholders’
equity. Securities transactions and any related gains and losses are
recorded on a trade date basis. Realized gains and losses from securities
transactions are recorded on the identified cost basis and are included in net
gain from investments. Commissions revenue and related clearing
charges are recorded on a trade date basis.
Securities
sold, but not yet purchased are recorded at trade date, and are stated at quoted
market values and represent obligations of GBL to purchase the securities at
prevailing market prices. Therefore, the future satisfaction of such obligations
may be for an amount greater or less than the amounts recorded on the
consolidated statements of financial condition. The ultimate gains or
losses recognized are dependent upon the prices at which these securities are
purchased to settle the obligations under the sales commitments.
Investments
in Partnerships and Affiliates
Beginning
January
1, 2006, the provisions of FIN 46R and EITF 04-5 require consolidation of the
majority of our investment partnerships and offshore funds managed by our
subsidiaries into our consolidated financial statements. However,
since we amended the agreements of certain investment partnerships and an
offshore fund on March 31, 2006, FIN 46R and EITF 04-5 only required us to
consolidate these entities on our consolidated statement of income and
consolidated statement of cash flows for the first quarter 2006. We were not
required to consolidate these entities on our consolidated statement of
financial condition at March 31, 2006. In addition, these
partnerships and offshore funds, for which the agreements were amended, are not
required to be consolidated within our consolidated statement of income and
consolidated statement of cash flows or on our consolidated statement of
financial condition in the second quarter of 2006 or future periods as long as
GBL continues to not maintain direct or indirect control over the investment
partnerships and offshore funds. For the year ended December 31,
2006, the consolidation of these entities for the first quarter 2006 had no
effect on net income but does affect the classification of income between
operating and other income.
We were
not required to consolidate these entities on our consolidated statements of
financial condition at March 31, 2006. In addition, these
partnerships and offshore funds, for which the agreements were amended, are not
required to be consolidated within our consolidated statements of income and
consolidated statements of cash flows or on our consolidated statements of
financial condition from the second quarter of 2006 and forward as long as GBL
continues to not maintain direct or indirect control over the investment
partnerships and offshore funds. For the year ended December 31,
2006, the consolidation of these entities for the first quarter 2006 had no
effect on net income but did affect the classification of income between
operating and other income. The equity method of accounting is applied for the
investment partnerships and offshore funds that are not consolidated under the
provisions of FIN 46R and EITF 04-5.
We also
consolidated five other investment partnerships and two other offshore funds in
which we have a direct or indirect controlling financial interest as of and for
the year ended December 31, 2006.
For 2006, six
entities, five investment partnerships and one offshore fund, were consolidated
as a result of applying the guidance in EITF 04-5 and one entity, an offshore
fund, was consolidated as a result of applying the guidance in FIN 46R. In 2007,
eight entities (six investment partnerships and two offshore funds) are
consolidated as a result of applying the guidance in EITF 04-5. No entities were
consolidated as a result of FIN 46R for 2007 as the Company was no longer
considered the primary beneficiary effective January 1, 2007. In
2008, nine entities, the same eight entities as in 2007 and one other investment
partnership, are consolidated as a result of applying the guidance in EITF
04-5. These entities have been consolidated within our consolidated
financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006
and will continue to be consolidated in future periods as long as we continue to
maintain a direct or indirect controlling financial interest. In
addition to minor FIN 46R and EITF 04-5 adjustments to the consolidated
statements of income and consolidated statements of cash flows for the years
ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006 related to these entities, the
consolidation of these entities also resulted in minor adjustments to our
consolidated statements of financial condition at December 31, 2008 and
2007.
For the
years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, the consolidation of these
entities had no impact on net income but did result in (a) the elimination of
revenues and expenses which are now intercompany transactions; (b) the recording
of all the partnerships’ operating expenses of these entities including those
pertaining to third-party interests; (c) the recording of all other income of
these entities including those pertaining to third-party interests; (d)
recording of income tax expense of these entities including those pertaining to
third party interests and (e) the recording of minority interest which offsets
the net amount of any of the partnerships’ revenues, operating expenses, other
income and income taxes recorded in these respective line items which pertain to
third-party interest in these entities. While this had no impact on
net income, the consolidation of these entities does affect the classification
of income between operating and other income.
Goodwill
and Identifiable Intangible Asset
Prior to
the issuance of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 142,
goodwill and other long-lived intangible assets were amortized each
year. The adoption of SFAS No. 142 at the beginning of 2002
eliminated the amortization of these assets and established requirements for
having them tested for impairment at least annually.
There was
an impairment charge of $56,000 recorded for the year ended December 31, 2007 as
a result of the voluntary deregistration of an inactive broker dealer
subsidiary.
At November
30, 2008, management conducted its annual assessments and assessed the
recoverability of identifiable intangible assets and determined that there was
an impairment relating to identifiable intangible assets on GBL’s consolidated
financial statements. As a result of this assessment, an impairment charge
of approximately $1,479,000 was recorded for the year ended December 31,
2008. At December 31, 2008, the identifiable intangible asset was
approximately $1,891,000.
At November
30, 2008 and November 30, 2007, management conducted its annual assessments and
assessed the recoverability of goodwill and determined that there was no
impairment of the remaining goodwill on GBL’s consolidated financial
statements. In assessing the recoverability of goodwill, projections
regarding estimated future cash flows and other factors are made to determine
the fair value of the respective assets. If these estimates or
related projections change in the future, it may result in an impairment charge
for these assets to income.
42
Income
Taxes
Income
tax expense is based on pre-tax financial accounting income, including
adjustments made for the recognition or derecognition related to uncertain tax
positions. The recognition or derecognition of income tax expense related
to uncertain tax positions is determined under the guidance as prescribed by
FIN 48. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the
future tax attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying
amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates
expected to be recovered or concluded. The effect on deferred tax assets
and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in earnings in the period
that includes the enactment date.
Stock
Based Compensation
Effective
January 1, 2003, we use a fair value based method of accounting for stock-based
compensation provided to our employees in accordance with SFAS No. 123,
“Accounting for Stock Based Compensation.” The estimated fair value
of option awards is determined using the Black Scholes option-pricing
model. This sophisticated model utilizes a number of assumptions in
arriving at its results, including the estimated life of the option, the risk
free interest rate at the date of grant and the volatility of the underlying
common stock. There may be other factors, which have not been
considered, which may have an effect on the value of the options as
well. The effects of changing any of the assumptions or factors
employed by the Black Scholes model may result in a significantly different
valuation for the options. We adopted Statement 123 (R), “Share-Based
Payment” (“Statement 123 (R)”) on January 1, 2005. In light of our
modified prospective adoption of the fair value recognition provisions of
Statement 123 (R) for all grants of employee stock options, the adoption of
Statement 123 (R) did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial
statements.
As of
December 31, 2008, there are 369,900 RSA shares outstanding that
were issued at an average grant price of $62.26. All grants of the RSAs
were recommended by the Company's Chairman, who did not receive an RSA award,
and approved by the Compensation Committee of the Company's Board of Directors.
This expense will be recognized over the vesting period for these awards which
is 30% over three years from the date of grant and 70% over five years from
the date of grant. During the vesting period, dividends to RSA holders are held
for them until the RSA vesting dates and are forfeited if the grantee is no
longer employed by the Company on the vesting dates. Dividends declared on these
RSAs are charged to retained earnings on the declaration date.
Changes in
accounting policy
GAMCO has
adopted FASB Statement No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements” (“Statement
157”). Statement 157 provides guidance for using fair value to measure
assets and liabilities. Statement 157 provides guidance to companies about the
extent of which to measure assets and liabilities at fair value, the information
used to measure fair value, and the effect of fair value measurements on
earnings. Statement 157 applies whenever other standards require (or permit)
assets or liabilities to be measured at fair value. Statement 157 does not
expand the use of fair value in any new circumstances. Statement 157 is
effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after
November 15, 2007 and for interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company
adopted Statement 157 on January 1, 2008. Although the impact of adopting
Statement 157 is immaterial to the Company’s financial statements, Statement 157
required additional disclosures within the footnotes to the financial
statements.
Recent
Accounting Developments
In
December 2007, the FASB issued FASB Statement No. 160, "Noncontrolling
Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements, an Amendment of ARB No. 51"
("Statement 160") to improve the relevance, comparability, and transparency of
the financial information that a reporting entity with minority interests
provides in its consolidated financial statements. Statement 160 changes the way
the consolidated income statement is presented. It requires consolidated net
income to be reported at amounts that include the amounts attributable to both
the parent and the noncontrolling interest. It also requires disclosure, on the
face of the consolidated statement of income, of the amounts of consolidated net
income attributable to the parent and to the noncontrolling interest. Statement
160 requires expanded disclosures in the consolidated financial statements that
clearly identify and distinguish between the interests of the parent’s owners
and the interests of the noncontrolling owners of a subsidiary. Statement 160
does not change the provisions of “Consolidated Financial Statements” ("ARB 51")
related to consolidation purpose or consolidation policy or the requirement
that a parent consolidate all entities in which it has a controlling financial
interest. Statement 160 does, however, amend certain of ARB 51’s consolidation
procedures to make them consistent with the requirements of FASB Statement
141(R) "Business Combinations". It also amends ARB 51 to provide definitions for
certain terms and to clarify some terminology. Statement 160 is effective
for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or
after December 15, 2008. Earlier adoption is prohibited. The Company plans to
adopt this statement on January 1, 2009. Statement 160 will impact the
Company's financial statement presentation and disclosure of minority
interest.
In March
2008, the FASB issued FASB Statement No. 161, "Disclosures about
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities" ("Statement 161") to improve
financial reporting about derivative instruments and hedging activities by
requiring enhanced disclosures to enable investors to better understand their
effects on an entity's financial position, financial performance, and cash
flows. Statement 161 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal
years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2008, with early
application encouraged. The Company plans to adopt Statement 161 on January
1, 2009. Statement 161 will impact only the Company's disclosure
of derivative instruments.
In April
2008, the FASB issued FASB Statement No. 142-3, "Determination of the
Useful Life of Intangible Assets" ("Statement 142-3") which amends the factors
that should be considered in developing renewal or extension assumptions used to
determine the useful life of a recognized intangible asset under SFAS No. 142 ,
"Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets". Statement 142-3
is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning
after December 15, 2008 and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early
adoption is prohibited. The Company plans to adopt this statement on January 1,
2009. Statement 142-3 is applicable to the Company; however, the effect of its
adoption is not expected to be material.
Seasonality
and Inflation
We do not
believe our operations are subject to significant seasonal fluctuations. We do
not believe inflation will significantly affect our compensation costs, as they
are substantially variable in nature. However, the rate of inflation may affect
our expenses such as information technology and occupancy costs. To the extent
inflation results in rising interest rates and has other effects upon the
securities markets, it may adversely affect our financial position and results
of operations by reducing our AUM, revenues or otherwise.
Reference
is made to the information contained under the heading "Management's Discussion
and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations -- Market
Risk."
43
GAMCO
INVESTORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
INDEX
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Page
|
|
Report
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
F-2
|
Report
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Effectiveness of
Internal Control over Financial Reporting
|
F-3
|
Consolidated
Financial Statements:
|
|
Consolidated
Statements of Income for the years ended December 31, 2008,
2007 and 2006
|
F-4
|
Consolidated
Statements of Financial Condition at December 31, 2008 and
2007
|
F-5
|
Consolidated
Statements of Stockholders' Equity for the years ended December
31, 2008, 2007 and 2006
|
F-6
|
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2008,
2007 and 2006
|
F-8
|
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
|
F-11
|
All
schedules for which provision is made in the applicable accounting regulations
of the Securities and Exchange Commission that are not required under the
related instructions or are inapplicable have been omitted.
F-1
REPORT
OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
The Board
of Directors and Stockholders
GAMCO
Investors, Inc. and Subsidiaries
We have
audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial condition of GAMCO
Investors, Inc. and Subsidiaries (“GAMCO”) as of December 31, 2008 and 2007, and
the related consolidated statements of income, stockholders’ equity, and cash
flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31,
2008. These financial statements are the responsibility of GAMCO’s
management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these
financial statements based on our audits.
We
conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a
test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial
statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and
significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall
financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a
reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our
opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all
material respects, the consolidated financial position of GAMCO Investors, Inc.
and Subsidiaries at December 31, 2008 and 2007, and the consolidated results of
their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period
ended December 31, 2008, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting
principles.
As
discussed in Note D Income Taxes to the consolidated financial statements, GAMCO
adopted FASB Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income
Taxes” on January 1, 2007.
We also
have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States), GAMCO Investors, Inc. and Subsidiaries’
internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2008, based on
criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report
dated March 10, 2009, expressed an unqualified opinion
thereon.
ERNST
& YOUNG LLP
New York,
New York
March 10,
2009
F-2
REPORT
OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM ON EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERNAL
CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
The Board
of Directors and Stockholders
GAMCO
Investors, Inc. and Subsidiaries
We have
audited GAMCO Investors, Inc. and Subsidiaries’ (“GAMCO’s”) internal control
over financial reporting as of December 31, 2008, based on criteria established
in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the “COSO criteria”). GAMCO’s
management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over
financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal
control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s
Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to
express an opinion on the company’s internal control over financial reporting
based on our audit.
We
conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective
internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material
respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over
financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing
and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based
on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered
necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable
basis for our opinion.
A
company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to
provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting
and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over
financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to
the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly
reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2)
provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to
permit preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of
the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management
and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding
prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition
of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated
financial statements.
Because
of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not
prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation
of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may
become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of
compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In our
opinion, GAMCO Investors, Inc. and Subsidiaries maintained, in all material
respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31,
2008, based on the
COSO criteria.
We also
have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated statements of financial
condition of GAMCO Investors, Inc. and Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2008 and
2007, and the related consolidated statements of income, stockholders’ equity,
and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31,
2008, of GAMCO Investors, Inc. and Subsidiaries and our report dated March 10,
2009, expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
ERNST
& YOUNG LLP
New York,
New York
March 10,
2009
F-3
GAMCO
INVESTORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(In
thousands, except per share data)
Year
ended December 31,
|
||||||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
2006
|
||||||||||
Revenues
|
||||||||||||
Investment
advisory and incentive fees
|
$
|
204,293
|
$
|
250,410
|
$
|
227,005
|
||||||
Commission
revenue
|
16,129
|
15,729
|
12,619
|
|||||||||
Distribution
fees and other income
|
24,590
|
26,230
|
21,839
|
|||||||||
Total
revenues
|
245,012
|
292,369
|
261,463
|
|||||||||
Expenses
|
||||||||||||
Compensation
costs
|
102,840
|
120,036
|
102,411
|
|||||||||
Management
fee
|
4,086
|
14,463
|
13,236
|
|||||||||
Distribution
costs
|
25,090
|
28,500
|
25,366
|
|||||||||
Other
operating expenses
|
27,979
|
26,203
|
44,103
|
|||||||||
Total
expenses
|
159,995
|
189,202
|
185,116
|
|||||||||
Operating
income
|
85,017
|
103,167
|
76,347
|
|||||||||
Other
Income (Expense)
|
||||||||||||
Net
gain/(loss) from investments
|
(52,299
|
)
|
6,147
|
35,613
|
||||||||
Interest
and dividend income
|
13,136
|
32,497
|
35,506
|
|||||||||
Interest
expense
|
(9,674
|
)
|
(11,965
|
)
|
(14,226
|
)
|
||||||
Total
other income (expense), net
|
(48,837
|
)
|
26,679
|
56,893
|
||||||||
Income
before income taxes and minority interest
|
36,180
|
129,846
|
133,240
|
|||||||||
Income
taxes
|
12,323
|
49,548
|
50,848
|
|||||||||
Minority
interest
|
(1,009
|
)
|
729
|
10,465
|
||||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
24,866
|
$
|
79,569
|
$
|
71,927
|
||||||
Net
income per share:
|
||||||||||||
Basic
|
$
|
0.89
|
$
|
2.83
|
$
|
2.52
|
||||||
Diluted
|
$
|
0.89
|
$
|
2.79
|
$
|
2.49
|
||||||
Weighted
average shares outstanding:
|
||||||||||||
Basic
|
27,805
|
28,142
|
28,542
|
|||||||||
Diluted
|
27,841
|
29,129
|
29,525
|
|||||||||
Dividends
declared
|
$
|
2.02
|
$
|
1.12
|
$
|
0.12
|
See
accompanying notes.
F-4
GAMCO
INVESTORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
(In
thousands, except per share data)
|
December
31,
|
||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
ASSETS
|
||||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents, including restricted cash of $2,158 and $0,
respectively
|
$
|
333,332
|
$
|
168,319
|
||||
Investments
in securities, including restricted securities of $59,892 and $0,
respectively
|
231,492
|
394,977
|
||||||
Investments
in partnerships and affiliates
|
60,707
|
100,031
|
||||||
Receivable
from brokers
|
16,460
|
40,145
|
||||||
Investment
advisory fees receivable
|
11,261
|
33,701
|
||||||
Other
receivables from affiliates
|
3,362
|
7,126
|
||||||
Capital
lease
|
3,916
|
1,213
|
||||||
Goodwill and
identifiable intangible asset
|
5,358
|
3,467
|
||||||
Income
tax receivable and deferred tax assets
|
23,952
|
-
|
||||||
Other
assets
|
7,794
|
8,601
|
||||||
Total
assets
|
$
|
697,634
|
$
|
757,580
|
||||
LIABILITIES
AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
||||||||
Payable
to brokers
|
$
|
1,857
|
$
|
7,562
|
||||
Income
taxes payable and deferred tax liabilities
|
-
|
9,646
|
||||||
Capital
lease obligation
|
5,329
|
2,525
|
||||||
Compensation
payable
|
15,862
|
25,362
|
||||||
Securities
sold, not yet purchased
|
1,677
|
2,229
|
||||||
Accrued
expenses and other liabilities
|
23,605
|
46,703
|
||||||
Total
operating liabilities
|
48,330
|
94,027
|
||||||
5.5%
Senior notes (due May 15, 2013)
|
99,000
|
100,000
|
||||||
6%
Convertible note, $40 million outstanding (conversion price, $53.00
per share; note due August 14, 2011)
|
39,766
|
49,608
|
||||||
6.5%
Convertible note, $60 million outstanding (conversion price, $70.00 per
share; note due October 2, 2018)
|
60,000
|
-
|
||||||
Total
liabilities
|
247,096
|
243,635
|
||||||
Minority
interest
|
10,385
|
12,630
|
||||||
Stockholders'
equity:
|
||||||||
Preferred
stock, $.001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and
outstanding
|
- | - | ||||||
Class A Common Stock, $.001 par value; 100,000,000 shares
|
||||||||
authorized;
13,018,869 and 12,574,995 shares issued, respectively; 7,367,090
and 7,819,741 shares outstanding, respectively
|
13
|
12
|
||||||
Class
B Common Stock, $.001 par value; 100,000,000 shares
|
||||||||
authorized;
24,000,000 shares issued and 20,378,699 and
|
||||||||
20,626,644 shares outstanding, respectively
|
20
|
21
|
||||||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
245,973
|
230,483
|
||||||
Retained
earnings
|
413,761
|
445,121
|
||||||
Accumulated
other comprehensive gain
|
14,923
|
20,815
|
||||||
Treasury
stock, class A, at cost (5,651,779 and 4,755,254 shares,
respectively)
|
(234,537
|
)
|
(195,137
|
)
|
||||
Total
stockholders' equity
|
440,153
|
501,315
|
||||||
Total
liabilities and stockholders' equity
|
$
|
697,634
|
$
|
757,580
|
See
accompanying notes.
F-5
GAMCO
INVESTORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
(In
thousands)
Common
Stock
|
Additional
Paid-in
Capital
|
Retained
Earnings
|
Accumulated
Other
Compre-hensive
(Loss)
/ Gain
|
Treasury
Stock
|
Total
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Balance
at December 31, 2005
|
$
|
33
|
$
|
226,353
|
$
|
329,463
|
$
|
526
|
$
|
(131,873
|
)
|
$
|
424,502
|
|||||||||||
Comprehensive
income:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net
income
|
-
|
-
|
71,927
|
-
|
-
|
71,927
|
||||||||||||||||||
Other
comprehensive gain:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net
unrealized gains on securities
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
available
for sale, net of management
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
fees
and income tax expense of $7,649
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
9,834
|
-
|
9,834
|
||||||||||||||||||
Foreign
currency translation
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
67
|
-
|
67
|
||||||||||||||||||
Total
comprehensive income
|
81,828
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends
declared
|
-
|
-
|
(3,413
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
(3,413
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Discount
on debt amendment
|
-
|
633
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
633
|
||||||||||||||||||
Excess
tax benefit for exercised stock options
|
1,782
|
1,782
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock
based compensation expense
|
-
|
53
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
53
|
||||||||||||||||||
Exercise
of stock options including tax benefit
|
-
|
878
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
878
|
||||||||||||||||||
Capitalized
costs
|
-
|
-
|
(84
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
(84
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Purchase
of treasury stock
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(54,603
|
)
|
(54,603
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Balance
at December 31, 2006
|
$
|
33
|
$
|
229,699
|
$
|
397,893
|
$
|
10,427
|
$
|
(186,476
|
)
|
$
|
451,576
|
|||||||||||
Cumulative
effect of applying the provisions of FIN 48 at January 1,
2007
|
- | - |
(822
|
)
|
- | - |
(822
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Comprehensive
income:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net
income
|
-
|
-
|
79,569
|
-
|
-
|
79,569
|
||||||||||||||||||
Other
comprehensive gain:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net
unrealized gains on securities
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
available
for sale, net of management
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
fees
and income tax expense of $4,968
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
10,380
|
-
|
10,380
|
||||||||||||||||||
Foreign
currency translation
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
8
|
-
|
8
|
||||||||||||||||||
Total
comprehensive income
|
89,957
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends
declared
|
-
|
-
|
(31,519
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
(31,519
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Stock
based compensation expense
|
-
|
483
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
483
|
||||||||||||||||||
Exercise
of stock options including tax benefit
|
-
|
301
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
301
|
||||||||||||||||||
Purchase
of treasury stock
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(8,661
|
)
|
(8,661
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Balance
at December 31, 2007
|
$
|
33
|
$
|
230,483
|
$
|
445,121
|
$
|
20,815
|
$
|
(195,137
|
)
|
$
|
501,315
|
|||||||||||
Comprehensive
income:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net
income
|
- | - |
24,866
|
- | - |
24,866
|
||||||||||||||||||
Other
comprehensive loss:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net
unrealized losses on securities
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
available
for sale, net of management
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
fees
and income tax benefit of $16,294
|
- | - | - |
(5,716
|
)
|
- |
(5,716
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Foreign
currency translation
|
- | - | - |
(176
|
)
|
- |
(176
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Total
comprehensive income
|
18,974
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends
declared
|
- | - |
(56,226
|
)
|
- | - |
(56,226
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Stock
based compensation expense
|
- |
4,892
|
- | - | - |
4,892
|
||||||||||||||||||
Conversion
of 6% convertible note
|
- |
9,923
|
- | - | - |
9,923
|
||||||||||||||||||
Exercise
of stock options including tax benefit
|
- |
675
|
- | - | - |
675
|
||||||||||||||||||
Purchase
of treasury stock
|
- | - | - | - |
(39,400
|
)
|
(39,400
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Balance
at December 31, 2008
|
$
|
33
|
$
|
245,973
|
$
|
413,761
|
$
|
14,923
|
$
|
(234,537
|
)
|
$
|
440,153
|
See
accompanying notes.
F-6
GAMCO
INVESTORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In
thousands)
Year
ended December 31,
|
|||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
2006
|
|||||||
Operating
activities
|
|||||||||
Net
income
|
$24,866
|
$
|
79,569
|
$
|
71,927
|
||||
Adjustments
to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating
activities:
|
|||||||||
Equity
in net (gains)/losses from partnerships and
affiliates
|
11,155
|
(5,489
|
)
|
(7,427
|
)
|
||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
1,127
|
962
|
882
|
||||||
Stock
based compensation expense
|
4,892
|
483
|
53
|
||||||
Deferred
income tax
|
(1,642
|
)
|
1,907
|
(7,129
|
)
|
||||
Tax
benefit from exercise of stock options
|
10
|
62
|
191
|
||||||
Foreign
currency translation gain/(loss)
|
(176
|
)
|
8
|
67
|
|||||
Other-than-temporary
loss on available for sale securities
|
17,352
|
5,072
|
40
|
||||||
Impairment
of goodwill and identifiable intangible asset
|
1,479
|
56
|
-
|
||||||
Market
value of donated securities
|
507
|
273
|
331
|
||||||
Minority
interest in net income/loss of consolidated subsidiaries
|
(632
|
)
|
834
|
1,641
|
|||||
Realized
(gains)/losses on sales of available for sale securities
|
33
|
(2,239
|
)
|
(621
|
)
|
||||
Realized
(gains)/losses on sales of trading investments in securities and
covers of
securities sold, not
yet purchased, net
|
14,277
|
(16,816
|
)
|
(18,667
|
)
|
||||
Change
in unrealized value of trading investments in securities and securities
sold, not
yet
purchased, net
|
2,412
|
9,984
|
(2,035
|
)
|
|||||
Amortization
of discount on debt
|
158
|
104
|
137
|
||||||
Acquisition
of identifiable intangible asset
|
(3,370
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
|||||
Excess
tax benefit adjustment
|
-
|
-
|
1,782
|
||||||
(Increase)
decrease in operating assets:
|
|||||||||
Purchases
of trading investments in securities
|
(611,641
|
)
|
(1,253,493
|
)
|
(1,021,339
|
)
|
|||
Proceeds
from sales of trading investments in securities
|
695,385
|
1,364,328
|
995,435
|
||||||
Cost of covers of securities sold, not yet purchased
|
(34,890
|
)
|
(118,530
|
)
|
(18,607
|
)
|
|||
Proceeds from sales of securities sold, not yet purchased
|
36,664
|
123,931
|
18,912
|
||||||
Investments
in partnerships and affiliates
|
(182
|
)
|
(17,998
|
)
|
(4,903
|
)
|
|||
Distributions
from partnerships and affiliates
|
23,132
|
17,229
|
14,615
|
||||||
Receivable
from brokers
|
23,627
|
17,467
|
(42,052
|
)
|
|||||
Income
tax receivable and deferred tax assets
|
(23,736
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
|||||
Investment
advisory fees receivable
|
22,467
|
(2,532
|
)
|
(9,123
|
)
|
||||
Other
receivables from affiliates
|
4,377
|
2,785
|
3,155
|
||||||
Other
assets
|
(167
|
)
|
609
|
(2,486
|
)
|
||||
Increase
(decrease) in operating liabilities:
|
|||||||||
Payable
to brokers
|
(5,704
|
)
|
(27,304
|
)
|
30,929
|
||||
Income
taxes payable and deferred tax liabilities
|
6,060
|
|
(9,969
|
)
|
4,423
|
||||
Compensation
payable
|
(7,494
|
)
|
(6,237
|
)
|
1,344
|
||||
Accrued
expenses and other liabilities
|
(23,740
|
)
|
6,068
|
|
22,769
|
||||
Effects
of consolidation of investment partnerships and offshore funds
consolidated under FIN 46R
and EITF 04-5:
|
|||||||||
Realized
(gains)/losses on sales of investments in securities and costs of covers
of securities sold,
not yet purchased, net
|
689
|
(671
|
)
|
(12,522
|
)
|
||||
Change
in unrealized value of investments in securities and securities sold, not
yet purchased, net
|
1,109
|
927
|
(5,627
|
)
|
|||||
Equity
in net (gains)/losses from partnerships and affiliates
|
7,312
|
(1,116
|
)
|
(885
|
)
|
||||
Purchases
of trading investments in securities and securities sold short, not yet
purchased
|
(21,875
|
)
|
(49,774
|
)
|
(675,519
|
)
|
|||
Proceeds
from sales of trading investments in securities and securities sold
short
|
22,198
|
55,853
|
652,880
|
||||||
Investments
in partnerships and affiliates
|
(239
|
)
|
(2,000
|
)
|
(2,004
|
)
|
|||
Distributions
from partnerships and affiliates
|
528
|
5,589
|
380
|
||||||
Decrease
(increase) in investment advisory fees receivable
|
(648
|
)
|
(75
|
)
|
127
|
||||
Decrease
(increase) in receivable from brokers
|
59
|
(3,930
|
)
|
(9,290
|
)
|
||||
Decrease
in other assets
|
75
|
39
|
441
|
||||||
Increase
(decrease) in payable to brokers
|
(1
|
)
|
(1,480
|
)
|
7,263
|
||||
Increase
(decrease) in accrued expenses and other liabilities
|
451
|
174
|
(11,643
|
)
|
|||||
Income
related to investment partnerships and offshore funds consolidated
under FIN 46R and EITF 04-5, net
|
(2,821
|
)
|
603
|
16,447
|
|||||
Total
adjustments
|
158,577
|
95,694
|
(77,635
|
)
|
|||||
Net
cash provided by (used in) operating activities
|
183,443
|
175,263
|
(5,708
|
)
|
F-7
GAMCO
INVESTORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In
thousands)
Year
ended December 31,
|
||||||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
2006
|
||||||||||
Investing
activities
|
||||||||||||
Purchases
of available for sale securities
|
(1,832
|
)
|
(26,376
|
)
|
(5,434
|
)
|
||||||
Proceeds
from sales of available for sale securities
|
20,621
|
5,195
|
2,766
|
|||||||||
Net
cash provided by (used in) investing activities
|
18,789
|
(21,181
|
)
|
(2,668
|
)
|
|||||||
Financing
activities
|
||||||||||||
Dividend
paid to minority stockholders of subsidiary
|
(604
|
)
|
(441
|
)
|
(795
|
)
|
||||||
Payoff
of 5.22% senior notes
|
(1,000
|
)
|
(82,308
|
)
|
-
|
|||||||
Contributions
related to investment partnerships and offshore funds consolidated
under FIN 46R
and EITF 04-5, net
|
252
|
(1,199
|
)
|
29,734
|
||||||||
Proceeds
from exercise of stock options
|
666
|
238
|
687
|
|||||||||
Dividends
paid
|
(56,226
|
)
|
(31,519
|
)
|
(3,413
|
)
|
||||||
Issuance
of convertible note
|
60,000
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||
Purchase
of treasury stock
|
(39,400
|
)
|
(8,661
|
)
|
(54,603
|
)
|
||||||
Net
cash used in financing activities
|
(36,312
|
)
|
(123,890
|
)
|
(28,390
|
)
|
||||||
Net
increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
|
165,920
|
30,192
|
(36,766
|
)
|
||||||||
Net
increase/(decrease) in cash from partnerships and offshore funds
consolidated under FIN 46R
and EITF 04-5
|
(609
|
)
|
-
|
1,754
|
||||||||
Effect
of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents
|
(298
|
)
|
14
|
(36
|
)
|
|||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at beginning of year
|
168,319
|
138,113
|
173,161
|
|||||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at end of year
|
$
|
333,332
|
$
|
168,319
|
$
|
138,113
|
||||||
Supplemental
disclosures of cash flow information:
|
||||||||||||
Cash
paid for interest
|
$
|
8,746
|
$
|
15,116
|
$
|
13,019
|
||||||
Cash
paid for income taxes
|
$
|
33,549
|
$
|
49,763
|
$
|
46,314
|
Non-cash
activity:
- On
January 22, 2008, Cascade Investment, L.L.C. elected to convert $10 million of
its $50 million convertible note paying interest of 6% into 188,679 GAMCO
Investors, Inc. class A common shares.
- On
September 15, 2008, GAMCO Investors, Inc. modified and extended its lease with
M4E, LLC, the Company’s landlord at 401 Theodore Fremd Ave, Rye, NY. The lease
term was extended to December 31, 2023. This resulted in an increase to the
capital lease obligation and corresponding asset of $3.0 million
each.
See
accompanying notes.
F-8
A. Significant
Accounting Policies
Basis
of Presentation
GAMCO
Investors, Inc. (“GBL” or the “Company”) was incorporated in April 1998 in the
state of New York, with no significant assets or liabilities and did not engage
in any substantial business activities prior to the initial public offering
(“Offering”) of our shares. On February 9, 1999, we exchanged 24 million shares
of our class B common stock, representing all of our then issued and outstanding
common stock, with Gabelli Funds, Inc. (“GFI”) and two of its subsidiaries in
consideration for substantially all of the operating assets and liabilities of
GFI, relating to its institutional and retail asset management, mutual fund
advisory, underwriting and brokerage business (the
“Reorganization”). GBL distributed net assets and liabilities,
principally a proprietary investment portfolio, of approximately $165 million,
including cash of $18 million, which has been recorded for accounting purposes
as a deemed distribution to GFI. GFI, which was renamed Gabelli Group
Capital Partners, Inc. in 1999, is the parent of GBL and was renamed GGCP, Inc.
(“GGCP”) during 2005.
On February
17, 1999, we completed our sale of 6 million shares of class A common stock in
the Offering and received proceeds, after fees and expenses, of approximately
$96 million. Immediately after the Offering, GFI owned 80% of the
outstanding common stock of GBL and as of December 31, 2008 their ownership is
72.2%. In addition, with the completion of the Offering, we became a
“C” Corporation for federal and state income tax purposes and are subject to
substantially higher income tax rates. Our corporate name change to
GAMCO Investors, Inc. became effective August 29, 2005.
The
accompanying consolidated financial statements include the assets, liabilities
and earnings of:
·
|
GBL;
and
|
·
|
Our
wholly-owned
subsidiaries: Gabelli Funds, LLC (“Funds Advisor”), GAMCO Asset Management
Inc. (“GAMCO”), GAMCO Asset Management (UK) Limited, Gabelli Arbitrage
Holdings LLC, Gabelli Trading Holdings LLC, Gabelli Fixed Income,
Inc. (“Fixed Income”) and its subsidiaries, GAMCO International Partners
LLC, GAMCO Acquisition LLC, GAMCO Asset Management (Singapore) Pte.
Ltd.;
|
·
|
Our
majority-owned or majority-controlled subsidiaries: Gabelli Securities,
Inc. (“GSI”) and its subsidiaries and Teton Advisors, Inc. (“Teton”);
and
|
·
|
Certain
investment partnerships ("Investment Partnerships") and offshore funds in
which we have a direct or indirect controlling financial interest as
required by FASB Interpretation No. 46R “Consolidation of Variable
Interest Entities” (“FIN 46R”) and FASB Emerging Issue Task Force Issue
No. 04-5 "Determining Whether a General Partner, or the General Partners
as a Group, Controls a Limited Partnership or Similar Entity When the
Limited Partners Have Certain Rights" (“EITF 04-5”). Please see Note D
included herein.
|
At
December 31, 2008, 2007, and 2006 we owned approximately 92% of GSI and had
a 51% voting interest in Teton (42% economic interest). The
consolidated financial statements comprise the financial statements of GBL and
its subsidiaries as of December 31 of each year. The financial
statements of the subsidiaries are prepared for the same reporting year as the
parent company, using consistent accounting policies. All significant
intercompany transactions and balances have been
eliminated. Subsidiaries are fully consolidated from the date of
acquisition, being the date on which GBL obtains control, and continue to be
consolidated until the date that such control ceases.
Use
of Estimates
The
preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S.
generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates
and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial
statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from
those estimates.
Nature
of Operations
GAMCO,
Funds Advisor, Gabelli Fixed Income LLC (“Fixed Income LLC”), a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Fixed Income, Teton and GSI (effective January 19, 2006) are
registered investment advisors under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Gabelli & Company, Inc. (“Gabelli & Company”), a wholly-owned subsidiary
of GSI is a registered broker-dealer with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (“SEC”) and is regulated by the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). Gabelli & Company acts as an
introducing broker, and all transactions for its customers are cleared through
the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) member firms on a fully-disclosed basis.
Accordingly, open customer transactions are not reflected in the accompanying
consolidated statements of financial condition. Gabelli & Company
is exposed to credit losses on these open positions in the event of
nonperformance by its customers, pursuant to conditions of its clearing
agreements with its clearing brokers. This exposure is reduced by the
clearing brokers' policy of obtaining and maintaining adequate collateral and
credit of the counterparties until the open transaction is completed. Refer to
Major Revenue-Generating Services and Revenue Recognition section within Note A
for additional discussion of GBL's business.
Gabelli
Direct, Inc. (“Gabelli Direct”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of GSI, and Gabelli
Fixed Income Distributors, Inc. (“Fixed Income Distributors”), a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Fixed Income LLC, were voluntarily deregistered as broker-dealers
with the SEC and thus ceased to be regulated by the National Association of
Securities Dealers (a predecessor firm of FINRA) in October 2006 and January
2007, respectively.
Cash
and Cash Equivalents
Cash
equivalents primarily consist of affiliated money market mutual funds which are
highly liquid. U.S. Treasury Bills and Notes with maturities of less than
three months at the time of purchase are considered cash equivalents. At
December 31, 2008 approximately $2.2 million of cash and cash equivalents was
held in escrow to partially secure the $60 million convertible note, and this
amount was disclosed as restricted cash on the consolidated statements of
financial condition.
F-9
Securities
Transactions
Investments
in securities are accounted for as either “trading securities” or “available for
sale” and are stated at quoted market values, except U.S. Treasury Bills and
Notes, which are carried at amortized cost which approximates market
value. Securities that are not readily marketable are stated at their
estimated fair values as determined by our management. The resulting unrealized
gains and losses for trading securities are included in net gain/(loss) from
investments, and the unrealized gains and losses for available for sale
securities, net of management fees and tax, are reported as a separate component
of stockholders’ equity. Securities transactions and any related
gains and losses are recorded on a trade date basis. Realized gains
and losses from securities transactions are recorded on the identified cost
basis and are included in net gain/(loss) from
investments.
At
December 31, 2008, approximately $59.9 million of investments in securities was
held in escrow to secure the $60 million convertible note, and this amount was
disclosed as restricted investments in securities on the consolidated statements
of financial condition.
Securities
sold, but not yet purchased are recorded at trade date, and are stated at quoted
market values and represent obligations of GBL to purchase the securities at
prevailing market prices. Therefore, the future satisfaction of such obligations
may be for an amount greater or less than the amounts recorded on the
consolidated statements of financial condition. The ultimate gains or
losses recognized are dependent upon the prices at which these securities are
purchased to settle the obligations under the sales
commitments. Realized gains and losses from covers of securities
sold, not yet purchased transactions are included in net gain/(loss) from
investments.
Investments
in Partnerships and Affiliates
Internal
partnerships not consolidated under FIN 46R or EITF04-5 guidance and all
external partnerships, whose underlying assets consist mainly of marketable
securities, are accounted for using the equity method and are recorded as
investments in partnerships and affiliates on the statements of financial
condition. The Company’s share in net earnings or losses of these
partnerships and affiliated entities was reflected in income as earned and are
included in net gain/(loss) from investments. Capital contributions
were recorded as investments when paid and distributions received were
reductions of the investments. Depending on the terms of the investment,
the Company may be restricted as to the timing and amounts of
withdrawals.
Receivables
from and Payables to Brokers
Receivables
from and payables to brokers consist of amounts arising primarily from the
purchases and sales of securities.
Major
Revenue-Generating Services and Revenue Recognition
The
Company’s revenues are derived primarily from investment advisory and incentive
fees, commissions and distribution fees.
Investment
advisory and incentive fees are directly influenced by the level and mix of
assets under management ("AUM") as fees are derived from a
contractually-determined percentage of AUM for each account as well as fulcrum
fees earned on certain accounts. Advisory fees from the open-end
mutual funds, closed-end funds and sub-advisory accounts are computed daily or
weekly based on average net assets and amounts receivable are included in
investment advisory fees receivable in the consolidated statements of financial
condition. Advisory fees from Institutional and Private Wealth
Management ("Institutional and Private Wealth Management") are generally
computed quarterly based on account values as of the end of the preceding
quarter and accrued monthly, and amounts receivable are included in investment
advisory fees receivable in the consolidated statements of financial
condition. Management fees from investment partnerships and offshore
funds are computed either monthly or quarterly and accrued monthly, and amounts
receivable are included in other receivables from affiliates in the consolidated
statements of financial condition. The Company derives approximately 83% of its
total revenues from advisory and management fees. These revenues vary depending
upon the level of sales compared with redemptions, financial market conditions
and the fee structure for AUM. Revenues derived from the equity-oriented
portfolios generally have higher management fee rates than fixed income
portfolios.
Revenues
from investment partnerships and offshore funds also generally include an
incentive allocation or a fee of 20% of the economic profit. The
incentive allocation or fee is generally based on the absolute gain in a
portfolio and is recognized at the end of the measurement period, and amounts
receivable are included in other receivables from affiliates in the consolidated
statements of financial condition. There were $0.1 and $2.8 million
in incentive allocations or fees receivable as of December 31, 2008 and 2007,
respectively. The Company also receives fulcrum fees from certain
Institutional and Private Wealth Management, which are based upon meeting or
exceeding specific benchmark index or indices. These fees are recognized at the
end of the stipulated contract period for the respective account, and
receivables due from fulcrum fees earned are included in investment advisory
fees receivable on the consolidated statements of financial
condition. There was $0.7 and $5.1 million in fulcrum fees receivable
as of December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively. Management fees on a
majority of the closed-end preferred shares are received at year-end if the
total return to common shareholders of the closed-end fund for the calendar year
exceeds the dividend rate of the preferred shares. These fees are
recognized at the end of the measurement period. Receivables due on
management fees on closed-end preferred shares are included in investment
advisory fees receivable on the consolidated statements of financial condition.
There were no fees earned in 2008 and therefore none receivable as of December
31, 2008. There was $10.1 million in management fees receivable on
closed-end preferred shares as of December 31, 2007.
Gabelli
& Company, Inc., a subsidiary of GBL, generates brokerage commission
revenues and related clearing charges on a trade-date basis from securities
transactions executed on an agency basis on behalf of institutional clients and
mutual funds, private wealth management clients and retail customers of
affiliate companies. It is also involved in syndicated underwriting
activities. It participates in syndicated underwritings of public
equity and debt offerings managed by major investment banks. It provides
institutional investors and investment partnerships with investment ideas on
numerous industries and special situations, with a particular focus on small-cap
and mid-cap companies. Commissions revenue and related clearing
charges are recorded on a trade-date basis and are included in commission
revenue and other operating expenses, respectively.
Distribution
fees revenues are derived primarily from the distribution of Gabelli and GAMCO
open-end mutual funds (“Funds”) advised by two subsidiaries of GBL, Funds
Advisor and Teton. Another GBL subsidiary, Gabelli &
Company, distributes our open-end Funds pursuant to distribution agreements with
each Fund. Under each distribution agreement with an open-end Fund,
Gabelli & Company offers and sells such open-end Fund shares on a continuous
basis and pays all of the costs of marketing and selling the shares, including
printing and mailing prospectuses and sales literature, advertising and
maintaining sales and customer service personnel and sales and services
fulfillment systems, and payments to the sponsors of Third-Party Distribution
Programs, financial intermediaries and Gabelli & Company’s sales
personnel. Gabelli & Company receives fees for such services
pursuant to distribution plans adopted under provisions of Rule 12b-1 (“12b-1”)
of the Investment Company Act. Gabelli & Company is the principal
underwriter for funds distributed in multiple classes of shares which carry
either a front-end or back-end sales charge.
F-10
Under the
distribution plans, the open-end Class AAA shares of the Funds (except The
Gabelli US Treasury Money Market Fund, Gabelli Capital Asset Fund and The
Gabelli ABC Fund) and the Class A shares of certain Funds pay Gabelli &
Company a distribution or service fee of .25% per year (except the Class A
shares of the Westwood Funds which pay .50% per year) on the average daily net
assets of the fund. Class B and Class C shares have a 12b-1 distribution plan
with a service and distribution fee totaling 1%. Gabelli &
Company’s distribution agreements with the Funds may continue in effect from
year to year only if specifically approved at least annually by (i) the Fund's
Board of Directors or Trustees or (ii) the Fund's shareholders and, in either
case, the vote of a majority of the Fund's directors or trustees who are not
parties to the agreement or "interested persons" of any such party, within the
meaning of the Investment Company Act. Each Fund may terminate its distribution
agreement, or any agreement thereunder, at any time upon 60 days' written notice
by (i) a vote of the majority of its directors or trustees cast in person at a
meeting called for the purpose of voting on such termination or (ii) a vote at a
meeting of shareholders of the lesser of either 67% of the voting shares
represented in person or by proxy or 50% of the outstanding voting shares of
such Fund. Each distribution agreement automatically terminates in the event of
its assignment, as defined in the Investment Company Act. Gabelli
& Company may terminate a distribution agreement without penalty upon 60
days' written notice.
Distribution
fees from the open-end mutual funds are computed daily based on average net
assets and are accrued monthly. The amounts receivable for distribution fees are
included in other receivables from affiliates on the consolidated statements of
financial condition.
Finally,
GBL also has investment gains or losses generated from its proprietary trading
activities which are included in net gain/(loss) from
investments.
GBL’s
principal market is in the United States. In 2007, the GBL opened a
research office in Shanghai, China and another in Singapore in early 2008 and
will continue to evaluate adding additional research offices throughout the
world.
Distribution
Costs
We incur
certain promotion and distribution costs, which are expensed as incurred,
principally related to the sale of shares of open-end mutual funds, shares sold
in the initial public offerings of our closed-end funds, and after-market
support services related to our closed-end funds. Distribution costs
relating to closed-end funds were approximately $1,663,000, $7,467,000 and
$8,217,000 for 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively. During the second
quarter of 2007, we made a prepayment of $4.2 million in connection with the
termination of certain after-market support services related to the common
share assets of the Gabelli Global Deal Fund which is included in distribution
costs on the consolidated statement of income. In fourth quarter
2006, we made a prepayment of $4.2 million in distribution expenses to a broker
in connection with the termination of certain after-market support services
related to the common share assets of The Gabelli Dividend and Income Trust
which is included in distribution costs on the consolidated statement of
income.
Dividends
and Interest Income and Interest Expense
Dividends
are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income and interest expense
are accrued as earned or incurred.
Depreciation
and Amortization
Fixed
assets other than leasehold improvements, with net book value of $0.9 million and $0.7
million at December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively, which are included in
other assets, are recorded at cost and depreciated using the straight-line
method over their estimated useful lives. Leasehold improvements, with net book
value of $2.0 million and $2.1 million at December 31, 2008 and 2007,
respectively, which are included in other assets, are recorded at cost and
amortized using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives or
lease terms, whichever is shorter. Periodic minimum lease payments on
the capital lease are allocated between a reduction of the obligation and
interest expense to produce a constant periodic interest rate on the remaining
balance of the obligation while the leased property is depreciated utilizing the
straight-line method over the term of the lease, which expires on December 31,
2023. The capital lease was extended on September 15, 2008 to
December 31, 2023 from April 30, 2013.
Derivative
Financial Instruments
The
Company accounts for derivative financial instruments in accordance with
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 133 (“Statement No.
133”), Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, as amended.
Statement No. 133 requires that an entity recognize all derivatives, as defined,
as either assets or liabilities measured at fair value. The Company uses swaps,
forwards and treasury futures to manage its exposure to market and credit risks
from changes in certain equity prices, interest rates, and volatility and does
not hold or issue swaps, forwards or treasury futures for speculative or trading
purposes. These swaps, forwards and treasury futures are not
designated as hedges, and changes in fair values of these derivatives are
included in net gain/(loss) from investments in the consolidated statements of
income. The unrealized change in fair value of swaps, forwards and treasury
futures are included in the investments in securities in the consolidated
statements of financial condition. The notional value of derivatives at
December 31, 2008 and 2007 was ($5.1) million and ($1.8) million,
respectively.
Goodwill
and Identifiable Intangible Assets
Goodwill
is initially measured as the excess of the cost of the acquired business over
the sum of the amounts assigned to assets acquired less the liabilities
assumed. Goodwill is tested for impairment at least
annually.
There was
an impairment charge of $56,000 recorded for the year ended December 31, 2007 as
a result of the voluntary deregistration of an inactive broker dealer
subsidiary.
At
November 30, 2008, management conducted its annual assessments and assessed the
recoverability of its identifiable intangible asset, the Gabelli Enterprise
Mergers and Acquisition Fund advisory contract, which was acquired during 2008,
and determined that there was an impairment relating to the identifiable
intangible asset on GBL’s consolidated financial statements due to the decline
in AUM in the fund since it was acquired. As a result of this assessment,
an impairment charge of approximately $1,479,000 was recorded for the year ended
December 31, 2008.
At
November 30, 2008 and November 30, 2007, management conducted its annual
assessments and assessed the recoverability of goodwill and determined that
there was no further impairment of the remaining goodwill on GBL’s consolidated
financial statements.
In
assessing the recoverability of goodwill and identifiable intangible assets,
projections regarding estimated future cash flows and other factors are made to
determine the fair value of the respective assets. If these estimates
or related projections change in the future, it may result in an impairment
charge for these assets to income.
F-11
Income
Taxes
Income
tax expense is based on pre-tax financial accounting income, including
adjustments made for the recognition or derecognition related to uncertain tax
positions.
The
recognition or derecognition of income tax expense related to uncertain tax
positions is determined under the guidance as prescribed by FASB Interpretation
No. 48 “Accounting For Uncertainty in Income Taxes” (“FIN 48”). Deferred
tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax attributable to
differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets
and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and
liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to be recovered or
concluded. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change
in tax rates is recognized in earnings in the period that includes the enactment
date.
Minority
Interest
For the
years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, minority interest on the
consolidated statements of income represents income attributable to the minority
stockholders of GSI and Teton, as well as for certain investment
partnerships and offshore funds that are consolidated as required by FIN 46R and
EITF 04-5. The minority stockholders of Teton are principally
employees, officers and directors of GBL.
As of
December 31, 2008 and 2007, minority interest on the consolidated statements of
financial condition represents amounts attributable to the minority stockholders
of GSI and Teton, as well as amounts attributable to the other investors of
certain investment partnerships and offshore funds that are consolidated as
required by EITF 04-5.
Fair
Values of Financial Instruments
The
carrying amount of all assets and liabilities, other than goodwill and
identifiable intangible asset, capital lease, fixed assets, leasehold
improvements, and certain other assets in the consolidated statements of
financial condition approximate their fair values.
Earnings
Per Share
Net
income per share is computed in accordance with SFAS No. 128, “Earnings Per
Share”. Basic net income per common share is calculated by dividing net income
applicable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of
common stock outstanding during the year.
Diluted
net income per share, in addition to the weighted average number of shares
determined for basic net income per share, includes common stock equivalents
which would arise from the exercise of stock options and from the vesting of
unvested restricted stock awards using the treasury stock method and, if
dilutive, assumes the conversion of the convertible notes for the periods
outstanding since the issuances in August 2001 and October 2008. An
average of 35,000, 42,000 and 29,000 incremental shares were included as the
dilutive effect of stock options and restricted stock awards ("RSAs") in 2008,
2007 and 2006, respectively. RSAs only affect the 2008 and 2007
weighted average shares as they were granted to employees of the Company during
2008 and 2007. The allocation of these RSAs was recommended by Mario J. Gabelli
("Mr. Gabelli" or "Chairman") who did not receive an RSA award. In 2008,
the assumed conversion of the convertible notes would be anti-dilutive and,
accordingly, have not been included in computing diluted net income per
share. In 2007, net income is adjusted for interest expense, net of
management fees and taxes, of $1,715,000 and the weighted average shares
outstanding includes 943,000 incremental shares as the convertible note had a
dilutive effect. In 2006, net income is adjusted for interest
expense, net of management fees and taxes, of $1,489,000 and the weighted
average shares outstanding includes 956,000 incremental shares as the
convertible note had a dilutive effect.
Management
Fee
Management
fee expense is incentive-based and entirely variable compensation in the amount
of 10% of the aggregate pre-tax profits which is paid to Mr. Gabelli or his
designee for acting as CEO pursuant to his amended Employment Agreement so long
as he is an executive of GBL and devoting the substantial majority of his
working time to the business. In accordance with his amended employment
agreement, he has allocated $1.7 million and $1.5 million of his management fee
to certain other employees of the Company in 2008 and 2007,
respectively.
Stock
Based Compensation
The
Company maintains two Stock Award and Incentive Plans (the “Plans”) approved by
the shareholders, which are designed to provide incentives which will attract
and retain individuals key to the success of GBL through direct or indirect
ownership of our common stock. The Plans were previously adopted and approved by
our shareholders as a means to attract, retain and motivate employees. Effective
January 1, 2003, we adopted the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS No.
123 “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation” in accordance with the transition
and disclosure provisions under the recently issued SFAS No. 148, “Accounting
for Stock-Based Compensation – Transition and Disclosure.” Previously
the Company had elected to use the intrinsic value method prescribed in
Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued
to Employees” and related interpretations. Accordingly, no
compensation expense was recognized where the exercise price equaled or exceeded
the market price of the underlying stock on the date of grant. The
Company adopted Statement 123 (R) “Share-Based Payment” (“Statement 123 (R)”) on
January 1, 2005. In light of the Company’s modified prospective
adoption of the fair value recognition provisions of Statement 123 (R) for all
grants of employee stock options, the adoption of Statement 123 (R) did not have
a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. In 2008,
2007 and 2006, we have recognized a total of $4,892,000, $417,000 and $53,000,
respectively, in stock-based compensation expense. The Company
expenses stock option compensation over the vesting period of the option in line
with the vesting characteristics.
Concentration
of Credit Risk
Financial
instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit
risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents held. The Company
maintains cash and cash equivalents primarily in the Gabelli U.S. Treasury Money
Market Fund, which invests fully in instruments issued by the U.S. government,
and to a much lesser extent with various financial institutions, where these
balances may sometimes exceed the federally insured limit. The
concentration of credit risk with respect to advisory fees receivable is
generally limited due to the short payment terms extended to clients by the
Company. In addition, the credit risk is further limited by virtue of
the fact that no single advisory relationship provided over 10 percent of the
total revenue of the Company during the years 2008, 2007, or
2006. All investments in securities are held at third party brokers
or custodians.
F-12
Business
Segments
The
Company operates predominantly in one business segment, the investment advisory
and asset management business. The Company conducts its investment
advisory business principally through: GAMCO (Institutional and Private Wealth
Management), Funds Advisor (Mutual Funds) and GSI (Investment
Partnerships). The Company also acts as an underwriter, is a
distributor of open-end mutual funds and provides institutional research through
Gabelli & Company, the Company’s broker-dealer
subsidiary.
Reclassifications
Certain
prior period amounts reflect reclassifications to conform with the current
year’s presentation.
Recent Accounting
Developments
In
December 2007, the FASB issued FASB Statement No. 160, "Noncontrolling
Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements, an Amendment of ARB No. 51"
("Statement 160") to improve the relevance, comparability, and transparency of
the financial information that a reporting entity with minority interests
provides in its consolidated financial statements. Statement 160 changes the way
the consolidated income statement is presented. It requires consolidated net
income to be reported at amounts that include the amounts attributable to both
the parent and the noncontrolling interest. It also requires disclosure, on the
face of the consolidated statement of income, of the amounts of consolidated net
income attributable to the parent and to the noncontrolling interest. Statement
160 requires expanded disclosures in the consolidated financial statements that
clearly identify and distinguish between the interests of the parent’s owners
and the interests of the noncontrolling owners of a subsidiary. Statement 160
does not change the provisions of “Consolidated Financial Statements” ("ARB 51")
related to consolidation purpose or consolidation policy or the requirement
that a parent consolidate all entities in which it has a controlling financial
interest. Statement 160 does, however, amend certain of ARB 51’s consolidation
procedures to make them consistent with the requirements of FASB Statement
141(R) "Business Combinations". It also amends ARB 51 to provide definitions for
certain terms and to clarify some terminology. Statement 160 is effective
for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or
after December 15, 2008. Earlier adoption is prohibited. The Company plans to
adopt this statement on January 1, 2009. Statement 160 will impact the
Company's financial statements presentation and disclosure of minority
interest.
In March
2008, the FASB issued FASB Statement No. 161, "Disclosures about
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities" ("Statement 161") to improve
financial reporting about derivative instruments and hedging activities by
requiring enhanced disclosures to enable investors to better understand their
effects on an entity's financial position, financial performance, and cash
flows. Statement 161 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal
years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2008, with early
application encouraged. The Company plans to adopt Statement 161 on January
1, 2009. Statement 161 will impact only the Company's disclosure
of derivative instruments.
In April
2008, the FASB issued FASB Statement No. 142-3, "Determination of the
Useful Life of Intangible Assets" ("Statement 142-3") which amends the factors
that should be considered in developing renewal or extension assumptions used to
determine the useful life of a recognized intangible asset under SFAS No. 142 ,
"Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets". Statement 142-3
is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning
after December 15, 2008 and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early
adoption is prohibited. The Company plans to adopt this statement on January 1,
2009. Statement 142-3 is applicable to the Company; however, the effect of its
adoption is not expected to be material.
Changes in accounting
policy
The
Company has adopted FASB Statement No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements”
(“Statement 157”). The statement provides guidance for using fair value to
measure assets and liabilities. The statement provides guidance to companies
about the extent of which to measure assets and liabilities at fair value, the
information used to measure fair value, and the effect of fair value
measurements on earnings. The statement applies whenever other standards require
(or permit) assets or liabilities to be measured at fair value. The statement
does not expand the use of fair value in any new circumstances. The statement is
effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after
November 15, 2007 and for interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company
adopted this statement on January 1, 2008. Although the impact of adopting
Statement 157 is immaterial to the Company’s financial statements, Statement 157
required additional disclosures within the footnotes to the financial
statements. Refer also to Note C
F-13
B. Investments
in Securities
Investments
in securities at December 31, 2008 and 2007 consisted of the
following:
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||||||||||
Cost
|
Fair
Value
|
Cost
|
Fair
Value
|
|||||||||||||
(In
thousands)
|
||||||||||||||||
Trading
securities:
|
||||||||||||||||
U.S. Government obligations
|
$
|
65,459
|
$
|
65,880
|
$
|
116,007
|
$
|
117,502
|
||||||||
Corporate bonds
|
4,875
|
4,988
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||
Common stocks
|
85,872
|
82,667
|
91,892
|
95,163
|
||||||||||||
Mutual funds
|
1,105
|
870
|
49,703
|
47,089
|
||||||||||||
Preferred stocks
|
31
|
95
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||
Other investments
|
338
|
866
|
572
|
688
|
||||||||||||
Total
trading securities
|
157,680
|
155,366
|
258,174
|
260,442
|
||||||||||||
Available
for sale securities:
|
||||||||||||||||
Common stocks
|
18,969
|
29,680
|
21,061
|
44,857
|
||||||||||||
Mutual funds
|
45,450
|
46,446
|
79,688
|
89,678
|
||||||||||||
Total
available for sale securities
|
64,419
|
76,126
|
100,749
|
134,535
|
||||||||||||
Total
investments in securities
|
$
|
222,099
|
$
|
231,492
|
$
|
358,923
|
$
|
394,977
|
Securities
sold, not yet purchased at December 31, 2008 and 2007 consisted of the
following:
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||||||||||
Cost
|
Fair
Value
|
Cost
|
Fair
Value
|
|||||||||||||
(In
thousands)
|
||||||||||||||||
Common
stocks
|
$
|
2,328
|
$
|
2,058
|
$
|
1,836
|
$
|
1,798
|
||||||||
Mutual
funds
|
67
|
23
|
553
|
427
|
||||||||||||
Other
investments
|
-
|
(404
|
)
|
4
|
4
|
|||||||||||
Total
Securities sold, not yet purchased
|
$
|
2,395
|
$
|
1,677
|
$
|
2,393
|
$
|
2,229
|
The
aggregate fair value of available for sale securities at December 31, 2008 and
2007 was $76.1
million and $134.5 million, respectively. The total unrealized gains
for available for sale securities with net unrealized gains was $12.6 million
and $34.1 million at December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively, while the total
unrealized losses for available for sale securities with net unrealized losses
was $0.9 million and $0.3 million, respectively.
Investments
classified as available for sale at December 31, 2008 and 2007 that are in an
unrealized loss position for which other-than-temporary impairment has not been
recognized consisted of the following:
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Cost
|
Unrealized
Losses
|
Fair
Value
|
Cost
|
Unrealized
Losses
|
Fair
Value
|
|||||||||||||||||||
(In
thousands)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mutual
funds
|
$
|
16,840
|
$
|
(898
|
)
|
$
|
15,942
|
$
|
4,163
|
$
|
(336
|
)
|
$
|
3,827
|
||||||||||
Total
available for sale securities in unrealized loss positions
|
$
|
16,840
|
$
|
(898
|
)
|
$
|
15,942
|
$
|
4,163
|
$
|
(336
|
)
|
$
|
3,827
|
F-14
GBL has
an established accounting policy and methodology to determine
other-than-temporary impairment. Under this policy, a holding must
generally be impaired for nine consecutive months in order to be considered
other-than-temporarily impaired. Once the nine month threshold is
met, the investment is considered other-than-temporarily impaired and the
appropriate writedown is taken in accordance with FASB Statement No. 115
"Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity
Securities". However, the determination of temporary versus
other-than-temporary impairment for investments where the impairment is less
than nine consecutive months are subject to further scrutiny. GBL
augments the general systematic “nine month” methodology by identifying both
issuer-specific declines and market/industry related declines, which might
indicate other-than-temporary impairment in instances where the nine consecutive
month threshold has not yet been met. At December 31, 2008, due to
the market declines that occurred in 2008 we determined that any investment
whose market value was lower than its cost by 10%, irrespective of the “nine
month” methodology, was considered other-than-temporarily impaired and was
written down through the consolidated statement of income. For the
year ended December 31, 2008, there were $16.6 million of such
writedowns.
At
December 31, 2008, there were 11 holdings in loss positions which were not
deemed to be other-than-temporarily impaired due to the length of time that they
had been in a loss position (less than nine months) and because they passed
scrutiny in our evaluation of issuer-specific and industry-specific
considerations. In these specific instances, the investments at
December 31, 2008 were mutual funds with diversified holdings across multiple
companies and in most cases across multiple industries. Given this
diversification, it was concluded that no deviation from the nine month criteria
was warranted. One holding was impaired for one month, one holding
was impaired for two consecutive months, two holdings were impaired for three
consecutive months, six holdings were impaired for four consecutive months, and
one holding was impaired for eight consecutive months. The value of
these holdings at December 31, 2008 was $15.9 million.
At
December 31, 2007, there were fifteen holdings in a loss position which were not
deemed to be other-than-temporarily impaired due to the length of time they had
been in a loss position (less than nine months) and because they passed scrutiny
in our evaluation of issuer-specific and industry-specific
considerations. In each of these specific instances, the investments
at December 31, 2007 were mutual funds with diversified holdings across
multiple companies and in most cases across multiple
industries. Given this diversification, it was concluded that no
deviation from the nine month criteria was warranted. Eight holdings
were impaired for two consecutive months, two holdings were impaired for six
consecutive months and five holdings were impaired for seven consecutive months.
The value of the fifteen holdings at December 31, 2007 was $3.8
million.
For the years
ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, there were $17.4 million, $5.1 million
and $0.1 million, respectively, in losses on available for sale securities
deemed to be other than temporary, which were recorded in the consolidated
statements of income.
Management
determines the appropriate classification of debt and equity securities at the
time of purchase and reevaluates such designation as of each balance sheet
date. Investments in treasury bills and notes with maturities of
greater than three months at the time of purchase are classified as investments
in securities and with maturities of three months or less at time of purchase
are classified as cash and cash equivalents. A substantial portion of
investments in securities are held for resale in anticipation of short-term
market movements and therefore are classified as trading
securities. Trading securities are stated at fair value, with any
unrealized gains or losses, net of deferred taxes, reported in current period
earnings in net gain/(loss) from investments in the consolidated statements of
income. Available for sale investments are stated at fair value, with
any unrealized gains or losses, net of management fee and taxes, reported as a
component of stockholders’ equity except for losses deemed to be other than
temporary which are recorded as realized losses in the consolidated statements
of income.
F-15
C. Fair
Value
In
September 2006, the FASB issued Statement 157, which defines fair
value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosures
about fair value measurements. All of the instruments within cash and cash
equivalents, investments in securities and securities sold, not yet purchased
are measured at fair value.
The
Company’s assets and liabilities recorded at fair value have been categorized
based upon a fair value hierarchy in accordance with Statement 157. The
levels of the fair value hierarchy and their applicability to the Company are
described below:
-
|
Level
1 inputs utilize quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for
identical assets or liabilities.
|
-
|
Level
2 inputs utilize inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that
are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly.
Level 2 inputs include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in
active markets and inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for
the asset or liability, such as interest rates and yield curves that are
observable at commonly-quoted intervals.
|
-
|
Level
3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, and include
situations where there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or
liability.
|
In
certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into
different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, per
Statement 157, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value
measurement in its entirety falls has been determined based on the lowest level
input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its
entirety. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular
input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment and
considers factors specific to the asset or liability.
The
availability of observable inputs can vary from product to product and is
affected by a wide variety of factors, including, for example, the type of
product, whether the product is new and not yet established in the marketplace,
and other characteristics particular to the transaction. To the extent that
valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable
in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment.
Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Company in determining fair
value is greatest for instruments categorized as Level 3.
Many
of our securities have bid and ask prices that can be observed in the
marketplace. Bid prices reflect the highest price that the Company and others
are willing to pay for an asset. Ask prices represent the lowest price that the
Company and others are willing to accept for an asset.
Cash and cash
equivalents - Cash and
cash equivalents are valued using quoted market prices. Valuation adjustments
are not necessary. Accordingly, cash and cash equivalents are
categorized in Level 1 of the fair value
hierarchy.
Investments in securities
and securities sold, not yet purchased -
Investments
in securities and securities sold, not yet purchased are generally valued based
on quoted prices from the exchange. To the extent these securities are actively
traded, valuation adjustments are not applied, and they are categorized in Level
1 of the fair value hierarchy. Listed derivatives that are actively traded and
are valued based on quoted prices from an exchange are also categorized in Level
1 of the fair value hierarchy. Investments in United States Treasury Bills and
Notes, which are valued at amortized cost that approximates fair value, included
in Level 1 were $65.9 million as of December 31, 2008. Listed derivatives
that are not actively traded are valued using the same approaches as those
applied to over the counter derivatives, and they are generally
categorized in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. Included in Level
2 is also the unrealized from listed derivatives that are not actively
traded. Nonpublic and infrequently traded investments are included in
Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy because significant inputs to measure fair
value are unobservable.
The
following
table presents information about the Company’s assets and liabilities by
major categories measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31,
2008 and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques utilized
by the Company to determine such fair value:
Assets
and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis as of December 31,
2008 (in thousands)
Assets
|
Quoted
Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
|
Significant
Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
|
Significant
Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
|
Balance
as of December 31, 2008
|
||||||||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$
|
333,332
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
333,332
|
||||||||
Investments
in securities:
|
||||||||||||||||
Available-for-sale
|
76,126
|
-
|
-
|
76,126
|
||||||||||||
Trading
|
153,315
|
510
|
1,541
|
155,366
|
||||||||||||
Total
investments in securities
|
229,441
|
510
|
1,541
|
231,492
|
||||||||||||
Total
financial instruments owned
|
$
|
562,773
|
$
|
510
|
$
|
1,541
|
$
|
564,824
|
||||||||
Liabilities
|
||||||||||||||||
Securities
sold, not yet purchased
|
$
|
2,081
|
$
|
(404
|
)
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
1,677
|
F-16
The
following table presents additional information about assets by major categories
measured at fair value on a recurring basis and for which the Company has
utilized Level 3 inputs to determine fair value.
Changes
in Level 3 Assets Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis for the
year ended December 31, 2008 (in thousands)
Total
Realized and Unrealized Gains or (Losses) in Income
|
Total
Unrealized
Gains
or
(Losses)
Included
in
Other
|
Total
Realized
and
Unrealized
|
Purchases
|
Net
Transfers
In
and/or
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Asset
|
Beginning
Balance
|
Trading
|
Investments
|
Comprehensive
Income
|
Gains
or (Losses)
|
and
Sales, net
|
(Out)
of Level 3
|
Ending
Balance
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Financial
instruments owned:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Investments
in securities - trading
|
$
|
1,423
|
$
|
(892
|
)
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
(892
|
)
|
$
|
706
|
$
|
304
|
$
|
1,541
|
||||||||||||||
Total
|
$
|
1,423
|
$
|
(892
|
)
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
(892
|
)
|
$
|
706
|
$
|
304
|
$
|
1,541
|
Unrealized
Level 3 losses included in the consolidated statements of income for the year
ended December 31, 2008 was approximately $0.7 million for those Level 3
securities held at December 31, 2008.
Fair
value has not been elected on the consolidated statement of financial condition
for the identifiable intangible asset and goodwill, which are held at
approximately $1.8 million and $3.6 million, respectively. The
carrying values were arrived at using a discounted cash flow
method.
D. Consolidated
Partnerships and Offshore Funds
Beginning
January 1, 2006, the provisions of FIN 46R and EITF 04-5 require consolidation
of the majority of the investment partnerships and offshore funds managed by the
subsidiaries into the consolidated financial statements. However,
since the Company amended the agreements of certain investment partnerships and
an offshore fund on March 31, 2006, FIN 46R and EITF 04-5 only required the
Company to consolidate these entities on the consolidated statements of income
and consolidated statements of cash flows for the first quarter 2006. The
business purpose of amending the agreements was to avoid having to consolidate
them. There was no economic impact of giving up control of these
entities.
The
consolidation of the entities whose agreements were amended to add the
substantive kickout rights and were not consolidated at and after March 31, 2006
but whose results of operations were consolidated for the three months ended
March 31, 2006 had the following impact on the consolidated statement of income
for the three months ended March 31, 2006: decrease to distribution fees and
other income revenues of $0.9 million, increase to other operating expenses of
$0.2 million, decrease in operating income of $1.0 million, increase to net
gain/(loss) from investments of $13.6 million, increase to interest and dividend
income of $1.3 million, increase to interest expense of $0.6 million, increase
to income taxes of $4.9 million and an increase to minority interest of $8.2
million. There was no impact on net income for the three months ended
March 31, 2006. The impact on the cash flows for the three months
ended March 31, 2006 was as follows: $627.9 million in purchase of
trading investments in securities and securities sold short, not yet purchased,
$609.4 million in proceeds from sales of trading investments in securities and
securities sold short, not yet purchased, $28.2 million in contributions related
to investment partnerships and offshore funds consolidated under FIN 46R and
EITF 04-5, net, $13.8 million of income related to investment partnerships and
offshore funds consolidated under FIN 46R and EITF 04-5, net, $11.5 million
increase in receivable from brokers, $11.7 million of realized gains on sales of
investments in securities and securities sold short, not yet purchased, $11.4
million decrease in accrued expenses and other liabilities, $6.3 million
increase in payable to brokers, $4.7 million increase in unrealized value of
investments in securities and securities sold short, not yet purchased, $0.3
million of investments in partnerships and affiliates, $0.4 million of equity in
net gains/(losses) from partnerships and affiliates, less than $0.1 million in
distributions from partnerships and affiliates, and $0.3 million decrease in
other assets.
The
Company was not required to consolidate these entities with amended agreements
on the consolidated statements of financial condition at March 31,
2006. In addition, these partnerships and offshore funds, for which
the agreements were amended, are not required to be consolidated within the
consolidated statements of income and consolidated statements of cash flows or
on the consolidated statements of financial condition from the second quarter
2006 and forward as long as GBL continues to not maintain direct or indirect
control over the investment partnerships and offshore funds. For the
year ended December 31, 2006, the consolidation of these entities for the first
quarter 2006 had no effect on net income but does affect the classification of
income between operating and other income. The equity method of accounting is
applied for the investment partnerships and offshore funds that are not
consolidated under the provisions of FIN 46R and EITF 04-5.
In
addition to the previously-mentioned entities consolidated for the first quarter
of 2006 only, the Company also consolidated five other investment partnerships
and two other offshore funds in which the Company had a direct or indirect
controlling financial interest as of and for the year ended December 31,
2006. Six of these seven entities were consolidated as of and for the
year ended December 31, 2006 as a result of applying the guidance in EITF 04-5
and the one other entity, an offshore fund, was consolidated as a variable
interest entity ("VIE") as a result of applying the guidance in FIN 46R. These
entities have been consolidated within the consolidated financial statements for
the year ended December 31, 2006. In addition to minor FIN 46R and
EITF 04-5 adjustments to the consolidated statements of income and consolidated
statements of cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2006 related to these
entities. The consolidation of these entities on the consolidated
statements of financial condition has increased assets by $17.5 million,
liabilities by $3.2 million and minority interest by $14.3
million. As of and for the year ended December 31, 2007, eight
entities (the same six entities that were consolidated under EITF 04-5 as for
the prior year as well as two new entities established in 2007 for a total of
six investment partnerships and two offshore funds) are consolidated as a result
of applying the guidance in EITF 04-5. As of and for the year ended
December 31, 2008, eight entities (seven of the eight entities that were
consolidated under EITF 04-5 as for 2007 and one additional investment
partnerships) are consolidated as a result of applying the guidance in EITF
04-5. These entities have been consolidated within the consolidated financial
statements for the year ended December 31, 2008 and will continue to be
consolidated in future periods as long as the Company continue to maintain a
direct or indirect controlling financial interest. As of and for the years ended
December 31, 2008 and 2007, the Company no longer consolidates any investment
partnerships or offshore funds under FIN 46R, and the Company will continue to
not consolidate under FIN 46R as long as the Company does not maintain a direct
or indirect controlling financial interest. At December 31, 2008 and
2007, the consolidation of these entities on the consolidated statements of
financial condition has increased assets by $5.0 million and $5.3 million,
respectively, liabilities by $0.8 million and $0.1 million, respectively, and
minority interest by $4.2 million and $5.2 million,
respectively.
F-17
For the
years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, the consolidation of these entities had
no impact on net income but did result in (a) the elimination of revenues and
expenses which are now intercompany transactions; (b) the recording of all the
partnerships’ operating expenses of these entities including those pertaining to
third-party interests; (c) the recording of all other income of these entities
including those pertaining to third-party interests; (d) recording of income tax
expense of these entities including those pertaining to third party interests
and (e) the recording of minority interest which offsets the net amount of any
of the partnerships’ revenues, operating expenses, other income and income taxes
recorded in these respective line items which pertain to third-party interest in
these entities. While this had no impact on net income, the
consolidation of these entities does affect the classification of income between
operating and other income.
Some of
the partnerships and offshore funds that are consolidated have investments in
derivative instruments, including credit default swaps, equity swaps, put
options and call options. The notional value of such investments in
derivative instruments at December 31, 2008 and 2007, were ($4.3) million and
($3.3) million, respectively, while the unrealized value of these investments
were $0.7 million and $0.2 million, respectively.
E. Variable
Interest Entities
The
Company also currently serves as the investment manager or co-investment manager
for five offshore funds and the general partner for one partnership, which are
classified as VIEs. These offshore funds seek to earn absolute
returns for investors and are primarily focused within our event-driven
long/short equity and sector-focused strategies. The
partnership seeks to generate absolute returns by investing in, and optimizing,
a portfolio of several investment partnerships managed and advised by us.
The Company’s involvement with one of these offshore funds began in 1994 but the
majority of the offshore funds were launched between 1999 and
2002. The partnership began in 2005.
At
December 31, 2008 and 2007, the total net assets of the five offshore funds and
one partnership and the six offshore funds and one partnership, respectively,
which are classified as VIEs, were approximately $22.1 million and $32.8
million. As of January 1, 2007, the Company was not the primary
beneficiary or a holder of a significant variable interest in any of the seven
VIEs and therefore these are not consolidated in the consolidated financial
statements for 2008 or 2007. One offshore fund which was a VIE closed
during 2008. For 2006, the Company was not the primary beneficiary or
a holder of a significant variable interest in six of the seven VIEs and
therefore these are not consolidated in the consolidated financial
statements. In the other instance, an unconsolidated related party
held an interest in an offshore fund which, when combined with the Company’s
cash flows from the incentive fee allocation and the management fee as
co-investment manager results in the Company being considered the primary
beneficiary of such entity in 2006. The same entity was no longer required to be
consolidated under FIN 46R in 2007 or 2008 because the Company no longer was
considered the primary beneficiary. This offshore fund is a global
event-driven long/short equity fund with total assets of $9,246,000 and total
liabilities of $872,000 at December 31, 2006. This fund has been
consolidated in accordance with FIN 46R as of and for the year ended December
31, 2006. As co-investment manager of this fund, the Company earned
approximately $62,000 in management and incentive fees in 2006.
Our
maximum exposure to loss as a result of our involvement with the six offshore
funds classified as VIEs is limited to our investment in the respective VIEs
which was only the case for one of these funds. On December 31, 2008
and 2007, we had an investment in the one of the VIE offshore funds of
approximately $272,000 and $206,000, respectively. Our maximum
exposure to loss as a result of our involvement with the one partnership
classified as a VIE includes our investment as well as being contingently liable
for all of the partnership’s liabilities in our capacity as general
partner. On December 31, 2008 and 2007, we did not have an investment
in this partnership. Additionally, as the general partner or
investment manager to these VIEs the Company earns fees in relation to these
roles, which given a decline in AUMs for the VIEs would result in lower fee
revenues earned by the Company which would be reflected in the statement of
income, statement of financial condition and statement of cash
flows.
F. Investment
in Partnerships and Affiliates
The
Company is general partner or co-general partner of various limited partnerships
and the investment manager of various offshore funds whose underlying assets
consist primarily of marketable securities. As described above, some
of these partnerships and offshore funds are consolidated and others are
not. As general partner or co-general partner of various limited
partnerships, the Company is contingently liable for all of the partnerships’
liabilities. Summary financial information from these partnerships that
are not consolidated at December 31, 2008 and 2007 and for the years then ended,
is as follows (in thousands):
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Total
assets
|
$ | 206,805 | $ | 261,854 | ||||
Total
liabilities
|
34,491 | 41,025 | ||||||
Equity
|
172,314 | 220,829 |
F-18
For the
year ended December 31, 2008, the net loss and the Company’s carrying value for
the above partnerships that are not consolidated were $8,156,000 and $5,593,000,
respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2007, the net earnings
and Company's carrying value for the above partnerships that are not
consolidated were $12,298,000 and $10,006,000, respectively. For the
year ended December 31, 2006, the net earnings for the partnerships that are not
consolidated was $24,548,000.
For the
year ended December 31, 2008, the loss from our investments in the partnerships
that are not consolidated was $881,000. For the years ended December
31, 2007 and 2006, the net earnings from our investments in the partnerships
that are not consolidated was $524,000 and $849,000, respectively.
Our
balance sheet caption “investments in partnerships and affiliates” includes
those investments, both affiliated and unaffiliated partnerships, which the
Company accounts for under the equity method of accounting. The
Company reflects the equity in earnings of these equity method investees under
the caption net gain/(loss) from investments on the consolidated statements of
income. For 2008, 2007 and 2006, the equity in earnings/(losses) of
these equity method investees was ($8.8) million, $4.0 million and $4.4 million,
respectively.
As
general partner or co-general partner of various limited partnerships, the
Company receives a management fee based on a percentage of each partnership's
net assets and a 20% incentive allocation based on economic
profits. For the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006 for the
affiliated partnerships that were not consolidated, the Company earned
management fees of $1,712,000, $1,975,000 and $1,606,000,
respectively, and incentive allocations of $77,000, $1,506,000 and
$2,373,000, respectively.
We also
serve as investment manager or co-investment manager for various affiliated
offshore funds whose underlying assets consist primarily of marketable
securities. As the investment manager or co-investment manager,
we earn a management fee based on a percentage of net assets and are entitled to
a 20% incentive allocation based on the absolute gain in the portfolio. For the
years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, for the affiliated offshore funds
that are not consolidated, we earned management fees of $950,000, $1,620,000 and
$1,850,000, respectively, and recorded incentive fees of $13,000, $1,725,000 and
$3,656,000, respectively. At December 31, 2008 and 2007, for the
affiliated offshore funds that are not consolidated, we had investments in these
affiliated offshore funds aggregating $13,153,000 and $23,942,000,
respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2008, we incurred a
loss of $338,000. For the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, we
earned income of $1,505,000 and $3,292,000,
respectively.
At
December 31, 2008 and 2007, we had various interests in unaffiliated limited
partnerships, offshore funds and other investments aggregating approximately
$20,304,000 and $35,007,000, respectively. For the year ended
December 31, 2008, we recorded net losses related to these investments of
approximately $6,371,000. For the years ended December 31, 2007 and
2006, we recorded net gains related to these investments of approximately
$401,000, and $2,078,000, respectively.
At
December 31, 2008 and 2007, and for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and
2006, the Company consolidated 5 limited partnerships and one offshore fund (the
“consolidated feeder funds”) and 3 limited partnerships and 1 offshore fund and
one limited partnership, respectively, that owned 100% of their offshore master
funds. The Company retained the specialized accounting of the
consolidated feeder funds in the Company’s consolidated financial
statements. Included in the investment in partnerships and affiliates
on the Company’s consolidated statement of financial condition as of December
31, 2008 and 2007, is $24.1 million and $29.5 million, respectively, which
represents the consolidated feeder fund’s proportionate investment in the master
funds carried at fair value. The master funds primarily invest in
long and short investments in debt and equity securities that are traded in
public and over-the-counter exchanges in the United States and are classified as
level 1 under FAS 157 in the master funds’ financial
statements.
G. Income
Taxes
The
Company accounts for income taxes as prescribed by FASB Statement No. 109
“Accounting For Income Taxes” (“Statement 109”) and FIN 48. Under
Statement 109, deferred income taxes reflect the net effects of temporary
differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial
accounting purposes and the amounts used for income tax
purposes.
GBL and
the Company’s greater than 80% owned subsidiaries file a consolidated federal
income tax return. Teton files a separate federal income tax return since we own
less than 80%. Accordingly, the income tax provision represents the
aggregate of the amounts provided for all companies.
Income
tax expense is based on pre-tax financial accounting income, including
adjustments made for the recognition or derecognition related to uncertain tax
positions. The recognition or derecognition of income tax expense related
to uncertain tax positions is determined under the guidance as prescribed by
FIN 48. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the
future tax attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying
amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates
expected to be recovered or concluded. The effect on deferred tax assets
and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in earnings in the period
that includes the enactment date.
The
provision for (benefit from) income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2008,
2007 and 2006 consisted of the following:
2008
|
2007
|
2006
|
||||||||||
(In
Thousands)
|
||||||||||||
Federal:
|
||||||||||||
Current
|
$
|
12,267
|
$
|
40,738
|
$
|
52,472
|
||||||
Deferred
|
(1,830
|
)
|
2,002
|
(6,502
|
)
|
|||||||
State
and local:
|
||||||||||||
Current
|
1,698
|
6,903
|
5,505
|
|||||||||
Deferred
|
188
|
(95
|
)
|
(627
|
)
|
|||||||
$
|
12,323
|
$
|
49,548
|
$
|
50,848
|
F-19
Our effective
tax rate for each of the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006 was 34.1%,
38.2% and 38.2%, respectively. A reconciliation of the Federal
statutory income tax rate to the effective tax rate is set forth
below:
2008
|
2007
|
2006
|
||||||||||
Statutory
Federal income tax rate
|
35.0
|
%
|
35.0
|
%
|
35.0
|
%
|
||||||
State
income tax, net of Federal benefit
|
3.4
|
3.4
|
2.4
|
|||||||||
Other
|
(4.3
|
)
|
(0.2
|
)
|
0.8
|
|||||||
Effective
income tax rate
|
34.1
|
%
|
38.2
|
%
|
38.2
|
%
|
Significant
components of our deferred tax assets and liabilities are as
follows:
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Deferred
tax assets:
|
(in
thousands)
|
|||||||
Stock
option expense
|
$
|
(2,476
|
)
|
$
|
(618
|
)
|
||
Deferred
compensation
|
(1,913
|
)
|
(2,885
|
)
|
||||
Investments
in securities available for sale
|
(4,535
|
)
|
-
|
|||||
Investments
in securities and partnerships
|
(22
|
)
|
-
|
|||||
Reserve
for settlement
|
(167
|
)
|
(4,514
|
)
|
||||
Other
|
(1,004
|
)
|
(478
|
)
|
||||
Total
deferred tax assets
|
(10,117
|
)
|
(8,495
|
)
|
||||
Deferred
tax liabilities:
|
||||||||
Investments
in securities available for sale
|
-
|
9,753
|
||||||
Investments
in securities and partnerships
|
-
|
4,357
|
||||||
Other
|
-
|
199
|
||||||
Total
deferred tax liabilities
|
-
|
14,309
|
||||||
Net
deferred tax liabilities (assets)
|
$
|
(10,117
|
)
|
$
|
5,814
|
The Company
adopted the provisions of FIN 48 on January 1, 2007. As of January 1,
2008, the total amount of gross unrecognized tax benefits was approximately $8.1
million, of which recognition of $5.3 million would impact the Company’s
effective tax rate. As of December 31, 2008, the total amount of gross
unrecognized tax benefits was approximately $8.6 million, of which recognition
of $5.6 million would impact the Company’s effective tax
rate.
A
reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of gross unrecognized tax
benefits is as follows:
(in
millions)
|
||||
Balance
at January 1, 2008
|
$
|
8.1
|
||
Additions
based on tax positions related to the current year
|
1.6
|
|||
Additions
for tax positions of prior years
|
-
|
|||
Reductions
for tax positions of prior years
|
1.1
|
|||
Settlements
|
-
|
|||
Balance
at December 31, 2008
|
$
|
8.6
|
The
Company’s historical accounting policy with respect to penalties and interest
related to tax uncertainties has been to classify these amounts as income taxes,
and the Company continued this classification upon the adoption of FIN 48.
As of December 31, 2008, the Company had a gross unrecognized tax benefit of
approximately $2.5 million related to interest and penalties, of which
recognition of $1.7 million would impact the Company’s effective tax
rate. For the year ended December 31, 2008, the Company recorded income tax
benefit related to a decrease in its liability for interest and penalties of
$0.8 million. The difference between the Company’s statutory U.S. tax rate of
35% and its effective tax rate of 34.1% is primarily due to a decrease in the
reserve for unrecognized tax benefits (FIN 48) relating to a change
in prior year estimates.
The Company
is currently being audited by New York State for its income tax returns filed
between 1999 and 2003. It is reasonably possible that the Company will
conclude the audits of 1999 and 2000 within the next 12-month period and the
Company does not expect that the potential assessments will be material to its
results of operations. The Company’s Federal, State and Local income tax
returns are subject to potential future audit for all years after 2004 for
Federal and 2003 for State and Local.
F-20
H.
Debt
Debt
consists of the following (in thousands):
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
5.5%
Senior notes
|
$
|
99,000
|
$
|
100,000
|
||||
6%
Convertible note (a)
|
39,766
|
49,608
|
||||||
6.5%
Convertible note
|
60,000
|
-
|
||||||
Total
|
$
|
198,766
|
$
|
149,608
|
(a) The face
value was $40 million and $50 million at December 31, 2008 and 2007,
respectively.
5.5%
Senior notes
On May
15, 2003, we issued 10-year, $100 million senior notes. The senior
notes, due May 15, 2013, pay interest semi-annually at 5.5%. During
2008, we repurchased $1 million of these notes.
6%
Convertible note
On August
13, 2001, the Company issued and sold a 10-year, $100 million convertible note
(the “2011 Note”) to Cascade Investment LLC (“Cascade”). The 2011
Note, due August 14, 2011, paid interest semi-annually at 6.5% for the first
year and 6% thereafter and was convertible into the Company’s class A common
stock at $53 per share. In August 2003, the interest rate on the 2011
Note was lowered to 5% and the conversion price was lowered by $1 per share to
$52 per share. On April 1, 2005 the Company repurchased $50 million,
plus accrued interest. On June 30, 2006, the Company and
Cascade agreed to amend the terms of the 2011 Note, as follows: increase
the coupon rate of interest to 6% from 5% and raise the conversion price to $53
per GBL share from $52 per share, both effective on September 15, 2006. In
addition, the Company and Cascade agreed to extend the exercise date for
Cascade's put option until May 15, 2007. The expiration date of the related
letter of credit was extended to May 22, 2007 and a call option was included
giving the Company the right to redeem the 2011 Note at 101% of its principal
amount together with all accrued but unpaid interest thereon upon at least 30
days prior written notice, subject to certain provisions. The evaluation of
the change in the terms of the 2011 Note under EITF 96-19, “Debtor’s Accounting
for a Modification or Exchange of Debt Instruments,” (“EITF 96-19”) and EITF
05-7, “Accounting for Modifications to Conversion Options Embedded in Debt
Instruments and Related Issues,” resulted in a debt discount of $632,500, which
is being amortized over the remaining life of the debt. For the years ended
December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, we amortized $158,000, $104,000 and $137,000,
respectively, of the debt discount. On April 18, 2007, the Company
and Cascade amended the terms of the 2011 Note, to extend the exercise date
for Cascade’s put option from May 15, 2007 to December 17, 2007 and to extend
the expiration date of the related letter of credit to December 24, 2007. The
put option expired on December 17, 2007, the related letter of credit expired on
December 24, 2007, and the collateral securing the letter of credit was released
and became unrestricted Company assets as of that date. An evaluation
of these changes did not result in an additional debt discount as per the
provisions of EITF 96-19.
On
January 18, 2008, a registration statement on Form S-3 was declared effective by
the SEC for the registration for resale by Cascade an aggregate of 943,396
shares of class A common stock issuable upon conversion of the 2011
Note. On January 22, 2008, Cascade elected to convert $10 million of
the 2011 Note into 188,697 GBL shares. Cascade requested that the remaining $40
million face value of notes be segregated into eight notes each with a face
value of $5 million.
If the
2011 Note were converted, Cascade would own approximately 9% of the Company’s
aggregate outstanding class A common stock as of December 31,
2008. GBL is required to reserve and keep available free from
pre-emptive rights, shares of common stock out of its authorized stock for
purpose of conversion of the 2011 Note.
6.5%
Convertible note
On
October 2, 2008, the Company issued and sold $60 million principal amount of a
convertible promissory note due October 2, 2018 ("2018 Note") to Cascade,
pursuant to a Note Purchase Agreement (the "Purchase Agreement"). The 2018
Note bears interest at a rate of 6.5% per annum and is convertible into shares
of the Company's class A common stock at an initial conversion price of $70 per
share. The Company is required to repurchase the 2018 Note at the request of the
holder on specified dates and after certain circumstances involving a Change of
Control or Fundamental Change and is subject to an escrow agreement (each as
defined in the 2018 Note). Cascade is also the holder of the 2011 Notes which
collectively have an aggregate principal amount of $40 million. The Company
granted Cascade certain demand registration rights and piggyback registration
rights with respect to the shares of class A common stock issuable upon
conversion of the 2011 Notes, pursuant to a Registration Rights Agreement, dated
as of August 14, 2001, between the Company and Cascade. On October 2, 2008, in
connection the issuance and sale of the 2018 Note, the Company entered into a
First Amendment to the Registration Rights Agreement (the "First Amendment to
Registration Rights Agreement"), granting Cascade similar rights with respect to
the shares of class A common stock issuable upon conversion of the 2018 Note.
The proceeds from the sale of the 2018 Note are being held in an escrow account
established pursuant to an Escrow Agreement by and among the Company, Cascade
and JP Morgan Chase Bank, National Association, as escrow agent (the "Escrow
Agreement"). The Escrow Agreement provides for the release to the Company of a
pro rata portion of the escrowed funds upon conversion of the 2018 Note, based
upon the principal amount of the 2018 Note that is converted into class A common
stock. Cascade has the right to claim the escrowed funds upon a payment default
by the Company under the 2018 Note.
F-21
I. Stockholders'
Equity
Voting
Rights
The
holders of class A common stock and class B common stock have identical rights
except that (i) holders of class A common stock are entitled to one vote per
share, while holders of class B common stock are entitled to ten votes per share
on all matters to be voted on by shareholders in general, and (ii) holders of
class A common stock are not eligible to vote on matters relating exclusively to
class B common stock and vice versa.
On
November 30, 2007, class A common stock shareholders approved that the
Board of Directors should consider the conversion and reclassification of shares
of class B common stock into class A common stock at a ratio of 1.15 shares of
class A common stock for each share of class B common stock. The Board of
Directors have yet to take action.
Stock
Award and Incentive Plan
The
Company maintains two Plans approved by the shareholders, which are
designed to provide incentives which will attract and retain individuals key to
the success of GBL through direct or indirect ownership of our common
stock. Benefits under the Plans may be granted in any one or a
combination of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock,
restricted stock units, stock awards, dividend equivalents and other stock or
cash based awards. A maximum of 1,500,000 shares of class A common
stock have been reserved for issuance under each of the Plans by a committee of
the Board of Directors responsible for administering the Plans. Under
the Plans, the committee may grant either incentive or nonqualified stock
options with a term not to exceed ten years from the grant date and at an
exercise price that the committee may determine. Options granted
under the Plans vest 75% after three years and 100% after four years from the
date of grant and expire after ten years.
As of
December 31, 2008, there are 369,900 RSA shares outstanding that
were issued at an average grant price of $62.26. All grants of the RSAs
were recommended by the Company's Chairman, who did not receive an RSA award,
and approved by the Compensation Committee of the Company's Board of Directors.
This expense will be recognized over the vesting period for these awards which
is 30% over three years from the date of grant and 70% over five years from
the date of grant. During the vesting period, dividends to RSA holders are held
for them until the RSA vesting dates and are forfeited if the grantee is no
longer employed by the Company on the vesting dates. Dividends declared on these
RSAs are charged to retained earnings on the declaration
date.
A summary
of the stock option and RSA activity for the years ended December 31, 2008 and
2007 is as follows:
Options
|
RSAs
|
|||||||||||||
Shares
|
Weighted
Average Exercise Price
|
Shares
|
Weighted
Average
Grant
Date
Fair
Value
|
|||||||||||
Outstanding,
December 31, 2006
|
193,075
|
$
|
31.77
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
||||||||
Granted
|
10,000
|
39.90
|
385,400
|
63.50
|
||||||||||
Forfeited
|
(10,000
|
)
|
39.65
|
(3,000
|
)
|
63.50
|
||||||||
Exercised
|
(9,150
|
)
|
25.72
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||
Outstanding,
December 31, 2007
|
183,925
|
32.08
|
382,400
|
63.50
|
||||||||||
Granted
|
6,000
|
39.90
|
25,000
|
45.14
|
||||||||||
Forfeited
|
-
|
-
|
(37,500
|
)
|
63.50
|
|||||||||
Exercised
|
(19,750
|
)
|
33.60
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||
Outstanding,
December 31, 2008
|
170,175
|
$
|
32.60
|
369,900
|
$
|
62.26
|
||||||||
Shares
available for future issuance at December 31, 2008
|
868,875
|
At
December 31, 2008 and 2007, there were exercisable outstanding stock options of
141,675 and 153,925, respectively. The weighted average exercise price of the
exercisable outstanding stock options at December 31, 2008 and 2007 was $30.56
per share and $30.26 per share, respectively.
The table
below represents for various prices, the weighted average characteristics of
outstanding employee stock options at December 31, 2008.
Exercise
Price
|
Options
Outstanding
|
Weighted
average remaining contractual life
|
Options
currently exercisable
|
Exercise
Price of options currently exercisable
|
||||||||||||||
$
|
16.00
|
5,700
|
1.08
|
5,700
|
$
|
16.00
|
||||||||||||
$
|
16.28
|
5,325
|
.08
|
5,325
|
$
|
16.28
|
||||||||||||
$
|
28.95
|
67,900
|
4.17
|
67,900
|
$
|
28.95
|
||||||||||||
$
|
29.00
|
22,000
|
4.42
|
22,000
|
$
|
29.00
|
||||||||||||
$
|
31.62
|
13,250
|
2.08
|
13,250
|
$
|
31.62
|
||||||||||||
$
|
39.55
|
10,000
|
7.33
|
-
|
N/A
|
|||||||||||||
$
|
39.65
|
20,000
|
5.42
|
20,000
|
$
|
39.65
|
||||||||||||
$
|
39.90
|
10,000
|
8.08
|
-
|
N/A
|
|||||||||||||
$
|
44.90
|
10,000
|
6.83
|
7,500
|
44.90
|
|||||||||||||
$
|
51.74
|
6,000
|
9.33
|
-
|
N/A
|
F-22
The
weighted average estimated fair value of the options granted at their grant date
using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model was as follows:
2008
|
2007
|
2006
|
|||||||||||||
Weighted
average fair value of options granted:
|
$
|
13.55
|
$
|
11.00
|
$
|
11.64
|
|||||||||
Assumptions
made:
|
|||||||||||||||
Expected
volatility
|
27
|
%
|
19
|
%
|
23
|
%
|
|||||||||
Risk
free interest rate
|
1.85
|
%
|
5.15
|
%
|
4.89
|
%
|
|||||||||
Expected
life
|
5 years
|
5
years
|
5
years
|
||||||||||||
Dividend
yield
|
0.23
|
%
|
0.30
|
%
|
0.30
|
%
|
The
expected volatility reflects the volatility of GBL stock over a period of
approximately four years, prior to each respective grant date, based on
month-end prices. The expected life reflected an estimate of the
length of time the employees are expected to hold the options, including the
vesting period, and is based, in part, on actual experience with other
grants. The dividend yield for the grants reflected the assumption of
a $0.03 per share quarterly dividend. The weighted average remaining
contractual life of the outstanding options at December 31, 2008 was 4.71
years.
Prior to
January 1, 2003, the Company applied APB Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock
Issued to Employees,” and related interpretations in accounting for the
Company’s stock option plan. Accordingly, no compensation expense was
recognized where the exercise price equals or exceeds the market price of the
underlying stock on the date of grant.
Effective
January 1, 2003, the Company adopted the fair value recognition provisions of
Statement No. 123 in accordance with the transition and disclosure provisions of
SFAS No. 148, “Accounting for Stock Based Compensation – Transition and
Disclosure”.
The
Company adopted Statement 123 (R) on January 1, 2005. In light of the
modified prospective adoption of the fair value recognition provisions of
Statement 123 (R) for all grants of employee stock options, the adoption of
Statement 123 (R) did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial
statements.
The total
compensation costs related to non-vested awards not yet recognized is
approximately $15.4 million as of December 31, 2008. This will be
recognized as expense in the following periods:
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
|||||||||||||||
$
|
4,983,000
|
$
|
4,782,000
|
$
|
2,930,000
|
$
|
2,640,000
|
$ 74,000
|
In August
2005, the Company commenced a tender offer to repurchase all outstanding options
to purchase its class A common stock. The tender offer was completed
in October 2005 and approximately 110 option holders elected to tender options
to purchase an aggregate of approximately 522,000 shares of its class A common
stock. These option holders received an aggregate of approximately
$9.7 million in cash (less any withholding taxes). For 2006, the
Company recognized a tax benefit from previously exercised stock options of $1.8
million. As a result of the completion of the tender offer, there was
a reduction in fully diluted shares outstanding of approximately 130,000
shares.
For the
years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, the Company recorded approximately
$4.9 million, $0.5 million and $0.1 million, respectively, in stock based
compensation expense which resulted in the recognition of tax benefits of
approximately $1.9 million, $0.2 million and $20,000, respectively.
For the
years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, the Company received approximately
$666,000, $238,000 and $687,000, respectively, from the exercise of stock
options which resulted in tax benefits of $10,000, $62,000 and $191,000,
respectively.
Stock
Repurchase Program
In 1999,
the Board of Directors established the Stock Repurchase Program through which
the Company has been authorized to purchase up to $9 million of class A common
stock. The Company completed the Stock Repurchase Program during the
first quarter of 2001 and on March 2, 2001 the Board of Directors authorized the
repurchase of an additional $3 million of class A common stock. On
September 17, 2001, the Board of Directors raised the amount authorized to
repurchase shares to $10 million. In 2002, the Board of Directors
raised the amount authorized by $5 million in July and an additional $10 million
in December. In 2004, the Board of Directors raised the amount
authorized by $12 million in May, an additional $25 million in August and by an
additional 1 million shares in October. In addition, the Board of
Directors also authorized $25 million to be used for an accelerated stock
repurchase program as further discussed below. During 2005, the Board
of Directors authorized additional repurchases of 500,000 shares each in August
and November. During 2006, the Board of Directors authorized
additional repurchases of 500,000 shares in March, and 400,000 shares in May and
November. During 2008, the Board of Directors authorized additional repurchases
of 500,000 shares in May, and 400,000 shares in August. The Company also
repurchased 300,000 shares of our class B common stock held by GGCP, our parent,
which was converted to class A common stock in December 2002 at $28.20 per share
and an aggregate cost of $8.46 million. The repurchase of these
shares are not included in determining the total dollars available under the
Stock Repurchase Program. In 2008 and 2007, we repurchased 896,525
and 186,400 shares at an average price of $43.93 per share and $46.45 per share,
respectively. There remain 865,000 shares available under this
program at December 31, 2008. Under the program, the Company has
repurchased 5,752,583 shares at an average price of $40.38 per share and an
aggregate cost of $232.3 million through December 31, 2008.
Dividends
During
2008, the Company paid dividends of $2.02 per share to class A and class B
shareholders totaling $56.2 million. During 2007, we paid dividends of $1.12 per
share to class A and class B shareholders totaling $31.5
million. During 2006, the Company paid dividends of $0.12 per share
to class A and class B shareholders totaling $3.4 million. Under the terms
of the RSA agreements, we accrue dividends for RSA grantees from the date of
grant but these dividends are held for grantees who are not entitled to receive
dividends until their awards vest and only if they are still employed by the
Company at those dates. As of December 31, 2008, dividends accrued on
RSAs not yet vested were approximately $671,000.
Shelf
Registration
On
December 28, 2001, the Company filed a “shelf” registration statement
registering $400 million in aggregate amount of debt and other
securities. The issuance of the mandatory convertible securities used
$180 million and the issuance of the 5.5% Senior Notes used $100 million of the
shelf registration leaving $120 million for future use. Such
securities may be issued as debt securities, trust preferred securities or class
A common stock. In May 2006, the SEC declared effective the Company’s $400
million “shelf” registration statement on Form S-3. This provides the
Company flexibility to sell any combination of senior and subordinate debt
securities, convertible debt securities and equity securities (including common
and preferred securities) up to a total amount of $520
million.
F-23
J.
Capital Lease
On
December 5, 1997, prior to the IPO in 1999, the Company entered into a
fifteen-year lease, expiring on April 30, 2013, of office space from an entity
controlled by members of the Chairman's family. On September 15,
2008, the Company modified and extended its lease with M4E, LLC, the
Company’s landlord at 401 Theodore Fremd Ave, Rye, NY. The lease term was
extended to December 31, 2023, and the base rental was established at $18 per
square foot, or $1,080,000, for 2009, an increase from $14.83 per square foot
for 2008. From January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2023, the base
rental will be determined by the change in the consumer price index for the New
York Metropolitan Area for November of the immediate prior year with the base
period as November 2008 for the New York Metropolitan Area. As a result of the
lease term's extension, the present value of net obligations increased by
approximately $3.0 million.
The lease
has been accounted for as a capital lease in accordance with FASB Statement No.
13, “Accounting for Leases” (“Statement 13”), as it
transfers substantially all the benefits and risks of ownership to
GBL. The Company has recorded a capital lease asset and liability for
the fair value of the leased property. The capital lease is amortized
over the fifteen-year lease term on a straight-line basis. The capital lease
liability is amortized over the same term using the interest method of
accounting. Capital lease improvements are amortized from the date of
expenditure through the end of the lease term on a straight-line basis. The
lease provides that all operating expenses relating to the property (such as
property taxes, utilities and maintenance) are to be paid by the lessee,
GBL. These are recognized as expenses in the periods that they arise.
Accumulated amortization on the leased property was approximately $2,739,000 and
$2,487,000 at December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively.
Future
minimum lease payments for this capitalized lease at December 31, 2008 are as
follows:
(In
thousands)
|
||||
2009
|
1,080
|
|||
2010
|
1,080
|
|||
2011
|
1,080
|
|||
2012
|
1,080
|
|||
2013
|
1,080
|
|||
Thereafter
|
10,800
|
|||
Total
minimum obligations
|
16,200
|
|||
Interest
|
10,871
|
|||
Present
value of net obligations
|
$
|
5,329
|
Lease
payments under this agreement amounted to approximately $890,000, $856,000 and
$834,000 for each of the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006,
respectively. The capital lease contains an escalation clause tied
to the change in the New York Metropolitan Area Consumer Price Index which may
cause the future minimum payments to exceed $1,080,000
annually. Future minimum lease payments have not been reduced by
related minimum future sublease rentals of approximately $2,072,000, which are
due from affiliated entities. Total minimum obligations exclude the
operating expenses to be borne by the Company, which are estimated to be
approximately $770,000 per year.
K. Commitments
We rent
office space under leases which expire at various dates through May 2013. Future
minimum lease commitments under these operating leases as of December 31, 2008
are as follows:
(In
thousands)
|
||||
2009
|
533
|
|||
2010
|
381
|
|||
2011
|
168
|
|||
2012
|
60
|
|||
2013
|
25
|
|||
$
|
1,167
|
Equipment
rentals
and occupancy expense amounted to approximately $3,046,000, $3,001,000 and
$2,722,000, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and
2006.
F-24
L. Related
Party Transactions
The
following is a summary of certain related party transactions. Further
details regarding these and other relationships will appear in our Proxy
Statement for our 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
GGCP,
Inc. owns
a majority of our Class B Stock, representing approximately 95% of the combined
voting power and 72% of the outstanding shares of our common stock at
December 31, 2008.
We lease
an approximately 60,000 square foot building located at 401 Theodore Fremd
Avenue, Rye, New York as our headquarters (the “Building”) from an entity that
is owned by the children of Mr. Gabelli. Under the lease for the Building, which
expires on December 31, 2023, we are responsible for all operating expenses,
costs of electricity and other utilities and taxes. For 2008, the rent was
$889,570 or $14.83 per square foot, and will increase to $1,080,000, or $18.00
per square foot, for the period January 1, 2009 through December 31,
2009. For 2007 and 2006, the rent was $855,937, or $14.27 per square
foot, and $834,047, or $13.90 per square foot, respectively.
We
sub-lease approximately 3,300 square feet in the Building to LICT Corporation, a
company for which Mr. Gabelli serves as Chairman, which also pays rent to
us at the rate of $28 per square foot plus $3 per square foot for electricity,
subject to adjustment for increases in taxes and other operating expenses. The
total amounts paid in 2008, 2007, and 2006 to us for rent and other expenses
under this lease were $117,169, $115,030, and $113,573,
respectively. Concurrent with the extension of the lease on the
Building, we and LICT Corporation further agreed to extend the term of the
sub-lease until December 2023 on the same terms and conditions. As of
July 1, 2008, we also sub-lease approximately 1,600 square feet in the Building
to Teton. Teton pays rent to us at the rate of $28 per square foot
plus $3 per square foot for electricity, subject to adjustment for increases in
taxes and other operating expenses. The total amounts paid in 2008 to us for
rent and other expenses under this lease were $33,456.
The
Company and GGCP had a Management Services Agreement, with a one-year term,
renewable annually, under which the Company provided certain services for GGCP,
including furnishing office space and equipment, providing insurance coverage,
overseeing the administration of its business and providing personnel to perform
certain administrative services. Pursuant to the Management Services Agreement,
GGCP paid us $200,000 for services provided in 2006. GGCP did not extend the
Management Services Agreement beyond 2006.
On May
31, 2006, we entered into an Exchange and Standstill Agreement with Frederick J.
Mancheski, a significant shareholder, pursuant to which, among other things, he
agreed to exchange his 2,071,635 shares of class B common stock for an equal
number of shares of class A common stock. Certain shareholders of
GGCP, including two of our executive officers and a director, who received
shares of class B common stock in a distribution from GGCP, also agreed to
exchange their shares of class B common stock for an equal number of shares of
class A common stock. Pursuant to a Registration Rights Agreement
that we entered into with Mr. Mancheski, we filed a shelf registration statement
that was declared effective by the SEC on September 1, 2006 for the sale by Mr.
Mancheski and others, including certain of our officers, employees and a
director, of up to 2,486,763 shares of class A common stock.
For 2008,
2007, and 2006, we incurred charges of $299,713, $270,787, and
$190,477, respectively, for incremental costs (but not the fixed costs)
relating to our use of two airplanes in which GGCP owns fractional
interests.
GAMCO, a
wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, has entered into agreements to provide
advisory and administrative services to MJG Associates, Inc., which is
wholly-owned by Mr. Gabelli, and to GSI, a majority-owned subsidiary of the
company, with respect to the private investment funds managed by each of them.
Pursuant to such agreements, GSI and MJG Associates, Inc. paid
GAMCO $50,000 and $10,000, respectively, (excluding reimbursement of
expenses) for each of the years 2008, 2007, and 2006. Manhattan
Partners I, L.P. and Manhattan Partners II, L.P., investment partnerships for
which John Gabelli Inc. is the general partner, paid GAMCO investment
advisory fees in the amount of $47,380 for 2008 and Manhattan Partners I, L.P.
paid management fees in the amount of $19,518 to the general partners of Gemini
Global Partners, L.P. For 2007, the investment advisory fees were
$54,499 and the management fees were $16,959. Comparable amounts for
2006 were $42,680 and $15,779, respectively. In addition, an entity
that Mr. John Gabelli’s wife is the sole shareholder of is the co-general
partner of S.W.A.N. Partners, LP (“S.W.A.N.”). S.W.A.N. paid GAMCO
investment advisory fees in the amount of $36,134, $40,026 and $33,311 for 2008,
2007 and 2006, respectively.
Gabelli
Securities International Limited (“GS International”) was formed in 1994 to
provide management and investment advisory services to offshore funds and
accounts. Mr. Marc Gabelli, who had various responsibilities within several of
our subsidiaries and is the son of our Chairman, owns 55% of GS International
and GSI owns the remaining 45%. In 1994, Gabelli International Gold Fund Limited
(“GIGFL”), an offshore investment company investing primarily in securities of
issuers with gold-related activities, was formed and GS International entered
into an agreement to provide management services to GIGFL. GSI in turn entered
into an agreement with GS International to provide investment advisory services
to GIGFL in return for receiving all investment management fees paid by GIGFL.
Pursuant to such agreement, GSI received investment management fees of $60,921
and no incentive fees for 2008. Comparable amounts for 2007 were
$62,184 and $156,211, respectively, and for 2006 they were $49,279 and $209,720,
respectively. In April 1999, Gabelli Global Partners, Ltd., an
offshore investment fund, was incorporated. GS International and Gemini Capital
Management, LLC (“Gemini”), an entity owned by Mr. Marc Gabelli, were engaged by
the fund as investment advisors as of July 1, 1999. The fund paid half of the
management fees and incentive fees for 2008 in the amounts of $41,710 and
$85,028, respectively, to GS International, which amounts it in turn paid to GSI
for services provided. Therefore, for 2008, Gemini received half of
the management fee and incentive fee paid by the fund in the amount of $41,710
and $85,028, respectively. The fund paid half of the management fees and
incentive fees for 2007 in the amounts of $36,462 and $11,281, respectively, to
GS International, which amounts it in turn paid to GSI for services
provided. Therefore, for 2007, Gemini received half of the management
fee and incentive fee paid by the fund in the amount of $36,462 and $11,281,
respectively. For 2006, there were no incentive fees paid by the fund
to GS International but there were management fees paid by the fund to GS
International of $61,651 with equal amounts being received by
Gemini. In April 1999, GSI formed Gabelli Global Partners, L.P., an
investment limited partnership for which GSI and Gemini are the general
partners. In March 2002, Gabelli Global Partners, L.P. changed its name to
Gemini Global Partners, L.P. Gemini received half of the management fee paid by
the partnership to the general partners in the amount of $87,759 and half of
incentive fee earned by the general partners in the amount of $74,024 for 2008.
Comparable amounts for 2007 were $86,371 and $42,929, respectively, and
comparable amounts for 2006 were $90,096 and $19,515,
respectively. In December 1999, Gabelli European Partners, Ltd., an
offshore investment fund, was incorporated. GS International was engaged as an
investment advisor by the fund as of January 1, 2000. For services rendered by
GSI, GS International paid GSI all of the management fees it received for 2008
from the fund in the amount of $8,971. There was no incentive earned
for 2008. For 2007 and 2006, management fees were $11,756 and
$38,915, respectively, and incentive fees were $55,974 and $42,133,
respectively.
F-25
At
December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, approximately $128 million and $201
million, respectively, of our proprietary investment portfolio were managed by
our analysts or portfolio managers other than Mr. Gabelli. The individuals
managing these accounts receive 20% of the net profits, if any, earned on the
accounts; however, some of the analysts are required to meet a hurdle rate of 5%
before earning this 20% payout. A son of the Chairman, was given
responsibility in August 2006 for managing an account with up to $50 million of
our proprietary investments, which account was funded with approximately $40
million during 2006, for which he would be paid on an annual basis 20% of any
net profits earned on the account for the year. For 2008, there were
no earnings for managing this account. For 2007 and 2006, he earned
$401,624 and $118,427, respectively, for managing this account.
As
required by our Code of Ethics, our staff members are required to maintain their
brokerage accounts at Gabelli & Company unless they receive permission to
maintain an outside account. Gabelli & Company offers all of its staff the
opportunity to engage in brokerage transactions at discounted rates.
Accordingly, many of our staff members, including the executive officers or
entities controlled by them, have brokerage accounts at Gabelli & Company
and have engaged in securities transactions through it at discounted rates. From
time to time, we through our subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business
have also provided brokerage or investment advisory services to our directors,
the substantial shareholders listed in the table under “Certain Ownership of Our
Stock” (in item 12 of this report on Form 10-K) or entities controlled by such
persons for customary fees.
We serve
as the investment advisor for the Funds and earn advisory fees based on
predetermined percentages of the average net assets of the Funds. In addition,
Gabelli & Company has entered into distribution agreements with each of the
Funds. As principal distributor, Gabelli & Company incurs certain
promotional and distribution costs related to the sale of Fund shares, for which
it receives a distribution fee from the Funds or reimbursement from the
investment advisor. Gabelli & Company earns a majority of its commission
revenue from transactions executed on behalf of clients of affiliated
companies. Advisory and distribution fees receivable from the Funds
were approximately $8,784,000 and $24,830,000 at December 31, 2008 and 2007,
respectively. GBL earned approximately $1,869,000, $1,400,000 and
$1,308,000 in 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively, in advisory fee revenues and
approximately $20,000, $21,000 and $20,000 in 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively,
in distribution fees from our proprietary investments in the Funds which are
included in investment advisory and incentive fees and distribution fees and
other income, respectively, on the consolidated statements of
income.
Gabelli
& Company also participates in syndicated underwriting activities, some of
which involve the issuance of preferred or common shares of Gabelli closed-end
funds. For 2008, Gabelli & Company did not participate in any
syndicated underwritings. In 2007 and 2006, there were 2
and 1 such Gabelli closed-end fund offering
underwritings, respectively, with Gabelli & Company commitments for
them of $42.5 million and $14.0 million, respectively.
We had an
aggregate investment in the Funds of approximately $374,977,000 and $301,482,000
at December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively, of which approximately $328,537,000
and $167,357,000 was invested in money market mutual funds, included in cash and
cash equivalents, at December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively. GBL
earned approximately $5,208,000, $6,717,000, and $6,550,000 in 2008, 2007 and
2006, respectively, in interest income from our investment in our money market
mutual fund. Distributions from the Funds, which are included within interest
and dividend income on the consolidated statements of income, were approximately
$1,933,000, $11,391,000, and $12,750,000, in 2008, 2007 and 2006,
respectively.
Immediately
preceding the Offering and in conjunction with the Reorganization, GBL and our
Chairman and CEO entered into an Employment Agreement. Under the
Employment Agreement and the amended agreement described below, we will pay the
Chairman and CEO 10% of our aggregate pre-tax profits while he is an executive
of GBL and devoting the substantial majority of his working time to the business
of GBL.
For 2008,
the Chairman and CEO received compensation in the form of a management fee of
$2,426,000 for managing the Company down from $13,011,000 in 2007 and
$11,986,000 in 2006. The total management fee was approximately
$4,086,000, $14,463,000, and $13,236,000 for the years ended December 31, 2008,
2007 and 2006, respectively. For 2008, 2007 and 2006, the Chairman
allocated approximately $1,660,000, $1,452,000 and $1,250,000, respectively, of
his compensation to other executive officers of the Company, for activities and
support of the Company. In addition, he earned $14,414,000, $19,391,000 and
$14,763,000, respectively, for acting as portfolio manager and/or attracting and
providing client service to a large number of GAMCO's Institutional and Private
Wealth Management; $20,523,000, $20,501,000, and $18,112,000, respectively; for
creating and acting as portfolio manager of several open-end funds; $8,501,000,
$16,723,000, and $9,997,000, respectively, for creating and acting as portfolio
manager of the closed-end Funds; the Chairman also earned $65,000,
$784,000, and $1,777,000, respectively, for providing other services, including
acting as portfolio and relationship manager of investment partnerships for
the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007, and 2006, which have been included
in compensation costs, of which $1,649,000 and $1,307,000 was payable at
December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively. We expect that based on the
recent equity dynamics, these amounts will be materially lower in
2009.
On
February 6, 2008, Mr. Gabelli entered into an amended and restated employment
agreement which was approved by the GBL shareholders on November 30, 2007 and
which limits his activities outside of GBL. The Amended Agreement amended Mr.
Gabelli’s Employment Agreement primarily by (i) eliminating outdated provisions,
clarifying certain language and reflecting our name change, (ii) revising the
term of the Employment Agreement from an indefinite term to automatically
renewed one-year periods in perpetuity following the initial three-year term
unless either party gives 90 days written notice prior to the expiration of the
annual term following the initial three-year term, (iii) allowing for services
to be performed for former subsidiaries that are spun off to shareholders or
otherwise cease to be subsidiaries in similar transactions, (iv) allowing new
investors in the permitted outside accounts if all of the performance fees, less
expenses, generated by assets attributable to such investors are paid to us, (v)
allowing for the management fee to be paid directly to Mr. Gabelli or to an
entity designated by him, and (vi) adding certain language to ensure that the
Amended Agreement is construed to avoid the imposition of any tax pursuant to
Section 409A of the Code.
Consistent
with the firm’s practice since its inception in 1977, Mr. Gabelli will also
continue receiving a percentage of revenues or net operating contribution, which
are substantially derived from AUM, as compensation relating to or generated by
the following activities: (i) managing or overseeing the management of various
investment companies and partnerships, (ii) attracting mutual fund shareholders,
(iii) attracting and managing Institutional and Private Wealth Management, and
(iv) otherwise generating revenues for the company. Such payments are made in a
manner and at rates as agreed to from time to time by GAMCO, which rates have
been and generally will be the same as those received by other professionals at
GAMCO performing similar services. With respect to our institutional and high
net worth asset management and mutual fund advisory business, we pay out up to
40% of the revenues or net operating contribution to the portfolio managers and
marketing staff who introduce, service or generate such business, with payments
involving the Institutional and Private Wealth Management being typically based
on revenues and payments involving the mutual funds being typically based on net
operating contribution.
Mr.
Gabelli has agreed that while he is employed by us he will not provide
investment management services outside of GAMCO, except for certain permitted
accounts. The Amended Agreement may not be amended without the approval of the
Compensation Committee.
Refer
also to Notes F and I.
F-26
M. Financial
Requirements
As a
registered broker-dealer, Gabelli & Company is subject to Uniform Net
Capital Rule 15c3-1 (the “Rule”) of the SEC. Gabelli & Company computes its
net capital under the alternative method permitted by the Rule which requires
minimum net capital of $250,000. The Company has consistently met or
exceeded this requirement.
In
connection with the registration of our subsidiary, GAMCO Asset Management (UK)
Limited with the Financial Services Authority, the Company is required to
maintain a minimum Liquid Capital Requirement of £267,000 ($387,000 at December
31, 2008), and an Own Funds Requirement of €50,000 ($70,000 at December 31,
2008). We have consistently met or exceeded these
requirements.
N. Administration
Fees
We have
entered into administration agreements with other companies (the
“Administrators”), whereby the Administrators provide certain services on behalf
of several of the Funds and Investment Partnerships. Such services do
not include the investment advisory and portfolio management services provided
by GBL. The fees are negotiated based on predetermined percentages of
the net assets of each of the Funds.
O. Profit
Sharing Plan and Incentive Savings Plan
The
Company has a qualified contributory employee profit sharing plan and incentive
savings plan covering substantially all employees. Company
contributions to the plans are determined annually by the Board of Directors but
may not exceed the amount permitted as a deductible expense under the Internal
Revenue Code. The Company accrued contributions of approximately
$61,000, $102,000 and $67,000 to the plans for the years ended December 31,
2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively.
P. Quarterly
Financial Information (Unaudited)
Quarterly
financial information for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007 is
presented below.
2008
|
||||||||||||||||||||
(in
thousands, except per share data)
|
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
Full
Year
|
|||||||||||||||
Revenues
|
$
|
66,548
|
$
|
65,424
|
$
|
62,980
|
$
|
50,060
|
$
|
245,012
|
||||||||||
Operating
income
|
23,257
|
21,207
|
21,273
|
19,280
|
85,017
|
|||||||||||||||
Net
income
|
10,486
|
14,459
|
11,985
|
(12,064
|
)
|
24,866
|
||||||||||||||
Net
income per share:
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Basic
|
0.37
|
0.52
|
0.43
|
(0.44
|
)
|
0.89
|
||||||||||||||
Diluted
|
$ |
0.37
|
$ |
0.51
|
0.43
|
$ |
(0.44
|
)
|
$ |
0.89
|
2007
|
||||||||||||||||||||
(in thousands, except per share data) |
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
Full
Year
|
|||||||||||||||
Revenues
|
$
|
66,606
|
$
|
68,277
|
$
|
68,469
|
$
|
89,017
|
$
|
292,369
|
||||||||||
Operating
income
|
20,511
|
17,168
|
27,100
|
38,388
|
103,167
|
|||||||||||||||
Net
income
|
19,164
|
17,997
|
18,337
|
24,071
|
79,569
|
|||||||||||||||
Net
income per share:
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Basic
|
0.68
|
0.64
|
0.65
|
0.86
|
2.83
|
|||||||||||||||
Diluted
|
$ |
0.67
|
0.63
|
$ |
0.64
|
$ |
0.84
|
$ |
2.79
|
Q.
Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Asset
In
accordance with FAS 142 “Accounting for Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets,”
the Company assesses the recoverability of goodwill and other intangible assets
at least annually, or more often should events warrant, using a present value
cash flow method. There was an impairment charge of $1,479,000
recorded for the year ended December 31, 2008 relating to the advisory contract
for the Enterprise Mergers and Acquisitions Fund. There was an
impairment charge of $56,000 recorded for the year ended December 31, 2007 as a
result of the voluntary deregistration of an inactive broker dealer
subsidiary. At December 31, 2008, $3.5 million of goodwill is reflected on
the consolidated statement of financial condition related to a 92%-owned
subsidiary, GSI.
On March
10, 2008, the Enterprise Mergers and Acquisitions Fund's Board of Directors,
subsequent to obtaining shareholder approval, approved the assignment of the
advisory contract to Funds Advisor as the investment adviser to the
Fund. GAMCO had been the sub-adviser to the Fund. On
July 8, 2008, the Fund was renamed the Gabelli Enterprise Merger and
Acquisitions Fund. The liability of the Company for the assignment of
the advisory contract is calculated based upon AUM on the six-month
anniversary date subject to certain minimums. As a result of becoming the
adviser to the rebranded Gabelli Enterprise Mergers and Acquisitions Fund, the
Company maintains an identifiable intangible asset within other
assets on the consolidated statement of financial condition of
approximately $1.9 million, after the write down of $1.5 million, at December
31, 2008. The investment advisory agreement is subject to annual
renewal by the Fund's Board of Directors, and the Company does not expect
to incur additional expense as a result, which is consistent with other
investment advisory agreements entered into by GBL.
F-27
R. Other
Matters
In the
normal course of business, the Company has been, and may continue to be, named
in legal actions, including recently-filed FINRA arbitration claims. These
claims may seek substantial compensatory as well as punitive
damages. At this early stage the Company cannot predict the ultimate
outcome of these claims nor can it estimate a possible loss amount, if
any. However, in the opinion of management, the resolution of such
claims will not be material to the financial condition of the
Company.
In
September 2008, Gabelli Funds, LLC ("Gabelli Funds”) reached agreement in
principle with the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"),
subject to Commission approval, on a previously disclosed matter that had been
ongoing for several years involving compliance with Section 19(a) of the
Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rule 19a-1 there under by two closed-end
funds. The agreement was finalized with the Commission on January 12,
2009. The provisions of Section 19(a) of Rule 19a-1 require registered
investment companies, when making a distribution in the nature of a dividend
from sources other than net investment income, to contemporaneously provide
written statements to shareholders that adequately disclose the source or
sources of such distribution. While the two funds sent annual
statements and provided other materials containing this information, the
shareholders did not receive the notices required by Rule 19a-1 with any of the
distributions that were made for 2002 and 2003. Gabelli Funds
believes that the funds have been in compliance with Section 19(a) and Rule
19a-1 since the beginning of 2004. As part of the settlement, in
which Gabelli Funds neither admits nor denies the findings by the SEC, Gabelli
Funds agreed to pay a civil monetary penalty of $450,000 and to cease and desist
from causing violations of Section 19(a) and Rule 19a-1. In
connection with the settlement, the SEC noted the remedial actions previously
undertaken by Gabelli Funds.
The
investment management industry is likely to continue facing a high level of
regulatory scrutiny and become subject to additional rules designed to increase
disclosure, tighten controls and reduce potential conflicts of
interest. In addition, the Commission has substantially increased its
use of focused inquiries in which it requests information from a number of fund
complexes regarding particular practices or provisions of the securities
laws. The Company participates in some of these inquiries in the
normal course of our business. Changes in laws, regulations and
administrative practices by regulatory authorities, and the associated
compliance costs, have increased our cost structure and could in the future have
a material impact.
The
Company indemnifies the clearing brokers of Gabelli & Company for losses
they may sustain from the customer accounts that trade on margin introduced by
our broker-dealer subsidiary. At December 31, 2008, the total amount of
customer balances subject to indemnification (i.e. unsecured margin debits) was
immaterial. The Company also has entered into arrangements with
various other third parties many of which provide for indemnification of the
third parties against losses, costs, claims and liabilities arising from the
performance of obligations under the agreements. The Company has had no
claims or payments pursuant to these or prior agreements, and believes the
likelihood of a claim being made is remote. Utilizing the methodology
in the FASB issued Interpretation No. 45, “Guarantor’s Accounting and Disclosure
Requirements for Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees of Indebtedness of
Others”, the Company’s estimate of the value of such agreements is de minimis,
and therefore an accrual has not been made in the condensed consolidated
financial statements.
S. Subsequent
Events
On February
3, 2009, the Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.03
per share to all of its shareholders, payable on March 31, 2009 to shareholders
of record on March 17, 2009.
On
February 25, 2009, the Company announced the completion of the previously
disclosed plan to distribute shares in the majority-controlled investment
adviser, Teton, the adviser to the GAMCO Westwood family of funds to
shareholders. Each shareholder of GBL on the record date for this
transaction, March 10, 2009, will receive 14.930 shares of Teton for each 1,000
shares of GBL which the shareholder owns on the record date. The distribution
date is March 20, 2009.
F-28
None.
(a)
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The
Company maintains a system of disclosure controls and procedures that is
designed to provide reasonable assurance that information, which is required to
be timely disclosed, is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported to
management within the time periods specified in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The
Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, after evaluating
the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as
defined in the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this report,
have concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are
effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be
disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the
Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management,
including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as
appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and are
effective to provide reasonable assurance that such information is recorded,
processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the
SEC’s rules and forms.
(b)
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
GBL's
management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal
control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of
the Exchange Act. Management, with the participation of the principal
executive officer and under the supervision of the principal financial officer,
the Company conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the GBL's internal
control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2008, as required by Rule
13a-15(c) of the Exchange Act. There are inherent limitations to the
effectiveness of any system of internal control over financial reporting,
including the possibility of human error and the circumvention or overriding of
the controls and procedures. Accordingly, even effective internal control over
financial reporting controls can only provide reasonable assurance of achieving
their control objectives. In making its assessment of the effectiveness of its
internal control over financial reporting, the Company used the criteria set
forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission
(COSO) in Internal
Control-Integrated Framework.
Based on
its evaluation, management concluded that, as of December 31, 2008, the Company
maintained effective internal control over financial reporting. The independent
registered public accounting firm that audited the consolidated financial
statements included in the annual report containing the disclosure required by
this Item has issued an attestation report on the Company's internal control
over financial reporting.
(c)
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There has
been no change in our internal control over financial reporting during the
quarter ended December 31, 2008 that has materially affected, or is reasonably
likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial
reporting.
None.
II-1
Information
regarding the Directors and Executive Officers of GBL and compliance with
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is incorporated herein by
reference from the our definitive proxy statement for our 2009 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders (the “Proxy Statement”).
GBL has
adopted a Code of Business Conduct that applies to all of our officers,
directors, full-time and part-time employees and a Code of Conduct that sets
forth additional requirements for our principal executive officer, principal
financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons
performing similar functions (together, the “Codes of Conduct”). The
Codes of Conduct are posted on our website (www.gabelli.com) and
are available in print free of charge to anyone who requests a
copy. Interested parties may address a written request for a printed
copy of the Codes of Conduct to: Deputy General Counsel, GAMCO Investors, Inc.,
One Corporate Center, Rye, New York 10580-1422. We intend to satisfy
the disclosure requirement regarding any amendment to, or a waiver of, a
provision of the Codes of Conduct by posting such information on our
website.
In
addition to the certifications attached as Exhibits to this Form 10-K, following
its 2008 Annual Meeting, GBL also submitted to the New York Stock Exchange
(“NYSE”) a certification by our Chief Executive Officer that he is not aware of
any violations by GBL of the NYSE corporate governance listing standards as of
the date of the certification.
Information
from the Proxy Statement is incorporated herein by reference.
Information
from the Proxy Statement is incorporated herein by reference.
Information
from the Proxy Statement is incorporated herein by reference.
The
information set forth under the caption “Independent Registered Public
Accounting Firm” in the Proxy Statement is incorporated herein by
reference.
II-2
(a) List of documents
filed as part of this Report:
(1) Consolidated Financial Statements and Independent Registered
Public Accounting Firm’s Reports included herein:
See Index
on page F-1
(2)
Financial Statement Schedules
Financial
statement schedules are omitted as not required or not applicable or because
the information is included in the Financial Statements or
notes thereto.
(3) List
of Exhibits:
Exhibit
Number Description of
Exhibit
3.1
|
Amended
and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of GAMCO Investors, Inc. (the
“Company”).
|
||
3.2
|
Amended
Bylaws of the Company. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit
3.4 to Amendment No. 4 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1
(File No. 333-51023) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
February 10, 1999).
|
||
4.1
|
Specimen
of class A common stock Certificate. (Incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.1 to Amendment No. 3 to the Company's Registration Statement on
Form S-1 (File No. 333-51023) filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on January 29, 1999).
|
||
4.2
|
Convertible
Promissory Notes (there are 8), dated August 14, 2001, of the Company.
(Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to the Company’s Report on Form
8-K dated March 1, 2005 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on June 30, 2006).
|
||
4.3
|
Indenture,
dated as of February 6, 2002, between GAMCO Investors, Inc. and The Bank
of New York, as Trustee. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit
4.1 to the Company's Report on Form 8-K dated February 8, 2002 filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 8,
2002).
|
||
|
4.4 |
First
Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 6, 2002, between GAMCO
Investors, Inc. and The Bank of New York, as
Trustee. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the
Company's Report on Form 8-K dated February 8, 2002 filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on February 8,
2002).
|
|
4.5
|
Form
of Note (included in Exhibit 4.4). (Incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 4.3 to the Company's Report on Form 8-K dated February 8, 2002
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 8,
2002).
|
||
10.1
|
Management
Services Agreement between the Company and GFI dated as of
February 9, 1999. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to
Amendment No. 4 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File
No. 333-51023) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
February 10, 1999).
|
||
10.2
|
Tax
Indemnification Agreement between the Company and
GFI. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to Amendment
No. 4 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No.
333-51023) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February
10, 1999).
|
||
10.3
|
GAMCO
Investors, Inc. 1999 Stock Award and Incentive
Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to Amendment
No. 4 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No.
333-51023) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February
10, 1999).
|
||
10.4
|
GAMCO
Investors, Inc. 1999 Annual Performance Incentive
Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to Amendment
No. 4 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No.
333-51023) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February
10, 1999).
|
||
10.5
|
GAMCO
Investors, Inc. 2002 Stock Award and Incentive Plan. (Incorporated by
reference to Exhibit A to the Company’s definitive proxy statement on
Schedule 14A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April
30, 2002).
|
II-3
10.6
|
Employment
Agreement
between the Company and Mario J. Gabelli. (Incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 10.1 to Company's Report on Form 8-K dated February 7, 2008
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 7,
2008).
|
||
10.7
|
Registration
Rights Agreement, dated August 14, 2001, between the Company and Cascade
Investment L.L.C. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to
the Company's Form 10-Q/A for the quarter ended September 30, 2001 filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 16,
2001).
|
||
10.8
|
Note
Purchase Agreement, dated as of August 10, 2001, by and among Cascade
Investment L.L.C., a Washington limited liability company, GAMCO
Investors, Inc., a New York corporation, Mario J. Gabelli, Gabelli Group
Capital Partners, Inc., a New York corporation, and Rye Holdings, Inc., a
New York corporation, and Rye Capital Partners, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1.1 to the Company's
Form 10-Q/A for the quarter ended September 30, 2001, filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on November 16, 2001), as amended by
the Third Amendment, dated as of February 28, 2005 (Incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 99.2 to the Company’s Report on Form 8-K dated March
1, 2005 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 2,
2005), as amended by the Fourth Amendment, dated as of June 30. 2006
(Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to the Company’s Report on Form
8-K dated June 30, 2006 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on June 30, 2006).
|
10.9
|
Exchange
and Standstill Agreement, dated May 31, 2006, between the Company and
Frederick J. Mancheski (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the
Company’s Form 10-
Q
for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on August 8,
2006.)
|
10.10
|
Registration
Rights Agreement, dated May 31, 2006. (Incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30,
2006 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 8,
2006).
|
10.11
|
Employment
agreement between the Company and Jeffery M.
Farber. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to Company's
Report on Form 8-K dated July 21, 2008 filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on July 28,
2008).
|
10.12
|
Convertible
Promissory Note, dated October 2, 2008 of the Company, Note Purchase
Agreement dated October 2, 2008, First Amendment to Registration Rights
Agreement dated October 2, 2008 and Escrow Agreement dated October 2,
2008. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibits 4.1, 10.1, 10.2 and 10.3 to
the Company’s Report on Form 8-K dated October 2, 2008 filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on October 3,
2008)
|
12.1
|
Computation
of Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges.
|
||
21.1
|
Subsidiaries
of the Company.
|
||
23.1
|
Consent
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
||
24.1
|
Powers
of Attorney (included on page II-5 of this
Report).
|
||
31.1
|
Certification
of CEO pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a).
|
||
31.2
|
Certification
of CFO pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a).
|
||
32.1
|
Certification
of CEO pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section
906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
||
32.2
|
Certification
of CFO pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section
906 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act of
2002.
|
(b) Reports on Form
8-K:
We filed the following Current Reports on Form 8-K during the three months ended December 31, 2008. | |
1.
|
Current
Report on Form 8-K, dated October 3, 2008 containing the Note Purchase
Agreement entered into on October 2, 2008 between the Company and Cascade
Investment L.L.C.
|
2.
|
Current
Report on Form 8-K, dated October 24, 2008 containing the press release
disclosing our preliminary operating results for the third quarter ended
September 30, 2008.
|
3.
|
Current
Report on Form 8-K, dated November 10, 2008 containing the press release
disclosing our operating results for the third quarter ended September 30,
2008.
|
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Rye, State of New
York, on March 10, 2009.
GAMCO
INVESTORS, INC.
By:/s/ Kieran
Caterina
|
By:/s/ Diane M.
LaPointe
|
Name: Kieran
Caterina
|
Name: Diane
M. LaPointe
|
Title:
Co-Principal Accounting Officer
|
Title:
Co-Principal Accounting Officer
|
Date:
March 10, 2009
|
Date:
March 10, 2009
|
II-4
Each
person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Jeffrey M.
Farber and Christopher J. Michailoff and each of them, his true and lawful
attorney-in-fact and agent with full power of substitution and resubstitution,
for him in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and
all amendments to this report and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto,
and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, and hereby grants to such attorney-in-fact and agent full power and
authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary
to be done, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in
person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent
or his substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been
signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates
indicated.
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
|||
/s/
Mario J. Gabelli
|
Chairman
of the Board,
|
March
10, 2009
|
|||
Mario
J. Gabelli
|
Chief
Executive Officer
|
||||
(Principal
Executive Officer)
|
|||||
and
Director
|
|||||
/s/
Jeffrey M. Farber
|
Executive
Vice-President and
|
March
10, 2009
|
|||
Jeffrey
M. Farber
|
Chief Financial Officer | ||||
/s/ Kieran Caterina | Co-Principal Accounting | March 10, 2009 | |||
Kieran Caterina | Officer | ||||
/s/ Diane M. LaPointe | Co-Principal Accounting | March 10, 2009 | |||
Diane M. LaPointe | Officer | ||||
/s/
Raymond C. Avansino, Jr.
|
Director
|
March
10, 2009
|
|||
Raymond
C. Avansino, Jr.
|
|||||
/s/
Edwin L. Artzt
|
Director
|
March
10, 2009
|
|||
Edwin
L. Artzt
|
|||||
/s/
Richard L. Bready
|
Director
|
March
10, 2009
|
|||
Richard
L. Bready
|
|||||
/s/
John D. Gabelli
|
Director
|
March
10, 2009
|
|||
John
D. Gabelli
|
|||||
/s/
Eugene R. McGrath
|
Director
|
March
10, 2009
|
|||
Eugene
R. McGrath
|
|||||
/s/
Robert S. Prather, Jr.
|
Director
|
March
10, 2009
|
|||
Robert
S. Prather, Jr.
|
II-5