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Piper Jaffray Companies

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Employees 1001-5000
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FY2013 Annual Report · Piper Jaffray Companies
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2013
A N N UA L  R E PORT

P I P E R   J A F F R A Y   C O M P A N I E S

C H A I R M A N ’ S   L E T T E R

Fellow Shareholders,

In 2013, we built upon our strong performance in the preceding year and achieved 
meaningful improvements to net revenues, net income and return on equity. The most 
important of these, return on equity, improved to 6.2% in 2013, which was up from 
5.7% in 2012, and represents a significant improvement from our 2.3% return on 
equity in 2011. The diversity in our business mix served us well as strong performance 
in our equities businesses more than offset challenging markets faced by our fixed 
income businesses. Overall, our results in 2013 showed that the strategic direction 
we undertook in 2011 to improve our return on equity and generate profits—even in 
challenging markets—is demonstrating success.

The comparison to two years ago is important, as 2011 marked a key inflection point 
for us. In the midst of serious market dislocations in 2011, which were the second 
phase of the financial crisis of 2008, we embarked on a strategy designed to produce a meaningful improvement in 
our return on equity and to generate solid profits in any market environment. In addition, we believed that as we 
executed successfully on this strategy, we would become an even more attractive platform to other top-performing 
professionals and firms seeking strong results and stability. Here is how we executed on this strategy. 

First, we focused our resources in our strongest and highest margin businesses. Our focus areas were public finance, 
asset management and advisory services. In 2013, we acquired Seattle-Northwest Securities Corporation, which 
was an important step in building out our national footprint in public finance, and Edgeview Partners, L.P., which 
expanded our advisory services capabilities.

Second, we positioned ourselves to realize the benefits from our diversified business model.  As our fixed income 
businesses faced headwinds during 2013, our equities businesses, particularly equity capital raising, contributed 
meaningfully to our strong results.  Our asset management business, which is correlated to the equities markets, also 
performed well during the year.

Third, we deployed capital into areas of market opportunity where we have differentiated expertise. We rebalanced 
our investment profile by reducing our exposure to fixed income while increasing our exposure to equities as 
performance in these markets shifted during the year.

Capital Markets 

Our capital markets segment includes investment banking and institutional sales, trading and research, 
encompassing public finance, fixed income and equities. Starting with public finance, we continued to gain market 
share. While industry volumes were down more than 15% for the year, our business was nearly even with 2012. 
Our product diversity and industry sector strength helped overcome weak refunding activity in the second half of 
the year. These advantages will help us to weather market headwinds that we expect to encounter in 2014, and they 
will position us as an attractive home for professionals or firms seeking strong results and stability. This was clearly 
the case with our acquisition of Seattle-Northwest, which represented a significant step in the development of our 
national franchise as we solidified our position in the Northwest.

C H A I R M A N ’ S   L E T T E R

Our performance in fixed income institutional brokerage was impacted by the serious market dislocations in the 
second quarter of 2013, as interest rates spiked in early June. While increasing our hedging activity and taking other 
steps to mitigate market risks, our overall strategy and focus remained consistent as we expanded our middle-market 
sales force by about 30% and added new product capabilities. In 2014, we expect to benefit from this expansion 
despite a gradually rising rate environment.

Turning to our equities businesses, our revenue from equity capital 
raising in 2013 exceeded $100 million for the first time since 2007. 
Our healthcare team, bolstered by resources we added in biotech, 
led the way. The consumer and TMT (technology, media and 
telecommunications) teams also made solid contributions. Notably, 
we served as a bookrunner on nearly half of our transactions for 
the year, which has been a focus for us within our capital raising 
business. Even against the backdrop of the robust equities market 
in 2013, our results stand out within our areas of expertise. We are 
pleased that we were exceptionally positioned to take advantage of 
the market environment.

Our results in 2013 showed 
that the strategic direction 
we undertook in 2011 to 
improve our return on equity 
and generate profits—even 
in challenging markets—is 
demonstrating success.

Our advisory services, or M&A, business finished the year on a high note as we experienced increasing demand 
through the second half of the year. The addition of the Edgeview team in 2013 complemented our existing practices 
and should contribute to growth in our business in 2014. 

In our equities institutional brokerage business, we continue to make steady, consistent progress. The business 
improved sequentially each quarter this year, a great accomplishment given that market-wide trading volumes were 
slightly down for the year. Our momentum in this business has come from a set of client-focused product strategies 
begun in 2012 and from more effective deployment of capital. Our trading desks used capital more efficiently, and 
we also allocated capital to equity-based strategic trading activities as the opportunity to generate investment returns 
emerged earlier in the year.

Asset Management

Our asset management business is conducted through Advisory Research, Inc. This business benefited from robust 
equity markets during the year, with significant appreciation of assets under management, while net new assets were 
largely flat. We finished the year with $11.2 billion in assets under management, up from $9.1 billion in 2012. Our 
MLP (master limited partnership) product in the energy sector continued its impressive growth trajectory, with its 
assets under management growing from $700 million in 2007, when we acquired the product, to $4.5 billion today. 
Our international products, particularly a Japan-focused equity strategy, are beginning to realize meaningful inflows, 
and these products are expected to be important contributors to the segment in the coming years. We also completed 
the transition of our leadership of this business from Brien O’Brien, one of the founders of the Advisory Research, to 
Chris Crawshaw. I’d like to thank Brien for his many contributions to Advisory Research and Piper Jaffray.

C H A I R M A N ’ S   L E T T E R

Outlook and Strategy

Looking ahead to 2014, we expect modest improvement in growth in the U.S economy, with additional appreciation 
in the equity markets, but at more modest levels than in 2013. Gradually increasing interest rates are also expected 
to continue to affect our public finance and fixed income businesses. Overall this environment should be favorable 
for our businesses, and we intend to continue our focus on execution, which has proven so successful for us the past 
two years. 

In 2013, we held down costs, exited unprofitable businesses, invested our capital wisely and added to our higher 
margin businesses. Our improving results attracted growth opportunities as we added Seattle-Northwest and 
Edgeview, as well as several new groups across our businesses. We believe that we will have additional growth 
opportunities and the resources to pursue them as we continue to execute in our core businesses. We thank all of 
our clients for their trust in us and our employee partners for remaining focused on meeting our clients’ needs and 
delivering returns to our shareholders.

Sincerely,

Andrew S. Duff 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 
Piper Jaffray Companies

 
B O A R D   O F   D I R E C T O R S

E X E C U T I V E   L E A D E R S H I P

Andrew S. Duff 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Chad R. Abraham 
Co-Head of Global Investment Banking  
and Capital Markets

Chris D. Crawshaw 
Head of Asset Management

Frank E. Fairman 
Head of Public Finance Services

John W. Geelan 
General Counsel and Secretary

Jeffrey P. Klinefelter 
Global Head of Equities

R. Scott LaRue 
Co-Head of Global Investment Banking  
and Capital Markets

Debbra L. Schoneman 
Chief Financial Officer

M. Brad Winges 
Head of Fixed Income Services

Andrew S. Duff 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Addison (Tad) L. Piper 
Retired 
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 
Piper Jaffray Companies Inc.

William R. Fitzgerald 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 
Ascent Capital Group, Inc.

Michael R. Francis 
Chief Global Brand Officer 
DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.

B. Kristine Johnson 
President 
Affinity Capital Management

Lisa K. Polsky 
Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Officer 
CIT Group Inc. 

Philip E. Soran 
Retired 
Former President 
Dell Compellent Inc.

Scott C. Taylor 
Executive Vice President,  
General Counsel and Secretary  
Symantec Corp.

Michele Volpi 
Chief Executive Officer  
Betafence Holdings NV

Hope B. Woodhouse 
Former Chief Operating Officer 
Bridgewater Associates, LP

O U R   G U I D I N G   P R I N C I P L E S

We create and implement superior financial solutions 
for our clients. Serving clients is our fundamental purpose.

We earn our clients’ trust by delivering  
the best guidance and service.

Great people working together as a team  
are our competitive advantage.

As we serve, we are committed to these core values:

Always place our clients’ interests first

Conduct ourselves with integrity and treat others with respect

Work in partnership with our clients and each other

Maintain a high-quality environment that attracts,  
retains and develops the best people

Contribute our talents and resources to  
serve the communities in which we live and work

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE 
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2013
Commission File No. 001-31720

PIPER JAFFRAY COMPANIES

(Exact Name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)

DELAWARE
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)
800 Nicollet Mall, Suite 1000
Minneapolis, Minnesota
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

30-0168701
(IRS Employer Identification No.)

55402
(Zip Code)

(612) 303-6000
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

Name of Each Exchange On Which Registered
The New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. 

Yes  

  No  

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.    

Yes  

  No  

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 
No  
subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive 
Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 
months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  

No  

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) 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.  

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.

Large accelerated filer  

Accelerated filer  

Non-accelerated filer  

Smaller reporting company  

(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes  

     No  

The aggregate market value of the 16,068,113 shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, held by non-affiliates 
based upon the last sale price, as reported on the New York Stock Exchange, of the Common Stock on June 30, 2013 was approximately $508 
million.

As of February 19, 2014, the registrant had 16,171,560 shares of Common Stock outstanding.

Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K incorporates by reference information (to the extent specific sections are referred to herein) 

from the Registrant’s Proxy Statement for its 2014 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 7, 2014.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 

 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I

ITEM 1.

ITEM 1A.

ITEM 1B.

ITEM 2.

ITEM 3.

ITEM 4.

BUSINESS ...............................................................................................................................................
RISK FACTORS.......................................................................................................................................
UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS....................................................................................................
PROPERTIES...........................................................................................................................................
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.........................................................................................................................
MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES ............................................................................................................

PART II

ITEM 5.

ITEM 6.
ITEM 7.

ITEM 7A.

ITEM 8.
ITEM 9.

ITEM 9A.

ITEM 9B.

MARKET FOR COMMON EQUITY, RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER 
PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES............................................................................................
SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA.............................................................................................................
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND 
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS................................................................................................................
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK ..........................
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION.............................................
CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND 
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE .................................................................................................................
CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.........................................................................................................
OTHER INFORMATION ........................................................................................................................

PART III

ITEM 10.

ITEM 11.
ITEM 12.

ITEM 13.

ITEM 14.

DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE..................................
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION............................................................................................................
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND 
RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS .............................................................................................
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR 
INDEPENDENCE ..................................................................................................................................
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES...........................................................................

3

8

19

20

20

20

21

23

24

55

56

117

117

117

117

117

118

118

118

ITEM 15.

EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES ................................................................
SIGNATURES..........................................................................................................................................

118

122

PART IV

2

PART I

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical or current facts, including statements 
about beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. These forward looking statements include, among other things, 
statements other than historical information or statements of current condition and may relate to our future plans and objectives 
and  results,  and  also  may  include  our  belief  regarding  the  effect  of  various  legal  proceedings,  as  set  forth  under  “Legal 
Proceedings” in Part I, Item 3 of this Form 10-K. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and 
important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including those factors discussed below 
under “Risk Factors” in Item 1A, as well as those factors discussed under “External Factors Impacting Our Business” included 
in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of this Form 10-K and in our 
subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Our SEC reports are available at our Web site 
at www.piperjaffray.com and at the SEC’s Web site at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they 
are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them in light of new information or future events.

ITEM 1.     BUSINESS.

Overview

Piper Jaffray Companies is an investment bank and asset management firm, serving the needs of corporations, private equity 
groups, public entities, non-profit entities and institutional investors in the U.S. and internationally. Founded in 1895, Piper 
Jaffray provides a broad set of products and services, including equity and debt capital markets products; public finance services; 
financial  advisory  services;  equity  and  fixed  income  institutional  brokerage;  equity  and  fixed  income  research;  and  asset 
management services. Our headquarters are located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and we have offices across the United States 
and international locations in London, Hong Kong and Zurich. We market our investment banking and institutional securities 
business under a single name – Piper Jaffray – which gives us a consistent brand across this business. Our traditional asset 
management business is marketed under Advisory Research, Inc.

Prior to 1998, Piper Jaffray was an independent public company. U.S. Bancorp acquired the Piper Jaffray business in 1998 
and operated it through various subsidiaries and divisions. At the end of 2003, U.S. Bancorp facilitated a tax-free distribution 
of our common stock to all U.S. Bancorp shareholders, causing Piper Jaffray to become an independent public company again.

Our Businesses

We operate through two reportable business segments, Capital Markets and Asset Management. We believe that the mix of 

activities across our business segments helps to provide diversification in our business model.

Capital Markets 

The Capital Markets segment provides investment banking and institutional sales, trading and research services for various 
equity and fixed income products. This segment also includes the results from our two alternative asset management funds and 
our principal investments. 

• 

Investment Banking – We raise capital through equity financings and provide advisory services, primarily relating to 
mergers and acquisitions, for our corporate clients. We operate in the following focus industries: business services, 
clean  technologies,  consumer  and  retail,  healthcare,  industrials,  and  technology,  media  and  telecommunications, 
primarily focusing on middle-market clients. For our government and non-profit clients, we underwrite debt issuances 
and provide financial advisory and interest rate risk management services. Our public finance investment banking 
capabilities focus on state and local governments, cultural and social service non-profit entities, and the healthcare, 
education, senior living and hospitality sectors.

•  Equity and Fixed Income Institutional Brokerage – We offer both equity and fixed income advisory and trade execution 
services for institutional investors and government and non-profit entities. Integral to our capital markets efforts, we 
have equity sales and trading relationships with institutional investors in the United States and Europe that invest in 
our core sectors. Our research analysts provide investment ideas and support to our trading clients on approximately 

3

600 companies. Our fixed income sales and trading professionals have expertise in municipal, corporate, mortgage, 
agency, treasury and structured product securities and cover a range of institutional investors. We engage in trading 
activities for both customer facilitation and strategic trading purposes. Our strategic trading activities (i.e. proprietary 
trading)  are  dedicated  solely  to  investing  firm  capital,  and  principally  focus  on  investments  in  municipal  bonds, 
mortgage-backed securities and equity securities. 

•  Principal Investments – We engage in merchant banking activities, which involve equity or debt investments in late 
stage private companies. Additionally, we have investments in private equity and venture capital funds and other firm 
investments.

•  Alternative Asset Management Funds – As certain of our strategic trading and merchant banking efforts have matured 
and an investment process has been developed, we have created alternative asset management funds in municipal 
securities and merchant banking in order to invest firm capital as well as to seek capital from outside investors. 

In 2013, we completed the acquisitions of Seattle-Northwest Securities Corporation ("Seattle-Northwest"), a Seattle-based 
investment bank and broker dealer focused on public finance in the Northwest region of the U.S., and Edgeview Partners, L.P. 
("Edgeview"), a middle-market advisory firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions. For more information on our acquisitions 
of Seattle-Northwest and Edgeview, see Note 4 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 
10-K.

Asset Management

The Asset Management segment includes our traditional asset management business and our seed investments in registered 
funds and private funds or partnerships that we manage. Our traditional asset management business offers specialized investment 
management  solutions  for  institutions,  private  clients  and  investment  advisors.  We  manage  value-oriented  domestic  and 
international  equity  securities  and  energy  infrastructure  assets  through  open-end  and  closed-end  funds.  We  also  provide 
customized solutions to our clients. In many cases, we offer both diversified and more concentrated versions of our products, 
generally through separately managed accounts. 

•  Value Equity – We take a value-driven approach to managing assets in the domestic and international equity markets. 
These  investment  strategies  have  an  investment  philosophy  that  centers  on  fundamental  security  selection  across 
industries and regions with a focus on analyzing, among other things, a company's financial position, liquidity and 
profitability in light of its valuation. By focusing on securities with attractive net asset values, we seek to generate 
competitive long-term returns while minimizing investment risk. 

•  Master Limited Partnerships ("MLPs") – We also manage MLPs focused on the energy sector. These strategies focus 
on growth, yet seek to limit exposure to riskier securities by placing greater importance on characteristics which support 
stable distributions and are representative of higher quality MLPs, including less volatile businesses, strategic assets, 
cleaner balance sheets and proven management teams. Prior to 2012, the MLP business was part of Fiduciary Asset 
Management, LLC ("FAMCO"), previously a division of our asset management segment that primarily managed fixed 
income  strategies.  In  the  first  quarter  of  2012,  we  reorganized  our  FAMCO  and Advisory  Research,  Inc.  ("ARI") 
reporting units, which resulted in the MLP business becoming part of ARI. 

As of December 31, 2013, total assets under management ("AUM") were $11.2 billion, of which approximately 59 percent 
was invested in equities and 41 percent in MLPs. As of the same date, approximately 7 percent of our AUM was invested in 
international investment strategies and 93 percent was invested in domestic investment strategies. Approximately 83 percent of 
our AUM as of December 31, 2013 was managed on behalf of institutional clients, including foundations, endowments, pension 
funds and corporations, and through sub-advisory relationships, mutual fund sponsors and registered advisors, and approximately 
17 percent of our AUM was managed on behalf of individual client relationships, which are principally high net worth individuals.

Discontinued Operations

In 2012, we shut down our Hong Kong capital markets business and ceased operations as of September 30, 2012. Additionally, 
we sold FAMCO, an asset management subsidiary, in the second quarter of 2013. For further information on our discontinued 
operations, see Note 5 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

4

Financial Information about Geographic Areas

For financial information concerning our geographic regions for each of the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012, and 

2011, respectively, see Note 26 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K. 

Competition

Our business is subject to intense competition driven by large Wall Street and international firms operating independently 
or as part of a large commercial banking institution. We also compete with regional broker dealers, boutique and niche-specialty 
firms, asset  management firms and  alternative trading systems that effect securities transactions through various  electronic 
media. Competition is based on a variety of factors, including price, quality of advice and service, reputation, product selection, 
transaction execution, financial resources and investment performance. Many of our large competitors have greater financial 
resources than we have and may have more flexibility to offer a broader set of products and services than we can.

In addition, there is significant competition within the securities industry for obtaining and retaining the services of qualified 
employees. Our business is a human capital business and the performance of our business is dependent upon the skills, expertise 
and performance of our employees. Therefore, our ability to compete effectively is dependent upon attracting and retaining 
qualified individuals who are motivated to serve the best interests of our clients, thereby serving the best interests of our company. 
Attracting and retaining employees depends, among other things, on our company’s culture, management, work environment, 
geographic locations and compensation.

Employees

As of February 19, 2014, we had approximately 1,053 employees, of whom approximately 654 were registered with the 

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

Regulation

As a participant in the financial services industry, our business is regulated by U.S. federal and state regulatory agencies, 
self-regulatory organizations (“SROs”) and securities exchanges, and by foreign governmental agencies, financial regulatory 
bodies and securities exchanges. We are subject to complex and extensive regulation of most aspects of our business, including 
the  manner in  which securities transactions  are effected, net  capital requirements, recordkeeping and  reporting  procedures, 
relationships  and  conflicts  with  customers,  the  handling  of  cash  and  margin  accounts,  conduct,  experience  and  training 
requirements for certain employees, and the manner in which we prevent and detect money-laundering and bribery activities. 
The regulatory framework of the financial services industry is designed primarily to safeguard the integrity of the capital markets 
and to protect customers, not creditors or shareholders. 

The laws, rules and regulations comprising this regulatory framework can (and do) change frequently, as can the interpretation 
and enforcement of existing laws, rules and regulations. Recent conditions in the global financial markets and economy, including 
the 2008 financial crisis, caused legislators and regulators to increase the examination, enforcement and rule-making activity 
directed toward the financial services industry, which we expect to continue in the coming years.  In 2010,  the federal government 
passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank”). Dodd-Frank significantly restructures 
and intensifies regulation in the financial services industry, with provisions that include, among other things, the creation of a 
new systemic risk oversight body, expansion of the authority of existing regulators, increased regulation of and restrictions on 
OTC derivatives markets and transactions, broadening of the reporting and regulation of executive compensation, expansion of 
the standards for market participants in dealing with clients and customers, and regulation of fiduciary duties owed by municipal 
advisors or conduit borrowers of municipal securities. In addition, a section of Dodd-Frank referred to as the "Volcker Rule" 
provides for a limitation on proprietary trading and investments by certain bank holding companies. We are not a bank holding 
company and, as a result, the Volcker Rule does not apply to us. Even though portions of Dodd-Frank do not apply to us (e.g. 
the Volcker Rule), Dodd-Frank as a whole and the intensified regulatory environment, will likely alter certain business practices 
and change the competitive landscape of the financial services industry, which may have an adverse effect on our business, 
financial condition and results of operations.

5

Our U.S. broker dealer subsidiary (Piper Jaffray & Co.) is registered as a securities broker dealer with the SEC and is a 
member of various SROs and securities exchanges. In July of 2007, the National Association of Securities Dealers and the 
member  regulation,  enforcement  and  arbitration  functions  of  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange  (“NYSE”)  consolidated  to 
form FINRA, which now serves as the primary SRO of Piper Jaffray & Co., although the NYSE continues to have oversight 
over NYSE-related market activities. FINRA regulates many aspects of our U.S. broker dealer business, including registration, 
education and conduct of our employees, examinations, rulemaking, enforcement of these rules and the federal securities laws, 
trade reporting and the administration of dispute resolution between investors and registered firms. We have agreed to abide by 
the rules of FINRA (as well as those of the NYSE and other SROs), and FINRA has the power to expel, fine and otherwise 
discipline Piper Jaffray & Co. and its officers, directors and employees. Among the rules that apply to Piper Jaffray & Co. are 
the uniform net capital rule of the SEC (Rule 15c3-1) and the net capital rule of FINRA. Both rules set a minimum level of net 
capital a broker dealer must maintain and also require that a portion of the broker dealer's assets be relatively liquid. Under the 
FINRA rule, FINRA may prohibit a member firm from expanding its business or paying cash dividends if resulting net capital 
falls  below  FINRA  requirements.  In  addition,  Piper  Jaffray &  Co.  is  subject  to  certain  notification  requirements  related  to 
withdrawals of excess net capital. As a result of these rules, our ability to make withdrawals of capital from Piper Jaffray & Co. 
may be limited. In addition, Piper Jaffray & Co. is licensed as a broker dealer in each of the 50 states, requiring us to comply 
with applicable laws, rules and regulations of each state. Any state may revoke a license to conduct a securities business and 
fine or otherwise discipline broker dealers and their officers, directors and employees. 

We also operate an entity that is licensed and regulated by the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority.  This entity is registered 
under the laws of England and Wales is authorized and regulated by the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority. While we ceased 
operations related to our Hong Kong capital markets business as of September 30, 2012, we expect to maintain a more limited 
presence in the Hong Kong region to facilitate our U.S. advisory business. Accordingly, we have applied for a regulatory license 
to be registered with and subject to the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission. The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority 
and the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission regulate these entities (in their respective jurisdictions) in areas of capital 
adequacy, customer protection and business conduct, among others.

Entities in the jurisdictions identified above are also subject to anti-money laundering regulations. Piper Jaffray & Co., our 
U.S. broker-dealer subsidiary, is subject to the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, which contains anti-money laundering and financial 
transparency laws and mandates the implementation of various regulations requiring us to implement standards for verifying 
client identification at account opening, monitoring client transactions and reporting suspicious activity. Our entities in Hong 
Kong and the United Kingdom are subject to similar anti-money laundering laws and regulations. We are also subject to the 
U.S.  Foreign  Corrupt  Practices Act  as  well  as  other  anti-bribery  laws  in  the  jurisdictions  in  which  we  operate. These  laws 
generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from engaging in bribery or making other improper payments to foreign 
officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business or gaining an unfair business advantage. 

We maintain asset management subsidiaries that are registered as investment advisers with the SEC and subject to regulation 
and oversight by the SEC. These entities are ARI, Piper Jaffray Investment Management LLC ("PJIM"), and PJC Capital Partners 
LLC. As registered investment advisors, these entities are subject to requirements that relate to, among other things, fiduciary 
duties to clients, maintaining an effective compliance program, solicitation agreements, conflicts of interest, recordkeeping and 
reporting requirements, disclosure requirements, limitations on agency cross and principal transactions between advisor and 
advisory clients, as well as general anti-fraud prohibitions. Certain investment funds that we manage are registered investment 
companies under the Investment Company Act, as amended. Those funds and entities that serve as the funds' investment advisors 
are subject to the Investment Company Act and the rules and regulations of the SEC, which regulate the relationship between 
a  registered  investment  company  and  its  investment  advisor  and  prohibit  or  severely  restrict  principal  transactions  or  joint 
transactions,  among  other  requirements. ARI  is  also  authorized  by  the  Irish  Financial  Services  Regulatory Authority  as  an 
investment advisor in Ireland and cleared by the Luxembourg Commission de Surviellance du Secteur Financier as a manager 
to Luxembourg funds. ARI has established a Tokyo office which is a Representative Office of a Foreign Investment Advisor 
subject to Japanese laws and regulations. PJIM is registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and 
the National Futures Association (“NFA”) as a commodities pool operator. The registrations with the CFTC and NFA allow 
PJIM to enter into derivative instruments (e.g, interest rate swaps and credit default swap index contracts) to hedge risks associated 
with certain security positions of funds managed by PJIM. 

6

Certain of our businesses also are subject to compliance with laws and regulations of U.S. federal and state governments, 
non-U.S. governments, their respective agencies and/or various self-regulatory organizations or exchanges governing the privacy 
of client information. Any failure with respect to our practices, procedures and controls in any of these areas could subject us 
to regulatory consequences, including fines, and potentially other significant liabilities. 

Executive Officers

Information regarding our executive officers and their ages as of February 19, 2014, are as follows:

Name
Andrew S. Duff .........................................
Chad R. Abraham......................................
Christopher D. Crawshaw .........................
Frank E. Fairman.......................................
John W. Geelan .........................................
Jeff P. Klinefelter.......................................
R. Scott LaRue ..........................................
Debbra L. Schoneman...............................
M. Brad Winges ........................................

Age
56
45
47
56
38
46
53
45
45

Position(s)
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Co-Head of Global Investment Banking and Capital Markets
Head of Asset Management
Head of Public Finance
General Counsel and Secretary
Global Head of Equities
Co-Head of Global Investment Banking and Capital Markets
Chief Financial Officer
Head of Fixed Income Services

Andrew S. Duff is our chairman and chief executive officer. Mr. Duff became chairman and chief executive officer of Piper 
Jaffray Companies following completion of our spin-off from U.S. Bancorp on December 31, 2003. He also has served as 
chairman of our broker dealer subsidiary since 2003, as chief executive officer of our broker dealer subsidiary since 2000, and 
as president of our broker dealer subsidiary since 1996. He has been with Piper Jaffray since 1980. Prior to the spin-off from 
U.S. Bancorp, Mr. Duff also was a vice chairman of U.S. Bancorp from 1999 through 2003.

Chad R. Abraham is our co-head of global investment banking and capital markets, a position he has held since October 
2010.  Prior to his current role, he served as head of equity capital markets since November 2005.  Mr. Abraham joined Piper 
Jaffray in 1991.

Christopher D. Crawshaw is our head of asset management.  He has served in this role since January 2014.  Mr. Crawshaw 
joined Piper Jaffray from Advisory Research, Inc., a Chicago-based asset management firm that we acquired in 2010, where he 
had been a managing director since 2004, having joined the company in 2001. Mr. Crawshaw was named president of Advisory 
Research in 2012.

Frank E. Fairman is head of our public finance services business, a position he has held since July 2005. Prior to that, he 
served as head of the firm's public finance investment banking group from 1991 to 2005, as well as the head of the firm's 
municipal derivative business from 2002 to 2005. He has been with Piper Jaffray since 1983.

John W. Geelan is our general counsel and secretary. He served as assistant general counsel and assistant secretary from 

November 2007 until becoming general counsel in January 2013.  Mr. Geelan joined Piper Jaffray in 2005.

Jeff P. Klinefelter is the global head of our equities business, a position he has held since July 2012.  From May 2010 until 

July 2012, he served as head of equity research.  Mr. Klinefelter joined Piper Jaffray in 1997 as a research analyst.

R. Scott LaRue is our co-head of global investment banking and capital markets, a position he has held since October 2010.  
He had previously served as global co-head of consumer investment banking since February 2010, after having served as co-
head of consumer investment banking since August 2004.  He has been with Piper Jaffray since 2003.

Debbra L. Schoneman is our chief financial officer. Ms. Schoneman joined Piper Jaffray in 1990 and has held her current 
position since May 2008. She previously served as treasurer from August 2006 until May 2008.  Prior to that, she served as 
finance director of our corporate and institutional services business from July 2002 until July 2004 when the role was expanded 
to include our public finance services division.

M. Brad Winges is head of our fixed income services business, a position he has held since January 2009. Mr. Winges 
joined Piper Jaffray in 1991 and served as head of public finance services sales and trading from June 2005 until obtaining his 
current position. Prior to that, he served as head of municipal sales and trading from June 2003 until June 2005.

7

Additional Information

Our principal executive offices are located at 800 Nicollet Mall, Suite 1000, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402, and our general 
telephone number is (612) 303-6000. We maintain an Internet Web site at http://www.piperjaffray.com. The information contained 
on and connected to our Web site is not incorporated into this report. We make available free of charge on or through our Web 
site our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, amendments to those reports 
filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and all other reports we file with 
the SEC, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file these reports with, or furnish them to, the SEC. “Piper 
Jaffray,” the “Company,” “registrant,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Piper Jaffray Companies and our subsidiaries. The Piper 
Jaffray logo and the other trademarks, tradenames and service marks of Piper Jaffray mentioned in this report, including Piper 
Jaffray®, are the property of Piper Jaffray.

ITEM 1A.     RISK FACTORS. 

Developments in market and economic conditions have in the past adversely affected, and may in the future adversely affect, 
our business and profitability and cause volatility in our results of operations.

Economic and market conditions have had, and will continue to have, a direct and material impact on our results of operations 
and financial condition because performance in the financial services industry is heavily influenced by the overall strength of 
economic conditions and financial market activity. For example:

• 

Interest rates, which had been at or near historical lows in 2012, rose significantly in 2013 as investors anticipated that 
the Federal Reserve would taper its quantitative easing program based on a stronger U.S. economy. At times in 2013, 
the rise in interest rates was rapid and severe, which led to widening credit spreads and a volatile trading environment. 
This environment negatively impacted our fixed income institutional business in 2013 as it reduced client activity and 
the value of our fixed income inventory positions, both those held for facilitating client activity and our own proprietary 
trading. Our interest rate hedging strategies were not able to fully mitigate these inventory losses. Also, our public 
finance  investment  banking  business  underwrote  significantly  fewer  debt  refinancing  issuances  as  interest  rates 
increased. We expect interest rates to continue to rise in 2014 and a rapid or severe increase may negatively impact our 
fixed income institutional business similar to 2013. The impact from a rapid or severe rise in interest rates and any 
attendant volatility on the value of our fixed income inventory positions may not be fully mitigated by our interest rate 
hedging strategies, as we generally do not hedge all of our interest rate risk and volatility may reduce the correlation 
(i.e., effectiveness) between certain hedging vehicles and the securities inventory we are attempting to hedge. Interest 
rate increases in 2014, both gradual and more severe, would continue to negatively impact the volume of debt refinancing 
issuances in our public finance business.

•  Our equities investment banking revenue, in the form of underwriting, placement and financial advisory fees is directly 
related to global macroeconomic conditions and corresponding financial market activity. As an example, a significant 
component of our investment banking revenues are derived from initial public offerings of middle-market companies 
in growth sectors, and activity in this area is highly correlated to the macroeconomic environment. Even though equity 
markets were strong, volatility generally remained low, and the U.S. economy continued to show signs of improvement 
in 2013, growth has been uneven across various sectors. In addition, the U.S. and global economic recovery as a whole 
remains  vulnerable  to  the  possible  risks  posed  by  certain  economic  conditions  or  exogenous  shocks,  which  could 
include, among other things, tepid job and consumer spending growth, the impact from the Federal Reserve's tapering 
of its quantitative easing program, a decline in the U.S. labor force participation rate, significant cuts to federal spending, 
concerns about deficit levels, taxes and U.S. debt ratings, a resurgence of the European sovereign debt crisis, and the 
continued potential for a deterioration in global economic conditions as a result of a significant downturn in one or 
more major economic regions. If these factors were to worsen or if an exogenous  shock were to materialize, it could 
lead to equity market declines and volatility, which would likely have a significant negative impact on our results of 
operations.

•  An unsustainable economic recovery would likely result in a decline in the financial markets, reducing asset valuations 
and adversely impacting our asset management business. A reduction in asset values would negatively impact this 
business by reducing the value of assets under management, and as a result, the revenues generated from this business.

8

It is difficult to predict the market conditions for 2014, which are dependent in large part upon the pace and sustainability 
of the global economic recovery. Our smaller scale compared to many of our competitors and the cyclical nature of the economy 
and this industry leads to volatility in our financial results, including our operating margins, compensation ratios and revenue 
and  expense  levels.  Our  financial  performance  may  be  limited  by  the  fixed  nature  of  certain  expenses,  the  impact  from 
unanticipated losses or expenses during the year, and the inability to scale back costs in a timeframe to match decreases in 
revenue-related changes in market and economic conditions. As a result, our financial results may vary significantly from quarter-
to-quarter and year-to-year.

Our proprietary trading and principal investments expose us to risk of loss.

We engage in a variety of activities in which we commit or invest our own capital, including proprietary trading and principal 
investing. During 2013, our proprietary trading activities (which we also refer to as "strategic trading" in this report) related to 
municipal bonds, non-agency mortgage bonds, and equities constituted a considerable portion of our institutional brokerage 
revenues, and were a meaningful contributor to our overall financial results. Fixed-income proprietary trading activities — 
particularly with respect to non-agency mortgage bonds — comprise a meaningful percentage of our Level III assets within our 
securities inventory. Level III assets have little or no pricing observability, and may be less liquid than other securities that we 
hold in our securities inventory. In addition to proprietary trading, we engage in principal investing, having established alternative 
asset management funds for municipal securities and merchant banking. We have invested firm capital in these funds alongside 
capital  raised  from  outside  investors,  and  intend  to  continue  to  develop  these  alternative  asset  management  strategies. 
Additionally, we have principal investments in equity and debt instruments of private companies, and in private equity and 
venture capital funds, among other firm investments.

Our results from these activities may vary significantly from quarter to quarter, especially as it relates to proprietary trading 
activity. We may incur significant losses from our proprietary activities due to fixed income or equity market fluctuations and 
volatility from quarter to quarter. In addition, we may engage in hedging transactions that if not successful, could result in losses. 
With respect to principal investing, our ability to withdraw our capital from these funds may be limited, increasing the risk of 
loss for these investments. Also, our merchant banking activity involves investments in late stage private companies, and we 
may be unable to realize our investment objectives by sale or other disposition at attractive prices.

Developments in specific sectors of the global economy have in the past adversely affected, and may in the future adversely 
affect, our business and profitability.

Our results for a particular period may be disproportionately impacted by declines in specific sectors of the global economy, 

or for certain products within the financial services industry, due to our business mix and focus areas. For example:

•  Our equity investment banking business focuses on specific sectors, specifically business and financial services, clean 
technology and renewables, consumer, healthcare, industrial growth, and technology, media and telecommunications. 
Volatility or uncertainty in the business environment for these sectors, including but not limited to challenging market 
conditions for these sectors that are disproportionately worse than those impacting the economy and markets generally 
or downturns in these sectors that are independent of general economic and market conditions, may adversely affect 
our business. Further, we may not participate or may participate to a lesser degree than other firms in sectors that 
experience significant activity, such as depository financial institutions, energy and mining, and industrials, and our 
operating results may not correlate with the results of other firms which participate in these sectors.

•  Our fixed income institutional business derives its revenue from sales and trading activity in the municipal market and 
from products within the taxable market, including structured mortgages, hybrid preferreds and government agency 
products. Our operating results for our fixed income institutional business may not correlate with the results of other 
firms or the fixed income market generally because we do not participate in significant segments of the fixed income 
markets such as credit default swaps, and currencies and commodities. 

• 

Similar to our fixed income institutional business, our public finance investment banking business depends heavily 
upon conditions in the municipal market. Our ability to effect investment banking transactions in the state and local 
government sectors has been, and may continue to be, challenged by concerns over debt levels for municipal issuers 
and fiscal budgets. Our public finance business focuses on investment banking activity in sectors that include state and 
local government, higher education, housing, healthcare, and hospitality sectors, with an emphasis on transactions with 
a par value of $500 million or less. Challenging market conditions for these sectors that are disproportionately worse 
than those impacting the broader economy or municipal markets generally may adversely impact our business. Lastly, 

9

our fixed income institutional business and our public finance business could be materially adversely affected by the 
enactment,  or  the  threat  of  enactment,  of  any  legislation  that  would  alter  the  financing  alternatives  available  to 
municipalities through the elimination or reduction of tax-exempt bonds.

•  Our equities institutional brokerage business depends upon trading activity to generate revenue in the form of client 
commissions, and the level of this activity may vary based on economic and market conditions. In times of increased 
market uncertainty, we may experience reduced customer activity as investors remain cautious.

•  A significant portion of our asset management revenues are derived from actively-managed equity products, and this 
type of investment product has experienced asset outflows in recent years. Although equity markets performed well in 
2013 and most equity products experienced asset inflows during the year, equity market uncertainty, the increased 
prevalence of lower-cost passively-managed funds, and other negative events impacting investor confidence could 
cause  the  negative  trend  for  actively-managed  equity  products  to  continue.  Outflows  for  this  investment  product 
negatively affect results of operations for this business, as revenues are closely tied to assets under management.

Our stock price may fluctuate as a result of several factors, including but not limited to, changes in our revenues, operating 
results, tangible book value and return on equity.

We have experienced, and expect to experience in the future, fluctuations in the market price of our common stock due to 
factors that relate to the nature of our business, including but not limited to changes in our revenues, operating results, tangible 
book value, and return on equity. Our business, by its nature, does not produce steady and predictable earnings on a quarterly 
basis, which causes fluctuations in our stock price that may be significant. Other factors that have affected, and may further 
affect, our stock price include changes in or news related to economic or market events or conditions, changes in market conditions 
in the financial services industry, including developments in regulation affecting our business, failure to meet the expectations 
of market analysts, changes in recommendations or outlooks by market analysts, and aggressive short selling similar to that 
experienced in the financial industry in 2008.

The volume of anticipated investment banking transactions may differ from actual results.

The completion of anticipated investment banking transactions in our pipeline is uncertain and partially beyond our control, 
and our investment banking revenue is typically earned only upon the successful completion of a transaction. In most cases, we 
receive little or no payment for investment banking engagements that do not result in the successful completion of a transaction. 
For example, a client's acquisition transaction may be delayed or terminated because of a failure to agree upon final terms with 
the counterparty, failure to obtain necessary regulatory consents or board or stockholder approvals, failure to secure necessary 
financing, adverse market conditions or unexpected financial or other problems in the client's or counterparty's business. If 
parties fail to complete a transaction on which we are advising or an offering in which we are participating, we earn little or no 
revenue from the transaction and may have incurred significant expenses (for example, travel and legal expenses) associated 
with the transaction. Accordingly, our business is highly dependent on market conditions as well as the decisions and actions of 
our clients and interested third parties, and the number of engagements we have at any given time (and any characterization or 
description of our deal pipelines) is subject to change and may not necessarily result in future revenues.

Financing  and  advisory  services  engagements  are  singular  in  nature  and  do  not  generally  provide  for  subsequent 
engagements.

Even though we work to represent our clients at every stage of their lifecycle, we are typically retained on a short-term, 
engagement-by-engagement  basis  in  connection  with  specific  capital  markets  or  mergers  and  acquisitions  transactions.  In 
particular,  our  revenues  related  to  acquisition  and  disposition  transactions  tend  to  be  highly  volatile  and  unpredictable  (or 
“lumpy”) from quarter to quarter due to the one-time nature of the transaction and the size of the fee. As a result, high activity 
levels in any period are not necessarily indicative of continued high levels of activity in any subsequent period. If we are unable 
to generate a substantial number of new engagements and generate fees from the successful completion of those transactions, 
our business and results of operations will likely be adversely affected.

10

Asset management revenue may vary based on investment performance and market and economic factors.

We have grown our asset management business in recent years, including with the acquisition of ARI in 2010, which has 
increased the risks associated with this business relative to our overall operations. Assets under management are a significant 
driver of this business, as revenues are primarily derived from management fees paid on the assets under management. Our 
ability to maintain or increase assets under management is subject to a number of factors, including investors' perception of our 
past performance, market or economic conditions, competition from other fund managers and our ability to negotiate terms with 
major investors.

Investment performance is one of the most important factors in retaining existing clients and competing for new asset 
management business. Poor investment performance and other competitive factors could reduce our revenues and impair our 
growth in many ways: existing clients may withdraw funds from our asset management business in favor of better performing 
products or a different investment style or focus; our capital investments in our investment funds or the seed capital we have 
committed to new asset management products may diminish in value or may be lost; and our key employees in the business 
may depart, whether to join a competitor or otherwise.

To the extent our investment performance is perceived to be poor in either relative or absolute terms, our asset management 
revenues will likely be reduced and our ability to attract new funds will likely be impaired. Even when market conditions are 
generally favorable, our investment performance may be adversely affected by our investment style and the particular investments 
that we make. Further, as the size and number of investment funds, including exchange-traded funds, hedge funds and private 
equity funds increases, it is possible that it will become increasingly difficult for us to attract new assets under management or 
price competition may mean that we are unable to maintain our current fee structures.

An inability to readily divest trading positions may result in financial losses to our business.

Timely divestiture of our trading positions, including equity, fixed income and other securities positions, can be impaired 
by decreased trading volume, increased price volatility, rapid changes in interest rates, concentrated trading positions, limitations 
on  the  ability  to  divest  positions  in  highly  specialized  or  structured  transactions  and  changes  in  industry  and  government 
regulations. This is true both for customer transactions that we facilitate as well as proprietary trading positions that we maintain. 
While we hold a security, we are vulnerable to valuation fluctuations and may experience financial losses to the extent the value 
of the security decreases and we are unable to timely divest or hedge our trading position in that security. The value may decline 
as a result of many factors, including issuer-specific, market or geopolitical events. In addition, in times of market uncertainty, 
the inability to transfer inventory positions may have an impact on our liquidity as funding sources generally decline and we 
are unable to pledge the underlying security as collateral. Our liquidity may also be impacted if we choose to facilitate liquidity 
for specific products and voluntarily increase our inventory positions in order to do so, exposing ourselves to greater market 
risk and potential financial losses from the reduction in value of illiquid positions.

In addition, reliance on revenues from hedge funds and hedge fund advisors, which are less regulated than many investment 
company and advisor clients, may expose us to greater risk of financial loss from unsettled trades than is the case with other 
types of institutional investors. Concentration of risk may result in losses to us even when economic and market conditions are 
generally favorable for others in our industry.

Our businesses, profitability and liquidity may be adversely affected by deterioration in the credit quality of, or defaults by, 
third parties who owe us money, securities or other assets.

The amount and duration of our credit exposures has been volatile over the past several years. This exposes us to the increased 
risk that third parties who owe us money, securities or other assets will not perform their obligations. These parties may default 
on their obligations to us due to bankruptcy, lack of liquidity, operational failure or other reasons. Deterioration in the credit 
quality of securities or obligations we hold could result in losses and adversely affect our ability to rehypothecate or otherwise 
use those securities or obligations for liquidity purposes. A significant downgrade in the credit ratings of our counterparties 
could also have a negative impact on our results. Default rates, downgrades and disputes with counterparties as to the valuation 
of collateral tend to increase in times of market stress and illiquidity. Although we review credit exposures to specific clients 
and counterparties and to specific industries that we believe may present credit concerns, default risk may arise from events or 
circumstances that are difficult to detect or foresee. Also, concerns about, or a default by, one institution generally leads to losses, 
significant liquidity problems, or defaults by other institutions, which in turn adversely affects our business.

11

Particular activities or products within our business have exposed us to increasing credit risk, including inventory positions, 
interest rate swap contracts with customer credit exposure, merchant banking debt investments, counterparty risk with two major 
financial institutions related to customer interest rate swap contracts without customer credit exposure, investment banking and 
advisory fee receivables, customer margin accounts, and trading counterparty activities related to settlement and similar activities. 
With respect to interest rate swap contracts with customer credit exposure, we have credit exposure with six counterparties 
totaling $22.0 million at December 31, 2013 as part of our matched-book interest rate swap program. In the event of a termination 
of the contract, the counterparty would owe us the applicable amount of the credit exposure, and we would owe that amount to 
our hedging counterparty. If our counterparty is unable to make its payment to us, we would still be obligated to pay our hedging 
counterparty, resulting in credit losses. With respect to merchant banking investments, we have one debt investment totaling 
$11.6 million as of December 31, 2013. Non-performance by our counterparties, clients and others, including with respect to 
our inventory positions, interest rate swap contracts with customer credit exposures and our merchant banking debt investments 
could result in losses, potentially material, and thus have a significant adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

An  inability  to  access  capital  readily  or  on  terms  favorable  to  us  could  impair  our  ability  to  fund  operations  and  could 
jeopardize our financial condition and results of operations.

Liquidity, or ready access to funds, is essential to our business. Several large financial institutions failed or merged with 
others during the credit crisis following significant declines in asset values in securities held by these institutions, and, during 
2011, a financial institution failed due to liquidity issues related to the European sovereign debt crisis. To fund our business, we 
rely on commercial paper and bank financing as well as other funding sources such as the repurchase markets. Our bank financing 
includes uncommitted credit lines, which could become unavailable to us on relatively short notice. In an effort to mitigate this 
funding risk, we renewed a $250 million credit facility for the fifth consecutive year in 2013, and also issued $125 million of 
unsecured variable rate notes at the end of 2012, refinancing a three-year secured credit facility. The notes consist of two classes, 
with $50 million maturing in May 2014 and $75 million maturing in November 2015. In order to further diversify our short-
term funding needs, we also continue to maintain our $300 million and $150 million commercial paper programs, and initiated 
a third commercial program in the amount of $100 million during 2013.

Our access to funding sources, particularly uncommitted funding sources, could be hindered by many factors, and many of 
these factors we cannot control, such as economic downturns, the disruption of financial markets, the failure or consolidation 
of other financial institutions, negative news about the financial industry generally or us specifically. We could experience 
disruptions with our credit facilities in the future, including the loss of liquidity sources and/or increased borrowing costs, if 
lenders  or  investors  develop  a  negative  perception  of  our  short-  or  long-term  financial  prospects,  which  could  result  from 
decreased business activity. Our liquidity also could be impacted by the activities resulting in concentration of risk, including 
proprietary activities from long-term investments and/or investments in specific markets or products without liquidity. Our 
access to funds may be impaired if regulatory authorities take significant action against us, or if we discover that one of our 
employees has engaged in serious unauthorized or illegal activity.

In the future, we may need to incur debt or issue equity in order to fund our working capital requirements, as well as to 
execute our growth initiatives that may include acquisitions and other investments. Similarly, our access to funding sources may 
be contingent upon terms and conditions that may limit or restrict our business activities and growth initiatives. For example, 
the institutional notes noted above include covenants that, among other things, limit our leverage ratio and require maintenance 
of certain levels tangible net worth, regulatory net capital, and operating cash flow to fixed charges.

Lastly, we currently do not have a credit rating, which could adversely affect our liquidity and competitive position by 
increasing our borrowing costs and limiting access to sources of liquidity that require a credit rating as a condition to providing 
funds.

Concentration of risk increases the potential for significant losses.

Concentration of risk increases the potential for significant losses in our sales and trading, proprietary trading, merchant 
banking and underwriting businesses. We have committed capital to these businesses, and we may take substantial positions in 
particular types of securities and/or issuers. This concentration of risk may cause us to suffer losses even when economic and 
market conditions are generally favorable for our competitors. Further, disruptions in the credit markets can make it difficult to 
hedge exposures effectively and economically. We also experience concentration of risk in our role as remarketing agent and 
broker dealer for certain types of municipal securities, including in our role as remarketing agent for approximately $3.3 billion 
of variable rate demand notes. In an effort to facilitate liquidity, we may (but are not required to) increase our inventory positions 
in securities, exposing ourselves to greater concentration of risk and potential financial losses from the reduction in value of 

12

illiquid positions. Further, inventory positions that benefit from a liquidity provider, such as certain types of variable rate demand 
notes, may be adversely affected by an event that results in termination of the liquidity provider's obligation, such as an insolvency 
or ratings downgrade of the monoline insurer.

Our underwriting and market-making activities may place our capital at risk.

We may incur losses and be subject to reputational harm to the extent that, for any reason, we are unable to sell securities 
we purchased as an underwriter at the anticipated price levels. As an underwriter, we also are subject to heightened standards 
regarding liability for material misstatements or omissions in prospectuses and other offering documents relating to offerings 
we underwrite. Further, even though underwriting agreements with issuing companies typically include a right to indemnification 
in  favor  of  the  underwriter  for  these  offerings  to  cover  potential  liability  from  any  material  misstatements  or  omissions, 
indemnification may be unavailable or insufficient in certain circumstances, for example if the issuing company has become 
insolvent. These underwriting-related risks may be greater with respect to our now-discontinued business in Asia because the 
Asian capital markets are generally less developed than those of the U.S. and many Asia-based issuer companies are less mature 
than may be the case in the U.S. and may have a higher risk profile. Additionally, indemnification and other contractual obligations 
of Asia-based companies may offer less protection to underwriters than they do for U.S. companies; Asia-based companies may 
have no assets in the U.S. upon which collection could be made, and a legal judgment obtained in the U.S. (for example related 
to an indemnification obligation) may be unenforceable in Asia.

As a market maker, we may own large positions in specific securities, and these undiversified holdings concentrate the risk 

of market fluctuations and may result in greater losses than would be the case if our holdings were more diversified.

Our technology systems, including outsourced systems, are critical components of our operations, and failure of those systems 
or other aspects of our operations infrastructure may disrupt our business, cause financial loss and constrain our growth.

We typically transact thousands of securities trades on a daily basis across multiple markets. Our data and transaction 
processing,  custody,  financial,  accounting  and  other  technology  and  operating  systems  are  essential  to  this  task. A  system 
malfunction (due to hardware failure, capacity overload, security incident, data corruption, etc.) or mistake made relating to the 
processing of transactions could result in financial loss, liability to clients, regulatory intervention, reputational damage and 
constraints on our ability to grow. We outsource a substantial portion of our critical data processing activities, including trade 
processing and back office data processing. For example, we have entered into contracts with Broadridge Financial Solutions, 
Inc. pursuant to which Broadridge handles our trade and back office processing, and Unisys Corporation, pursuant to which 
Unisys supports our data center and helpdesk needs. We also contract with third parties for market data services, which constantly 
broadcast news, quotes, analytics and other relevant information to our employees. We contract with other vendors to produce 
and mail our customer statements and to provide other services. In the event that any of these service providers fails to adequately 
perform such services or the relationship between that service provider and us is terminated, we may experience a significant 
disruption in our operations, including our ability to timely and accurately process transactions or maintain complete and accurate 
records of those transactions.

Adapting or developing our technology systems to meet new regulatory requirements, client needs, geographic expansion 
and industry demands also is critical for our business. Introduction of new technologies present new challenges on a regular 
basis. We have an ongoing need to upgrade and improve our various technology systems, including our data and transaction 
processing, financial, accounting, risk management and trading systems. This need could present operational issues or require 
significant capital spending. It also may require us to make additional investments in technology systems and may require us 
to reevaluate the current value and/or expected useful lives of our technology systems, which could negatively impact our results 
of operations.

Secure processing, storage and transmission of confidential and other information in our internal and outsourced computer 
systems and networks also is critically important to our business. We take protective measures and endeavor to modify them as 
circumstances warrant. However, our computer systems, software and networks may be vulnerable to unauthorized access, 
computer viruses or other malicious code, inadvertent, erroneous or intercepted transmission of information (including by e-
mail), and other events that could have an information security impact. If one or more of such events occur, this potentially 
could jeopardize our or our clients' or counterparties' confidential and other information processed and stored in, and transmitted 
through,  our  computer  systems  and  networks,  or  otherwise  cause  interruptions  or  malfunctions  in  our,  our  clients',  our 
counterparties' or third parties' operations. We may be required to expend significant additional resources to modify our protective 
measures or to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities or other exposures, and we may be subject to litigation and financial 
losses that are either not insured against or not fully covered through any insurance maintained by us.

13

A disruption in the infrastructure that supports our business due to fire, natural disaster, health emergency (for example, a 
disease pandemic), power or communication failure, act of terrorism or war may affect our ability to service and interact with 
our clients. If we are not able to implement contingency plans effectively, any such disruption could harm our results of operations. 

Legislative and regulatory proposals could significantly curtail the revenue from certain products that we currently provide.

Currently, federal law allows investors in debt issuances by government and non-profit entities to exclude the bond interest 
for federal income tax purposes, resulting in lower interest expense for the issuer as compared to a taxable financing. In recent 
years, federal lawmakers have presented various proposals to limit or eliminate the tax-exempt status of this bond interest, and 
further negotiations in 2014 regarding the budget deficit and federal spending cuts may also include similar proposals.  Our 
public finance investment banking business receives significant revenues as a result of underwriting activity in connection with 
debt issuances by government and non-profit clients, primarily on a tax-exempt basis. Also, a significant percentage of our 
securities inventory — both positions held for client activity and our own proprietary trading positions — consist of municipal 
securities. Any reduction or elimination of tax-exempt bond interest could negatively impact the value of the municipal securities 
we hold in our securities inventory as well as our public finance investment banking business more generally, which would 
negatively impact the results of operations for these businesses.

Another proposal to address current debt and deficit levels is the levying of a sales tax on financial transactions, similar to 
that currently in place in certain European countries and proposed in region more broadly. Referred to as a “transactions tax” 
or “financial transactions tax,” this proposal would tax trading and other financial services activity in an effort to increase tax 
receipts. These proposals, which have been introduced both at the federal and state level, propose various tax rates for different 
types of transactions, encompassing activities within investment banking, institutional brokerage, and asset management. One 
such  proposal,  introduced  in  the  U.S.  House  of  Representatives  in  2011,  proposed  various  tax  rates  for  different  types  of 
transactions, including a 0.25% tax on equity transactions. A similar tax was proposed in the state of Minnesota in early 2013 
that would expand the sales tax base to include brokerage and investment consulting, which may include the activities noted 
above. This type of transaction tax would erode commission revenue, and also have a negative impact on our investment banking 
and asset management activities by increasing the costs associated with these businesses.

We have experienced volume declines and pricing pressures in our institutional sales and trading business, which may impair 
our revenues and profitability.

In recent years, we have experienced volume declines and pricing pressures within our institutional sales and trading business. 
In the fixed income market, regulatory requirements have resulted in greater price transparency, leading to increased price 
competition and decreased trading margins in certain instances. In the equity market, volumes have declined and institutional 
clients increasingly limit the number of trading partners with whom they conduct business. The increased use of electronic and 
direct market access trading has caused additional downward competitive pressure on trading margins, and the trend toward 
using alternative trading systems continues to grow. These market dynamics may result in decreased trading revenue, reduce 
our participation in the trading markets and our ability to access market information, and lead to the creation of new and stronger 
competitors. Institutional clients also have pressured financial services firms to alter “soft dollar” practices under which brokerage 
firms bundle the cost of trade execution with research products and services. Some institutions are entering into arrangements 
that separate (or “unbundle”) payments for research products or services from sales commissions. These arrangements have 
increased the competitive pressures on sales commissions and have affected the value our clients place on high-quality research. 
Additional pressure on sales and trading revenue may impair the profitability of our business. Moreover, our inability to reach 
agreement regarding the terms of unbundling arrangements with institutional clients who are actively seeking such arrangements 
could result in the loss of those clients, which would likely reduce our institutional commissions. We believe that price competition 
and pricing pressures in these and other areas will continue as institutional investors continue to reduce the amounts they are 
willing to pay, including by reducing the number of brokerage firms they use, and some of our competitors seek to obtain market 
share by reducing fees, commissions or margins.

Our ability to attract, develop and retain highly skilled and productive employees is critical to the success of our business.

Historically,  the  market  for  qualified  employees  within  the  financial  services  industry  has  been  marked  by  intense 
competition, and the performance of our business may suffer to the extent we are unable to attract and retain employees effectively, 
particularly given the relatively small size of our company and our employee base compared to some of our competitors and 
the geographic locations in which we operate. The primary sources of revenue in each of our business lines are commissions 
and  fees  earned  on  advisory  and  underwriting  transactions  and  customer  accounts  managed  by  our  employees,  who  have 
historically been recruited by other firms and in certain cases are able to take their client relationships with them when they 

14

change firms. Some specialized areas of our business are operated by a relatively small number of employees, the loss of any 
of whom could jeopardize the continuation of that business following the employee's departure.

Further, recruiting and retention success often depends on the ability to deliver competitive compensation, and we may be 
at a disadvantage to some competitors given our size and financial resources. Our inability or unwillingness to meet compensation 
needs  or  demands  may  result  in  the  loss  of  some  of  our  professionals  or  the  inability  to  recruit  additional  professionals  at 
compensation levels that are within our target range for compensation and benefits expense. Our ability to retain and recruit also 
may be hindered if we limit our aggregate annual compensation and benefits expense as a percentage of annual net revenues.

Our exposure to legal liability is significant, and could lead to substantial damages.

We face significant legal risks in our businesses. These risks include potential liability under securities laws and regulations 
in connection with our capital markets, asset management and other businesses. The volume and amount of damages claimed 
in litigation, arbitrations, regulatory enforcement actions and other adversarial proceedings against financial services firms have 
increased in recent years. Our experience has been that adversarial proceedings against financial services firms typically increase 
during  and  following  a  market  downturn. We  also  are  subject  to  claims  from  disputes  with  our  employees  and  our  former 
employees under various circumstances. Risks associated with legal liability often are difficult to assess or quantify and their 
existence and magnitude can remain unknown for significant periods of time, making the amount of legal reserves related to 
these legal liabilities difficult to determine and subject to future revision. Legal or regulatory matters involving our directors, 
officers or employees in their individual capacities also may create exposure for us because we may be obligated or may choose 
to indemnify the affected individuals against liabilities and expenses they incur in connection with such matters to the extent 
permitted under applicable law. In addition, like other financial services companies, we may face the possibility of employee 
fraud or misconduct. The precautions we take to prevent and detect this activity may not be effective in all cases and there can 
be no assurance that we will be able to deter or prevent fraud or misconduct. Exposures from and expenses incurred related to 
any of the foregoing actions or proceedings could have a negative impact on our results of operations and financial condition. 
In addition, future results of operations could be adversely affected if reserves relating to these legal liabilities are required to 
be increased or legal proceedings are resolved in excess of established reserves.

Our business is subject to extensive regulation in the jurisdictions in which we operate, and a significant regulatory action 
against our company may have a material adverse financial effect or cause significant reputational harm to our company.

As a participant in the financial services industry, we are subject to complex and extensive regulation of many aspects of 
our business by U.S. federal and state regulatory agencies, self-regulatory organizations (including securities exchanges) and 
by foreign governmental agencies, regulatory bodies and securities exchanges. Specifically, our operating subsidiaries include 
broker dealer and related securities entities organized in the United States and the United Kingdom, and we have applied for a 
regulatory license in  Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (“PRC”) as we expect to 
maintain a more limited presence in the region to facilitate our U.S. advisory business following the cessation of operations in 
2012. Each of these entities is registered or licensed (or has applied to be licensed) with the applicable local securities regulator 
and is subject to all of the applicable rules and regulations promulgated by those authorities. In addition, our asset management 
subsidiaries, ARI, PJIM, and PJC Capital Partners LLC are registered as investment advisers with the SEC and subject to the 
regulation and oversight by the SEC.

Generally, the requirements imposed by our regulators are designed to ensure the integrity of the financial markets and to 
protect customers and other third parties who deal with us. These requirements are not designed to protect our shareholders. 
Consequently, broker dealer regulations often serve to limit our activities, through net capital, customer protection and market 
conduct requirements and restrictions on the businesses in which we may operate or invest. We also must comply with asset 
management regulations, including requirements related to fiduciary duties to clients, recordkeeping and reporting and customer 
disclosures.  Compliance  with  many  of  these  regulations  entails  a  number  of  risks,  particularly  in  areas  where  applicable 
regulations may be newer or unclear.  In addition, regulatory authorities in all jurisdictions in which we conduct business may 
intervene in our business and we and our employees could be fined or otherwise disciplined for violations or prohibited from 
engaging in some of our business activities.

The laws, rules and regulations comprising this regulatory framework can (and do) change frequently, as can the interpretation 
and enforcement of existing laws, rules and regulations. Recent conditions in the global financial markets and economy, including 
the 2008 financial crisis, caused legislators and regulators to increase the examination, enforcement and rule-making activity 
directed toward the financial services industry, which we expect to continue in the coming years. In 2010,  the federal government 
passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank”). Dodd-Frank significantly restructures 

15

and intensifies regulation in the financial services industry, with provisions that include, among other things, the creation of a 
new systemic risk oversight body, expansion of the authority of existing regulators, increased regulation of and restrictions on 
OTC derivatives markets and transactions, broadening of the reporting and regulation of executive compensation, expansion of 
the standards for market participants in dealing with clients and customers, and regulation of fiduciary duties owed by municipal 
advisors or conduit borrowers of municipal securities. The intensified regulatory environment will likely alter certain business 
practices and change the competitive landscape of the financial services industry, which may have an adverse effect on our 
business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business also subjects us to the complex income tax laws of the jurisdictions in which we have business operations, 
and these tax laws may be subject to different interpretations by the taxpayer and the relevant governmental taxing authorities. 
We must make judgments and interpretations about the application of these inherently complex tax laws when determining the 
provision for income taxes. We are subject to contingent tax risk that could adversely affect our results of operations, to the 
extent  that  our  interpretations  of  tax  laws  are  disputed  upon  examination  or  audit,  and  are  settled  in  amounts  in  excess  of 
established reserves for such contingencies.

The effort to combat money laundering also has become a high priority in governmental policy with respect to financial 
institutions.  The  obligation  of  financial  institutions,  including  ourselves,  to  identify  their  customers,  watch  for  and  report 
suspicious transactions, respond to requests for information by regulatory authorities and law enforcement agencies, and share 
information with other financial institutions, has required the implementation and maintenance of internal practices, procedures 
and controls which have increased, and may continue to increase, our costs. Any failure with respect to our programs in this 
area could subject us to serious regulatory consequences, including substantial fines, and potentially other liabilities. In addition, 
our international operations require compliance with anti-bribery laws, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. 
Bribery Act 2010. These laws generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from engaging in bribery or making other 
improper payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business or gaining an unfair business advantage. 
While our employees and agents are required to comply with these laws, we cannot ensure that our internal control policies and 
procedures will always protect us from intentional, reckless or negligent acts committed by our employees or agents, which acts 
could subject our company to fines or other regulatory consequences.

Risk management processes may not fully mitigate exposure to the various risks that we face, including market risk, liquidity 
risk and credit risk.

We  refine  our  risk  management  techniques,  strategies  and  assessment  methods  on  an  ongoing  basis.  However,  risk 
management techniques and strategies, both ours and those available to the market generally, may not be fully effective in 
mitigating our risk exposure in all economic market environments or against all types of risk. For example, we might fail to 
identify or anticipate particular risks that our systems are capable of identifying, or the systems that we use, and that are used 
within the industry generally, may not be capable of identifying certain risks. Some of our strategies for managing risk are based 
upon our use of observed historical market behavior. We apply statistical and other tools to these observations to quantify our 
risk exposure. Any failures in our risk management techniques and strategies to accurately quantify our risk exposure could 
limit our ability to manage risks. In addition, any risk management failures could cause our losses to be significantly greater 
than the historical measures indicate. Further, our quantified modeling does not take all risks into account. Our more qualitative 
approach to managing those risks could prove insufficient, exposing us to material unanticipated losses.

Use of derivative instruments as part of our risk management techniques may not effectively hedge the risks associated with 
activities in certain of our businesses.

We use interest rate swaps, interest rate locks, credit default swap index contracts and option contracts as a means to manage 
risk in certain inventory positions and to facilitate customer transactions. With respect to risk management, we enter into derivative 
contracts to hedge interest rate and market value risks associated with our security positions, including fixed income inventory 
positions we hold both for facilitating client activity as well as for our own proprietary trading operations. The instruments use 
interest rates based upon either the Municipal Market Data (“MMD”) index, LIBOR or SIFMA index. We also enter into credit 
default swap index contracts to hedge risks associated with our taxable fixed income securities, and option contracts to hedge 
market value risk associated with convertible securities and asset-backed securities. Generally, we do not hedge all of our interest 
rate risk. In addition, these hedging strategies may not work in all market environments and as a result may not be effective in 
mitigating interest rate and market value credit risk, especially when market volatility reduces the correlation between a hedging 
vehicle and the securities inventory being hedged.

16

With respect to customer transactions, our fixed income business provides swaps and other interest rate hedging products 
to public finance clients, which we in turn hedge through a counterparty. There are risks inherent in our use of these products, 
including counterparty exposure and basis risk. Counterparty exposure refers to the risk that the amount of collateral in our 
possession on any given day may not be sufficient to fully cover the current value of the swaps if a counterparty were to suddenly 
default. Basis risk refers to risks associated with swaps where changes in the value of the swaps may not exactly mirror changes 
in the value of the cash flows they are hedging. It is possible that we may incur losses from our exposure to derivative and 
interest rate hedging products and the increased use of these products in the future. For example, if the derivative instruments 
that we use to hedge the risks associated with interest rate swap contracts with public finance clients where we have retained 
the credit risk are terminated as a result of a client credit event, we may incur losses if we make a payment to our hedging 
counterparty without recovering any amounts from our client.

The use of estimates and valuations in measuring fair value involve significant estimation and judgment by management.

We make various estimates that affect reported amounts and disclosures. Broadly, those estimates are used in measuring 
fair value of certain financial instruments, accounting for goodwill and intangible assets, establishing provisions for potential 
losses  that  may  arise  from  litigation,  and  regulatory  proceedings  and  tax  examinations.  Estimates  are  based  on  available 
information and judgment. Therefore, actual results could differ from our estimates and that difference could have a material 
effect on our consolidated financial statements.

Certain financial instruments, including financial instruments and other inventory positions owned, and financial instruments 
and other inventory positions sold but not yet purchased, are recorded at fair value, and unrealized gains and losses related to 
these financial instruments are reflected on our consolidated statements of operations. The fair value of a financial instrument 
is the amount at which the instrument could be exchanged in a current transaction between willing parties, other than in a forced 
or liquidation sale. Where available, fair value is based on observable market prices or parameters or derived from such prices 
or parameters. Where observable prices or inputs are not available, valuation models are applied. These valuation techniques 
involve management estimation and judgment, the degree of which is dependent on the price transparency for the instruments 
or market and the instruments' complexity. Difficult market environments, such as those experienced in 2008, may cause financial 
instruments to become substantially more illiquid and difficult to value, increasing the use of valuation models. Our future results 
of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected by the valuation adjustments that we apply to these financial 
instruments.

We may make strategic acquisitions and minority investments, engage in joint ventures or divest or exit existing businesses, 
which could cause us to incur unforeseen expenses and have disruptive effects on our business but may not yield the benefits 
we expect.

We may grow in part through corporate development activities that may include acquisitions, joint ventures and minority 
investment stakes. For example, we expanded our existing asset management business in March 2010 with the acquisition of 
ARI, a Chicago-based asset management firm, and we added to our public finance and fixed income sales and trading and 
corporate advisory businesses with our acquisitions of Seattle-Northwest Securities Corporation and Edgeview Partners, L.P. 
in July 2013. There are a number of risks associated with corporate development activities. Costs or difficulties relating to a 
transaction, including integration of products, employees, technology systems, accounting systems and management controls, 
may be difficult to predict accurately and be greater than expected causing our estimates to differ from actual results. We may 
be unable to retain key personnel after the transaction, and the transaction may impair relationships with customers and business 
partners. We may incur unforeseen liabilities of an acquired company that could impose significant and unanticipated legal costs 
on us. Also, our share price could decline after we announce or complete a transaction if investors view the transaction as too 
costly or unlikely to improve our competitive position. Longer-term, these activities require increased investment in management 
personnel, financial and management systems and controls and facilities, which, in the absence of continued revenue growth, 
would cause our operating margins to decline. More generally, any difficulties that we experience could disrupt our ongoing 
business, increase our expenses and adversely affect our operating results and financial condition. We also may be unable to 
achieve anticipated benefits and synergies from the transaction as fully as expected or within the expected time frame. Divestitures 
or elimination of existing businesses or products could have similar effects. For example, we shut down our Hong Kong capital 
markets business in 2012, and realized a pre-tax loss on the investment in our Hong Kong subsidiaries.

17

We enter into off-balance sheet arrangements that may be required to be consolidated on our financial statements based on 
future events outside of our control, including changes in complex accounting standards.

In the normal course of our business, we periodically create or transact with entities that are investment vehicles organized 
as limited partnerships or limited liability companies, established for the purpose of investing in equity or debt securities of 
public and private companies or various partnership entities. Certain of these entities have been identified as variable interest 
entities (“VIEs”). We are required to consolidate onto our consolidated statement of financial condition all VIEs for which we 
are considered to be the primary beneficiary as defined under applicable accounting standards. The assessment of whether the 
accounting criteria for consolidation are met requires management to exercise significant judgment. If certain events occur that 
require us to re-assess our initial determination of non-consolidation or if our judgment of non-consolidation is in error, we 
could be required to consolidate the assets and liabilities of a VIE onto our consolidated statement of financial condition and 
recognize its future gains or losses in our consolidated statement of operations. For reasons outside of our control, including 
changes in existing accounting standards, or interpretations of those standards, the risk of consolidation of these VIEs could 
increase. Further consolidation would affect the size of our consolidated statement of financial condition.

The financial services industry and the markets in which we operate are subject to systemic risk that could adversely affect 
our business and results.

Participants in the financial services industry and markets increasingly are closely interrelated as a result of credit, trading, 
clearing, technology and other relationships between them. A significant adverse development with one participant (such as a 
bankruptcy or default) may spread to others and lead to significant concentrated or market-wide problems (such as defaults, 
liquidity problems or losses) for other participants, including us. This systemic risk was evident during 2008 following the 
demise of Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers, and the resulting events (sometimes described as “contagion”) had a negative 
impact on the remaining industry participants, including us. Further, the control and risk management infrastructure of the 
markets in which we operate often is outpaced by financial innovation and growth in new types of securities, transactions and 
markets.  Systemic  risk  is  inherently  difficult  to  assess  and  quantify,  and  its  form  and  magnitude  can  remain  unknown  for 
significant periods of time.

We may suffer losses if our reputation is harmed.

Our ability to attract and retain customers and employees may be diminished to the extent our reputation is damaged. If we 
fail, or are perceived to fail, to address various issues that may give rise to reputational risk, we could harm our business prospects. 
These issues include, but are not limited to, appropriately dealing with market dynamics, potential conflicts of interest, legal 
and  regulatory  requirements,  ethical  issues,  customer  privacy,  record-keeping,  sales  and  trading  practices,  and  the  proper 
identification  of  the  legal,  reputational,  credit,  liquidity  and  market  risks  inherent  in  our  products  and  services.  Failure  to 
appropriately address these issues could give rise to loss of existing or future business, financial loss, and legal or regulatory 
liability, including complaints, claims and enforcement proceedings against us, which could, in turn, subject us to fines, judgments 
and other penalties.

Regulatory capital requirements may limit our ability to expand or maintain our present levels of business or impair our 
ability to meet our financial obligations.

We are subject to the SEC's uniform net capital rule (Rule 15c3-1) and the net capital rule of FINRA, which may limit our 
ability to make withdrawals of capital from Piper Jaffray & Co., our U.S. broker dealer subsidiary. The uniform net capital rule 
sets the minimum level of net capital a broker dealer must maintain and also requires that a portion of its assets be relatively 
liquid. FINRA may prohibit a member firm from expanding its business or paying cash dividends if resulting net capital falls 
below its requirements. Underwriting commitments require a charge against net capital and, accordingly, our ability to make 
underwriting commitments may be limited by the requirement that we must at all times be in compliance with the applicable 
net capital regulations.

As Piper Jaffray Companies is a holding company, it depends on dividends, distributions and other payments from our 
subsidiaries to fund its obligations, including any share repurchases that we may make. The regulatory restrictions described 
above may impede access to funds our holding company needs to make payments on any such obligations.

18

We may not be able to compete successfully with other companies in the financial services industry who often have significantly 
greater resources than we do.

The financial services industry remains extremely competitive, and our revenues and profitability will suffer if we are unable 
to compete effectively. An inability to effectively compete will also have a negative impact on our ability to achieve our strategic 
priorities, which include growth for our public finance, fixed income sales, asset management, and corporate advisory businesses. 
We compete generally on the basis of such factors as quality of advice and service, reputation, price, product selection, transaction 
execution  and  financial  resources.  Pricing  and  other  competitive  pressures  in  investment  banking,  including  trends  toward 
multiple book runners, co-managers, and multiple financial advisors handling transactions, have continued and could adversely 
affect our revenues. The trend toward multiple book runners has also been accompanied by an increasing disparity in the relative 
economics between or among book runners, with the senior book runner(s) receiving a large percentage of the economics.

We remain at a competitive disadvantage given our relatively small size compared to some of our competitors. Large financial 
services firms have a larger capital base, greater access to capital and greater resources than we have, affording them greater 
capacity for risk and potential for innovation, an extended geographic reach and flexibility to offer a broader set of products. 
For example, these firms have used their resources and larger capital base to take advantage of growth in international markets 
and to support their investment banking business by offering credit products to corporate clients, which is a significant competitive 
advantage. With respect to our fixed income institutional and public finance investment banking businesses, it is more difficult 
for us to diversify and differentiate our product set, and our fixed income business mix currently is concentrated in the municipal 
market and to a lesser extent corporate credits and structured mortgage products, potentially with less opportunity for growth 
than other firms which have grown their fixed income businesses by investing in, developing and offering non-traditional products 
(e.g., credit default swaps, interest rate products and currencies and commodities).

The business operations that we conduct outside of the United States subject us to unique risks.

To the extent we conduct business outside the United States, for example in Asia and Europe, we are subject to risks including, 
without limitation, the risk that we will be unable to provide effective operational support to these business activities, the risk 
of non-compliance with foreign laws and regulations, and the general economic and political conditions in countries where we 
conduct business, which may differ significantly from those in the United States. In 2012, we shut down our Hong Kong capital 
markets business following a sustained period of operating losses, though we have applied for a regulatory license in Hong Kong 
to maintain a presence in the region to facilitate advisory engagements. With respect to our Asia-based capital markets activity, 
we facilitated underwritten capital-raising transactions for Asia-based issuers, which may have exposed us to greater underwriting 
risk in our capital markets business as compared to the U.S., as noted above.

Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and of Delaware law may prevent or delay an acquisition of our 
company, which could decrease the market value of our common stock.

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Delaware law contain provisions that are intended to deter abusive takeover 
tactics by making them unacceptably expensive to the raider and to encourage prospective acquirors to negotiate with our board 
of directors rather than to attempt a hostile takeover. These provisions include limitations on our shareholders' ability to act by 
written  consent  and  to  call  special  meetings.  Delaware  law  also  imposes  some  restrictions  on  mergers  and  other  business 
combinations between us and any holder of 15 percent or more of our outstanding common stock. We believe these provisions 
protect our shareholders from coercive or otherwise unfair takeover tactics by requiring potential acquirors to negotiate with 
our board of directors and by providing our board of directors with more time to assess any acquisition proposal, and are not 
intended to make our company immune from takeovers. However, these provisions apply even if the offer may be considered 
beneficial by some shareholders and could delay or prevent an acquisition that our board of directors determines is not in the 
best interests of our company and our shareholders.

ITEM 1B.   UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.

None.

19

ITEM 2.     PROPERTIES.

As of February 19, 2014, we conducted our operations through 45 principal offices in 28 states and in London, Hong Kong 
and Zurich. All of our offices are leased. Our principal executive office is located at 800 Nicollet Mall, Suite 1000, Minneapolis, 
Minnesota and, as of February 19, 2014, comprises approximately 240,000 square feet of leased space (approximately 90,000 
square feet of this space is sublet to others). Our existing sublease arrangement with U.S. Bancorp for our headquarters at 800 
Nicollet Mall expires in May 2014, and our new lease agreement for approximately 124,000 square feet of office space at the 
same location commences on June 1, 2014. This new lease at 800 Nicollet Mall expires on November 30, 2025, and includes 
an option to terminate the lease early effective January 31, 2022.

ITEM 3.     LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

Due to the nature of our business, we are involved in a variety of legal proceedings (including, but not limited to, those 
described below). These proceedings include litigation, arbitration and regulatory proceedings, which may arise from, among 
other things, underwriting or other transactional activity, client account activity, employment matters, regulatory examinations 
of our businesses and investigations of securities industry practices by governmental agencies and self-regulatory organizations. 
The  securities  industry  is  highly  regulated,  and  the  regulatory  scrutiny  applied  to  securities  firms  is  intense,  resulting  in  a 
significant number of regulatory investigations and enforcement actions and uncertainty regarding the likely outcome of these 
matters. 

Litigation-related  expenses  include  amounts  we  reserve  and/or  pay  out  as  legal  and  regulatory  settlements,  awards  or 
judgments, and fines. Parties who initiate litigation and arbitration proceedings against us may seek substantial or indeterminate 
damages, and regulatory investigations can result in substantial fines being imposed on us. We reserve for contingencies related 
to legal proceedings at the time and to the extent we determine the amount to be probable and reasonably estimable. However, 
it  is  inherently  difficult  to  predict  accurately  the  timing  and  outcome  of  legal  proceedings,  including  the  amounts  of  any 
settlements, judgments or fines. We assess each proceeding based on its particular facts, our outside advisors' and our past 
experience with similar matters, and expectations regarding the current legal and regulatory environment and other external 
developments that might affect the outcome of a particular proceeding or type of proceeding. Subject to the foregoing and except 
for the legal proceeding described below, we believe, based on our current knowledge, after appropriate consultation with outside 
legal  counsel  and  taking  into  account  our  established  reserves,  that  pending  legal  actions,  investigations  and  regulatory 
proceedings, will be resolved with no material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or 
cash flows. However, there can be no assurance that our assessments will reflect the ultimate outcome of pending proceedings, 
and the outcome of any particular matter may be material to our operating results for any particular period, depending, in part, 
on the operating results for that period and the amount of established reserves. We generally have denied, or believe that we 
have meritorious defenses and will deny, liability in all significant cases currently pending against us, and we intend to vigorously 
defend such actions. 

ITEM 4.     MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.

Not applicable.

20

PART II

ITEM 5.     MARKET FOR COMMON EQUITY, RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES 

OF EQUITY SECURITIES.

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PJC.” The following table contains historical 
quarterly price information for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012. On February 19, 2014, the last reported sale price 
of our common stock was $39.77.

First Quarter ...............................................................
Second Quarter...........................................................
Third Quarter .............................................................
Fourth Quarter............................................................

$

$

41.97
36.26
36.14
39.55

$

32.95
30.50
30.99
32.33

$

27.20
27.46
27.81
32.13

21.03
20.53
19.56
25.33

2013 Fiscal Year

2012 Fiscal Year

High

Low

High

Low

Shareholders

We had 16,870 shareholders of record and approximately 30,259 beneficial owners of our common stock as of February 19, 

2014.

Dividends

We do not currently pay cash dividends on our common stock. Our board of directors is free to change our dividend policy 
at any time. Restrictions on our U.S. broker dealer subsidiary’s ability to pay dividends are described in Note 27 to the consolidated 
financial statements. 

The table below sets forth the information with respect to purchases made by or on behalf of Piper Jaffray Companies or 
any “affiliated purchaser” (as defined in Rule 10b-18(a)(3) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934), of our common stock 
during the quarter ended December 31, 2013.

Period
Month #1

(October 1, 2013 to October

31, 2013)..............................

Month #2

(November 1, 2013 to

November 30, 2013)............

Month #3

(December 1, 2013 to

December 31, 2013) ............

Total ...........................................

Total Number of
Shares Purchased

Average Price
Paid per Share

Total Number of Shares
Purchased as Part of
Publicly Announced
Plans or Programs

Approximate Dollar
Value of Shares Yet to be
Purchased Under the
Plans or Programs (1)

36,568

8,991

243

45,802

$

$

$

$

32.43

35.62

37.44

33.08

36,568

$

39 million

— $

39 million

— $

39 million

36,568

$

39 million

(1)  On August 24, 2012, we announced that our board of directors had authorized the repurchase of up to $100.0 million of common stock through September 30, 

2014. This share repurchase authorization became effective on October 1, 2012.

In addition, a third-party trustee makes open-market purchases of our common stock from time to time pursuant to the Piper 

Jaffray Companies Retirement Plan, under which participating employees may allocate assets to a company stock fund.

21

 
Stock Performance Graph

The following graph compares the performance of an investment in our common stock from December 31, 2008 through 
December 31, 2013, with the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Diversified Financials Index. The graph assumes $100 was 
invested on December 31, 2008, in each of our common stock, the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Diversified Financials Index 
and that all dividends were reinvested on the date of payment without payment of any commissions. Dollar amounts in the graph 
are rounded to the nearest whole dollar. The performance shown in the graph represents past performance and should not be 
considered an indication of future performance.

FIVE YEAR TOTAL RETURN FOR PIPER JAFFRAY COMPANIES COMMON STOCK,  
THE S&P 500 INDEX AND THE S&P DIVERSIFIED FINANCIALS INDEX

Company/Index
Piper Jaffray Companies ...............
S&P 500 Index.................................
S&P 500 Diversified Financials .....

12/31/2008
100
100
100

12/31/2009
127.29
126.46
130.39

12/31/2010
88.05
145.51
137.01

12/31/2011
50.80
148.59
95.86

12/31/2012
80.81
172.37
135.49

12/31/2013
99.47
228.19
191.57

22

ITEM 6.     SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA. 

The following table presents our selected consolidated financial data in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting 
principles for the periods and dates indicated. The information set forth below should be read in conjunction with “Management’s 
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and notes 
thereto.

(Dollars and shares in thousands, except per share data)
Revenues:

Investment banking ........................................................................
Institutional brokerage....................................................................
Asset management..........................................................................
Interest ............................................................................................
Investment income .........................................................................
Total revenues..............................................................................
Interest expense ..............................................................................
Net revenues ................................................................................

Non-interest expenses:

Compensation and benefits ............................................................
Restructuring and integration costs ................................................
Goodwill impairment .....................................................................
Other...............................................................................................
Total non-interest expenses .........................................................

Income/(loss) from continuing operations before income tax

expense/(benefit)............................................................................
Income tax expense ........................................................................
Net income/(loss) from continuing operations ..............................
Discontinued operations:

Income/(loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax .................
Net income/(loss)..............................................................................
Net income/(loss) applicable to noncontrolling interests ...............
Net income/(loss) applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies ...........

Net income/(loss) applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies'

common shareholders ...................................................................

Amounts applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies

Net income/(loss) from continuing operations...............................
Net income/(loss) from discontinued operations............................
Net income/(loss) applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies ..........

Earnings/(loss) per basic common share

Income/(loss) from continuing operations .....................................
Income/(loss) from discontinued operations ..................................
Earnings/(loss) per basic common share .....................................

Earnings/(loss) per diluted common share

Income/(loss) from continuing operations .....................................
Income/(loss) from discontinued operations ..................................
Earnings/(loss) per diluted common share ..................................

Weighted average number of common shares

2013

248,563
146,648
83,045
50,409
21,566
550,231
25,036
525,195

322,464
4,689
—
122,429
449,582

75,613

20,390

55,223

(4,739)
50,484
5,394

45,090

40,596

49,829
(4,739)
45,090

2.98
(0.28)
2.70

2.98
(0.28)
2.70

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

For the year ended December 31,
2011

2010

2012

232,958
166,642
65,699
37,845
4,903
508,047
19,095
488,952

296,882
3,642
—
119,417
419,941

69,011

19,470

49,541

(5,807)
43,734
2,466

41,268

35,335

47,075
(5,807)
41,268

2.58
(0.32)
2.26

2.58
(0.32)
2.26

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

202,513
135,358
63,307
43,447
8,178
452,803
20,720
432,083

265,015
—
120,298
126,959
512,272

(80,189)

9,120

(89,309)

(11,248)
(100,557)
1,463

$

239,630
161,698
55,948
40,474
5,371
503,121
23,187
479,934

280,047
10,699
—
135,371
426,117

53,817

32,163

21,654

2,276
23,930
(432)

(102,020)

$

24,362

(102,020) (1) $

18,929

(90,772)
(11,248)
(102,020)

(5.79)
(0.72)
(6.51)

$

$

$

$

$

(5.79)
(0.72)
(6.51) (2) $

22,086
2,276
24,362

1.12
0.12
1.23

1.12
0.11
1.23

2009

197,951
218,058
5,122
30,528
(1,027)
450,632
9,716
440,916

257,842
3,541
—
119,444
380,827

60,089

26,706

33,383

(3,187)
30,196
(173)

30,369

24,888

33,556
(3,187)
30,369

1.72
(0.16)
1.56

1.72
(0.16)
1.55

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

Basic ...............................................................................................
Diluted ............................................................................................

15,046
15,061

15,615
15,616

15,672
15,672 (2)

15,348
15,378

15,952
16,007

Other data

Total assets......................................................................................
Long-term debt ...............................................................................
Total common shareholders' equity................................................
Total shareholders' equity...............................................................
Total employees (3)........................................................................

$ 2,318,157
125,000
$
734,676
$
882,072
$
1,026

$ 2,087,733
125,000
$
733,292
$
790,175
$
907

$ 1,655,721
115,000
$
718,391
$
750,600
$
919

$ 2,033,787
125,000
$
813,312
$
818,101
$
922

$ 1,703,330
—
$
778,616
$
782,319
$

934  

(1)  No allocation of income was made due to loss position.
(2)  Earnings per diluted common share is calculated using the basic weighted average number of common shares outstanding for periods in which a loss is 

incurred.

(3)  Number of employees reflect continuing operations.

23

 
ITEM 7.     MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF         

OPERATIONS.

The following information should be read in conjunction with the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements 
and related notes and exhibits included elsewhere in this report. Certain statements in this report may be considered forward-
looking. Statements that are not historical or current facts, including statements about beliefs and expectations, are forward-
looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements other than historical information 
or statements of current condition and may relate to our future plans and objectives and results, and also may include our belief 
regarding the effect of various legal proceedings, as set forth under “Legal Proceedings” in Part I, Item 3 of our Annual Report 
on  Form  10-K  for  the  year  ended  December 31,  2013  and  in  our  subsequent  reports  filed  with  the  SEC.  Forward-looking 
statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from 
those anticipated, including those factors discussed below under “External Factors Impacting Our Business” as well as the factors 
identified under “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, 
as updated in our subsequent reports filed with the SEC. These reports are available at our Web site at www.piperjaffray.com 
and at the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake 
no obligation to update them in light of new information or future events.

Explanation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We have included financial measures that are not prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles 
("GAAP").  These  non-GAAP  financial  measures  include  adjustments  to  exclude  (1)  revenues  and  expenses  related  to 
noncontrolling interests, (2) amortization of intangible assets related to acquisitions, (3) compensation from acquisition-related 
agreements, (4) restructuring and acquisition integration costs and (5) a goodwill impairment charge recognized in 2011. These 
adjustments affect the following financial measures: net revenues, non-compensation expenses, net income applicable to Piper 
Jaffray Companies, earnings per diluted common share, segment net revenues, segment operating expenses, segment pre-tax 
operating income and segment pre-tax operating margin. Management believes that presenting these results and measures on 
an adjusted basis in conjunction with U.S. GAAP measures provides the most meaningful basis for comparison of its operating 
results across periods. 

Executive Overview

Our  continuing  operations  are  principally  engaged  in  providing  investment  banking,  institutional  brokerage,  asset 
management  and  related  financial  services  to  corporations,  private  equity  groups,  public  entities,  non-profit  entities  and 
institutional investors in the United States and Europe. We operate through two reportable business segments:

Capital Markets – The Capital Markets segment provides institutional sales, trading and research services and investment 
banking services. Institutional sales, trading and research services focus on the trading of equity and fixed income products with 
institutions, government and non-profit entities. Revenues are generated through commissions and sales credits earned on equity 
and fixed income institutional sales activities, net interest revenues on trading securities held in inventory, and profits and losses 
from trading these securities. Investment banking services include management of and participation in underwritings, merger 
and acquisition services and public finance activities. Revenues are generated through the receipt of advisory and financing fees. 
Also, we generate revenue through strategic trading activities, which focus on proprietary investments in municipal bonds, 
mortgage-backed securities, equity securities and merchant banking activities, which involve equity or debt investments in late 
stage private companies. As certain of these efforts have matured and an investment process has been developed, we have created 
alternative asset management funds in merchant banking and municipal securities in order to invest firm capital as well as to 
seek capital from outside investors. We receive management and performance fees for managing these funds.

As part of our strategy to grow our public finance business, on July 12, 2013, we completed the acquisition of Seattle-
Northwest Securities Corporation ("Seattle-Northwest"), a Seattle-based investment bank and broker dealer focused on public 
finance in the Northwest region of the U.S. 

On July 16, 2013, we completed the purchase of Edgeview Partners, L.P. ("Edgeview"), a middle-market advisory firm 
specializing in mergers and acquisitions. The acquisition further strengthens our mergers and acquisitions position in the middle 
market and adds resources dedicated to the private equity community. 

24

For more information on our acquisitions of Seattle-Northwest and Edgeview, see Note 4 of our consolidated financial 
statements. We incurred $4.3 million of restructuring, integration and transaction costs in the year ended December 31, 2013 
related to these acquisitions.

Asset Management – The Asset Management segment provides traditional asset management services by taking a value-
driven approach to managing assets in domestic and international equity markets. Additionally, the asset management segment 
manages master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) focused on the energy sector for institutions and individuals. Revenues are 
generated in the form of management and performance fees. Revenues are also generated through investments in the partnerships 
and funds that we manage.

Discontinued Operations – Our discontinued operations for all periods presented include the operating results of our Hong 
Kong capital markets business and Fiduciary Asset Management, LLC ("FAMCO"), an asset management subsidiary. As of 
September 30, 2012, we ceased operations related to our Hong Kong capital markets business. As a result of discontinuing this 
business, we realized net cash proceeds of approximately $19.1 million, due principally to a U.S. tax benefit for the realized 
loss on the investment in our Hong Kong subsidiaries. We sold FAMCO in the second quarter of 2013. FAMCO was classified 
as held for sale as of December 31, 2012. See Note 5 to our consolidated financial statements for further discussion of our 
discontinued operations.

25

Results for the year ended December 31, 2013 

For  the  year  ended  December 31,  2013,  net  income  applicable  to  Piper  Jaffray  Companies,  including  continuing  and 
discontinued operations, was $45.1 million, or $2.70 per diluted common share. Net income applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies 
from continuing operations in 2013 was $49.8 million, or $2.98 per diluted common share, compared with $47.1 million, or 
$2.58 per diluted common share, for the prior-year period. The current period results of operations include a $4.0 million, or 
$0.24 per diluted common share, tax benefit from reversing the full amount of our U.K. subsidiary's deferred tax asset valuation 
allowance. In 2013, we generated a return on average common shareholders' equity of 6.2 percent, compared with 5.7 percent 
for 2012. Net revenues from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2013 were $525.2 million, up 7.4 percent 
from $489.0 million in the year-ago period. In 2013, we recorded increased revenues from our equity-related businesses, asset 
management services and merchant banking activities, offset in part by lower advisory services and fixed income institutional 
brokerage  revenues.  For  the  year  ended  December 31,  2013,  non-compensation  expenses  from  continuing  operations  were 
$127.1 million, up from $123.1 million in 2012. 

For  the  year  ended  December 31,  2013,  adjusted  net  income  applicable  to  Piper  Jaffray  Companies  from  continuing 
operations was $59.5 million(1), or $3.56(1) per diluted common share, compared with $54.3 million(1), or $2.98(1) per diluted 
common share, for the prior-year period. Adjusted net revenues for the year ended December 31, 2013 were $516.4 million(1), 
an increase of 6.5 percent from $484.8 million(1) reported in the year-ago period. For the year ended December 31, 2013, adjusted 
non-compensation expenses were $111.0 million(1), essentially flat compared to $110.8 million(1) for the year ended December 31, 
2012. 

(1)   Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP to adjusted non-GAAP financial information

(Dollars in thousands)
 Net revenues:

Net revenues – U.S. GAAP basis................................................................................................................
Adjustments:

Revenue related to noncontrolling interests............................................................................................
Adjusted net revenues.................................................................................................................................

Non-compensation expenses:

Non-compensation expenses – U.S. GAAP basis.......................................................................................
Adjustments:

Non-compensation expenses related to noncontrolling interests............................................................
Restructuring and integration costs........................................................................................................
Amortization of intangible assets related to acquisitions .......................................................................
Adjusted non-compensation expenses........................................................................................................

Net income from continuing operations applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies:

Net income from continuing operations applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies – U.S. GAAP basis ......
 Adjustments:

Compensation from acquisition-related agreements ..............................................................................
Restructuring and integration costs........................................................................................................
Amortization of intangible assets related to acquisitions .......................................................................
Adjusted net income from continuing operations applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies .......................

Earnings per diluted common share from continuing operations:

 U.S. GAAP basis .......................................................................................................................................
 Adjustments:

Compensation from acquisition-related agreements ..............................................................................
Restructuring and integration costs........................................................................................................
Amortization of intangible assets related to acquisitions .......................................................................
 Non-U.S. GAAP basis, as adjusted ...........................................................................................................

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

Year Ended December 31,

2013

2012

525,195

(8,794)
516,401

127,118

(3,400)
(4,689)
(7,993)
111,036

49,829

1,774
2,865
5,079
59,547

2.98

0.11
0.17
0.30
3.56

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

488,952

(4,174)
484,778

123,059

(1,708)
(3,642)
(6,944)
110,765

47,075

785
2,225
4,243
54,328

2.58

0.04
0.12
0.23
2.98

26

Market Data

The following table provides a summary of relevant market data over the past three years.

Year Ended December 31,
Dow Jones Industrials Average (a).............................
NASDAQ (a)..............................................................
NYSE Average Daily Number of Shares Traded

(millions of shares) ..................................................
NASDAQ Average Daily Number of Shares Traded
(millions of shares) ..................................................

Mergers and Acquisitions

(number of transactions in U.S.) (b) ........................

Public Equity Offerings

(number of transactions in U.S.) (c) (e)...................

Initial Public Offerings

(number of transactions in U.S.) (c) ........................

Managed Municipal Underwritings

2013
16,577
4,177

1,034

1,762

9,146

1,125

221

2012
13,104
3,020

2011
12,218
2,605

2013
v2012

26.5 %
38.3 %

2012
v2011

7.3 %
15.9 %

1,146

1,741

8,400

748

139

1,552

2,042

8,539

663

138

(9.8)%

(26.2)%

1.2 %

(14.7)%

8.9 %

(1.6)%

50.4 %

12.8 %

59.0 %

0.7 %

(number of transactions in U.S.) (d) ........................

11,321

13,115

10,574

(13.7)%

24.0 %

Managed Municipal Underwritings

(value of transactions in billions in U.S.) (d)...........
10-Year Treasuries Average Rate...............................
3-Month Treasuries Average Rate..............................

$

$

331.0
2.35%
0.06%

$

379.6
1.72%
0.07%

287.7
2.79%
0.05%

(12.8)%
36.6 %
(14.3)%

31.9 %
(38.4)%
40.0 %

(a)  Data provided is at period end.
(b)  Source: Securities Data Corporation.
(c)  Source: Dealogic (offerings with reported market value greater than $20 million).
(d)  Source: Thomson Financial.
(e)  Number of transactions includes convertible offerings.

External Factors Impacting Our Business

Performance in the financial services industry in which we operate is highly correlated to the overall strength of economic 
conditions and financial market activity. Overall market conditions are a product of many factors, which are beyond our control 
and mostly unpredictable. These factors may affect the financial decisions made by investors, including their level of participation 
in the financial markets. In turn, these decisions may affect our business results. With respect to financial market activity, our 
profitability is sensitive to a variety of factors, including the demand for investment banking services as reflected by the number 
and size of equity and debt financings and merger and acquisition transactions, the volatility of the equity and fixed income 
markets, changes in interest rates (especially rapid and extreme changes), the level and shape of various yield curves, the volume 
and value of trading in securities, and the demand for asset management services as reflected by the amount of assets under 
management.

Factors that differentiate our business within the financial services industry may also affect our financial results. For example, 
our business focuses on a middle-market clientele in specific industry sectors. If the business environment for our focus sectors 
is impacted disproportionately as compared to the economy as a whole, or does not recover on pace with other sectors of the 
economy, our business and results of operations will be negatively impacted. In addition, our business could be affected differently 
than overall market trends. Given the variability of the capital markets and securities businesses, our earnings may fluctuate 
significantly from period to period, and results for any individual period should not be considered indicative of future results.

27

 
 
As a participant in the financial services industry, we are subject to complex and extensive regulation of our business. In 
recent years and following the credit crisis of 2008, legislators and regulators increased their focus on the regulation of the 
financial services industry, resulting in fundamental changes to the manner in which the industry is regulated and increased 
regulation in a number of areas. For example, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was enacted 
in 2010 bringing sweeping change to financial services regulation in the U.S. Changes in the regulatory environment in which 
we operate could affect our business and the competitive environment, potentially adversely.

Outlook for 2014

In  2014,  we  expect  continuing  improvement  in  U.S.  economic  growth,  modest  appreciation  in  the  equity  markets  and 
gradually increasing U.S. interest rates as the U.S. economy continues to improve by building on momentum that emerged in 
the second half of 2013. We believe that the interest rate environment has largely factored in the Federal Reserve's intention to 
taper bond purchases under its quantitative easing program, and interest rates generally will move in response to the rate of 
economic growth going forward. We are cognizant, however, that quantitative easing may have influenced capital flows into 
certain asset classes. We will monitor the potential impact on our markets as these capital flows normalize in the absence of 
quantitative easing.

Rising interest rates and mixed financial market conditions in 2013 resulted in varied financial results across our debt 
financing  and  fixed  income  institutional  brokerage  businesses.  Our  fixed  income  institutional  brokerage  business  reported 
stronger financial results in the second half of 2013 after overcoming turbulent conditions earlier in the year. Rising interest 
rates negatively impacted our debt financing revenues as public finance issuances decreased as debt refinancing activity became 
less attractive. We anticipate that interest rates will continue to increase gradually throughout 2014, which could impact our debt 
financing and fixed income institutional brokerage revenues. We expect less favorable public finance underwriting conditions 
in 2014 as the demand for refinancing activity subsides in a rising interest rate environment and new issuance activity is not 
expected to entirely offset this decline.  Our public finance underwriting business is expected to benefit from increased market 
share and our fixed income institutional sales and trading activities is expected to benefit from the expansion of our middle 
market sales force. We will continue to manage our inventories and hedging strategies to mitigate market volatility and our 
exposure to rising interest rates. 

The equity markets experienced significant appreciation in 2013 and volatility remained low. Each of our equity-related 
businesses benefited from these favorable market conditions. We believe that the equity markets will continue to appreciate in 
2014, but at more modest levels that may include a period of market correction. Conditions should continue to be accommodative 
for our equity-related businesses, however, a period of market correction may be disruptive to our capital raising, while our 
trading business should benefit from higher volatility. In 2014, we expect to reap the full-year benefits of the investments we 
made in 2013. 

Asset management revenues will continue to be dependent upon equity valuations and our investment performance, which 

can impact the amount of client inflows and outflows of assets under management.

Results of Operations

To provide comparative information of our operating results for the periods presented, a discussion of adjusted segment 
results follows the discussion of our total consolidated U.S. GAAP results. Our adjusted segment results exclude certain revenue 
and expenses required under U.S. GAAP. See the sections titled "Explanation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and "Segment 
Performance from Continuing Operations" in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of 
Operations for additional discussion and reconciliations.

28

Financial Summary

The following table provides a summary of the results of our operations on a U.S. GAAP basis and the results of our 

operations as a percentage of net revenues for the periods indicated.

Year Ended December 31,

2013

2012

2011

2013
v2012

2012
v2011

As a Percentage of
Net Revenues for the
Year Ended December 31,

2013

2012

2011

(Dollars in thousands)
Revenues:

Investment banking ...........................
Institutional brokerage.......................
Asset management.............................
Interest ...............................................
Investment income.............................
Total revenues.................................

$ 248,563
146,648
83,045
50,409
21,566
550,231

$ 232,958
166,642
65,699
37,845
4,903
508,047

$ 202,513
135,358
63,307
43,447
8,178
452,803

Interest expense .................................

25,036

19,095

20,720

Net revenues ...................................

525,195

488,952

432,083

Non-interest expenses:

Compensation and benefits................
Occupancy and equipment ................
Communications................................
Floor brokerage and clearance...........
Marketing and business
development ....................................
Outside services.................................
Restructuring and integration costs ...
Goodwill impairment.........................
Intangible asset amortization
expense ............................................
Other operating expenses ..................
Total non-interest expenses.............

Income/(loss) from continuing
operations before income tax
expense ..............................................

322,464
25,493
21,431
8,270

21,603
32,982
4,689
—

7,993
4,657
449,582

296,882
26,454
20,543
8,054

19,908
27,998
3,642
—

6,944
9,516
419,941

265,015
28,430
22,121
8,925

22,640
27,570
—
120,298

7,256
10,017
512,272

75,613

69,011

(80,189)

Income tax expense ...........................

20,390

19,470

9,120

6.7%
(12.0)
26.4
33.2
339.9
8.3

31.1

7.4

8.6
(3.6)
4.3
2.7

8.5
17.8
28.7
N/M

15.1
(51.1)
7.1

15.0%
23.1
3.8
(12.9)
(40.0)
12.2

47.3% 47.6% 46.9 %
27.9
34.1
15.8
13.4
9.6
7.7
4.1
1.0
104.8
103.9

31.3
14.7
10.1
1.9
104.8

(7.8)

4.8

3.9

4.8

13.2

100.0

100.0

100.0

12.0
(7.0)
(7.1)
(9.8)

(12.1)
1.6
N/M
N/M

(4.3)
(5.0)
(18.0)

61.4
4.9
4.1
1.6

4.1
6.3
0.9
—

1.5
0.9
85.6

14.4

3.9

60.7
5.4
4.2
1.6

4.1
5.7
0.7
—

1.4
1.9
85.9

61.3
6.6
5.1
2.1

5.2
6.4
—
27.8

1.7
2.3
118.6

14.1

(18.6)

4.0

2.1

9.6

4.7

N/M

113.5

Income/(loss) from continuing
operations..........................................

Discontinued operations:

Loss from discontinued operations,
net of tax ..........................................

55,223

49,541

(89,309)

11.5

N/M

10.5

10.1

(20.8)

(4,739)

(5,807)

(11,248)

(18.4)

(48.4)

(0.9)

(1.2)

(2.6)

Net income/(loss).................................

50,484

43,734

(100,557)

15.4

N/M

5,394

2,466

1,463

118.7

68.6%

9.6

1.0

8.9

0.5

(23.3)

0.3

Net income applicable to
noncontrolling interests ...................

Net income/(loss) applicable to
Piper Jaffray Companies.................

N/M – Not meaningful

$

45,090

$

41,268

$ (102,020)

9.3%

N/M

8.6%

8.4% (23.6)%

29

 
For the year ended December 31, 2013, we recorded net income applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies, including continuing 
and discontinued operations, of $45.1 million. The current period results of operations include a $4.0 million tax benefit from 
reversing the full amount of our U.K. subsidiary's deferred tax asset valuation allowance. Net revenues from continuing operations 
for the year ended December 31, 2013 were $525.2 million, a 7.4 percent increase compared to $489.0 million in the year-ago 
period. In 2013, investment banking revenues were $248.6 million, compared with $233.0 million in the prior-year period due 
to higher equity financing revenues, offset in part by a decline in advisory revenues. For the year ended December 31, 2013, 
institutional brokerage revenues decreased 12.0 percent to $146.6 million, compared with $166.6 million in 2012. The decline 
was driven by lower fixed income strategic trading results in 2013. In 2013, asset management fees increased 26.4 percent to 
$83.0 million, compared with $65.7 million in 2012, due to higher management fees from increased assets under management 
and higher performance fees earned in the fourth quarter of 2013. In 2013, net interest income increased 35.3 percent  to $25.4 
million, compared with $18.8 million in 2012. The increase was primarily the result of higher net interest income attributable 
to noncontrolling interests from our municipal bond fund, as well as higher inventory balances in mortgage-backed and municipal 
securities. For the year ended December 31, 2013, investment income was $21.6 million, compared with $4.9 million in the 
prior-year period as we recorded higher investment gains associated with our merchant banking and firm investments. Non-
interest expenses from continuing operations were $449.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, an increase of 7.1 
percent compared to $419.9 million in the prior year, primarily resulting from higher compensation expenses due to an increased 
revenue base. 

For the year ended December 31, 2012, we recorded net income applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies, including continuing 
and discontinued operations, of $41.3 million. Net revenues from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2012 
were $489.0 million, a 13.2 percent increase from 2011. In 2012, investment banking revenues were $233.0 million, compared 
with $202.5 million in 2011, due to higher public finance and advisory services revenues. For the year ended December 31, 
2012, institutional brokerage revenues increased 23.1 percent to $166.6 million, compared with $135.4 million in 2011, driven 
by strong fixed income strategic trading revenues. In 2012, asset management fees were $65.7 million, up modestly compared 
with 2011. Net interest income in 2012 decreased 17.5 percent to $18.8 million, compared with $22.7 million in 2011. The 
decrease was primarily the result of a strategic decision to further diversify from overnight funding sources to short term funding 
sources with extended terms. These short term funding sources with extended terms typically have higher interest costs than 
overnight financing obtained from repurchase obligations. The change in net interest income is also partly attributable to a 
decline of our average long inventory balances. For the year ended December 31, 2012, investment income was $4.9 million, 
compared with $8.2 million in 2011 as we recorded higher investment gains associated with our merchant banking investments 
in 2011. In 2012, non-interest expenses from continuing operations were $419.9 million, compared with $392.0 million in 2011, 
which  excludes  the  pre-tax  goodwill  impairment  charge  of  $120.3  million. This  increase  was  driven  by  increased  variable 
compensation due to improved operating performance.

Consolidated Non-Interest Expenses from Continuing Operations

Compensation and Benefits – Compensation and benefits expenses, which are the largest component of our expenses, include 
salaries, incentive compensation, benefits, stock-based compensation, employment taxes, income associated with the forfeiture 
of stock-based compensation and other employee costs. A portion of compensation expense is comprised of variable incentive 
arrangements, including discretionary incentive compensation, the amount of which fluctuates in proportion to the level of 
business activity, increasing with higher revenues and operating profits. Other compensation costs, primarily base salaries and 
benefits, are more fixed in nature. The timing of incentive compensation payments, which generally occur in February, has a 
greater impact on our cash position and liquidity than is reflected on our consolidated statements of operations.

For the year ended December 31, 2013, compensation and benefits expenses increased 8.6 percent to $322.5 million from 
$296.9 million in 2012. Compensation and benefits expenses as a percentage of net revenues increased from 60.7 percent in 
2012 to 61.4 percent in 2013, primarily attributable to changes in our mix of business, as we recorded significantly higher fixed 
income strategic trading revenues in 2012, which have a lower compensation payout. 

For the year ended December 31, 2012, compensation and benefits expenses increased 12.0 percent to $296.9 million from 
$265.0 million in 2011, due to increased variable compensation expense driven by higher net revenues and operating profits. 
Compensation and benefits expenses as a percentage of net revenues was 60.7 percent in 2012, compared with 61.3 percent in 
2011. The lower compensation ratio in 2012 was driven by increased revenues and our mix of business as we recorded significantly 
higher fixed income strategic trading revenues in 2012.

30

Occupancy and Equipment – For the year ended December 31, 2013, occupancy and equipment expenses decreased 3.6 
percent to $25.5 million, compared with $26.5 million in the corresponding period of 2012. The decrease was primarily the 
result of prior investments in technology and equipment becoming fully depreciated and lower occupancy costs associated with 
our headquarters office space, offset in part by incremental occupancy expense from our acquisitions of Seattle-Northwest and 
Edgeview during the third quarter of 2013.

For the year ended December 31, 2012, occupancy and equipment expenses decreased 7.0 percent to $26.5 million, compared 

with $28.4 million in 2011. The decrease was primarily due to cost saving initiatives. 

Communications  –  Communication  expenses  include  costs  for  telecommunication  and  data  communication,  primarily 
consisting of expenses for obtaining third-party market data information. For the year ended December 31, 2013, communication 
expenses increased 4.3 percent to $21.4 million, compared with $20.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2012. The 
increase resulted from higher market data service expenses. 

For the year ended December 31, 2012, communication expenses decreased 7.1 percent to $20.5 million, compared with 

$22.1 million in 2011. The decrease was primarily attributable to lower market data service expenses.

Floor Brokerage and Clearance – For the year ended December 31, 2013, floor brokerage and clearance expenses increased 

slightly to $8.3 million, compared with $8.1 million million in the year ended December 31, 2012. 

For the year ended December 31, 2012, floor brokerage and clearance expenses decreased 9.8 percent to $8.1 million, 
compared with $8.9 million in 2011. The decline was due to lower trading fees resulting from lower U.S. equity client volumes.

Marketing and Business Development – Marketing and business development expenses include travel and entertainment 
and promotional and advertising costs. In 2013, marketing and business development expenses increased 8.5 percent to $21.6 
million, compared with $19.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2012, due to higher travel expenses resulting from increased 
equity underwriting activity. 

In 2012, marketing and business development expenses decreased 12.1 percent to $19.9 million, compared with $22.6 
million in 2011. In 2011, we recorded higher travel expenses from write-offs related to equity investment banking deals that 
were never completed due to volatility in the capital markets.

Outside Services – Outside services expenses include securities processing expenses, outsourced technology functions, 
outside legal fees, fund expenses associated with our consolidated alternative asset management funds and other professional 
fees. Outside services expenses increased 17.8 percent to $33.0 million in 2013, compared with $28.0 million in the corresponding 
period of 2012, due to higher computer consulting and fund expenses. 

In 2012, outside services expenses were $28.0 million, essentially flat compared with 2011. 

Restructuring and Integration Costs – During the year ended December 31, 2013, we recorded restructuring, integration 
and transaction costs of $4.7 million primarily related to the acquisitions of Seattle-Northwest and Edgeview. For the year ended 
December 31, 2012, we recorded a restructuring charge of $3.6 million, which consisted of $2.4 million of employee severance 
costs and $1.2 million for the reduction of leased office space.

Goodwill Impairment — In 2011, we recorded a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $120.3 million related to our 
Capital Markets reporting unit. The charge primarily related to the goodwill originating from our 1998 acquisition by U.S. 
Bancorp, which was retained by us when we spun off as a separate public company on December 31, 2003.

Intangible Asset Amortization Expense – Intangible asset amortization expense includes the amortization of definite-lived 
intangible assets consisting of customer relationships and non-competition agreements. For the year ended December 31, 2013, 
intangible asset amortization expense was $8.0 million, compared with $6.9 million in the corresponding period of 2012. The 
increase was attributable to incremental intangible asset amortization expense related to the acquisitions of Seattle-Northwest 
and Edgeview. 

In 2012, intangible asset amortization expense was $6.9 million, compared with $7.3 million in 2011.

Other Operating Expenses – Other operating expenses include insurance costs, license and registration fees, expenses related 
to our charitable giving program and litigation-related expenses, which consist of the amounts we reserve and/or pay out related 
to legal and regulatory matters. Other operating expenses decreased 51.1 percent to $4.7 million in 2013, compared with $9.5 
million in 2012. In 2013, we received insurance proceeds for the reimbursement of prior legal settlements.

31

Other operating expenses decreased 5.0 percent to $9.5 million in 2012, compared with $10.0 million in 2011, due primarily 

to a business tax refund received in 2012.

Income Taxes – For the year ended December 31, 2013, our provision for income taxes was $20.4 million equating to an 
effective tax rate, excluding noncontrolling interests, of 29.0 percent. In 2013, we recorded a tax benefit for the full reversal of 
our U.K subsidiary's deferred tax asset valuation allowance of $4.0 million as we achieved three years of profitability and expect 
future taxable profits.

For the year ended December 31, 2012, our provision for income taxes was $19.5 million, equating to an effective tax rate, 
excluding noncontrolling interests, of 29.3 percent. In 2012, we recorded a tax benefit for the reversal of previously accrued 
uncertain state income tax positions of $7.4 million, net of federal tax, partially offset by a $4.6 million write-off of deferred 
tax assets related to equity grants that either were forfeited or vested at share prices lower than the grant date share price.

In 2011, our provision for income taxes was $9.1 million. In 2011, we incurred a pre-tax loss due to the $120.3 million 
goodwill impairment charge. Excluding the goodwill impairment charge, the substantial majority of which had no tax impact, 
we recorded pre-tax income from continuing operations of $40.1 million, which resulted in an effective tax rate for 2011 of 23.6 
percent. Income tax expense in 2011 included a $1.1 million partial reversal of our U.K. subsidiary’s deferred tax asset valuation 
allowance. 

Segment Performance from Continuing Operations

We  measure  financial  performance  by  business  segment.  Our  two  reportable  segments  are  Capital  Markets  and Asset 
Management. We determined these segments based upon the nature of the financial products and services provided to customers 
and our management organization. Segment pre-tax operating income and segment pre-tax operating margin are used to evaluate 
and measure segment performance by our management team in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance 
in  relation  to  our  competitors.  Revenues  and  expenses  directly  associated  with  each  respective  segment  are  included  in 
determining segment operating results. Revenues and expenses that are not directly attributable to a particular segment are 
allocated based upon our allocation methodologies, generally based on each segment’s respective net revenues, use of shared 
resources, headcount or other relevant measures.

Throughout this section, we have presented segment results on both a U.S. GAAP and non-GAAP basis. Management 
believes that presenting adjusted segment pre-tax operating income and adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin in conjunction 
with the U.S. GAAP measures provides a more meaningful basis for comparison of its operating results and underlying trends 
between periods. 

Adjusted  segment  pre-tax  operating  income  and  adjusted  segment  pre-tax  operating  margin  exclude  (1)  revenues  and 
expenses related to noncontrolling interests, (2) amortization of intangible assets related to acquisitions, (3) compensation from 
acquisition-related agreements, (4) restructuring and integration costs, and (5) a goodwill impairment charge recognized in 2011. 
For U.S. GAAP purposes, these items are included in each of their respective line items on the consolidated statements of 
operations. 

Adjusted segment pre-tax operating income and adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin present the segments' results 
of operations excluding the impact resulting from the consolidation of noncontrolling interests in alternative asset management 
funds and private equity investment vehicles. Consolidation of these funds results in the inclusion of the proportionate share of 
the income or loss attributable to the equity interests in consolidated funds that are not attributable, either directly or indirectly, 
to us (i.e. noncontrolling interests). This proportionate share is reflected in net income/(loss) applicable to noncontrolling interests 
in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations, and has no effect on the overall financial performance of the segments, 
as  ultimately,  this  income  or  loss  is  not  income  or  loss  for  the  segments  themselves.  Included  in  adjusted  segment  pre-tax 
operating income and adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin is the actual proportionate share of the income or loss attributable 
to us as an investor in such funds. Adjusted segment pre-tax operating income and adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin 
also exclude amortization of intangible assets and compensation from acquisition-related agreements resulting from our ARI, 
Seattle-Northwest and Edgeview acquisitions. The restructuring and integration costs excluded from adjusted segment pre-tax 
operating income and adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin represent charges that resulted from severance benefits, vacating 
redundant office space and contract termination costs. The goodwill impairment charge recognized in 2011 primarily pertained 
to goodwill created from the 1998 acquisition of Piper Jaffray Companies Inc. by U.S. Bancorp, which was retained by us when 
we spun-off from U.S. Bancorp on December 31, 2003.

32

Capital Markets

The  following  table  sets  forth  the  Capital  Markets  adjusted  segment  financial  results  from  continuing  operations  and 
adjustments necessary to reconcile to our consolidated U.S. GAAP pre-tax operating income and pre-tax operating margin for 
the periods presented: 

Year Ended December 31,

2013
Adjustments (1)

2012
Adjustments (1)

Total

Noncontrolling

Other

Adjusted

Interests

Adjustments

U.S.

GAAP

Total

Noncontrolling

Other

Adjusted

Interests

Adjustments

U.S.

GAAP

(Dollars in thousands)

Investment banking

Financing

Equities .......................................
Debt ............................................
Advisory services...........................
Total investment banking...................

$ 100,224
74,284
74,420
248,928

$

— $
—
—
—

— $ 100,224
74,284
—
74,420
—
248,928
—

$

73,180
74,102
86,165
233,447

$

— $
—
—
—

— $
—
—
—

73,180
74,102
86,165
233,447

Institutional sales and trading

Equities ..........................................
Fixed income..................................
Total institutional sales and trading..

Total management and performance
fees ..................................................

91,169
76,275
167,444

3,891

Investment income .............................

21,610

Long-term financing expenses...........

(7,420)

Net revenues ......................................

434,453

Operating expenses ...........................

382,157

—
—
—

—

8,794

—

8,794

3,400

—
—
—

—

—

—

—

91,169
76,275
167,444

3,891

30,404

75,723
111,492
187,215

1,678

5,666

(7,420)

(7,982)

443,247

420,024

7,674

393,231

366,408

—
—
—

—

4,174

—

4,174

1,708

—
—
—

—

—

—

—

75,723
111,492
187,215

1,678

9,840

(7,982)

424,198

3,512

371,628

Segment pre-tax operating income....

$

52,296

$

5,394

$

(7,674)

$

50,016

$

53,616

$

2,466

$

(3,512)

$

52,570

Segment pre-tax operating margin ....

12.0%

11.3%

12.8%

12.4%

(1)   The following is a summary of the adjustments needed to reconcile our consolidated U.S. GAAP pre-tax operating income and pre-tax operating margin 

to the adjusted segment pre-tax operating income and adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin: 

Noncontrolling interests – The impacts of consolidating noncontrolling interests in our alternative asset management funds and private equity investment 
vehicles are not included in adjusted segment pre-tax operating income and adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin. 

Other Adjustments – The following table sets forth the items not included in adjusted segment pre-tax operating income and adjusted segment pre-tax 
operating margin for the periods presented:

(Dollars in thousands)

Compensation from acquisition-related agreements..........................................................................................................

Restructuring and integration costs ...................................................................................................................................
Amortization of intangible assets related to acquisitions...................................................................................................

Year Ended December 31,

2013

2012

$

$

1,620

4,705
1,349
7,674

$

$

—

3,512
—
3,512

Capital Markets adjusted net revenues increased 3.4 percent to $434.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, 

compared with $420.0 million in the prior-year period.

Investment banking revenues comprise all of the revenues generated through financing and advisory services activities, 
including derivative activities that relate to debt financing. To assess the profitability of investment banking, we aggregate 
investment banking fees with the net interest income or expense associated with these activities.

33

 
In  2013,  investment  banking  revenues  increased  6.6  percent  to  $248.9  million  compared  with  $233.4  million  in  the 
corresponding period of the prior year, due to higher equity financing revenues, offset in part by a decline in advisory services 
revenues. For the year ended December 31, 2013, equity financing revenues were $100.2 million, up 37.0 percent compared 
with $73.2 million in the prior-year period as strong gains in the equity markets resulted in robust conditions for equity capital 
raising. During 2013, we completed 92 equity financings, raising $19.9 billion for our clients, compared with 67 equity financings, 
raising $9.1 billion for our clients (excluding the $16.0 billion of capital raised from the Facebook initial public offering, on 
which we had a small co-manager position) in the comparable year-ago period. Debt financing revenues for the year ended 
December 31, 2013 were $74.3 million, essentially flat compared with the prior year.  During 2013, we completed 413 negotiated 
public finance issues with a total par value of $7.9 billion, compared with 444 negotiated public finance issues with a total par 
value of $7.3 billion during the prior-year period. A decrease in the number of completed negotiated public finance issues from 
2012 was offset by increased revenue per transaction in 2013. Additionally, our market share gains and industry sector strengths 
offset weak refunding activity in the second half of 2013. In 2013, our par value from negotiated debt issuances increased 7.9 
percent, compared to a 17.1 percent decline for the industry. For the year ended December 31, 2013, advisory services revenues 
decreased 13.6 percent to $74.4 million due to lower U.S. advisory services revenue from fewer completed transactions. In 2012, 
sellers were motivated to complete transactions due to anticipated tax increases in 2013. Although this resulted in reduced activity 
through mid-year 2013, as we rebuilt our advisory pipeline, we experienced increasing demand through the second half of 2013. 
We completed 31 transactions with an aggregate enterprise value of $2.9 billion in 2013, compared with 40 transactions with 
an aggregate enterprise value of $10.2 billion in 2012.

Institutional sales and trading revenues comprise all of the revenues generated through trading activities, which consist of 
facilitating customer trades, executing competitive municipal underwritings and our strategic trading activities in municipal 
bonds,  mortgage-backed  securities  and  equity  securities. To  assess  the  profitability  of  institutional  brokerage  activities,  we 
aggregate institutional brokerage revenues with the net interest income or expense associated with financing, economically 
hedging and holding long or short inventory positions. Our results may vary from quarter to quarter as a result of changes in 
trading margins, trading gains and losses, net interest spreads, trading volumes and the timing of transactions based on market 
opportunities.

For the year ended December 31, 2013, institutional brokerage revenues decreased 10.6 percent to $167.4 million, compared 
with $187.2 million in the prior-year period, as a decline in fixed income institutional brokerage revenues was offset in part by 
higher equity institutional brokerage revenues. Equity institutional brokerage revenues increased 20.4 percent to $91.2 million 
in 2013, compared with $75.7 million in the corresponding period of 2012, reflecting the favorable equity markets and improved 
trading performance. Our improved trading performance resulted from successfully executing a set of client-focused product 
strategies which we began implementing in 2012, and more effective deployment of capital within this business. We generated 
revenues  from our equity strategic trading activities, which we began in the second half of 2013 to leverage our intellectual 
capital and to diversify our strategic trading efforts. For the year ended December 31, 2013, fixed income institutional brokerage 
revenues were $76.3 million, compared with $111.5 million in the prior-year period. The decrease primarily resulted from lower 
revenues  from  our  strategic  trading  activities,  primarily  related  to  non-agency  mortgage-backed  securities.  In  addition,  we 
experienced trading losses in the second quarter of 2013 on inventory positions due to the volatile trading environment caused 
by the rapid rise in interest rates and widening of credit spreads.

Management and performance fees include the performance and management fees generated from our municipal bond and 
merchant banking funds. For the year ended December 31, 2013, management and performance fees were $3.9 million, compared 
with $1.7 million in the prior-year period, due to increased management fees from our municipal bond fund driven by higher 
AUM from net client inflows and a full year of management fees generated from our merchant banking fund.

Adjusted investment income includes realized and unrealized gains and losses on our merchant banking and other firm 
investments. Also, it includes realized and unrealized gains and losses on our investment in the municipal bond funds that we 
manage. For the year ended December 31, 2013, adjusted investment income was $21.6 million, compared to $5.7 million in 
the corresponding period of 2012.  The significant increase from 2012 was driven by larger gains on our merchant banking 
investments. Merchant banking investments made before 2010 are accounted for on a cost basis, which can result, and in this 
case did result, in significant realized gains in the period of a liquidity event for these investments.

Long-term financing expenses represent interest paid on our variable rate senior notes and syndicated bank facility. For the 
year ended December 31, 2013, long-term financing expenses decreased 7.0 percent to $7.4 million, compared to $8.0 million 
in the prior-year period. The decrease was due to additional costs recognized in the fourth quarter of 2012 upon prepayment of 
the syndicated bank facility.

34

Capital Markets adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin for the year ended December 31, 2013 decreased slightly to 

12.0 percent, compared with 12.8 percent for the corresponding period of 2012. 

Year Ended December 31,

2012
Adjustments (1)

2011
Adjustments (1)

Total

Noncontrolling

Other

Adjusted

Interests

Adjustments

U.S.

GAAP

Total

Noncontrolling

Other

Adjusted

Interests

Adjustments

U.S.

GAAP

(Dollars in thousands)

Investment banking

Financing

Equities .......................................
Debt ............................................
Advisory services...........................
Total investment banking...................

$

73,180
74,102
86,165
233,447

$

— $
—
—
—

— $
—
—
—

73,180
74,102
86,165
233,447

$

74,161
54,565
74,373
203,099

$

— $
—
—
—

— $
—
—
—

74,161
54,565
74,373
203,099

Institutional sales and trading

Equities ..........................................
Fixed income..................................
Total institutional sales and trading..

Total management and performance
fees ..................................................

Investment income .............................

75,723
111,492
187,215

1,678

5,666

Long-term financing expenses...........

(7,982)

Net revenues ......................................

420,024

Operating expenses ...........................

366,408

—
—
—

—

4,174

—

4,174

1,708

—
—
—

—

—

—

—

75,723
111,492
187,215

1,678

9,840

86,175
75,589
161,764

243

9,267

(7,982)

(7,067)

424,198

367,306

3,512

371,628

343,714

—
—
—

—

1,785

—

1,785

322

—
—
—

—

—

—

—

86,175
75,589
161,764

243

11,052

(7,067)

369,091

120,298

464,334

Segment pre-tax operating income....

$

53,616

$

2,466

$

(3,512)

$

52,570

$

23,592

$

1,463

$

(120,298)

$

(95,243)

Segment pre-tax operating margin ....

12.8%

12.4%

6.4%

N/M

(1)   Other Adjustments – For the year ended December 31, 2012, restructuring and integration costs of $3.5 million are not included in adjusted segment pre-
tax operating income and adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin. For the year ended December 31, 2011, adjusted segment pre-tax operating income 
and adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin exclude a goodwill impairment charge of $120.3 million.

Capital Markets adjusted net revenues increased 14.4 percent to $420.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, 

compared with $367.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2011.

In 2012, investment banking revenues increased 14.9 percent to $233.4 million compared with $203.1 million in the prior 
year, due to an increase in debt financing and advisory services revenues. For the year ended December 31, 2012, equity financing 
revenues were $73.2 million, essentially flat compared with the prior year. In 2012, we continued to experience sluggish equity 
capital markets activity due to uncertain economic conditions. During 2012, we completed 67 equity financings, raising $9.1 
billion for our clients (excluding the $16.0 billion of capital raised from the Facebook initial public offering, on which we had 
a small co-manager position), compared with 60 equity financings, raising $12.9 billion in 2011. Debt financing revenues in 
2012 increased 35.8 percent to $74.1 million, compared with $54.6 million in 2011, due to an increase in public finance revenues. 
In 2012, historically low interest rates created client refinancing opportunities, which resulted in a 33.6 percent increase in our 
par value from negotiated debt issuances. In addition, 2011 municipal underwriting activity was at historic lows following a 
robust 2010 municipal financing year driven by the taxable Build America Bonds. In 2012, we completed 444 negotiated public 
finance issues with a total par value of $7.3 billion, compared with 410 negotiated public finance issues with a total par value 
of $5.5 billion in 2011. Additionally, in 2012 we grew our public finance economic market share. For the year ended December 31, 
2012, advisory services revenues increased 15.9 percent to $86.2 million due to higher U.S. advisory services revenue. This 
increase was attributable to more conducive equity capital markets in the U.S., an increased internal focus on this product and 
motivated sellers anticipating tax increases for 2013. We completed 40 transactions with an aggregate enterprise value of $10.2 
billion during 2012, compared with 38 transactions with an aggregate enterprise value of $5.2 billion in 2011.

35

 
In 2012, institutional brokerage revenues increased 15.7 percent to $187.2 million, compared with $161.8 million in 2011, 
driven by strong fixed income trading revenues. Equity institutional brokerage revenues decreased to $75.7 million in 2012, 
compared with $86.2 million in 2011. The decrease was attributable to lower U.S. equity client volumes resulting from the 
uncertainty in the equity markets in 2012. For the year ended December 31, 2012, fixed income institutional brokerage revenues 
increased to $111.5 million, compared with $75.6 million in 2011. The increase was principally driven by our  non-agency 
mortgage-backed security strategic trading activities. Additionally, in 2012 we experienced more favorable fixed income market 
conditions that resulted in higher customer activity and increased taxable fixed income sales and trading revenues.

Management and performance fees were $1.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, compared to $0.2 million for 
2011. The increase was primarily due to the recognition of a full year of management and performance fees generated from our 
municipal bond fund, which commenced operations mid-year in 2011.

For the year ended December 31, 2012, adjusted investment income was $5.7 million, compared with $9.3 million in the 

prior year. In 2012, we recorded lower gains on our merchant banking investments. 

Long-term financing expenses increased 12.9 percent to $8.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, compared with 
$7.1 million in the prior-year period.  The increase resulted from additional costs recognized in the fourth quarter of 2012 upon 
repayment of our syndicated bank facility. 

Capital Markets adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin for 2012 was 12.8 percent, compared with 6.4 percent for 2011. 
The increase compared to 2011 was due to operating leverage from higher net revenues and a lower compensation ratio due to 
our mix of business, as we recorded significantly higher fixed income strategic trading revenues in 2012, which have a lower 
compensation payout. 

36

Asset Management 

The following table sets forth the Asset Management segment financial results from continuing operations and adjustments 
necessary to reconcile to our consolidated U.S. GAAP pre-tax operating income and pre-tax operating margin for the periods 
presented: 

Year Ended December 31,

2013
Adjustments (1)

2012
Adjustments (1)

Total

Noncontrolling

Other

Adjusted

Interests

Adjustments

U.S.

GAAP

Total

Noncontrolling

Other

Adjusted

Interests

Adjustments

U.S.

GAAP

(Dollars in thousands)

Management fees

Value equity ...................................
MLP ...............................................
Total management fees......................

$

50,066
21,248
71,314

$

— $
—
—

— $
—
—

50,066
21,248
71,314

$

48,636
14,600
63,236

$

— $
—
—

— $
—
—

48,636
14,600
63,236

Performance fees

Value equity ...................................
MLP ...............................................
Total performance fees......................

Total management and performance
fees ..................................................

Investment income .............................

Total net revenues..............................

Operating expenses ...........................

7,620
220
7,840

79,154

2,794

81,948

48,439

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

7,620
220
7,840

785
—
785

79,154

64,021

2,794

81,948

733

64,754

39,955

7,912

56,351

—
—
—

—

—

—

—

—
—
—

—

—

—

785
—
785

64,021

733

64,754

8,358

48,313

Segment pre-tax operating income....

$

33,509

$

— $

(7,912)

$

25,597

$

24,799

$

— $

(8,358)

$

16,441

Segment pre-tax operating margin ....

40.9%

31.2%

38.3%

25.4%

(1)   Other Adjustments – The following table sets forth the items not included in adjusted segment pre-tax operating income and adjusted segment pre-tax 

operating margin for the periods presented:

(Dollars in thousands)

Compensation from acquisition-related agreements..........................................................................................................
Restructuring and integration costs ...................................................................................................................................
Amortization of intangible assets related to acquisitions...................................................................................................

Year Ended December 31,

2013

2012

$

$

1,284
(16)
6,644
7,912

$

$

1,284
130
6,944
8,358

Management and performance fee revenues comprise the revenues generated through management and investment advisory 
services performed for separately managed accounts, registered funds and partnerships. Fluctuations in financial markets and 
client asset inflows and outflows have a direct effect on management and performance fee revenues. Management fees are 
generally based on the level of assets under management (“AUM”) measured monthly or quarterly, and an increase or reduction 
in assets under management, due to market price fluctuations or net client asset flows, will result in a corresponding increase 
or  decrease  in  management  fees.  Fees  vary  with  the  type  of  assets  managed  and  the  vehicle  in  which  they  are  managed. 
Performance fees are earned when the investment return on assets under management exceeds certain benchmark targets or 
other performance targets over a specified measurement period. The level of performance fees earned can vary significantly 
from period to period and these fees may not necessarily be correlated to changes in total assets under management. The majority 
of performance fees, if earned, are generally recorded in the fourth quarter of the applicable year or upon withdrawal of client 
assets. At December 31, 2013, approximately two percent of our AUM was eligible to earn performance fees. 

37

 
For the year ended December 31, 2013, management fees were $71.3 million, an increase of 12.8 percent, compared with 
$63.2 million in the prior-year period, due primarily to increased AUM and management fees from our MLP product offerings. 
In 2013, management fees related to our value equity strategies were $50.1 million, up 2.9 percent compared to the corresponding 
period of 2012. The impact of increased AUM in 2013 from market appreciation was offset by a lower average effective revenue 
yield (total management fees as a percentage of our average AUM). The average effective revenue yield for our value equity 
strategies was 80 basis points for the year ended December 31, 2013, compared to 81 basis points in the corresponding period 
of the prior-year. Management fees from our MLP and energy infrastructure strategies increased 45.5 percent in 2013 to $21.2 
million, compared with $14.6 million in 2012, due to increased average AUM and a higher average effective revenue yield. The 
average effective revenue yield for our MLP strategies was 53 basis points for the year ended December 31, 2013, compared to 
49 basis points for the year ended December 31, 2012.

For the year ended December 31, 2013, performance fees were $7.8 million, compared to $0.8 million in the prior-year 
period. The performance fees recorded in 2013 resulted from certain funds exceeding their performance targets over a specified 
measurement period. The performance fees recorded during 2012 were the result of certain funds exceeding their performance 
targets at the time of client asset withdrawals. 

Investment income includes gains and losses from our investments in registered funds and private funds or partnerships 
that we manage. For the year ended December 31, 2013, investment income was $2.8 million compared with $0.7 million for 
the prior-year period. 

Adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin for the year ended December 31, 2013 was 40.9 percent, compared to 38.3 
percent for the year ended December 31, 2012. The increase resulted from improved operating results driven by higher net 
revenues. 

Year Ended December 31,

2012
Adjustments (1)

2011
Adjustments (1)

Total

Noncontrolling

Other

Adjusted

Interests

Adjustments

U.S.

GAAP

Total

Noncontrolling

Other

Adjusted

Interests

Adjustments

U.S.

GAAP

(Dollars in thousands)

Management fees

Value equity ...................................
MLP ...............................................
Total management fees......................

$

48,636
14,600
63,236

$

— $
—
—

— $
—
—

48,636
14,600
63,236

$

50,565
10,254
60,819

$

— $
—
—

— $
—
—

50,565
10,254
60,819

Performance fees

Value equity ...................................
MLP ...............................................
Total performance fees......................

Total management and performance
fees ..................................................

Investment income/(loss) ...................

Total net revenues..............................

Operating expenses ...........................

785
—
785

64,021

733

64,754

39,955

—
—
—

—

—

—

—

—
—
—

—

—

—

785
—
785

2,092
153
2,245

64,021

63,064

733

64,754

(72)

62,992

39,398

8,358

48,313

—
—
—

—

—

—

—

—
—
—

—

—

—

2,092
153
2,245

63,064

(72)

62,992

8,540

47,938

Segment pre-tax operating income....

$

24,799

$

— $

(8,358)

$

16,441

$

23,594

$

— $

(8,540)

$

15,054

Segment pre-tax operating margin ....

38.3%

25.4%

37.5%

23.9%

(1)   Other Adjustments – The following table sets forth the items not included in adjusted segment pre-tax operating income and adjusted segment pre-tax 

operating margin for the periods presented:

(Dollars in thousands)

Compensation from acquisition-related agreements..........................................................................................................
Restructuring and integration costs ...................................................................................................................................
Amortization of intangible assets related to acquisitions...................................................................................................

Year Ended December 31,

2012

2011

$

$

1,284
130
6,944
8,358

$

$

1,284
—
7,256
8,540

38

 
For the year ended December 31, 2012, management fees were $63.2 million, an increase of 4.0 percent, compared with 
the prior year, as a decline in management fees from our value equity strategies were more than offset by increased management 
fees from our MLP product offerings. In 2012, management fees related to our value equity strategies decreased 3.8 percent to 
$48.6 million, compared with $50.6 million in 2011, due to a lower average effective revenue yield. Our average effective 
revenue yield for value equity strategies was 81 basis points in 2012, compared with 84 basis points in the prior year. Management 
fees associated with our MLP strategy increased 42.4 percent in 2012 to $14.6 million, compared with $10.3 million in 2011, 
due to increases in our average effective revenue yield and average AUM. Our average effective revenue yield for the MLP 
strategy was 49 basis points in 2012, compared with 43 basis points in 2011. 

For the year ended December 31, 2012, performance fees were $0.8 million, compared with $2.2 million in 2011. The 
performance fees recorded during 2012 and 2011 were the result of certain funds exceeding their performance targets at the time 
of client asset withdrawals. 

For the year ended December 31, 2012, investment income was $0.7 million compared with a loss of $0.1 million for 2011.

Adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin for 2012 was 38.3 percent, compared to 37.5 percent for 2011. 

The following table summarizes the changes in our AUM for the periods presented: 

(Dollars in millions)
Value Equity

Twelve Months Ended
December 31,
2012

2011

2013

Beginning of period ......................................................................
Net outflows.................................................................................
Net market appreciation...............................................................
End of period ................................................................................

MLP

Beginning of period ......................................................................
Net inflows...................................................................................
Net market appreciation...............................................................
End of period ................................................................................

Total

Beginning of period ......................................................................
Net inflows/(outflows) .................................................................
Net market appreciation...............................................................
End of period ................................................................................

$

$

$

$

$

$

5,865
(756)
1,574
6,683

3,186
498
865
4,549

9,051
(258)
2,439
11,232

$

$

$

$

$

$

5,805
(515)
575
5,865

2,751
338
97
3,186

8,556
(177)
672
9,051

$

$

$

$

$

$

6,449
(711)
67
5,805

1,567
912
272
2,751

8,016
201
339
8,556

Total AUM increased $2.2 billion to $11.2 billion in 2013 as the strong equity markets drove net market appreciation of 
$2.4 billion in 2013. Value equity AUM was $6.7 billion at December 31, 2013, compared to $5.9 billion at December 31, 2012 
as net market appreciation of $1.6 billion was offset by net client outflows of $0.8 billion during the period, due to  changes in 
client investment strategies away from the value equity platform. The value equity strategy has not attracted significant net new 
assets as investors are seeking greater upside potential in the strong equity markets. MLP AUM increased $1.4 billion to $4.5 
billion in 2013 as we experienced both net market appreciation and net client inflows during this period. 

For the year ended December 31, 2012, total AUM increased $0.5 billion to $9.1 billion. Value equity AUM was $5.9 billion 
at December 31, 2012, essentially flat compared to the prior year, as net market appreciation of $0.6 billion was offset by client 
outflows of $0.5 billion during 2012. In 2012, we experienced the broader market trend of AUM flowing out of equity products 
into fixed income or alternative assets. MLP AUM increased $0.4 billion to $3.2 billion in 2012 as we experienced net inflows 
of $0.3 billion and net market appreciation of $0.1 billion. 

39

Discontinued Operations

Discontinued operations include the operating results of our Hong Kong capital markets business, which ceased operations 
as of September 30, 2012, and FAMCO, an asset management subsidiary we sold in the second quarter of 2013. The results of 
these businesses are presented as discontinued operations for all periods presented. For the year ended December 31, 2013, we 
recorded a loss from discontinued operations, net of tax, of $4.7 million. The net loss from discontinued operations was $5.8 
million in 2012 and $11.2 million in 2011. 

The results of discontinued operations for the Hong Kong capital markets business were as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Net revenues........................................................................................

$

Restructuring expenses .....................................................................
Other expenses..................................................................................
Total non-interest expenses.................................................................

Loss from discontinued operations before income tax expense/
(benefit)...........................................................................................

Income tax expense/(benefit) ..............................................................

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2011

2013

— $

6,635

$

15,996

—
1,197
1,197

(1,197)

(415)

11,535
16,550
28,085

(21,450)

(21,069)

—
24,983
24,983

(8,987)

1,927

Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax..................................

$

(782)

$

(381)

$

(10,914)

The $1.2 million of other expenses recorded in 2013 consisted of costs to liquidate our Hong Kong subsidiaries. 

The $11.5 million of restructuring expenses recorded in 2012 consisted primarily of costs incurred for early termination of 
leased office space and severance benefits. Additionally, we recorded a $21.1 million U.S. tax benefit related to the realized loss 
on our Piper Jaffray Asia subsidiaries. 

The results of discontinued operations for FAMCO were as follows:

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2011

2013

(Dollars in thousands)
Net revenues ........................................................................................

Goodwill impairment ........................................................................
Operating expenses ...........................................................................
Total non-interest expenses .................................................................

Loss from discontinued operations before income tax benefit .........

Income tax benefit ...............................................................................

Loss from discontinued operations ...................................................

Loss on sale, net of tax ........................................................................

$

1,650

$

5,718

$

—
5,057
5,057

(3,407)

(1,326)

(2,081)

(1,876)

5,508
8,362
13,870

(8,152)

(2,726)

(5,426)

—

Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax ..................................

$

(3,957)

$

(5,426)

$

6,584

—
7,089
7,089

(505)

(171)

(334)

—

(334)

The  loss  from  discontinued  operations  for  the  year  ended  December 31,  2013  primarily  related  to  an  indemnification 

obligation related to the sale of FAMCO.

The $5.5 million non-cash goodwill impairment charge recorded in 2012 represented the full value of goodwill attributable 

to the FAMCO reporting unit and pertained to goodwill created from our 2007 acquisition of FAMCO.

See Note 5 to our consolidated financial statements for further discussion of our discontinued operations.

40

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent accounting pronouncements are set forth in Note 3 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 

8 of this Form 10-K, and are incorporated herein by reference.

Critical Accounting Policies

Our accounting and reporting policies comply with GAAP and conform to practices within the securities industry. The 
preparation  of  financial  statements  in  compliance  with  GAAP  and  industry  practices  requires  us  to  make  estimates  and 
assumptions that could materially affect amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements. Critical accounting policies 
are those policies that we believe to be the most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations 
and that require us to make estimates that are difficult, subjective or complex. Most accounting policies are not considered by 
us to be critical accounting policies. Several factors are considered in determining whether or not a policy is critical, including 
whether the estimates are significant to the consolidated financial statements taken as a whole, the nature of the estimates, the 
ability to readily validate the estimates with other information (e.g. third-party or independent sources), the sensitivity of the 
estimates to changes in economic conditions and whether alternative accounting methods may be used under GAAP.

For a full description of our significant accounting policies, see Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements included in 
Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K. We believe that of our significant accounting policies, the following are our critical accounting 
policies.

Valuation of Financial Instruments

Financial instruments and other inventory positions owned, financial instruments and other inventory positions sold, but 
not yet purchased, and certain of our investments recorded in other assets on our consolidated statements of financial condition 
consist of financial instruments recorded at fair value, either as required by accounting guidance or through the fair value election. 
Unrealized gains and losses related to these financial instruments are reflected on our consolidated statements of operations.

The fair value of a financial instrument is the amount at which the instrument could be exchanged in an orderly transaction 
between market participants. Based on the nature of our business and our role as a “dealer” in the securities industry or our role 
as a manager of alternative asset management funds, the fair values of our financial instruments are determined internally. Our 
processes are designed to ensure that the fair values  used for  financial  reporting are based on observable inputs wherever 
possible. In the event that observable inputs are not available, unobservable inputs are developed based on an evaluation of all 
relevant empirical market data, including prices evidenced by market transactions, interest rates, credit spreads, volatilities and 
correlations, and other security-specific information. Valuation adjustments related to illiquidity or counterparty credit risk are 
also  considered.  In  estimating  fair  value,  we  may  use  information  provided  by  third-party  pricing  vendors  to  corroborate 
internally-developed fair value estimates.

A substantial percentage of the fair value of our financial instruments and other inventory positions owned, and financial 
instruments and other inventory positions sold, but not yet purchased, are based on observable market prices, observable market 
parameters, or derived from broker or dealer prices. The availability of observable market prices and pricing parameters can 
vary from product to product. Where available, observable market prices and pricing or market parameters in a product may be 
used to derive a price without requiring significant judgment. In certain markets, observable market prices or market parameters 
are not available for all products, and fair value is determined using techniques appropriate for each particular product. These 
techniques may involve some degree of judgment. Results from valuation models and other valuation techniques in one period 
may not be indicative of the future period fair value measurement.

For investments in illiquid or privately held securities that do not have readily determinable fair values, the determination 
of fair value requires us to estimate the value of the securities using the best information available. Among the factors considered 
by us in determining the fair value of such financial instruments are the cost, terms and liquidity of the investment, the financial 
condition and operating results of the issuer, the quoted market price of publicly traded securities with similar quality and yield, 
and other factors generally pertinent to the valuation of investments. In instances where a security is subject to transfer restrictions, 
the value of the security is based primarily on the quoted price of a similar security without restriction but may be reduced by 
an amount estimated to reflect such restrictions. In addition, even where we derive the value of a security based on information 
from an independent source, certain assumptions may be required to determine the security’s fair value. For example, we assume 
that the size of positions that we hold would not be large enough to affect the quoted price of the securities if we sell them, and 

41

that any such sale would happen in an orderly manner. The actual value realized upon disposition could be different from the 
current estimated fair value.

Depending upon the product and terms of the transaction, the fair value of our derivative contracts can be observed or priced 
using models based on the net present value of estimated future cash flows. Our models generally incorporate inputs that we 
believe are representative of inputs other market participants would use to determine fair value of the same instruments, including 
contractual terms, yield curves, discount rates and measures of volatility. The valuation models and underlying assumptions are 
monitored over the life of the derivative product. If there are any changes necessary in the underlying inputs, the model is updated 
for those new inputs.

Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, "Fair Value Measurement," 
establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The objective of 
a fair value measurement is to determine the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an 
orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (the exit price). The hierarchy gives the highest priority 
to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level I measurements) and the lowest priority to 
inputs with little or no pricing observability (Level III measurements). Assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based 
on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. See Note 7 to our consolidated financial statements 
for additional discussion of our assets and liabilities in the fair value hierarchy.

We employ specific control processes to determine the reasonableness of the fair value of our financial instruments. Our 
processes are designed to ensure that the internally estimated fair values are accurately recorded and that the data inputs and the 
valuation techniques used are appropriate, consistently applied, and that the assumptions are reasonable and consistent with the 
objective of determining fair value. Individuals outside of the trading departments perform independent pricing verification 
reviews as of each reporting date. We have established parameters which set forth when securities are independently verified. 
The selection parameters are generally based upon the type of security, the level of estimation risk of a security, the materiality 
of the security to our financial statements, changes in fair value from period to period, and other specific facts and circumstances 
of our security portfolio. In evaluating the initial internally-estimated fair values made by our traders, the nature and complexity 
of securities involved (e.g. term, coupon, collateral, and other key drivers of value), level of market activity for securities, and 
availability of market data are considered. The independent price verification procedures include, but are not limited to, analysis 
of trade data (both internal and external where available), corroboration to the valuation of positions with similar characteristics, 
risks and components, or comparison to an alternative pricing source, such as a discounted cash flow model. We have a valuation 
committee, comprised of members of senior management and risk management, that provides oversight and overall responsibility 
for the internal control processes and procedures related to fair value measurements.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

We record all assets and liabilities acquired in purchase acquisitions, including goodwill and other intangible assets, at fair 
value. Determining the fair value of assets and liabilities acquired requires certain management estimates. At December 31, 
2013, we had goodwill of $210.6 million. The goodwill balance consists of $13.8 million recorded in 2013 as a result of our 
acquisitions of Seattle-Northwest and Edgeview within our capital markets segment and the remaining $196.8 million relates 
to our asset management segment. At December 31, 2013, we had intangible assets of $39.9 million, which includes $6.7 million 
of intangible assets acquired in 2013 related to our acquisitions of Seattle-Northwest and Edgeview.

Under  FASB Accounting  Standards  Codification Topic  350,  "Intangibles  –  Goodwill  and  Other,"  ("ASC  350")  we  are 
required to perform impairment tests of our goodwill and indefinite-life intangible assets annually and on an interim basis when 
circumstances exist that could indicate possible impairment. We have elected to test for goodwill impairment in the fourth quarter 
of each calendar year. See Note 14 to our consolidated financial statements for additional information on our goodwill impairment 
testing.

The initial recognition of goodwill and other intangible assets and the subsequent impairment analysis requires management 
to make subjective judgments concerning estimates of how the acquired assets or businesses will perform in the future using 
valuation methods including discounted cash flow analysis. Our estimated cash flows typically extend for five years and, by 
their nature, are difficult to determine over an extended time period. Events and factors that may significantly affect the estimates 
include, among others, competitive forces and changes in revenue growth trends, cost structures, technology, discount rates and 
market conditions. To assess the reasonableness of cash flow estimates and validate assumptions used in our estimates, we review 
historical performance of the underlying assets or similar assets. In assessing the fair value of our reporting units, the volatile 
nature of the securities markets and our industry requires us to consider the business and market cycle and assess the stage of 

42

the cycle in estimating the timing and extent of future cash flows. In addition to discounted cash flows, we consider public 
company comparables and multiples of recent mergers and acquisitions of similar businesses in our subsequent impairment 
analysis. Valuation multiples may be based on revenues, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), 
price-to-earnings or cash flows of comparable public companies and business segments. These multiples may be adjusted to 
consider competitive differences including size, operating leverage and other factors. 

We  completed  our  annual  goodwill  impairment  testing  as  of  October 31,  2013,  and  concluded  there  was  no  goodwill 
impairment. We performed a qualitative assessment to test the goodwill in our capital markets reporting unit for impairment. 
The following relevant events and circumstances were evaluated in concluding that it was not more likely than not that this 
goodwill was impaired:  macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, overall financial performance and the 
timing of the Seattle-Northwest and Edgeview acquisitions. 

In the first quarter of 2012, we reorganized our FAMCO and ARI reporting units, resulting in FAMCO's MLP business 
becoming part of ARI. In accordance with ASC 350, $44.6 million of the $50.1 million in goodwill attributable to our 2007 
acquisition of FAMCO was reallocated to the ARI reporting unit. 

In 2012, our annual goodwill impairment testing resulted in a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $5.5 million related 
to  our  FAMCO  reporting  unit  reported  within  discontinued  operations. The  amount  represented  the  full  value  of  goodwill 
attributable to the FAMCO reporting unit and pertained to goodwill created from our 2007 acquisition of FAMCO.

We also tested the intangible assets (indefinite and definite-lived) and concluded there was no impairment in 2013.

Compensation Plans

Stock-Based Compensation Plans

As part of our compensation to employees and directors, we use stock-based compensation, consisting of restricted stock, 
restricted  stock  units  and  stock  options.  We  account  for  equity  awards  in  accordance  with  FASB Accounting  Standards 
Codification Topic 718, “Compensation – Stock Compensation,” (“ASC 718”), which requires all share-based payments to 
employees, including grants of employee stock options, to be recognized on the consolidated statements of operations at grant 
date fair value. Compensation expense related to share-based awards which require future service are amortized over the service 
period of the award, net of estimated forfeitures. Share-based awards that do not require future service are recognized in the 
year in which the awards are deemed to be earned. 

Deferred Compensation Plan

We established a deferred compensation plan in 2012 which allows eligible employees to elect to receive a portion of the 
incentive compensation they would otherwise receive in the form of restricted stock, instead in restricted mutual fund shares 
(“MFRS Awards”) of registered funds managed by our asset management business. We have also granted MFRS Awards to new 
employees as a recruiting tool. 

See  Note  24  to  our  consolidated  financial  statements  for  additional  information  about  our  stock-based  and  deferred 

compensation plans.

Income Taxes

We file a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return, which includes all of our qualifying subsidiaries. We also are subject 
to income tax in various states and municipalities and those foreign jurisdictions in which we operate. Amounts provided for 
income taxes are based on income reported for financial statement purposes and do not necessarily represent amounts currently 
payable. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences attributable to temporary 
differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and 
for tax loss carry-forwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable 
income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax 
assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Deferred 
income  taxes  are  provided  for  temporary  differences  in  reporting  certain  items,  principally,  amortization  of  share-based 
compensation. The realization of deferred tax assets is assessed and a valuation allowance is recognized to the extent that it is 
more likely than not that any portion of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. We believe that our future taxable profits will 
be sufficient to recognize our U.S. deferred tax assets. However, if our projections of future taxable profits do not materialize, 
we may conclude that a valuation allowance is necessary, which would impact our results of operations in that period. In the 

43

fourth quarter of 2013, we reversed the full amount of our U.K. subsidiary's deferred tax asset valuation allowance based upon 
achieving three years of profitability and projected future earnings. This resulted in a $4.0 million tax benefit to our results of 
operations. 

In connection with the closure of our Hong Kong capital markets business, we realized a $21.1 million U.S. tax benefit due 
to a realized loss on the investment in our Hong Kong subsidiaries. The tax benefit was the excess of the tax basis of our 
investment in the subsidiaries over the financial statement carrying amount. We recorded the tax benefit within discontinued 
operations for the year ended December 31, 2012.

We  record  deferred  tax  benefits  for  future  tax  deductions  expected  upon  the  vesting  of  share-based  compensation.  If 
deductions reported on our tax return for share-based compensation (i.e., the value of the share-based compensation at the time 
of vesting) exceed the cumulative cost of those instruments recognized for financial reporting (i.e., the grant date fair value of 
the  compensation  computed  in  accordance  with ASC  718),  we  record  the  excess  tax  benefit  as  additional  paid-in  capital. 
Conversely, if deductions reported on our tax return for share-based compensation are less than the cumulative cost of those 
instruments recognized for financial reporting, we offset the deficiency first to any previously recognized excess tax benefits 
recorded as additional paid-in capital and any remaining deficiency is recorded as income tax expense. At December 31, 2013, 
the excess tax benefits recorded as additional paid-in capital was not material. In the first quarter of 2014, approximately 102,000 
options expired and 469,000 shares vested resulting in $0.1 million of income tax expense in the first quarter of 2014. 

We establish reserves for uncertain income tax positions in accordance with FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 
740, "Income Taxes," when it is not more likely than not that a certain position or component of a position will be ultimately 
upheld by the relevant taxing authorities. Significant judgment is required in evaluating uncertain tax positions. Our tax provision 
and related accruals include the impact of estimates for uncertain tax positions and changes to the reserves that are considered 
appropriate. To the extent the probable tax outcome of these matters changes, such change in estimate will impact the income 
tax provision in the period of change and, in turn, our results of operations. In 2012, we recorded the reversal of a previously 
accrued uncertain state income tax position of $7.4 million, net of federal income tax.

Liquidity, Funding and Capital Resources

Liquidity  is  of  critical  importance  to  us  given  the  nature  of  our  business.  Insufficient  liquidity  resulting  from  adverse 
circumstances contributes to, and may be the cause of, financial institution failure. Accordingly, we regularly monitor our liquidity 
position, including our cash and net capital positions, and we have implemented a liquidity strategy designed to enable our 
business to continue to operate even under adverse circumstances, although there can be no assurance that our strategy will be 
successful under all circumstances.

The majority of our tangible assets consist of assets readily convertible into cash. Financial instruments and other inventory 
positions owned are stated at fair value and are generally readily marketable in most market conditions. Receivables and payables 
with brokers, dealers and clearing organizations usually settle within a few days. As part of our liquidity strategy, we emphasize 
diversification of funding sources to the extent possible while considering tenor and cost. Our assets are financed by our cash 
flows from operations, equity capital, and our funding arrangements. The fluctuations in cash flows from financing activities 
are  directly  related  to  daily  operating  activities  from  our  various  businesses. One  of  our  most  important  risk  management 
disciplines is our ability to manage the size and composition of our balance sheet. While our asset base changes due to client 
activity, market fluctuations and business opportunities, the size and composition of our balance sheet reflect our overall risk 
tolerance, our ability to access stable funding sources and the amount of equity capital we hold.

Certain market conditions can impact the liquidity of our inventory positions, requiring us to hold larger inventory positions 

for longer than expected or requiring us to take other actions that may adversely impact our results.

A significant component of our employees’ compensation is paid in annual discretionary incentive compensation. The timing 
of these incentive compensation payments, which generally are made in February, has a significant impact on our cash position 
and liquidity.

We currently do not pay cash dividends on our common stock. 

44

In the third quarter of 2012, our board of directors approved a new share repurchase authorization of up to $100 million in 
common shares through September 30, 2014. During 2013, related to this authorization we repurchased 1,719,662 shares, or 
11.3 percent of our outstanding common stock, for an aggregate purchase price of $55.9 million. At December 31, 2013, we 
had $39.5 million remaining under this authorization. We also purchase shares of common stock from restricted stock award 
recipients upon the award vesting as recipients sell shares to meet their employment tax obligations. During 2013, we purchased 
386,713 shares or $15.5 million of our common shares for this purpose. 

Cash Flows 

Cash  and  cash  equivalents  increased  $18.3  million  to  $123.7  million  at  December 31,  2013  from  December 31,  2012. 
Operating activities provided cash of $46.6 million primarily due to cash received from earnings and the increase in compensation 
related accruals. These increases were offset in part by cash used to fund reverse repurchase agreements as we increased hedging 
of our inventories, deployment of capital into other firm investments and an increase in fees receivable. Investing activities in 
2013 used $30.0 million of cash, the majority of which related to our acquisitions of Seattle-Northwest and Edgeview. Cash of 
$1.4 million was provided through financing activities as increases in noncontrolling interest were offset by a net decrease in 
repurchase agreements and short-term financing  that are used to fund inventory and $71.5 million of cash used to repurchase 
common stock. 

Cash  and  cash  equivalents  increased  $20.3  million  to  $105.4  million  at  December 31,  2012  from  December 31,  2011. 
Operating activities used $211.8 million of cash due to an increase in operating assets, particularly our net financial instruments 
and other inventory positions owned. Inventory increased related to the expansion of our fixed income sales and trading efforts 
to support customer flow and increases related to our strategic trading portfolios. The increase is also attributable to the low 
level of inventory we maintained at the end of 2011 as we managed risk due to more volatile market conditions at that time. 
Partially offsetting these increases in operating assets were increases in operating liabilities, particularly related to accrued 
compensation, payables to brokers, dealers and clearing organizations and other liabilities and accrued expenses. Investing 
activities in 2012 used $2.1 million of cash for the purchase of fixed assets. Cash of $234.3 million was provided through 
financing  activities;  primarily  an  increase  in  short-term  financing,  offset  in  part  by  decreases  in  repurchase  agreements. A 
significant portion of our funding needs are driven by the levels of long inventory positions. As we increased our levels of long 
inventory in 2012, it led to an increase in funding needs, particularly related to short-term financing. Additionally, we entered 
into a Note Purchase Agreement under which we issued unsecured variable rate senior notes in late 2012, which provided $125.0 
million in financing that was used to repay our bank syndicated credit agreement which had $115.0 million outstanding as of 
December 31, 2011. Offsetting these increases to financing was $47.2 million used to repurchase common stock.

Cash  and  cash  equivalents  increased  $34.8  million  to  $85.0  million  at  December 31,  2011  from  December 31,  2010. 
Operating activities provided $205.3 million of cash. Late in 2011, to manage risk due to volatile market conditions, we reduced 
long inventory balances, which increased our cash position. This reduction in long inventory resulted in a decreased receivable 
related to unsettled inventory trades, which provided additional cash flow. The reduction in long inventory also allowed us to 
reduce our short inventory hedges, which resulted in a decrease of our securities purchased under agreements to resell, when 
compared to December 31, 2010. Partially offsetting these increases in cash was a decrease in operating liabilities, particularly 
related to accrued compensation and other liabilities and accrued expenses. Additionally, included in our net loss of $100.6 
million was a non-cash goodwill charge of $120.3 million. Investing activities in 2011 used $7.7 million of cash for the purchase 
of fixed assets. Cash of $162.7 million was used through financing activities. A significant portion of our funding needs are 
driven by the levels of long inventory positions. As we lowered our levels of long inventory late in 2011, it led to a reduction 
in funding needs, particularly related to repurchase agreements.

45

Leverage 

The following table presents total assets, adjusted assets, total shareholders’ equity and tangible shareholders’ equity with 

the resulting leverage ratios as of:

(Dollars in thousands)
Total assets ........................................................................................................................
Deduct: Goodwill and intangible assets............................................................................
Deduct: Assets from noncontrolling interests ...................................................................
Adjusted assets ..................................................................................................................

$

December 31,
2013
2,318,157
(250,564)
(317,558)
1,750,035

$

$

December 31,
2012
2,087,733
(240,480)
(120,453)
1,726,800

$

Total shareholders' equity..................................................................................................
Deduct: Goodwill and intangible assets............................................................................
Deduct: Noncontrolling interests ......................................................................................
Tangible common shareholders' equity.............................................................................

$

$

882,072
(250,564)
(147,396)
484,112

$

$

790,175
(240,480)
(56,883)
492,812

Leverage ratio (1)..............................................................................................................

Adjusted leverage ratio (2)................................................................................................

2.6

3.6

2.6

3.5

(1)  Leverage ratio equals total assets divided by total shareholders’ equity.

(2)  Adjusted leverage ratio equals adjusted assets divided by tangible common shareholders’ equity

Adjusted  assets  and  tangible  common  shareholders’  equity  are  non-GAAP  financial  measures. A  non-GAAP  financial 
measure is a numeric measure of financial performance that includes adjustments to the most directly comparable measure 
calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, or for which there is no specific GAAP measure. Goodwill and intangible 
assets  are  subtracted  from  total  assets  and  total  shareholders’  equity  in  determining  adjusted  assets  and  tangible  common 
shareholders’ equity, respectively, as we believe that goodwill and intangible assets do not constitute operating assets which can 
be  deployed  in  a  liquid  manner. Amounts  attributed  to  noncontrolling  interests  are  subtracted  from  total  assets  and  total 
shareholders' equity in determining adjusted assets and tangible common shareholder's equity, respectively, as they represent 
assets and equity interests in consolidated entities that are not attributable, either directly or indirectly, to Piper Jaffray Companies. 
We view the resulting measure of adjusted leverage, also a non-GAAP financial measure, as a more relevant measure of financial 
risk when comparing financial services companies. 

Funding and Capital Resources 

The primary goal of our funding activities is to ensure adequate funding over a wide range of market conditions. Given the 
mix of our business activities, funding requirements are fulfilled through a diversified range of short-term and long-term financing. 
We attempt to ensure that the tenor of our borrowing liabilities equals or exceeds the expected holding period of the assets being 
financed. Our ability to support increases in total assets is largely a function of our ability to obtain funding from external sources. 
Access to these external sources, as well as the cost of that financing, is dependent upon various factors, including market 
conditions, the general availability of credit and credit ratings. We currently do not have a credit rating, which could adversely 
affect our liquidity and competitive position by increasing our financing costs and limiting access to sources of liquidity that 
require a credit rating as a condition to providing the funds.

46

 
Short-term financing

Our  day-to-day  funding  and  liquidity  is  obtained  primarily  through  the  use  of  commercial  paper  issuance,  repurchase 
agreements,  prime broker agreements, and bank lines of credit, and is typically collateralized by our securities inventory. These 
funding sources are critical to our ability to finance and hold inventory, which is a necessary part of our institutional brokerage 
and municipal bond funds businesses. The majority of our inventory is liquid and is therefore funded by overnight or short-term 
facilities. These short-term facilities (i.e., committed line and commercial paper) have been established to mitigate changes in 
the liquidity of our inventory based on changing market conditions. Our funding sources are also dependent on the types of 
inventory that our counterparties are willing to accept as collateral and the number of counterparties available. From time to 
time, the number of counterparties that will enter into municipal repurchase agreements can be limited based on market conditions. 
Currently, the majority of our bank lines, our commercial paper programs and our prime broker arrangement will accept municipal 
inventory as collateral, which helps mitigate this municipal repurchase agreement counterparty risk. We also have established 
arrangements to obtain financing by another broker dealer at the end of each business day related specifically to our convertible 
inventory. Funding is generally obtained at rates based upon the federal funds rate and/or the London Interbank Offer Rate.

Commercial Paper Program – Our U.S. broker dealer subsidiary, Piper Jaffray & Co, issues secured commercial paper to 
fund a portion of its securities inventory. This commercial paper is issued under three separate programs, CP Series A, CP Series 
II A and CP Series III A, and is secured by different inventory classes, which is reflected in the interest rate paid on the respective 
program.  The  programs  can  issue  with  maturities  of  27  to  270  days.  The  following  table  provides  information  about  our 
commercial paper programs at December 31, 2013:

(Dollars in millions)
Maximum amount that may be issued.............................................
Amount outstanding ........................................................................

$

Weighted average maturity, in days.................................................

CP Series A

300.0
146.8

132

CP Series II A
150.0
$
60.9

CP Series III A
100.0
$
72.6

107

31

Prime Broker Arrangement – We have established an arrangement to obtain overnight financing by a single prime broker 
related to our alternative asset management funds in municipal securities. Financing under this arrangement is secured by certain 
securities, primarily municipal securities, and collateral limitations could reduce the amount of funding available under this 
arrangement. More specifically, this funding is at the discretion of the prime broker and could be denied subject to a notice 
period. At December 31, 2013, we had $234.4 million of financing outstanding under this prime broker arrangement.

Committed Lines – Our committed line is a one-year $250 million revolving secured credit facility. We use this credit facility 
in the ordinary course of business to fund a portion of our daily operations, and the amount borrowed under the facility varies 
daily based on our funding needs. Advances under this facility are secured by certain marketable securities. The facility includes 
a covenant that requires Piper Jaffray & Co., our U.S. broker dealer subsidiary, to maintain a minimum net capital of $120 
million, and the unpaid principal amount of all advances under the facility will be due on December 27, 2014. This credit facility 
has been in place since 2008 and we renewed the facility for another one-year term in the fourth quarter of 2013. At December 31, 
2013, we had no advances against this line of credit.

Uncommitted Lines – We use uncommitted lines in the ordinary course of business to fund a portion of our daily operations, 
and the amount borrowed under our uncommitted lines varies daily based on our funding needs. Our uncommitted secured lines 
total $185 million with two banks and are dependent on having appropriate collateral, as determined by the bank agreement, to 
secure an advance under the line. Collateral limitations could reduce the amount of funding available under these secured lines. 
We also have an uncommitted unsecured facility with one of these banks. All of these uncommitted lines are discretionary and 
are not a commitment by the bank to provide an advance under the line. More specifically, these lines are subject to approval 
by the respective bank each time an advance is requested and advances may be denied, which may be particularly true during 
times of market stress or market perceptions of our exposures. We manage our relationships with the banks that provide these 
uncommitted facilities in order to have appropriate levels of funding for our business. At December 31, 2013, we had no advances 
against these lines of credit.

47

The following tables present the average balances outstanding for our various short-term funding sources by quarter for 

2013 and 2012, respectively.

(Dollars in millions)
Funding source:
Repurchase agreements.........................................
Commercial paper .................................................
Prime broker arrangement.....................................
Short-term bank loans ...........................................
Total.......................................................................

Average Balance for the Three Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Sept. 30, 2013

June 30, 2013 Mar. 31, 2013

$

$

17.2
313.6
238.7
1.3
570.8

$

$

11.2
351.6
145.6
1.8
510.2

$

$

130.3
334.0
93.5
11.8
569.6

$

$

66.2
308.9
105.2
5.1
485.4

(Dollars in millions)
Funding source:
Repurchase agreements.........................................
Commercial paper .................................................
Prime broker arrangement.....................................
Short-term bank loans ...........................................
Total.......................................................................

Average Balance for the Three Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Sept. 30, 2012

June 30, 2012 Mar. 31, 2012

$

$

50.0
307.2
180.0
0.2
537.4

$

$

71.0
278.5
154.7
3.5
507.7

$

$

158.5
238.8
32.1
40.9
470.3

$

$

114.3
201.2
5.8
9.7
331.0

The average funding in the fourth quarter of 2013 increased to $570.8 million, compared with $510.2 million during the 
third quarter of 2013, due to an increase in average inventory balances in the fourth quarter of 2013. The increased inventory 
balances relate primarily to our municipal alternative asset management fund which attracted additional capital from outside 
investors during the second half of 2013.  

The following tables present the maximum daily funding amount by quarter for 2013 and 2012, respectively.

(Dollars in millions)
Maximum amount of daily funding ......................

Dec. 31, 2013
735.2
$

(Dollars in millions)
Maximum amount of daily funding ......................

Dec. 31, 2012
619.4
$

Variable rate senior notes

For the Three Months Ended
Sept. 30, 2013
799.0
$

June 30, 2013 Mar. 31, 2013
677.1
$

779.3

$

For the Three Months Ended
Sept. 30, 2012
613.8
$

June 30, 2012 Mar. 31, 2012
486.0
$

666.1

$

On November 30, 2012, we entered into a note purchase agreement (“Note Purchase Agreement”) under which we issued 
unsecured variable rate senior notes (“Notes”) in the amount of $125 million. The initial holders of the Notes are certain entities 
advised by Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (“PIMCO”). The Notes consist of two classes, Class A Notes and 
Class B Notes, with principal amounts of $50 million and $75 million, respectively. The unpaid principal amount of the Class 
A Notes and Class B Notes will be due on May 31, 2014 and November 30, 2015, respectively. The proceeds from the Notes 
were used to repay the outstanding balance under the three-year bank syndicated credit agreement (“Credit Agreement”). The 
remaining proceeds are used for general corporate purposes. 

The Note Purchase Agreement includes customary events of default, including failure to pay principal when due or failure 
to pay interest within five business days of when due, any representation or warranty in the Note Purchase Agreement proving 
untrue in any material respect when made by us, failure to comply with the covenants in the Note Purchase Agreement, failure 
to pay or another event of  default under other material indebtedness in an amount exceeding $10 million, bankruptcy or insolvency 
or a change in control. If there is any event of default, the noteholders may exercise customary remedies, including declaring 
the entire principal and any accrued interest on the Notes to be due and payable.

48

 
 
The Note Purchase Agreement includes covenants that, among other things, require us to maintain a minimum consolidated 
tangible net worth and minimum regulatory net capital, limit our leverage ratio and require maintenance of a minimum ratio of 
operating cash flow to fixed charges. With respect to the net capital covenant, our U.S. broker dealer subsidiary is required to 
maintain minimum net capital of $120 million. At December 31, 2013, we were in compliance with all covenants.

Three-year bank syndicated credit agreement

On December 29, 2010, we entered into a Credit Agreement comprised of a $100 million amortizing term loan and a $50 
million revolving credit facility. The unpaid principal and interest on the Credit Agreement was paid off on November 30, 2012 
from the proceeds of the Notes.

Contractual Obligations 

In the normal course of business, we enter into various contractual obligations that may require future cash payments. The 
following table summarizes the contractual amounts at December 31, 2013, in total and by remaining maturity. Excluded from 
the table are a number of obligations recorded on the consolidated statements of financial condition that generally are short-
term in nature, including secured financing transactions, trading liabilities, short-term borrowings and other payables and accrued 
liabilities.

On May 30, 2012, we entered into a lease agreement for 124,000 square feet of office space for the Company’s headquarters. 
The term of the lease commences on June 1, 2014, and expires on November 30, 2025, and includes an option to terminate the 
lease early effective January 31, 2022. Our contractual rental obligations for the full 11.5 year lease term are $24.5 million. 

(Dollars in millions)
Operating lease obligations.....................................................
Purchase commitments ...........................................................
Investment commitments (a) ..................................................
Loan commitments (b)............................................................
Variable rate senior notes........................................................

$

2014

2015
- 2016

2017
- 2018

$

12.0
13.3
—
—
50.0

$

20.2
14.0
—
—
75.0

16.7
7.8
—
—
—

2019 and
thereafter
27.7
$
—
—
—
—

$

Total

76.6
35.1
47.6
—
125.0

(a)  The investment commitments have no specified call dates; however, the investment period for these funds is through 2018. The timing 
of capital calls is based on market conditions and investment opportunities. Investment commitments of $36.3 million relate to a 
commitment to an affiliated merchant banking fund.

(b)  We may commit to merchant banking financing for our clients or make commitments to underwrite debt. We are unable to estimate the 

timing on the funding of these commitments and have no commitments outstanding at this time.

Purchase commitments include agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding and that 
specify all significant terms, including fixed or minimum quantities to be purchased, fixed, minimum or variable price provisions, 
and the approximate timing of the transaction. Purchase commitments with variable pricing provisions are included in the table 
based on the minimum contractual amounts. Certain purchase commitments contain termination or renewal provisions. The 
table reflects the minimum contractual amounts likely to be paid under these agreements assuming the contracts are not terminated.

The amounts presented in the table above may not necessarily reflect our actual future cash funding requirements, because 
the actual timing of the future payments made may vary from the stated contractual obligation. In addition, due to the uncertainty 
with respect to the timing of future cash flows associated with our unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2013, we are 
unable to make reasonably reliable estimates of the period of cash settlement with the respective taxing authority. Therefore, 
$0.2 million of unrecognized tax benefits have been excluded from the contractual obligation table above. See Note 28 to the 
consolidated financial statements for a discussion of income taxes.

Capital Requirements 

As a registered broker dealer and member firm of FINRA, our U.S. broker dealer subsidiary is subject to the uniform net 
capital rule of the SEC and the net capital rule of FINRA. We have elected to use the alternative method permitted by the uniform 
net capital rule, which requires that we maintain minimum net capital of the greater of $1.0 million or 2 percent of aggregate 
debit balances arising from customer transactions, as this is defined in the rule. FINRA may prohibit a member firm from 
expanding its business or paying dividends if resulting net capital would be less than 5 percent of aggregate debit balances. 
Advances to affiliates, repayment of subordinated liabilities, dividend payments and other equity withdrawals are subject to 

49

 
certain notification and other provisions of the uniform net capital rules. We expect that these provisions will not impact our 
ability to meet current and future obligations. We also are subject to certain notification requirements related to withdrawals of 
excess net capital from our broker dealer subsidiary. At December 31, 2013, our net capital under the SEC’s uniform net capital 
rule was $165.6 million, and exceeded the minimum net capital required under the SEC rule by $164.6 million. 

Although we operate with a level of net capital substantially greater than the minimum thresholds established by FINRA 

and the SEC, a substantial reduction of our capital would curtail many of our Capital Markets revenue producing activities.

At December 31, 2013 Piper Jaffray Ltd., our broker dealer subsidiary registered in the United Kingdom, was subject to 
the capital requirements of the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority pursuant to the Financial 
Services Act of 2012.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

In  the  ordinary  course  of  business  we  enter  into  various  types  of  off-balance  sheet  arrangements. The  following  table 

summarizes our off-balance sheet arrangements at December 31, 2013 and 2012:

(Dollars in thousands)

Customer matched-book

Expiration Per Period at December 31, 2013

2014

2015

2016

2017
 - 2018

2019
- 2020

Total Contractual Amount

December 31, December 31,

Later

2013

2012

derivative contracts (1) (2) ..........

$

30,000

$

69,332

$

65,237

$

40,950

$ 123,926

$ 4,981,484

$

5,310,929

$

5,569,096

Trading securities derivative

contracts (2) .................................

198,500

—

Credit default swap index

contracts (2) .................................
Equity derivative contracts (2).......

Private equity investment

commitments (3)..........................

—

16,107

96,000

713

—

—

—

—

270

—

—

175,000

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

198,500

244,250

28,333

—

—

299,333

17,090

230,650

—

47,576

44,010

(1)  Consists of interest rate swaps. We have minimal market risk related to these matched-book derivative contracts; however, we do have counterparty risk 
with two major financial institutions, which is mitigated by collateral deposits. In addition, we have a limited number of counterparties (contractual 
amount of $200.3 million at December 31, 2013) who are not required to post collateral. The uncollateralized amounts, representing the fair value of the 
derivative contracts, expose us to the credit risk of these counterparties. At December 31, 2013, we had $22.0 million of credit exposure with these 
counterparties, including $9.3 million of credit exposure with one counterparty.

(2)  We believe the fair value of these derivative contracts is a more relevant measure of the obligations because we believe the notional or contract amount 
overstates the expected payout. At December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the net fair value of these derivative contracts approximated $30.4 million 
and $35.5 million, respectively.

(3)  The investment commitments have no specified call dates; however, the investment period for these funds is through 2018. The timing of capital calls is 

based on market conditions and investment opportunities. 

Derivatives

Derivatives’ notional or contract amounts are not reflected as assets or liabilities on our consolidated statements of financial 
condition. Rather, the fair value of the derivative transactions are reported on the consolidated statements of financial condition 
as assets or liabilities in financial instruments and other inventory positions owned and financial instruments and other inventory 
positions sold, but not yet purchased, as applicable. For a complete discussion of our activities related to derivative products, 
see Note 6, “Financial Instruments and Other Inventory Positions Owned and Financial Instruments and Other Inventory Positions 
Sold, but Not Yet Purchased,” in the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

Loan Commitments

We may commit to bridge loan financing for our clients or make commitments to underwrite corporate debt. We had no 

loan commitments outstanding at December 31, 2013.

50

 
 
Private Equity and Other Principal Investments

A component of our private equity and principal investments, including investments made as part of our merchant banking 
activities, are made through investments in various legal entities, typically partnerships or limited liability companies, established 
for the purpose of investing in securities of private companies or municipal debt obligations. We commit capital or act as the 
managing partner of these entities. Some of these entities are deemed to be variable interest entities. For a complete discussion 
of our activities related to these types of entities, see Note 8, “Variable Interest Entities,” to our consolidated financial statements.

We have committed capital to certain entities and these commitments generally have no specified call dates. We had $47.6 
million of commitments outstanding at December 31, 2013, of which $36.3 million related to a commitment to an affiliated 
merchant banking fund.

Enterprise Risk Management 

Risk is an inherent part of our business. In the course of conducting business operations, we are exposed to a variety of 
risks. Market risk, liquidity risk, credit risk, operational risk, legal, regulatory and compliance risk, and reputational risk are the 
principal risks we face in operating our business. We seek to identify, assess and monitor each risk in accordance with defined 
policies and procedures. The extent to which we properly identify and effectively manage each of these risks is critical to our 
financial condition and profitability.

With respect to market risk and credit risk, the cornerstone of our risk management process is daily communication among 
traders, trading department management and senior management concerning our inventory positions, including those associated 
with our strategic trading activities, and overall risk profile. Our risk management functions supplement this communication 
process by providing their independent perspectives on our market and credit risk profile on a daily basis. The broader objectives 
of our risk management functions are to understand the risk profile of each trading area, to consolidate risk monitoring company-
wide, to assist in implementing effective hedging strategies, to articulate large trading or position risks to senior management, 
and to ensure accurate fair values of our financial instruments.

In addition to supporting daily risk management processes on the trading desks, our risk management functions support our 
financial risk committees and valuation committee. The financial risk committees oversee risk management practices, including 
defining acceptable risk tolerances and approving risk management policies.

Risk management techniques, processes and strategies may not be fully effective in mitigating our risk exposure in all 
market environments or against all types of risk, and any risk management failures could expose us to material unanticipated 
losses.

Market Risk  

Market risk represents the risk of financial volatility that may result from the change in value of a financial instrument due 
to fluctuations in its market price. Our exposure to market risk is directly related to our role as a financial intermediary for our 
clients, to our market-making activities and our strategic trading activities. Market risks are inherent to both cash and derivative 
financial instruments. The scope of our market risk management policies and procedures includes all market-sensitive financial 
instruments.

Our different types of market risk include:

Interest Rate Risk — Interest rate risk represents the potential volatility from changes in market interest rates. We are exposed 
to interest rate risk arising from changes in the level and volatility of interest rates, changes in the shape of the yield curve, 
changes  in  credit  spreads,  and  the  rate  of  prepayments  on  our  interest-earning  assets  (including  client  margin  balances, 
investments, inventories, and resale agreements) and our funding sources (including client cash balances, short-term and bank 
syndicated financing, and repurchase agreements), which finance these assets. Interest rate risk is managed through the use of 
appropriate hedging in U.S. government securities, agency securities, mortgage-backed securities, corporate debt securities, 
interest rate swaps, options, futures, MMD rate lock agreements and forward contracts. These interest rate swap contracts are 
recorded at fair value with the changes in fair value recognized in earnings. Our interest rate hedging strategies may not work 
in all market environments and as a result may not be effective in mitigating interest rate risk.

51

Equity Price Risk — Equity price risk represents the potential loss in value due to adverse changes in the level or volatility 
of equity prices. We are exposed to equity price risk through our trading activities in the U.S. market on both listed and over-
the-counter equity markets. Included in equity price risk is our exposure through strategic trading activities in equities, which 
we initiated in 2013. We attempt to reduce the risk of loss inherent in our market-making and in our inventory of equity securities 
by establishing limits on the notional level of our inventory and by managing net position levels within those limits.

Currency Risk — Currency risk arises from the possibility that fluctuations in foreign exchange rates will impact the value 
of financial instruments. A modest portion of our business is conducted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, and changes in 
foreign exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar can therefore affect the value of non-U.S. dollar net assets, revenues and 
expenses. A change in the foreign currency rates could create either a foreign currency transaction gain/loss (recorded in our 
consolidated statements of operations) or a foreign currency translation adjustment (recorded to accumulated other comprehensive 
income within the shareholders’ equity section of our consolidated statements of financial condition and other comprehensive 
income within the consolidated statements of comprehensive income).

Value-at-Risk 

Value-at-Risk (“VaR”) is the potential loss in value of our trading positions, excluding non-controlling interests, due to 
adverse market movements over a defined time horizon with a specified confidence level. We perform a daily VaR analysis on 
substantially all of our trading positions, including fixed income, equities, convertible bonds, asset-backed securities, and all 
associated economic hedges. These positions encompass both customer-related and strategic trading activities, which focus on 
proprietary investments in municipal bonds, mortgage-backed bonds and equity securities. We use a VaR model because it 
provides a common metric for assessing market risk across business lines and products. Changes in VaR between reporting 
periods are generally due to changes in levels of risk exposure, volatilities and/or correlations among asset classes and individual 
securities.

We use a Monte Carlo simulation methodology for VaR calculations. We believe this methodology provides VaR results 
that properly reflect the risk profile of all our instruments, including those that contain optionality, and also accurately models 
correlation movements among all of our asset classes. In addition, it provides improved tail results as there are no assumptions 
of distribution, and can provide additional insight for scenario shock analysis.

Model-based VaR derived from simulation has inherent limitations including: reliance on historical data to predict future 
market risk; VaR calculated using a one-day time horizon does not fully capture the market risk of positions that cannot be 
liquidated or offset with hedges within one day; and published VaR results reflect past trading positions while future risk depends 
on future positions.

The  modeling  of  the  market  risk  characteristics  of  our  trading  positions  involves  a  number  of  assumptions  and 
approximations.  While  we  believe  that  these  assumptions  and  approximations  are  reasonable,  different  assumptions  and 
approximations could produce materially different VaR estimates.

The following table quantifies the model-based VaR simulated for each component of market risk for the periods presented, 
which are computed using the past 250 days of historical data. When calculating VaR we use a 95 percent confidence level and 
a one-day time horizon. This means that, over time, there is a 1 in 20 chance that daily trading net revenues will fall below the 
expected daily trading net revenues by an amount at least as large as the reported VaR. Shortfalls on a single day can exceed 
reported VaR by significant amounts. Shortfalls can also accumulate over a longer time horizon, such as a number of consecutive 
trading days. Therefore, there can be no assurance that actual losses occurring on any given day arising from changes in market 
conditions will not exceed the VaR amounts shown below or that such losses will not occur more than once in a 20-day trading 
period.

(Dollars in thousands)
Interest Rate Risk ..............................................................................................................
Equity Price Risk ..............................................................................................................
Diversification Effect (1) ..................................................................................................
Total Value-at-Risk............................................................................................................

December 31,
2013

December 31,
2012

$

$

1,793
788
(765)
1,816

$

$

779
911
(737)
953

(1)  Equals the difference between total VaR and the sum of the VaRs for the two risk categories. This effect arises because the two market risk categories are 

not perfectly correlated.

52

 
We view average VaR over a period of time as more representative of trends in the business than VaR at any single point 
in time. The table below illustrates the daily high, low and average value-at-risk calculated for each component of market risk 
during the  years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

(Dollars in thousands)
For the Year Ended December 31, 2013
Interest Rate Risk ................................................................................
Equity Price Risk ................................................................................
Diversification Effect (1) ....................................................................
Total Value-at-Risk..............................................................................

(Dollars in thousands)
For the Year Ended December 31, 2012
Interest Rate Risk ................................................................................
Equity Price Risk ................................................................................
Diversification Effect (1) ....................................................................
Total Value-at-Risk..............................................................................

High

Low

Average

$

$

$

$

2,840
2,434

2,792

High

1,273
2,664

2,451

$

$

$

$

Low

578
64

865

369
170

539

$

$

$

$

1,756
1,056
(944)
1,868

Average

780
995
(716)
1,059

(1)  Equals the difference between total VaR and the sum of the VaRs for the two risk categories. This effect arises because the two market risk categories are 
not perfectly correlated. Because high and low VaR numbers for these risk categories may have occurred on different days, high and low numbers for 
diversification benefit would not be meaningful.

Trading losses exceeded our one-day VaR on one occasion during 2013.

The aggregate VaR as of December 31, 2013 was higher than the reported VaR on December 31, 2012. The increase in VaR 
is due to increased volatility during the measurement period and growth in trading efforts in asset classes that are accretive to 
overall VaR.

In addition to VaR, we also employ additional measures to monitor and manage market risk exposure including the following: 
net  market  position,  duration  exposure,  option  sensitivities,  and  inventory  turnover. All  metrics  are  aggregated  by  asset 
concentration and are used for monitoring limits and exception approvals.

Liquidity Risk 

Market risk can be exacerbated in times of trading illiquidity when market participants refrain from transacting in normal 
quantities and/or at normal bid-offer spreads. Depending on the specific security, the structure of the financial product, and/or 
overall market conditions, we may be forced to hold a security for substantially longer than we had planned. Our inventory 
positions, including those associated with strategic trading activities, subject us to potential financial losses from the reduction 
in value of illiquid positions.

We are also exposed to liquidity risk in our day-to-day funding activities. We have a relatively low leverage ratio of 2.6 and 
adjusted leverage ratio of 3.6 as of December 31, 2013. We manage liquidity risk by diversifying our funding sources across 
products and among individual counterparties within those products. For example, our treasury department actively manages 
the  use  of  our  committed  bank  line,  repurchase  agreements,  commercial  paper  issuance  and  secured  and  unsecured  bank 
borrowings each day depending on pricing, availability of funding, available collateral and lending parameters from any one of 
these sources.

In addition to managing our capital and funding, the treasury department oversees the management of net interest income 

risk and the overall use of our capital, funding, and balance sheet.

We currently act as the remarketing agent for approximately $3.3 billion of variable rate demand notes, the majority of 
which have a financial institution providing a liquidity guarantee. At certain times, demand from buyers of variable rate demand 
notes is less than the supply generated by sellers of these instruments. In times of supply and demand imbalance, we may (but 
are not obligated to) facilitate liquidity by purchasing variable rate demand notes from sellers for our own account. Our liquidity 
risk related to variable rate demand notes is ultimately mitigated by our ability to tender these securities back to the financial 
institution providing the liquidity guarantee.

53

 
Credit Risk 

Credit risk in our business arises from potential non-performance by counterparties, customers, borrowers or issuers of 
securities we hold in our trading inventory. The global credit crisis gave rise to increased credit risk, particularly counterparty 
risk, as the interconnectedness of the financial markets has caused market participants to be impacted by systemic pressure, or 
contagion, that results from the failure or potential failure of market participants. We manage this risk by imposing and monitoring 
position limits for each counterparty, monitoring trading counterparties, conducting credit reviews of financial counterparties, 
and conducting business through clearing organizations, which guarantee performance.

We have concentrated counterparty credit exposure with six non-publicly rated entities totaling $22.0 million at December 31, 
2013. This counterparty credit exposure is part of our matched-book derivative program, consisting primarily of interest rate 
swaps. One derivative counterparty represents 42.4 percent, or $9.3 million, of this exposure. Credit exposure associated with 
our derivative counterparties is driven by uncollateralized market movements in the fair value of the interest rate swap contracts 
and is monitored regularly by our financial risk committee. We attempt to minimize the credit (or repayment) risk in derivative 
instruments by entering into transactions with high-quality counterparties that are reviewed periodically by senior management.

We are exposed to credit risk in our role as a trading counterparty to dealers and customers, as a holder of securities and as 
a member of exchanges and clearing organizations. Our client activities involve the execution, settlement and financing of 
various transactions. Client activities are transacted on a delivery versus payment, cash or margin basis. Our credit exposure to 
institutional client business is mitigated by the use of industry-standard delivery versus payment through depositories and clearing 
banks.

Credit exposure associated with our customer margin accounts in the U.S. is monitored daily. Our risk management functions 
have credit risk policies establishing appropriate credit limits and collateralization thresholds for our customers utilizing margin 
lending.

Merchant banking debt investments that have been funded are recorded in other assets at amortized cost on the consolidated 
statements of financial condition. At December 31, 2013, we had one funded merchant banking debt investments totaling $11.6 
million. Merchant banking investments are monitored regularly by a financial committee.

Our risk management functions review risk associated with institutional counterparties with whom we hold repurchase and 
resale agreement facilities, stock borrow or loan facilities, derivatives, TBAs and other documented institutional counterparty 
agreements that may give rise to credit exposure. Counterparty levels are established relative to the level of counterparty ratings 
and potential levels of activity.

We are subject to credit concentration risk if we hold large individual securities positions, execute large transactions with 
individual counterparties or groups of related counterparties, extend large loans to individual borrowers or make substantial 
underwriting  commitments.  Concentration  risk  can  occur  by  industry,  geographic  area  or  type  of  client.  Potential  credit 
concentration risk is carefully monitored through review of counterparties and borrowers and is managed through the use of 
policies and limits.

We also are exposed to the risk of loss related to changes in the credit spreads of debt instruments. Credit spread risk arises 
from potential changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s credit worthiness. We use credit 
default swap index contracts to mitigate this risk.

Operational Risk 

Operational risk refers to the risk of direct or indirect loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people and 
systems or from external events. We rely on the ability of our employees, our internal systems and processes and systems at 
computer centers operated by third parties to process a large number of transactions. In the event of a breakdown or improper 
operation of our systems or processes or improper action by our employees or third-party vendors, we could suffer financial 
loss, a disruption of our businesses, regulatory sanctions and damage to our reputation. We have business continuity plans in 
place that we believe will cover critical processes on a company-wide basis, and redundancies are built into our systems as we 
have deemed appropriate. These control mechanisms attempt to ensure that operations policies and procedures are being followed 
and that our various businesses are operating within established corporate policies and limits.

54

Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Risk 

Legal, regulatory and compliance risk includes the risk of non-compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements 
and the risk that a counterparty’s performance obligations will be unenforceable. We are generally subject to extensive regulation 
in  the  various  jurisdictions  in  which  we  conduct  our  business. We  have  established procedures  that  are  designed  to  ensure 
compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, including, but not limited to, those related to regulatory net 
capital requirements, sales and trading practices, use and safekeeping of customer funds and securities, credit extension, money-
laundering, privacy and recordkeeping.

We have established internal policies relating to ethics and business conduct, and compliance with applicable legal and 

regulatory requirements, as well as training and other procedures designed to ensure that these policies are followed.

Reputation and Other Risk  

We  recognize  that  maintaining  our  reputation  among  clients,  investors,  regulators  and  the  general  public  is  critical. 
Maintaining our reputation depends on a large number of factors, including the conduct of our business activities and the types 
of clients and counterparties with whom we conduct business. We seek to maintain our reputation by conducting our business 
activities in accordance with high ethical standards and performing appropriate reviews of clients and counterparties.

Other risks include political, regulatory and tax risks. These risks reflect the potential impact that changes in local and 
international laws and tax statutes have on the economics and viability of current or future transactions. In an effort to mitigate 
these risks, we review new and pending regulations and legislation. For example, policy discussions surrounding the debt and 
deficits of the federal government have resulted in various proposals to increase revenue, including through restructuring of the 
federal tax code, which could affect our business. Specifically, the American Jobs Act of 2011 and the Debt Reduction Act of 
2011 proposed capping tax-exempt interest for higher-income taxpayers, and the Bipartisan Tax Fairness and Simplification 
Act, introduced in the U.S. Senate earlier in 2011, proposed the use of tax-credit bonds over tax-exempt bonds. Any of these 
proposals, or ones like them, could have a negative impact on our public finance business and the value of municipal securities 
inventory positions. 

Effects of Inflation

Because our assets are liquid in nature, they are not significantly affected by inflation. However, the rate of inflation affects 
our expenses, such as employee compensation, office space leasing costs and communications charges, which may not be readily 
recoverable in the price of services we offer to our clients. To the extent inflation results in rising interest rates and has other 
adverse effects upon the securities markets, it may adversely affect our financial position and results of operations.

ITEM 7A.     QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.

The information under the caption “Enterprise Risk Management” in Part II, Item 7 entitled, “Management’s Discussion 

and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” is incorporated herein by reference.

55

ITEM 8.     FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION.

INDEX TO AUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting ........................................................
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm .......................................................................
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm .......................................................................
Consolidated Financial Statements:

Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition .....................................................................................
Consolidated Statements of Operations....................................................................................................
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income ...............................................................................
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity .................................................................
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows...................................................................................................
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 1
Note 2
Note 3
Note 4
Note 5
Note 6

Organization and Basis of Presentation...............................................................................
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies......................................................................
Recent Accounting Pronouncements...................................................................................
Acquisitions.........................................................................................................................
Discontinued Operations .....................................................................................................
Financial Instruments and Other Inventory Positions Owned and Financial Instruments

and Other Inventory Positions Sold, but Not Yet Purchased...........................................
Fair Value of Financial Instruments.....................................................................................
Variable Interest Entities......................................................................................................
Receivables from and Payables to Brokers, Dealers and Clearing Organizations ..............
Receivables from and Payables to Customers.....................................................................
Collateralized Securities Transactions.................................................................................
Investments..........................................................................................................................
Other Assets.........................................................................................................................
Goodwill and Intangible Assets...........................................................................................
Fixed Assets.........................................................................................................................
Short-Term Financing..........................................................................................................
Variable Rate Senior Notes..................................................................................................
Bank Syndicated Financing.................................................................................................
Contingencies, Commitments and Guarantees....................................................................
Restructuring .......................................................................................................................
Shareholders’ Equity............................................................................................................
Noncontrolling Interests ......................................................................................................
Employee Benefit Plans ......................................................................................................
Compensation Plans ............................................................................................................
Earnings Per Share ..............................................................................................................
Segment Reporting ..............................................................................................................
Net Capital Requirements and Other Regulatory Matters...................................................
Income Taxes.......................................................................................................................
Piper Jaffray Companies (Parent Company only) ...............................................................
Supplemental Information...........................................................................................................................

Note 7
Note 8
Note 9
Note 10
Note 11
Note 12
Note 13
Note 14
Note 15
Note 16
Note 17
Note 18
Note 19
Note 20
Note 21
Note 22
Note 23
Note 24
Note 25
Note 26
Note 27
Note 28
Note 29

57
58
59

60
61
62
63
65

66
67
73
74
76

77
80
88
89
89
90
91
91
92
93
94
94
95
95
97
97
98
99
100
106
107
109
110
113
115

56

MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over our financial reporting. 
Our internal control system is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the 
preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. All 
internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations. Therefore, even those systems determined to 
be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation.

Our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2013. In 
making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway 
Commission (COSO) in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (1992 framework). Based on its assessment and those criteria, 
management has concluded that we maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2013.

Ernst & Young LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm that audited the consolidated financial statements 
of Piper Jaffray Companies included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, has issued an attestation report on internal control 
over financial reporting as of December 31, 2013. Their report, which expresses an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of 
Piper Jaffray Companies’ internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2013, is included herein.

57

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Board of Directors and Shareholders
Piper Jaffray Companies

We have audited Piper Jaffray Companies’ (the Company) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 
2013,  based  on  criteria  established  in  Internal  Control —  Integrated  Framework  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring 
Organizations of the Treadway Commission (1992 framework) (the COSO criteria). Piper Jaffray Companies’ 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  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 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,  Piper Jaffray  Companies  maintained,  in  all  material  respects,  effective  internal  control  over  financial 

reporting as of December 31, 2013, based on the COSO criteria.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United 
States), the 2013 consolidated financial statements of Piper Jaffray Companies and our report dated February 28, 2014, expressed 
an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Minneapolis, Minnesota
February 28, 2014 

58

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Board of Directors and Shareholders
Piper Jaffray Companies

We  have  audited  the  accompanying  consolidated  statements  of  financial  condition  of  Piper Jaffray  Companies  (the 
Company) as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, 
changes in shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2013. These financial 
statements are the responsibility of the Company’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 Piper Jaffray Companies at December 31, 2013 and 2012, and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash 
flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2013, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting 
principles.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United 
States), Piper Jaffray Companies’ internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2013, based on criteria established 
in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission 
(1992 framework) and our report dated February 28, 2014 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Minneapolis, Minnesota
February 28, 2014 

59

Piper Jaffray Companies

Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition

December 31,
2013

December 31,
2012

(Amounts in thousands, except share data)
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents .................................................................................................................
Cash and cash equivalents segregated for regulatory purposes .........................................................
Receivables:

Customers........................................................................................................................................
Brokers, dealers and clearing organizations....................................................................................
Securities purchased under agreements to resell ...............................................................................

Financial instruments and other inventory positions owned..............................................................
Financial instruments and other inventory positions owned and pledged as collateral.....................
Total financial instruments and other inventory positions owned...................................................

Fixed assets (net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $62,311 and $61,032,
respectively).....................................................................................................................................
Goodwill ............................................................................................................................................
Intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization of $31,869 and $23,876, respectively) .............
Investments ........................................................................................................................................
Other assets ........................................................................................................................................
Assets held for sale ............................................................................................................................
Total assets ......................................................................................................................................

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
Short-term financing ..........................................................................................................................
Variable rate senior notes...................................................................................................................
Payables:

Customers........................................................................................................................................
Brokers, dealers and clearing organizations....................................................................................
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase ................................................................................
Financial instruments and other inventory positions sold, but not yet purchased .............................
Accrued compensation.......................................................................................................................
Other liabilities and accrued expenses...............................................................................................
Liabilities held for sale.......................................................................................................................
Total liabilities.................................................................................................................................

Shareholders’ equity:

Common stock, $0.01 par value:

Shares authorized: 100,000,000 at December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012;
Shares issued: 19,537,127 at December 31, 2013 and 19,530,359 at December 31, 2012;
Shares outstanding: 14,383,418 at December 31, 2013 and 15,213,796 at December 31, 2012 .
Additional paid-in capital................................................................................................................
Retained earnings ............................................................................................................................
Less common stock held in treasury, at cost: 5,153,709 shares at December 31, 2013 and
4,316,563 shares at December 31, 2012........................................................................................
Accumulated other comprehensive income ....................................................................................
Total common shareholders’ equity..............................................................................................

Noncontrolling interests ...............................................................................................................
Total shareholders’ equity.............................................................................................................

$

123,683
43,012

$

$

$

$

$

11,633
127,113
167,875

406,513
957,515
1,364,028

16,114
210,634
39,930
112,043
102,092
—
2,318,157

514,711
125,000

33,109
27,722
4,397
512,833
159,928
58,385
—
1,436,085

195
740,321
163,893

(170,629)
896
734,676

147,396
882,072

105,371
31,007

13,795
148,117
145,433

384,789
826,806
1,211,595

15,089
196,844
41,258
85,772
88,799
4,653
2,087,733

477,014
125,000

42,007
60,155
50,000
357,201
132,124
53,193
864
1,297,558

195
754,566
118,803

(140,939)
667
733,292

56,883
790,175

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity......................................................................................

$

2,318,157

$

2,087,733

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

60

Piper Jaffray Companies

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)
Revenues:

Investment banking..........................................................................................
Institutional brokerage .....................................................................................
Asset management ...........................................................................................
Interest..............................................................................................................
Investment income ...........................................................................................

$

Total revenues...............................................................................................

Interest expense................................................................................................

Net revenues..................................................................................................

Non-interest expenses:

Compensation and benefits ..............................................................................
Occupancy and equipment...............................................................................
Communications ..............................................................................................
Floor brokerage and clearance .........................................................................
Marketing and business development..............................................................
Outside services ...............................................................................................
Restructuring and integration costs..................................................................
Goodwill impairment .......................................................................................
Intangible asset amortization expense .............................................................
Other operating expenses.................................................................................

Total non-interest expenses...........................................................................

Income/(loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense.........

Income tax expense..........................................................................................

Income/(loss) from continuing operations ......................................................

Discontinued operations:

Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax .................................................

Net income/(loss) ...............................................................................................

Net income applicable to noncontrolling interests...........................................

Net income/(loss) applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies.............................

Net income/(loss) applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies’ common

shareholders ....................................................................................................

Amounts applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies

Net income/(loss) from continuing operations ................................................
Net loss from discontinued operations.............................................................
Net income/(loss) applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies............................

Earnings/(loss) per basic common share

Income/(loss) from continuing operations .......................................................
Loss from discontinued operations ..................................................................
Earnings/(loss) per basic common share.......................................................

Earnings/(loss) per diluted common share

Income/(loss) from continuing operations .......................................................
Loss from discontinued operations ..................................................................
Earnings/(loss) per diluted common share....................................................

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding

Basic.................................................................................................................
Diluted..............................................................................................................

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

2013

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2011

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

248,563
146,648
83,045
50,409
21,566

550,231

25,036

525,195

322,464
25,493
21,431
8,270
21,603
32,982
4,689
—
7,993
4,657

449,582

75,613

20,390

55,223

(4,739)

50,484

5,394

45,090

40,596

49,829
(4,739)
45,090

2.98
(0.28)
2.70

2.98
(0.28)
2.70

15,046
15,061

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

232,958
166,642
65,699
37,845
4,903

508,047

19,095

488,952

296,882
26,454
20,543
8,054
19,908
27,998
3,642
—
6,944
9,516

419,941

69,011

19,470

49,541

(5,807)

43,734

2,466

41,268

35,335

47,075
(5,807)
41,268

2.58
(0.32)
2.26

2.58
(0.32)
2.26

15,615
15,616

202,513
135,358
63,307
43,447
8,178

452,803

20,720

432,083

265,015
28,430
22,121
8,925
22,640
27,570
—
120,298
7,256
10,017

512,272

(80,189)

9,120

(89,309)

(11,248)

(100,557)

1,463

(102,020)

(102,020) (1)

(90,772)
(11,248)
(102,020)

(5.79)
(0.72)
(6.51)

(5.79)
(0.72)
(6.51)

15,672
15,672

(2)

(2)

(1)  No allocation of income was made due to loss position.
(2)  Earnings per diluted common share is calculated using the basic weighted average number of common shares outstanding for periods in which a loss is 

incurred. 

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

61

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

(Amounts in thousands)

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2011

2013

Net income/(loss)................................................................................

$

50,484

$

43,734

$

(100,557)

Other comprehensive income/(loss), net of tax:

Adjustment to unrecognized pension cost ........................................
Foreign currency translation adjustment...........................................

Total other comprehensive income/(loss), net of tax......................

Comprehensive income/(loss) ...........................................................

Comprehensive income applicable to noncontrolling interests ........

(38)
267

229

50,713

5,394

—
62

62

43,796

2,466

—
(122)

(122)

(100,679)

1,463

Comprehensive income/(loss) applicable to Piper Jaffray
Companies ........................................................................................

$

45,319

$

41,330

$

(102,142)

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

62

Piper Jaffray Companies

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity

(Amounts in thousands,
 except share amounts)

Common
Shares
Outstanding

Common
Stock

Additional
Paid-In
Capital

Retained
Earnings

Treasury
Stock

Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income/(Loss)

Total
Common
Shareholders'
Equity

Noncontrolling
Interests

Total
Shareholders'
Equity

Balance at

December 31, 2010 ............

Net income/(loss) ..................

Amortization/issuance of

restricted stock ....................

Repurchase of common
stock through share
repurchase program ............

Issuance of treasury shares

for restricted stock vestings
and options exercised..........

Repurchase of common
stock for employee tax
withholding .........................

Issuance of treasury shares

for 401k match ....................

Shares reserved to meet
deferred compensation
obligations...........................

Other comprehensive loss .....

Fund capital

contributions, net ................

Balance at

December 31, 2011 ............

Net income ............................

Amortization/issuance of

restricted stock ....................

Repurchase of common
stock through share
repurchase program ............

Issuance of treasury

shares for restricted stock
vestings ...............................

Repurchase of common
stock for employee tax
withholding .........................

Issuance of treasury shares

for 401k match ....................

Shares reserved to meet
deferred compensation
obligations...........................

Other comprehensive

income.................................

Fund capital

contributions, net ................

Balance at

December 31, 2012 ............

14,652,665

$

195

$ 836,152

$ 179,555

$ (203,317)

$

727

$

813,312

$

4,789

$

818,101

—

—

(293,829)

1,796,239

(509,671)

90,085

14,699

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

— (102,020)

29,459

—

(74,920)

—

38

437

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

(5,994)

74,960

(20,535)

3,776

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

(122)

—

(102,020)

1,463

(100,557)

29,459

(5,994)

40

(20,535)

3,814

437

(122)

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

29,459

(5,994)

40

(20,535)

3,814

437

(122)

25,957

25,957

15,750,188

$

195

$ 791,166

$ 77,535

$ (151,110)

$

605

$

718,391

$

32,209

$

750,600

—

—

(1,645,458)

1,323,427

(385,449)

165,241

5,847

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

41,268

16,681

—

—

—

—

—

(38,068)

(50,776)

—

(2,745)

240

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

50,776

(9,096)

6,559

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

62

—

41,268

16,681

(38,068)

—

(9,096)

3,814

240

62

—

2,466

43,734

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

16,681

(38,068)

—

(9,096)

3,814

240

62

22,208

22,208

15,213,796

$

195

$ 754,566

$ 118,803

$ (140,939)

$

667

$

733,292

$

56,883

$

790,175

Continued on next page

63

Piper Jaffray Companies

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity – Continued

(Amounts in thousands,
 except share amounts)

Net income ............................

Amortization/issuance of

restricted stock ....................

Repurchase of common
stock through share
repurchase program ............

Issuance of treasury

shares for restricted stock
vestings ...............................

Repurchase of common
stock for employee tax
withholding .........................

Issuance of treasury shares

for 401k match ....................

Shares reserved to meet
deferred compensation
obligations...........................

Other comprehensive

income.................................

Fund capital

contributions, net ................

Balance at

December 31, 2013 ............

Common
Shares
Outstanding

Common
Stock

Additional
Paid-In
Capital

Retained
Earnings

Treasury
Stock

Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income/(Loss)

Total
Common
Shareholders'
Equity

Noncontrolling
Interests

Total
Shareholders'
Equity

— $

— $

— $ 45,090

$

— $

— $

45,090

$

5,394

$

50,484

—

(1,719,662)

1,173,180

(386,713)

96,049

6,768

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

23,528

—

—

—

—

(55,929)

(38,636)

—

803

60

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

38,636

(15,533)

3,136

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

229

—

23,528

(55,929)

—

(15,533)

3,939

60

229

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

23,528

(55,929)

—

(15,533)

3,939

60

229

85,119

85,119

14,383,418

$

195

$ 740,321

$ 163,893

$ (170,629)

$

896

$

734,676

$

147,396

$

882,072

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

64

Piper Jaffray Companies

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Dollars in thousands)
Operating Activities:

Net income/(loss).........................................................................................................................................................
Adjustments to reconcile net income/(loss) to net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities:

Depreciation and amortization of fixed assets .........................................................................................................
Deferred income taxes..............................................................................................................................................
Loss on sale of FAMCO...........................................................................................................................................
Loss on disposal of fixed assets ...............................................................................................................................
Share-based and deferred compensation ..................................................................................................................
Goodwill impairment ...............................................................................................................................................
Amortization of intangible assets.............................................................................................................................
Amortization of forgivable loans .............................................................................................................................

Decrease/(increase) in operating assets:

Cash and cash equivalents segregated for regulatory purposes ...............................................................................
Receivables:

Customers .............................................................................................................................................................
Brokers, dealers and clearing organizations .........................................................................................................
Securities purchased under agreements to resell......................................................................................................
Net financial instruments and other inventory positions owned ..............................................................................
Investments ..............................................................................................................................................................
Other assets ..............................................................................................................................................................

Increase/(decrease) in operating liabilities:

Payables:

Customers .............................................................................................................................................................
Brokers, dealers and clearing organizations .........................................................................................................
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase.......................................................................................................
Accrued compensation .............................................................................................................................................
Other liabilities and accrued expenses .....................................................................................................................
Decrease in assets held for sale ...................................................................................................................................
Increase/(decrease) in liabilities held for sale..............................................................................................................
Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities .................................................................................................

Investing Activities:

Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired.................................................................................................................
Sale of FAMCO...........................................................................................................................................................
Purchases of fixed assets, net ......................................................................................................................................
Net cash used in investing activities ........................................................................................................................

Financing Activities:

Increase/(decrease) in short-term financing ................................................................................................................
Issuance/(repayment) of variable rate senior notes .....................................................................................................
Decrease in bank syndicated financing .......................................................................................................................
Decrease in securities sold under agreements to repurchase .......................................................................................
Increase in noncontrolling interests.............................................................................................................................
Repurchase of common stock......................................................................................................................................
Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation ....................................................................................................
Proceeds from stock option transactions .....................................................................................................................
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities .................................................................................................

Currency adjustment:

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash .....................................................................................................................

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents ......................................................................................................................

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year .............................................................................................................

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year........................................................................................................................

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information –

Cash paid/(received) during the year for:

Interest......................................................................................................................................................................
Income taxes.............................................................................................................................................................

Non-cash financing activities –

Issuance of common stock for retirement plan obligations:
96,049 shares, 165,241 shares and 90,085 shares for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011,

respectively.............................................................................................................................................................

Issuance of restricted common stock for annual equity award:
431,582 shares, 487,181 shares and 592,697 shares for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011,

respectively.............................................................................................................................................................

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2011

2013

$

50,484

$

43,734

$

(100,557)

5,714
(2,630)
1,876
—
21,598
—
7,993
6,300

(12,005)

2,162
21,004
(22,442)
4,685
(26,271)
(3,867)

(8,898)
(33,559)
4,397
32,233
(2,354)
605
(465)
46,560

(24,726)
250
(5,476)
(29,952)

37,697
—
—
(50,000)
85,119
(71,462)
47
—
1,401

303

18,312

105,371

123,683

23,487
745

3,939

17,699

$

$
$

$

$

7,005
11,458
—
1,624
20,641
5,508
7,669
8,057

(5,999)

10,395
(23,452)
14,713
(360,317)
(17,444)
(15,362)

12,592
24,720
—
23,424
18,945
435
(128)
(211,782)

—
—
(2,131)
(2,131)

308,313
125,000
(115,000)
(59,080)
22,208
(47,164)
—
—
234,277

(17)

20,347

85,024

105,371

22,129
(4,961)

3,814

11,244

$

$
$

$

$

7,338
17,100
—
—
22,803
120,298
8,276
8,365

1,998

18,706
66,655
98,851
14,326
(8,239)
6,779

(22,826)
19,466
(8,581)
(27,225)
(38,685)
438
47
205,333

(56)
—
(7,648)
(7,704)

(29,940)
—
(10,000)
(122,219)
25,957
(26,529)
—
40
(162,691)

(130)

34,808

50,216

85,024

25,700
14,982

3,814

25,095

$

$
$

$

$

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

65

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements 

Note 1 Organization and Basis of Presentation 

Organization

Piper Jaffray Companies is the parent company of Piper Jaffray & Co. (“Piper Jaffray”), a securities broker dealer and 
investment banking firm; Piper Jaffray Ltd., a firm providing securities brokerage and mergers and acquisitions services in 
Europe headquartered in London, England; Advisory Research, Inc. (“ARI”), which provides asset management services to 
separately managed accounts, closed-end and open-end funds and partnerships; Piper Jaffray Investment Group Inc., which 
consists of entities providing alternative asset management services; Piper Jaffray Financial Products Inc., Piper Jaffray Financial 
Products II Inc. and Piper Jaffray Financial Products III Inc., entities that facilitate derivative transactions; and other immaterial 
subsidiaries. Piper Jaffray Companies and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) operate in two reporting segments: 
Capital Markets and Asset Management. A summary of the activities of each of the Company’s business segments is as follows:

Capital Markets

The Capital Markets segment provides institutional sales, trading and research services and investment banking services. 
Institutional sales, trading and research services focus on the trading of equity and fixed income products with institutions, 
government and non-profit entities. Revenues are generated through commissions and sales credits earned on equity and fixed 
income institutional sales activities, net interest revenues on trading securities held in inventory, and profits and losses from 
trading these securities. Investment banking services include management of and participation in underwritings, merger and 
acquisition services and public finance activities. Revenues are generated through the receipt of advisory and financing fees. 
Also, the Company generates revenue through strategic trading activities, which focus on proprietary investments in municipal 
bonds, mortgage-backed securities, equity securities and merchant banking activities, which involve equity or debt investments 
in late stage private companies. As certain of these efforts have matured and an investment process has been developed, the 
Company has created alternative asset management funds in merchant banking and municipal securities in order to invest firm 
capital as well as to seek capital from outside investors. The Company receives management and performance fees for managing 
these funds.

As discussed in Note 5, the Company discontinued its Hong Kong capital markets business in 2012.

Asset Management

The Asset Management segment provides traditional asset management services with product offerings in equity securities 
and    master  limited  partnerships  to  institutions  and  individuals.  Revenues  are  generated  in  the  form  of  management  and 
performance fees. Revenues are also generated through investments in the partnerships and funds that the Company manages.

As discussed in Note 5, Fiduciary Asset Management, LLC (“FAMCO”) was sold on April 30, 2013.

Basis of Presentation

The  accompanying  consolidated  financial  statements  have  been  prepared  in  accordance  with  U.S.  generally  accepted 
accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and include the accounts of Piper Jaffray Companies, its wholly owned subsidiaries, and 
all other entities in which the Company has a controlling financial interest. Noncontrolling interests represent equity interests 
in consolidated entities that are not attributable, either directly or indirectly, to Piper Jaffray Companies. Noncontrolling interests 
include the minority equity holders’ proportionate share of the equity in a municipal bond fund, merchant banking fund and 
private equity investment vehicles. All material intercompany balances have been eliminated.

The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to 
make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements 
and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Although these estimates and assumptions are 
based on the best information available, actual results could differ from those estimates.

66

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Reclassifications

In 2013, the Company reclassified interest revenue and expense associated with its derivative contracts to investment banking 
or institutional brokerage revenues within the consolidated statements of operations to more accurately reflect the nature and 
intent of the derivative instrument. The Company reclassified $11.0 million and $12.0 million of interest revenue and $10.2 
million and $10.9 million of interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. This change had 
no effect on net revenues, net income, shareholders’ equity or cash flows for any of the periods presented.  

In 2012, the Company reclassified the value of restricted stock forfeitures from other income to a reduction of compensation 
and benefits expense within the consolidated statements of operations to be consistent with the reporting of forfeitures for the 
Piper Jaffray Companies Mutual Fund Restricted Share Investment Plan and to more accurately reflect compensation expense. 
The reclassified amount within continuing operations was $3.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. This change had 
no effect on shareholders’ equity, net income or cash flows for the period presented.

Note 2 Summary of Significant Accounting Policies 

Principles of Consolidation

The Company determines whether it has a controlling financial interest in an entity by first evaluating whether the entity 

is a voting interest entity or a variable interest entity (“VIE”).

Voting interest entities are entities in which the total equity investment at risk is sufficient to enable each entity to finance 
itself independently and provides the equity holders with the obligation to absorb losses, the right to receive residual returns and 
the right or power to make decisions about or direct the entity’s activities that most significantly impact the entity’s economic 
performance. Voting interest entities, where the Company has a majority interest, are consolidated in accordance with Financial 
Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 810, “Consolidations” (“ASC 810”). ASC 
810 states that the usual condition for a controlling financial interest in an entity is ownership of a majority voting interest. 
Accordingly, the Company consolidates voting interest entities in which it has all, or a majority of, the voting interests.

As defined in ASC 810, VIEs are entities that lack one or more of the characteristics of a voting interest entity described 
above.  With  the  exception  of  entities  eligible  for  the  deferral  codified  in  FASB Accounting  Standards  Update  (“ASU”) 
No. 2010-10, “Consolidation: Amendments for Certain Investment Funds,” (“ASU 2010-10”) (generally asset managers and 
investment companies), ASC 810 states that a controlling financial interest in an entity is present when an enterprise has a 
variable interest, or combination of variable interests, that have both the power to direct the activities of the entity that most 
significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses of the entity or the rights to receive 
benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the entity. Accordingly, the Company consolidates VIEs in which 
the Company has a controlling financial interest.

Entities meeting the deferral provision defined by ASU 2010-10 are evaluated under the historical VIE guidance. Under 
the  historical  guidance,  a  controlling  financial  interest  in  an  entity  is  present  when  an  enterprise  has  a  variable  interest,  or 
combination of variable interests, that will absorb a majority of the entity’s expected losses, receive a majority of the entity’s 
expected  residual  returns,  or  both.  The  enterprise  with  a  controlling  financial  interest,  known  as  the  primary  beneficiary, 
consolidates the VIE. Accordingly, the Company consolidates VIEs subject to the deferral provisions defined by ASU 2010-10 
in which the Company is deemed to be the primary beneficiary.

When the Company does not have a controlling financial interest in an entity but exerts significant influence over the entity’s 
operating and financial policies (generally defined as owning a voting or economic interest of between 20 percent to 50 percent), 
the Company accounts for its investment in accordance with the equity method of accounting prescribed by FASB Accounting 
Standards  Codification  Topic  323,  “Investments  —  Equity  Method  and  Joint  Ventures.”  If  the  Company  does  not  have  a 
controlling financial interest in, or exert significant influence over, an entity, the Company accounts for its investment at fair 
value, if the fair value option was elected, or at cost.

67

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and highly liquid investments with maturities of 90 days or less at the date of 

origination.

In accordance with Rule 15c3-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Piper Jaffray, as a registered broker dealer carrying 
customer accounts, is subject to requirements related to maintaining cash or qualified securities in a segregated reserve account 
for the exclusive benefit of its customers.

Customer Transactions

Customer securities transactions are recorded on a settlement date basis, while the related revenues and expenses are recorded 
on a trade date basis. Customer receivables and payables include amounts related to both cash and margin transactions. Securities 
owned by customers, including those that collateralize margin or other similar transactions, are not reflected on the consolidated 
statements of financial condition.

Receivables from and Payables to Brokers, Dealers and Clearing Organizations 

Receivables  from  brokers,  dealers  and  clearing  organizations  include  receivables  arising  from  unsettled  securities 
transactions, deposits paid for securities borrowed, receivables from clearing organizations, deposits with clearing organizations 
and amounts receivable for securities not delivered to the purchaser by the settlement date (“securities failed to deliver”). Payables 
to brokers, dealers and clearing organizations include payables arising from unsettled securities transactions, payables to clearing 
organizations and amounts payable for securities not received from a seller by the settlement date (“securities failed to receive”). 
Unsettled securities transactions related to the Company's broker dealer operations are recorded at contract value on a net basis. 
Unsettled securities transactions related to the Company's consolidated investment company operations are recorded on a gross 
basis.

Collateralized Securities Transactions

Securities  purchased  under  agreements  to  resell  and  securities  sold  under  agreements  to  repurchase  are  carried  at  the 
contractual amounts at which the securities will be subsequently resold or repurchased, including accrued interest. It is the 
Company’s policy to take possession or control of securities purchased under agreements to resell at the time these agreements 
are entered into. The counterparties to these agreements typically are primary dealers of U.S. government securities and major 
financial institutions. Collateral is valued daily, and additional collateral is obtained from or refunded to counterparties when 
appropriate.

Securities borrowed and loaned result from transactions with other broker dealers or financial institutions and are recorded 
at the amount of cash collateral advanced or received. These amounts are included in receivables from and payables to brokers, 
dealers and clearing organizations on the consolidated statements of financial condition. Securities borrowed transactions require 
the Company to deposit cash or other collateral with the lender. Securities loaned transactions require the borrower to deposit 
cash with the Company. The Company monitors the market value of securities borrowed and loaned on a daily basis, with 
additional collateral obtained or refunded as necessary.

Interest is accrued on securities borrowed and loaned transactions and is included in (i) other assets or other liabilities and 
accrued expenses on the consolidated statements of financial condition and (ii) the respective interest income or interest expense 
amounts on the consolidated statements of operations.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Financial instruments and other inventory positions owned and financial instruments and other inventory positions sold, 
but not yet purchased on the consolidated statements of financial condition consist of financial instruments recorded at fair value. 
Unrealized gains and losses related to these financial instruments are reflected on the consolidated statements of operations. 
Securities (both long and short) are recognized on a trade-date basis. Additionally, certain of the Company’s investments on the 
consolidated statements of financial condition are recorded at fair value, either as required by accounting guidance or through 
the fair value election.

68

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Fair Value Hierarchy – FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurement,” (“ASC 820”) 
provides a definition of fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, establishes a fair value hierarchy based on 
the inputs used to measure fair value and enhances disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. ASC 820 maximizes 
the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the observable inputs be used when 
available. Observable inputs are inputs that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data 
obtained from independent sources. Unobservable inputs reflect management’s assumptions that market participants would use 
in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances. The hierarchy is broken 
down into three levels based on the transparency of inputs as follows:

Level I – Quoted prices (unadjusted) are available in active markets for identical assets or liabilities as of the report date. 
A quoted price for an identical asset or liability in an active market provides the most reliable fair value measurement 
because it is directly observable to the market. The type of financial instruments included in Level I are highly liquid 
instruments with quoted prices such as equities listed in active markets, U.S. treasury bonds, money market securities and 
certain exchange traded firm investments and derivative instruments.

Level II – Pricing inputs are other than quoted prices in active markets, which are either directly or indirectly observable 
as of the report date. The nature of these financial instruments include instruments for which quoted prices are available 
but traded less frequently, derivative instruments whose fair value have been derived using a model where inputs to the 
model are directly observable in the market, or can be derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data, 
and instruments that are fair valued using other financial instruments, the parameters of which can be directly observed. 
Instruments which are generally included in this category are certain types of the following securities: non-exchange traded 
equities, U.S. government agency securities, corporate bonds, municipal securities, asset-backed securities, convertible 
securities and  derivative instruments.

Level III – Instruments that have little to no pricing observability as of the report date. These financial instruments may not 
have  two-way  markets  and  are  measured  using  management’s  best  estimate  of  fair  value,  where  the  inputs  into  the 
determination of fair value require significant management judgment or estimation. Instruments included in this category 
generally include certain types of the following securities: asset-backed securities, municipal securities, firm investments, 
convertible securities, corporate bonds and derivative instruments.

Valuation of Financial Instruments – The fair value of a financial instrument is the amount at which the instrument could 
be exchanged in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (the exit price). Based on the nature 
of  the  Company’s  business  and  its  role  as  a  “dealer”  in  the  securities  industry  or  its  role  as  a  manager  of  alternative  asset 
management funds, the fair values of its financial instruments are determined internally. When available, the Company values 
financial instruments at observable market prices, observable market parameters, or broker or dealer prices (bid and ask prices). 
In the case of financial instruments transacted on recognized exchanges, the observable market prices represent quotations for 
completed transactions from the exchange on which the financial instrument is principally traded.

A substantial percentage of the fair value of the Company’s financial instruments and other inventory positions owned and 
financial instruments and other inventory positions sold, but not yet purchased, are based on observable market prices, observable 
market parameters, or derived from broker or dealer prices. The availability of observable market prices and pricing parameters 
can vary from product to product. Where available, observable market prices and pricing or market parameters in a product may 
be used to derive a price without requiring significant judgment. In certain markets, observable market prices or market parameters 
are not available for all products, and fair value is determined using techniques appropriate for each particular product. These 
techniques involve some degree of judgment. Results from valuation models and other techniques in one period may not be 
indicative of future period fair value measurement.

For investments in illiquid or privately held securities that do not have readily determinable fair values, the determination 
of fair value requires the Company to estimate the value of the securities using the best information available. Among the factors 
considered by the Company in determining the fair value of such financial instruments are the cost, terms and liquidity of the 
investment, the financial condition and operating results of the issuer, the quoted market price of publicly traded securities with 
similar quality and yield, and other factors generally pertinent to the valuation of investments. In instances where a security is 
subject to transfer restrictions, the value of the security is based primarily on the quoted price of a similar security without 

69

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

restriction but may be reduced by an amount estimated to reflect such restrictions. In addition, even where the Company derives 
the value of a security based on information from an independent source, certain assumptions may be required to determine the 
security’s fair value. For instance, the Company assumes that the size of positions in securities that the Company holds would 
not be large enough to affect the quoted price of the securities if the firm sells them, and that any such sale would happen in an 
orderly manner. The actual value realized upon disposition could be different from the currently estimated fair value.

The fair values related to derivative contract transactions are reported in financial instruments and other inventory positions 
owned and financial instruments and other inventory positions sold, but not yet purchased on the consolidated statements of 
financial  condition  and  any  unrealized  gain  or  loss  resulting  from  changes  in  fair  values  of  derivatives  is  reported  on  the 
consolidated statements of operations. Depending upon the product and terms of the transaction, the fair value of the Company’s 
derivative contracts can be observed or priced using models based on the net present value of estimated future cash flows. The 
valuation models used require inputs including contractual terms, yield curves, discount rates and measures of volatility. The 
Company  does  not  utilize  “hedge  accounting”  as  described  within  FASB Accounting  Standards  Codification  Topic  815, 
“Derivatives and Hedging” (“ASC 815”). 

Fixed Assets

Fixed assets include furniture and equipment, software and leasehold improvements. Furniture and equipment and software 
are depreciated using the straight-line method over estimated useful lives of three to ten years. Leasehold improvements are 
amortized over their estimated useful life or the life of the lease, whichever is shorter. The Company capitalizes certain costs 
incurred in connection with internal use software projects and amortizes the amount over the expected useful life of the asset, 
generally three to seven years.

Leases

The Company leases its corporate headquarters and other offices under various non-cancelable leases. The leases require 
payment of real estate taxes, insurance and common area maintenance, in addition to rent. The terms of the Company’s lease 
agreements generally range up to twelve years. Some of the leases contain renewal options, escalation clauses, rent-free holidays 
and operating cost adjustments.

For leases that contain escalation clauses or rent-free holidays, the Company recognizes the related rent expense on a straight-
line basis from the date the Company takes possession of the property to the end of the initial lease term. The Company records 
any difference between the straight-line rent amounts and amounts payable under the leases as part of other liabilities and accrued 
expenses.

Cash or lease incentives received upon entering into certain leases are recognized on a straight-line basis as a reduction of 
rent expense from the date the Company takes possession of the property or receives the cash to the end of the initial lease term. 
The Company records the unamortized portion of lease incentives as part of other liabilities and accrued expenses.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill represents the fair value of the consideration transferred in excess of the fair value of identifiable net assets at the 
acquisition date. The recoverability of goodwill is evaluated annually, at a minimum, or on an interim basis if circumstances 
indicate a possible inability to realize the carrying amount. The Company has the option to first assess qualitative factors to 
determine whether the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. Further quantitative analysis is required if 
the Company determines that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. The evaluation includes assessing 
the estimated fair value of the Company’s reporting units based on a discounted cash flow model using revenue and profit 
forecasts, the Company’s market capitalization, public market comparables and multiples of recent mergers and acquisitions of 
similar businesses, if available.

Intangible assets with determinable lives consist of asset management contractual relationships and capital markets customer 
relationships and non-competition agreements that are amortized over their estimated useful lives ranging from two to ten years. 
Indefinite-life intangible assets consist of the ARI trade name. It is not amortized and is evaluated annually, at a minimum, or 
on an interim basis if events or circumstances indicate a possible inability to realize the carrying amount.

70

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Investments

The Company’s proprietary investments include investments in private companies and partnerships, registered mutual funds, 
warrants of public and private companies and private company debt. Equity investments in private companies are accounted for 
at fair value, if the fair value option was elected, or at cost. Investments in partnerships are accounted for under the equity 
method, which is generally the net asset value. Registered mutual funds are accounted for at fair value. Company-owned warrants 
with a cashless exercise option are valued at fair value, while warrants without a cashless exercise option are valued at cost. 
Private company debt investments are recorded at amortized cost, net of any unamortized premium or discount. 

Other Assets

Other assets include net deferred income tax assets, receivables and prepaid expenses. Receivables include fee receivables, 
accrued interest, income tax receivables and loans made to employees, typically in connection with their recruitment. Employee 
loans are forgiven based on continued employment and are amortized to compensation and benefits expense using the straight-
line method over the respective terms of the loans, which generally range from two to five years.

Revenue Recognition

Investment Banking – Investment banking revenues, which include underwriting fees, management fees and advisory fees, 
are recorded when services for the transactions are completed under the terms of each engagement. Expenses associated with 
such transactions are deferred until the related revenue is recognized or the engagement is otherwise concluded. Investment 
banking revenues are presented net of related unreimbursed expenses. Expenses related to investment banking deals not completed 
are recognized as non-interest expenses on the consolidated statements of operations.

Institutional  Brokerage  –  Institutional  brokerage  revenues  include  (i) commissions  received  from  customers  for  the 
execution of brokerage transactions in listed and over-the-counter (OTC) equity, fixed income and convertible debt securities, 
which are recorded on a trade date basis, (ii) trading gains and losses and (iii) fees received by the Company for equity research. 
The Company permits institutional customers to allocate a portion of their gross commissions to pay for research products and 
other services  provided by third parties. The amounts allocated for those purposes are commonly  referred to as soft dollar 
arrangements. As the Company is not the primary obligor for these arrangements, expenses relating to soft dollars are netted 
against commission revenues.

Asset Management – Asset management fees include revenues the Company receives in connection with management and 
investment advisory services performed for separately managed accounts and various funds and partnerships. These fees are 
recognized in the period in which services are provided. Fees are defined in client contracts as either fixed or based on a percentage 
of portfolio assets under management and may include performance fees. Performance fees are earned when the investment 
return on assets under management exceeds certain benchmark targets or other performance targets over a specified measurement 
period  (monthly,  quarterly  or  annually).  Performance  fees,  if  earned,  are  generally  recognized  at  the  end  of  the  specified 
measurement period, typically the fourth quarter of the applicable year, or upon client liquidation. Performance fees are recognized 
as of each reporting date for certain consolidated entities.

Interest Revenue and Expense – The Company nets interest expense within net revenues to mitigate the effects of fluctuations 
in  interest  rates  on  the  Company’s  consolidated  statements  of  operations. The  Company  recognizes  contractual  interest  on 
financial instruments owned and financial instruments sold, but not yet purchased (excluding derivative instruments), on an 
accrual basis as a component of interest revenue and expense. The Company accounts for interest related to its short-term and 
bank syndicated financings and its variable rate senior notes on an accrual basis with related interest recorded as interest expense. 
In addition, the Company recognizes interest revenue related to its securities borrowed and securities purchased under agreements 
to resell activities and interest expense related to its securities loaned and securities sold under agreements to repurchase activities 
on an accrual basis.

Investment Income – Investment income includes realized and unrealized gains and losses from the Company's merchant 

banking and other firm investments. 

71

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Stock-based Compensation

FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, “Compensation — Stock Compensation,” (“ASC 718”) requires all 
stock-based compensation to be expensed on the consolidated statements of operations based on the grant date fair value of the 
award. Compensation expense related to share-based awards that do not require future service are recognized in the year in 
which the awards were deemed to be earned. Share-based awards that require future service are amortized over the relevant 
service period net of estimated forfeitures.

Income Taxes

The Company files a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return, which includes all of its qualifying subsidiaries. The 
Company is also subject to income tax in various states and municipalities and those foreign jurisdictions in which we operate. 
Income taxes are provided for using the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the 
expected future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between amounts reported for income tax purposes and 
financial statement purposes, using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary 
differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The realization of deferred tax assets is assessed and a valuation allowance 
is recognized to the extent that it is more likely than not that any portion of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. Tax reserves 
for  uncertain  tax  positions  are  recorded  in  accordance  with  FASB Accounting  Standards  Codification Topic  740,  “Income 
Taxes” (“ASC 740”).

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per common share is computed by dividing net income/(loss) applicable to common shareholders by the 
weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Net income/(loss) applicable to common shareholders 
represents  net  income/(loss)  reduced  by  the  allocation  of  earnings  to  participating  securities.  Losses  are  not  allocated  to 
participating securities. Diluted earnings per common share is calculated by adjusting the weighted average outstanding shares 
to assume conversion of all potentially dilutive stock options.

Unvested share-based payment awards that contain nonforfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents (whether paid 
or unpaid) are participating securities and are included in the earnings allocation in the earnings per share calculation under the 
two-class method. The Company grants restricted stock and restricted stock units as part of its share-based compensation program. 
Recipients of restricted stock are entitled to receive nonforfeitable dividends during the vesting period, and therefore meet the 
definition of a participating security. The Company's unvested restricted stock units are not participating securities as recipients 
are not eligible to receive nonforfeitable dividends.

Foreign Currency Translation

The Company consolidates foreign subsidiaries which have designated their local currency as their functional currency. 
Assets  and  liabilities  of  these  foreign  subsidiaries  are  translated  at  year-end  rates  of  exchange.  In  accordance  with  FASB 
Accounting Standards Codification Topic 830, “Foreign Currency Matters,” gains or losses resulting from translating foreign 
currency financial statements are included in other comprehensive income. Gains or losses resulting from foreign currency 
transactions are included in net income.

Contingencies

The Company is involved in various pending and potential legal proceedings related to its business, including litigation, 
arbitration  and  regulatory  proceedings.  The  Company  establishes  reserves  for  potential  losses  in  accordance  with  FASB 
Accounting Standards Codification Topic 450, “Contingencies,” to the extent that claims are probable of loss and the amount 
of the loss can be reasonably estimated. The determination of the outcome and reserve amounts requires significant judgment 
on the part of management.

72

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Note 3 Recent Accounting Pronouncements 

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities

In  December  2011,  the  FASB  issued ASU  No. 2011-11,  “Disclosures  about  Offsetting Assets  and  Liabilities,”  (“ASU 
2011-11”) amending FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 210, “Balance Sheet.” The amended guidance requires an 
entity to disclose information about offsetting and related arrangements to enable users of its financial statements to understand 
the effect of those arrangements on its financial position. In January 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-01, “Clarifying the 
Scope of Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities,” (“ASU 2013-01”) to limit the scope of ASU 2011-11 to derivatives, 
repurchase agreements, and securities lending arrangements. ASU 2011-11 and ASU 2013-01 were effective for the Company 
as of January 1, 2013. The adoption of ASU 2011-11 and ASU 2013-01 did not impact the Company’s results of operations or 
financial position, but did impact the Company’s disclosures about the offsetting of certain assets and liabilities, and related 
arrangements.

Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets

In July 2012, the FASB issued ASU No. 2012-02, “Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment,” (“ASU 
2012-02”) amending FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 350, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other.” The amended 
guidance permits companies to first assess qualitative factors in determining whether the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible 
asset  is  less  than  its  carrying  amount. ASU  2012-02  was  effective  for  annual  and  interim  indefinite-lived  intangible  asset 
impairment tests performed by the Company for the fiscal year beginning as of January 1, 2013. The adoption of ASU 2012-02 
did not impact the Company's results of operations or financial position.

Future Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Investment Companies

In June 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-08, “Financial Services - Investment Companies (Topic 946): Amendments 
to  the  Scope,  Measurement,  and  Disclosure  Requirements,”  (“ASU  2013-08”)  amending  FASB  Accounting  Standards 
Codification Topic 946, “Financial Services - Investment Companies” (“ASC 946”). The amended guidance changes the approach 
to the investment company assessment in ASC 946, clarifies the characteristics of an investment company and requires new 
disclosures for investment company financial statements. ASU 2013-08 is effective for interim and annual periods beginning 
after December 15, 2013. The adoption of ASU 2013-08 is not expected to have an impact on the Company's results of operations, 
financial position or disclosures.

73

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Note 4 Acquisitions 

On July 12, 2013, the Company completed the purchase of Seattle-Northwest Securities Corporation ("Seattle-Northwest"), 
a Seattle-based investment bank and broker dealer focused on public finance in the Northwest region of the U.S. The purchase 
was completed pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated April 16, 2013. The acquisition of Seattle-Northwest supports 
the Company's strategy to grow its public finance business.

On July 16, 2013, the Company completed the purchase of Edgeview Partners, L.P. ("Edgeview"), a middle-market advisory 
firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions. The purchase was completed pursuant to the Unit Purchase Agreement dated 
June 17, 2013. The acquisition of Edgeview further strengthens the Company's mergers and acquisitions position in the middle 
market and adds resources dedicated to the private equity community. 

The Company paid $32.7 million in cash for Seattle-Northwest and Edgeview, which represented the fair values as of the 
respective acquisition dates. The Company also entered into acquisition-related compensation arrangements of $14.3 million 
which consisted of cash, restricted stock and restricted mutual fund shares ("MFRS Awards") of registered funds managed by 
the Company's asset management business. Compensation expense related to these arrangements will be amortized on a straight-
line basis over the requisite service period of two to five years (a weighted average service period of 4.3 years). 

These  acquisitions  were  accounted  for  pursuant  to  FASB  Accounting  Standards  Codification  Topic  805,  "Business 
Combinations." Accordingly, the purchase price of each acquisition was allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities assumed 
based on their estimated fair values as of the respective acquisition dates. The excess of the purchase price over the net assets 
acquired was allocated between goodwill and intangible assets within the Capital Markets segment. The Company recorded 
$13.8 million of goodwill on the consolidated statements of financial condition, of which $9.1 million is expected to be deductible 
for income tax purposes. In management's opinion, the goodwill represents the reputation and expertise of Seattle-Northwest 
and Edgeview in their respective business lines. 

Identifiable  intangible  assets  purchased  by  the  Company  consisted  of  customer  relationships  and  non-competition 
agreements with acquisition-date fair values estimated to be $6.0 million and $0.7 million, respectively. Transaction costs of 
$1.1 million were incurred for the year ended December 31, 2013, and are included in restructuring and integration costs within 
continuing operations on the consolidated statements of operations. 

74

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

In the fourth quarter of 2013, the Company recorded measurement period adjustments to reflect the final fair values of 
intangible assets and acquired leases. The following table summarizes the estimated fair values of assets acquired and liabilities 
assumed at the respective dates of acquisition:

(Dollars in thousands)
Assets

Cash and cash equivalents ............................................................................................................................
Financial instruments and other inventory positions owned ........................................................................
Fixed assets...................................................................................................................................................
Goodwill .......................................................................................................................................................
Intangible assets............................................................................................................................................
Other assets...................................................................................................................................................
Total assets acquired .......................................................................................................................................

$

Liabilities

Payables ........................................................................................................................................................
Financial instruments and other inventory positions sold, but not yet purchased ........................................
Accrued compensation..................................................................................................................................
Other liabilities and accrued expenses..........................................................................................................
Total liabilities assumed..................................................................................................................................

8,014
24,074
1,247
13,790
6,665
8,922
62,712

1,126
22,588
1,469
4,789
29,972

Net assets acquired..........................................................................................................................................

$

32,740

Seattle-Northwest and Edgeview results of operations have been included in the Company's consolidated financial statements 
prospectively  from  their  respective  dates  of  acquisition. These  acquisitions  have  been  fully  integrated  with  the  Company's 
existing operations. Accordingly, post-acquisition revenues and net income are not discernible. The following unaudited pro 
forma financial data assumes the acquisitions had occurred at the beginning of the comparable prior periods presented. Pro forma 
results have been prepared by adjusting the Company's historical results from continuing operations to include Seattle-Northwest 
and Edgeview results of operations adjusted for the following changes: depreciation and amortization expenses were adjusted 
to account for acquisition-date fair value adjustments of fixed assets and intangible assets; compensation and benefits expenses 
were adjusted to reflect excess partner distributions as compensation expense; and the income tax effect of applying the Company's 
statutory tax rates to Seattle-Northwest and Edgeview results of operations. The consolidated Company's unaudited pro forma 
information presented does not necessarily reflect the results of operations that would have resulted had the acquisitions been 
completed at the beginning of the applicable periods presented, does not contemplate anticipated operational efficiencies of the 
combined entities, nor does it indicate the results of operations in future periods.   

(Dollars in thousands)
Net revenues ........................................................................................
Net income/(loss) from continuing operations applicable to Piper
Jaffray Companies .............................................................................

$

$

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2013

541,304

48,568

$

$

535,694

50,413

$

$

2011

458,831

(90,810)

75

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Note 5 Discontinued Operations 

The Company's Hong Kong capital markets business ceased operations as of September 30, 2012. In accordance with the 
provisions of FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 205-20, “Discontinued Operations,” the results from this business, 
previously reported in the Capital Markets segment, have been classified as discontinued operations for all periods presented. 

The components of discontinued operations for the Hong Kong capital markets business are as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2011

2013

Net revenues......................................................................................

$

— $

6,635

$

15,996

Restructuring expenses .....................................................................
Other expenses ..................................................................................
Total non-interest expenses.............................................................

Loss from discontinued operations before income tax expense/
(benefit)..............................................................................................

 Income tax expense/(benefit) ...........................................................

—
1,197
1,197

(1,197)

(415)

11,535
16,550
28,085

(21,450)

(21,069)

—
24,983
24,983

(8,987)

1,927

Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax.....................................

$

(782)

$

(381)

$

(10,914)

On April  30,  2013,  the  Company  completed  the  sale  of  FAMCO  for  consideration  of  $4.0  million  under  a  previously 
announced definitive agreement. The sale consideration of $4.0 million consisted of $0.3 million in cash and a $3.7 million note 
receivable from the buyer. FAMCO's results, previously reported in the Asset Management segment, have been presented as 
discontinued operations for all periods presented and the related assets and liabilities were classified as held for sale as of 
December 31, 2012. The disposal group primarily consisted of intangible assets, other receivables and accrued compensation. 
As part of the sale, the Company indemnified the buyer against certain costs and obligations. As of December 31, 2013, a $0.5 
million remaining indemnification obligation was included within other liabilities and accrued expenses on the consolidated 
statements of financial condition. The potential amount of future payments that the Company could be required to make pursuant 
to the terms of the definitive sale agreement is not limited, however it is not expected to be material. 

The components of discontinued operations for FAMCO are as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2011

2013

Net revenues......................................................................................

$

1,650

$

5,718

$

Goodwill impairment ........................................................................
Operating expenses ...........................................................................
Total non-interest expenses.............................................................

Loss from discontinued operations before income tax benefit............

Income tax benefit.............................................................................

Loss from discontinued operations......................................................

Loss on sale, net of tax......................................................................

—
5,057
5,057

(3,407)

(1,326)

(2,081)

(1,876)

5,508
8,362
13,870

(8,152)

(2,726)

(5,426)

—

Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax.....................................

$

(3,957)

$

(5,426)

$

6,584

—
7,089
7,089

(505)

(171)

(334)

—

(334)

76

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Note 6  Financial Instruments and Other Inventory Positions Owned and Financial Instruments and Other Inventory Positions 

Sold, but Not Yet Purchased 

Financial instruments and other inventory positions owned and financial instruments and other inventory positions sold, 

but not yet purchased were as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Financial instruments and other inventory positions owned:
Corporate securities:

December 31,
2013

December 31,
2012

Equity securities .............................................................................................................. $
Convertible securities ......................................................................................................
Fixed income securities ...................................................................................................

$

54,097
80,784
10,102

16,478
44,978
33,668

Municipal securities:

Taxable securities ............................................................................................................
Tax-exempt securities......................................................................................................
Short-term securities........................................................................................................
Asset-backed securities......................................................................................................
U.S. government agency securities....................................................................................
U.S. government securities ................................................................................................
Derivative contracts ...........................................................................................................
Total financial instruments and other inventory positions owned .....................................

232,379
460,865
62,620
119,811
304,737
—
38,633
1,364,028

Less noncontrolling interests (1) ..................................................................................................

(291,513)
1,072,515

$

Financial instruments and other inventory positions sold, but not yet purchased:
Corporate securities:

Equity securities .............................................................................................................. $
Convertible securities ......................................................................................................
Fixed income securities ...................................................................................................

Municipal securities:

Short-term securities........................................................................................................
U.S. government agency securities....................................................................................
U.S. government securities ................................................................................................
Derivative contracts ...........................................................................................................
Total financial instruments and other inventory positions sold, but not yet purchased.....

69,205
—
24,021

—
120,084
291,320
8,203
512,833

164,059
418,189
68,328
116,195
304,259
4,966
40,475
1,211,595

(103,480)
1,108,115

27,090
1,015
19,314

60
73,724
231,043
4,955
357,201

$

$

Less noncontrolling interests (2) ..................................................................................................

(68,356)
444,477

$

(27,308)
329,893

$

(1)  Noncontrolling interests attributable to third party ownership in a consolidated municipal bond fund consist of $101.8 million and $43.8 million of taxable 
municipal securities, $183.9 million and $58.0 million of tax-exempt municipal securities, and $5.8 million and $1.7 million of derivative contracts as of 
December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. 

(2)  Noncontrolling interests attributable to third party ownership in a consolidated municipal bond fund consist of $67.4 million and $27.3 million of U.S. 

government securities as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and $1.0 million of derivative contracts as of December 31, 2013.  

At December 31, 2013 and 2012, financial instruments and other inventory positions owned in the amount of $957.5 million 

and $826.8 million, respectively, had been pledged as collateral for short-term financings and repurchase agreements.

77

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Financial instruments and other inventory positions sold, but not yet purchased represent obligations of the Company to 
deliver the specified security at the contracted price, thereby creating a liability to purchase the security in the market at prevailing 
prices. The Company is obligated to acquire the securities sold short at prevailing market prices, which may exceed the amount 
reflected on the consolidated statements of financial condition. The Company economically hedges changes in the market value 
of its financial instruments and other inventory positions owned using inventory positions sold, but not yet purchased, interest 
rate derivatives, credit default swap index contracts, futures and exchange traded options.

Derivative Contract Financial Instruments

The Company uses interest rate swaps, interest rate locks, credit default swap index contracts and option contracts to facilitate 
customer transactions and as a means to manage risk in certain inventory positions. The following describes the Company’s 
derivatives by the type of transaction or security the instruments are economically hedging.

Customer matched-book derivatives: The Company enters into interest rate derivative contracts in a principal capacity as 
a dealer to satisfy the financial needs of its customers.  The Company simultaneously enters into  an interest rate  derivative  
contract with a third party for the same notional amount to hedge the interest rate and credit risk of the initial client interest rate 
derivative contract. In certain limited instances, the Company has only hedged interest rate risk with a third party, and retains 
uncollateralized credit risk as described below. The instruments use interest rates based upon either the London Interbank Offer 
Rate (“LIBOR”) index or the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) index.

Trading securities derivatives: The Company enters into interest rate derivative contracts to hedge interest rate and market 
value risks associated with its fixed income securities. The instruments use interest rates based upon either the Municipal Market 
Data (“MMD”) index, LIBOR or the SIFMA index. The Company also enters into credit default swap index contracts to hedge 
credit risk associated with its taxable fixed income securities and option contracts to hedge market value risk associated with 
its convertible securities and asset-backed securities.

Firm investments: The Company has historically entered into foreign currency forward contracts to manage the currency 

exposure related to its non-U.S. dollar denominated firm investments.

The  following  table  presents  the  total  absolute  notional  contract  amount  associated  with  the  Company’s  outstanding 

derivative instruments:

(Dollars in thousands)
Transaction Type or Hedged Security    
Customer matched-book ................................
Trading securities...........................................
Trading securities...........................................
Trading securities...........................................

Derivative Category               
Interest rate derivative contract
Interest rate derivative contract
Credit default swap index contract
Equity option derivative contract

December 31,
2013
5,310,929
198,500
299,333
17,090
5,825,852

$

$

December 31,
2012
5,569,096
244,250
230,650
—
6,043,996

$

$

The Company’s derivative contracts do not qualify for hedge accounting, therefore, unrealized gains and losses are recorded 
on the consolidated statements of operations. The following table presents the Company’s unrealized gains/(losses) on derivative 
instruments:

(Dollars in thousands)
Derivative Category               
Interest rate derivative contract..............
Interest rate derivative contract..............
Credit default swap index contract ........
Equity option derivative contract...........
Foreign currency forward contract.........

Operations Category
Investment banking
Institutional brokerage
Institutional brokerage
Institutional brokerage
Other operating expenses

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2011

2013

$

$

(1,529)
(2,511)
(1,522)
(646)
—
(6,208)

$

$

(2,583)
(798)
(1,603)
—
—
(4,984)

$

$

(4,959)
(7,371)
1,009
—
(59)
(11,380)

78

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

The gross fair market value of all derivative instruments and their location on the Company’s consolidated statements of 

financial condition prior to counterparty netting are shown below by asset or liability position:

(Dollars in thousands)
Derivative Category
Interest rate
derivative contract

Credit default swap
index contract

Equity option
derivative contract

Financial Condition Location
Financial instruments and 
other inventory positions
owned

Financial instruments and 
other inventory positions
owned

Financial instruments and 
other inventory positions
owned

Asset Value at
December 31,
2013

$

342,210

10,070

19
352,299

$

Financial Condition Location
Financial instruments and 
other inventory
positions sold, but not yet 
purchased
Financial instruments and 
other inventory
positions sold, but not yet 
purchased
Financial instruments and 
other inventory
positions sold, but not yet 
purchased

Liability Value at
December 31,
2013

$

323,032

7,676

1,889
332,597

$

Derivatives are reported on a net basis by counterparty (i.e., the net payable or receivable for derivative assets and liabilities 
for a given counterparty) when a legal right of offset exists and on a net basis by cross product when applicable provisions are 
stated in master netting agreements. Cash collateral received or paid is netted on a counterparty basis, provided a legal right of 
offset exists.

Credit risk associated with the Company’s derivatives is the risk that a derivative counterparty will not perform in accordance 
with the terms of the applicable derivative contract. Credit exposure associated with the Company’s derivatives is driven by 
uncollateralized market movements in the fair value of the contracts with counterparties and is monitored regularly by the 
Company’s financial risk committee. The Company considers counterparty credit risk in determining derivative contract fair 
value. The majority of the Company’s  derivative contracts are substantially collateralized by its counterparties, who  are major  
financial institutions. The Company has a limited number of counterparties who are not required to post collateral. Based on 
market movements, the uncollateralized amounts representing the fair value of the derivative contract can become material, 
exposing the Company to the credit risk of these counterparties. As of December 31, 2013, the Company had $22.0 million of 
uncollateralized credit exposure with these counterparties (notional contract amount of $200.3 million), including $9.3 million 
of uncollateralized credit exposure with one counterparty.

79

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Note 7 Fair Value of Financial Instruments 

Based on the nature of the Company’s business and its role as a “dealer” in the securities industry or as a manager of 
alternative  asset  management  funds,  the  fair  values  of  its  financial  instruments  are  determined  internally.  The  Company’s 
processes are designed to ensure that the fair values used for financial reporting are based on observable inputs wherever possible. 
In the event that observable inputs are not available, unobservable inputs are developed based on an evaluation of all relevant 
empirical market data, including prices evidenced by market transactions, interest rates, credit spreads, volatilities and correlations 
and other security-specific information. Valuation adjustments related to illiquidity or counterparty credit risk are also considered. 
In estimating fair value, the Company may utilize information provided by third-party pricing vendors to corroborate internally-
developed fair value estimates.

The Company employs specific control processes to determine the reasonableness of the fair value of its financial instruments. 
The Company’s processes are designed to ensure that the internally estimated fair values are accurately recorded and that the 
data inputs and the valuation techniques used are appropriate, consistently applied, and that the assumptions are reasonable and 
consistent with the objective of determining fair value. Individuals outside of the trading departments perform independent 
pricing verification reviews as of each reporting date. The Company has established parameters which set forth when the fair 
value of securities are independently verified. The selection parameters are generally based upon the type of security, the level 
of estimation risk of a security, the materiality of the security to the Company’s financial statements, changes in fair value from 
period  to  period,  and  other  specific  facts  and  circumstances  of  the  Company’s  securities portfolio.  In  evaluating  the initial 
internally-estimated fair values made by the Company’s traders, the nature and complexity of securities involved (e.g., term, 
coupon, collateral, and other key drivers of value), level of market activity for securities, and availability of market data are 
considered. The independent price verification procedures include, but are not limited to, analysis of trade data (both internal 
and external where available), corroboration to the valuation of positions with similar characteristics, risks and components, or 
comparison  to  an  alternative  pricing  source,  such  as  a  discounted  cash  flow  model. The  Company’s  valuation  committee, 
comprised of members of senior management and risk management, provides oversight and overall responsibility for the internal 
control processes and procedures related to fair value measurements.

The following is a description of the valuation techniques used to measure fair value.

Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents include highly liquid investments with original maturities of 90 days or less. Actively traded money market 

funds are measured at their net asset value and classified as Level I.

Financial Instruments and Other Inventory Positions Owned

The  Company  records  financial  instruments  and  other  inventory  positions  owned  and  financial  instruments  and  other 
inventory positions sold, but not yet purchased at fair value on the consolidated statements of financial condition with unrealized 
gains and losses reflected on the consolidated statements of operations.

Equity securities – Exchange traded equity securities are valued based on quoted prices from the exchange for identical 
assets or liabilities as of the period-end date. To the extent these securities are actively traded and valuation adjustments are not 
applied, they are categorized as Level I. Non-exchange traded equity securities (principally hybrid preferred securities) are 
measured primarily using broker quotations, prices observed for recently executed market transactions and internally-developed 
fair value estimates based on observable inputs and are categorized within Level II of the fair value hierarchy. 

Convertible securities – Convertible securities are valued based on observable trades, when available. Accordingly, these 
convertible securities are categorized as Level II. When observable price quotations are not available, fair value is determined 
using model-based valuation techniques with observable market inputs, such as specific company stock price and volatility, and 
unobservable inputs such as option adjusted spreads over the U.S. treasury securities curve. These instruments are categorized 
as Level III.

Corporate fixed income securities – Fixed income securities include corporate bonds which are valued based on recently 
executed market transactions of comparable size, internally-developed fair value estimates based on observable inputs, or broker 
quotations. Accordingly,  these  corporate  bonds  are  categorized  as  Level  II.  When  observable  price  quotations  or  certain 

80

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

observable inputs are not available, fair value is determined using model-based valuation techniques with observable inputs 
such as specific security contractual terms and yield curves, and unobservable inputs such as credit spreads over U.S. treasury 
securities. Corporate bonds measured using model-based valuation techniques are categorized as Level III.

Taxable municipal securities – Taxable municipal securities are valued using recently executed observable trades or market 

price quotations and therefore are generally categorized as Level II.

Tax-exempt municipal securities – Tax-exempt municipal securities are valued using recently executed observable trades 
or market price quotations and therefore are generally categorized as Level II. Certain illiquid tax-exempt municipal securities 
are valued using market data for comparable securities (maturity and sector) and management judgment to infer an appropriate 
current yield or other model-based valuation techniques deemed appropriate by management based on the specific nature of the 
individual security and are therefore categorized as Level III.

Short-term municipal securities – Short-term municipal securities include auction rate securities, variable rate demand notes, 
and other short-term municipal securities. Variable rate demand notes and other short-term municipal securities are valued using 
recently executed observable trades or market price quotations and therefore are generally categorized as Level II. Auction rate 
securities with limited liquidity are categorized as Level III and are valued using discounted cash flow models with unobservable 
inputs such as the Company’s expected recovery rate on the securities.

Asset-backed securities – Asset-backed securities are valued using observable trades, when available. Certain asset-backed 
securities are valued using models where inputs to the model are directly observable in the market, or can be derived principally 
from or corroborated by observable market data. These asset-backed securities are categorized as Level II. Other asset-backed 
securities, which are principally collateralized by residential mortgages, have experienced low volumes of executed transactions 
resulting in less observable transaction data. Certain asset-backed securities collateralized by residential mortgages are valued 
using cash flow models that utilize unobservable inputs including credit default rates, prepayment rates, loss severity and valuation 
yields. As judgment is used to determine the range of these inputs, these asset-backed securities are categorized as Level III.

U.S. government agency securities – U.S. government agency securities include agency debt bonds and mortgage bonds. 
Agency debt bonds are valued by using either direct price quotes or price quotes for comparable bond securities and are categorized 
as  Level  II.  Mortgage  bonds  include  bonds  secured  by  mortgages,  mortgage  pass-through  securities,  agency  collateralized 
mortgage-obligation (“CMO”) securities and agency interest-only securities. Mortgage pass-through securities, CMO securities 
and interest-only securities are valued using recently executed observable trades or other observable inputs, such as prepayment 
speeds and therefore are generally categorized as Level II. Mortgage bonds are valued using observable market inputs, such as 
market yields ranging from 80-175 basis points (“bps”) on spreads over U.S. treasury securities, or models based upon prepayment 
expectations ranging from 192-383 Public Securities Association (“PSA”) prepayment levels. These securities are categorized 
as Level II.

U.S. government securities – U.S. government securities include highly liquid U.S. treasury securities which are generally 
valued using quoted market prices and therefore categorized as Level I. The Company does not transact in securities of countries 
other than the U.S. government.

Derivatives – Derivative contracts include interest rate and basis swaps, forward purchase agreements, interest rate locks, 
futures, options and credit default swap index contracts. These instruments derive their value from underlying assets, reference 
rates, indices or a combination of these factors. The Company's equity option derivative contracts are valued based on quoted 
prices from the exchange for identical assets or liabilities as of the period-end date. To the extent these contracts are actively 
traded and valuation adjustments are not applied, they are categorized as Level I. The Company’s credit default swap index 
contracts are valued using market price quotations and are classified as Level II. The majority of the Company’s interest rate 
derivative contracts, including both interest rate swaps and interest rate locks, are valued using market standard pricing models 
based on the net present value of estimated future cash flows. The valuation models used do not involve material subjectivity 
as the methodologies do not entail significant judgment and the pricing inputs are market observable, including contractual 
terms, yield curves and measures of volatility. These instruments are classified as Level II within the fair value hierarchy. Certain 
interest rate locks transact in less active markets and were valued using valuation models that used the previously mentioned 
observable inputs and certain unobservable inputs that required significant judgment, such as the premium over the MMD curve. 
These instruments are classified as Level III. 

81

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Investments

The Company’s investments valued at fair value include equity investments in private companies, investments in public 
companies, investments in registered mutual funds, and warrants of public or private companies. Exchange traded direct equity 
investments in public companies and registered mutual funds are valued based on quoted prices on active markets and classified 
as Level I. Company-owned warrants, which have a cashless exercise option, are valued based upon the Black-Scholes option-
pricing model and certain unobservable inputs. The Company applies a liquidity discount to the value of its warrants in public 
and private companies. For warrants in private companies, valuation adjustments, based upon management’s judgment, are made 
to account for differences between the measured security and the stock volatility factors of comparable companies. Company-
owned warrants are reported as Level III assets. Equity securities in private companies are valued based on an assessment of 
each underlying security, considering rounds of financing, third-party transactions and market-based information, including 
comparable company transactions, trading multiples and changes in market outlook, among other factors. These securities are 
generally categorized as Level III.

Fair Value Option – The fair value option permits the irrevocable fair value option election on an instrument-by-instrument 
basis at initial recognition of an asset or liability or upon an event that gives rise to a new basis of accounting for that instrument. 
The fair value option was elected for certain merchant banking and other investments at inception to reflect economic events in 
earnings on a timely basis. Merchant banking and other equity investments of $16.1 million and $15.4 million, included within 
investments on the consolidated statements of financial condition, are accounted for at fair value and are classified as Level III 
assets at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The realized and unrealized gains from fair value changes included in 
earnings as a result of electing to apply the fair value option to certain financial assets were $10.6 million and $2.6 million for 
the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

82

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

The following table summarizes quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value 

measurement of the Company’s Level III financial instruments as of December 31, 2013:

Valuation
Technique

Unobservable Input

Range      

Weighted
Average

Assets:
Financial instruments and other
inventory positions owned:
Municipal securities:

Tax-exempt securities .......... Discounted cash flow

Short-term securities ............ Discounted cash flow

Asset-backed securities:

Collateralized by residential
mortgages ........................... Discounted cash flow

Derivative contracts:

Interest rate locks ................. Discounted cash flow

Debt service coverage 
ratio (2)
Expected recovery rate 
(% of par) (2)

Credit default rates (3)
Prepayment rates (4)
Loss severity (3)
Valuation yields (3)

Premium over the MMD
curve (1)

5 - 69%

22.2%

77 - 80%

79.6%

2 - 8%
2 - 8%
52 - 100%
4 - 8%

4.7%
5.3%
69.4%
6.0%

3 - 49 bps

20.2 bps

Investments at fair value:
Warrants in public and
private companies ..............

Warrants in private
companies...........................

Black-Scholes option
pricing model

Liquidity discount rates (1)

30 - 40%

33.5%

Black-Scholes option
pricing model

Stock volatility factors of
comparable companies (2)

28 - 97%

56.0%

Equity securities in private
companies........................... Market approach

Revenue multiple (2)
EBITDA multiple (2)

2 - 7 times
12 times

3.2 times
12.0 times

Liabilities:
Financial instruments and other
inventory positions sold, but
not yet purchased:
Derivative contracts:

Interest rate locks ................. Discounted cash flow

Premium over the MMD
curve (1)

1 - 15 bps

9.1 bps

Sensitivity of the fair value to changes in unobservable inputs:

(1)  Significant increase/(decrease) in the unobservable input in isolation would result in a significantly lower/(higher) fair value measurement.

(2)  Significant increase/(decrease) in the unobservable input in isolation would result in a significantly higher/(lower) fair value measurement.

(3)  Significant changes in any of these inputs in isolation could result in a significantly different fair value. Generally, a change in the 
assumption used for credit default rates is accompanied by a directionally similar change in the assumption used for the loss severity 
and a directionally inverse change in the assumption for valuation yields.

(4)  The potential impact of changes in prepayment rates on fair value is dependent on other security-specific factors, such as the par value 
and structure. Changes in the prepayment rates may result in directionally similar or directionally inverse changes in fair value depending 
on whether the security trades at a premium or discount to the par value.

83

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

The following table summarizes the valuation of the Company’s financial instruments by pricing observability levels defined 

in ASC 820 as of December 31, 2013:

Level I

Level II

Level III

Counterparty
and Cash
Collateral
Netting (1)

Total

(Dollars in thousands)
Assets:
Financial instruments and other
inventory positions owned:

Corporate securities:

Equity securities...............................
Convertible securities ......................
Fixed income securities ...................

$

$

39,711
—
—

$

14,386
80,784
10,002

— $
—
100

— $
—
—

Municipal securities:

Taxable securities.............................
Tax-exempt securities......................
Short-term securities........................
Asset-backed securities ......................
U.S. government agency securities ....
Derivative contracts............................

Total financial instruments and other
inventory positions owned: .................

Cash equivalents ...................................

Investments at fair value .......................
Total assets............................................

Liabilities:
Financial instruments and other
inventory positions sold, but not yet
purchased:

Corporate securities:

Equity securities...............................
Fixed income securities ...................
U.S. government agency securities ....
U.S. government securities.................
Derivative contracts............................

Total financial instruments and other
inventory positions sold, but not yet
purchased: ...........................................

—
—
—
—
—
19

232,379
459,432
61,964
12
304,737
351,589

—
1,433
656
119,799
—
691

—
—
—
—
—
(313,666)

39,730

1,515,285

122,679

(313,666)

1,364,028

$

$

$

$

101,629

20,690
162,049

69,205
—
—
291,320
1,889

—

—

—

101,629

—
1,515,285

$

49,240
171,919

$

—
(313,666)

$

69,930
1,535,587

— $

24,021
120,084
—
324,065

— $
—
—
—
6,643

— $
—
—
—
(324,394)

69,205
24,021
120,084
291,320
8,203

$

362,414

$

468,170

$

6,643

$

(324,394)

$

512,833

54,097
80,784
10,102

232,379
460,865
62,620
119,811
304,737
38,633

(1)  Represents cash collateral and the impact of netting on a counterparty basis. The Company had no securities posted as collateral to its counterparties.

84

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

The following table summarizes the valuation of the Company’s financial instruments by pricing observability levels defined 

in ASC 820 as of December 31, 2012:

Level I

Level II

Level III

Counterparty
and Cash
Collateral
Netting (1)

Total

$

$

$

3,180
—
—

—
—
—
—
—
4,966
—

8,146

51,346

5,810
65,302

25,362
—
—

—
—
231,043
—

$

13,298
44,978
33,668

— $
—
—

— $
—
—

164,059
416,760
67,672
24
304,259
—
595,486

—
1,429
656
116,171
—
—
827

—
—
—
—
—
—
(555,838)

16,478
44,978
33,668

164,059
418,189
68,328
116,195
304,259
4,966
40,475

1,640,204

119,083

(555,838)

1,211,595

—

—

—

51,346

—
1,640,204

$

33,245
152,328

$

—
(555,838)

$

39,055
1,301,996

$

1,728
1,015
19,314

— $
—
—

— $
—
—

60
73,724
—
569,764

—
—
—
5,218

—
—
—
(570,027)

27,090
1,015
19,314

60
73,724
231,043
4,955

(Dollars in thousands)
Assets:
Financial instruments and other
inventory positions owned:

Corporate securities:

Equity securities...............................
Convertible securities ......................
Fixed income securities ...................

$

Municipal securities:

Taxable securities.............................
Tax-exempt securities......................
Short-term securities........................
Asset-backed securities ......................
U.S. government agency securities ....
U.S. government securities.................
Derivative contracts............................

Total financial instruments and other
inventory positions owned: .................

Cash equivalents ...................................

Investments at fair value .......................
Total assets............................................

Liabilities:
Financial instruments and other
inventory positions sold, but not yet
purchased:

Corporate securities:

Equity securities...............................
Convertible securities ......................
Fixed income securities ...................

Municipal securities:

Short-term securities........................
U.S. government agency securities ....
U.S. government securities.................
Derivative contracts............................

Total financial instruments and other
inventory positions sold, but not yet
purchased: ...........................................

$

$

$

256,405

$

665,605

$

5,218

$

(570,027)

$

357,201

(1)  Represents cash collateral and the impact of netting on a counterparty basis. The Company had no securities posted as collateral to its counterparties.

85

 
 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

The Company’s Level III assets were $171.9 million and $152.3 million, or 11.2 percent and 11.7 percent of financial 
instruments measured at fair value at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The value of transfers between levels are 
recognized at the beginning of the reporting period. There were $0.6 million of transfers of financial assets from Level III to 
Level II during the year ended December 31, 2013, related to investments for which recent trade activity was observed and 
valuation inputs became observable. There were no other transfers between Level I, Level II or Level III for the year ended 
December 31, 2013. 

The following tables summarize the changes in fair value associated with Level III financial instruments during the years 

ended December 31, 2013 and 2012:

Balance at
December 31,
2012

Purchases

Sales

Transfers
in

Transfers
out

Realized
gains/
(losses) (1)

Unrealized
gains/
(losses) (1)

Balance at
December 31,
2013

(Dollars in thousands)
Assets:
Financial instruments and
other inventory positions
owned:

Corporate securities:

Fixed income securities..

$

— $

100

$

— $

— $

— $

— $

— $

100

Municipal securities:

Tax-exempt securities ....
Short-term securities ......
Asset-backed securities.....
Derivative contracts..........

Total financial instruments
and other inventory
positions owned:................

1,429
656
116,171
827

1
—
227,634
5

—
—
(238,860)
(2,382)

119,083

227,740

(241,242)

—
—
—
—

—

—
—
—
—

—

—
—
17,105
2,377

3
—
(2,251)
(136)

1,433
656
119,799
691

19,482

(2,384)

122,679

Investments at fair value .....
Total assets ..........................

$

33,245
152,328

16,825
$ 244,565

(10,358)
$(251,600) $

—
— $

5,949
(619)
(619) $ 25,431

$

4,198
1,814

$

49,240
171,919

Liabilities:
Financial instruments and
other inventory positions
sold, but not yet
purchased:
Derivative contracts..........

Total financial instruments
and other inventory
positions sold, but not yet
purchased:..........................

$

$

5,218

$

(5,702) $

457

$

— $

— $

5,232

$

1,438

$

6,643

5,218

$

(5,702) $

457

$

— $

— $

5,232

$

1,438

$

6,643

(1)  Realized  and  unrealized  gains/(losses)  related  to  financial  instruments,  with  the  exception  of  customer  matched-book  derivatives,  are  reported  in 
institutional brokerage on the consolidated statements of operations. Realized and unrealized gains/(losses) related to customer matched-book derivatives 
are reported in investment banking. Realized and unrealized gains/(losses) related to investments are reported in investment banking revenues or investment 
income on the consolidated statements of operations.

86

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Balance at
December 31,
2011

Purchases

Sales

Transfers
in

Transfers
out

Realized
gains/
(losses) (1)

Unrealized
gains/
(losses) (1)

Balance at
December 31,
2012

(Dollars in thousands)
Assets:
Financial instruments and
other inventory positions
owned:

Corporate securities:

Fixed income securities ..

$

2,815

$

1,995

$

(4,594) $

— $

— $

(118) $

(98) $

—

Municipal securities:

Tax-exempt securities .....
Short-term securities .......
Asset-backed securities .....
Derivative contracts...........

Total financial instruments
and other inventory
positions owned: ................

3,135
175
53,088
—

1,550
650
125,844
—

(2,997)
—
(69,623)
—

59,213

130,039

(77,214)

Investments at fair value ......
Total assets ...........................

$

21,341
80,554

15,003
$ 145,042

(2,394)
$ (79,608) $

266
—
38
—

304

—
304

—
—
—
—

—

(1,156)
—
487
—

631
(169)
6,337
827

1,429
656
116,171
827

(787)

7,528

119,083

(266)
(266) $

1,595
808

(2,034)
5,494

$

$

33,245
152,328

$

Liabilities:
Financial instruments and
other inventory positions
sold, but not yet purchased:

Corporate securities:

Convertible securities .....
Fixed income securities ..
Derivative contracts...........

$

1,171
900
3,594

$

— $

(897)
(6,549)

— $
—
—

— $
—
—

(1,171) $
—
—

— $
(49)
6,549

— $
46
1,624

—
—
5,218

Total financial instruments
and other inventory
positions sold, but not yet
purchased: ..........................

$

5,665

$

(7,446) $

— $

— $

(1,171) $

6,500

$

1,670

$

5,218

(1)  Realized  and  unrealized  gains/(losses)  related  to  financial  instruments,  with  the  exception  of    customer  matched-book  derivatives,  are  reported  in 
institutional brokerage on the consolidated statements of operations. Realized and unrealized gains/(losses) related to customer matched-book derivatives 
are reported in investment banking. Realized and unrealized gains/(losses) related to investments are reported in investment banking revenues or investment 
income on the consolidated statements of operations.

The carrying values of some of the Company’s financial instruments approximate fair value due to their liquid or short-
term nature. Such financial assets and financial liabilities include cash, securities either purchased or sold under agreements to 
resell, receivables and payables either from or to customers and brokers, dealers and clearing organizations and short-term 
financings.

Non-Recurring Fair Value Measurement

In 2012, the Company recorded a goodwill impairment charge of $5.5 million within discontinued operations representing 
the full value of goodwill attributable to FAMCO. The fair value measurement used in the analysis was based on a discounted 
cash flow model and the anticipated pricing for the sale of FAMCO. The discounted cash flow model was calculated using 
unobservable inputs, such as operational budgets, strategic plans and other estimates, which are classified as Level III within 
the fair value hierarchy.

87

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

In 2011, the Company recorded a goodwill impairment charge of $120.3 million within continuing operations representing 
the full value of goodwill attributable to the capital markets reporting unit. The fair value measurement used in the analysis was 
based on the Company’s market capitalization, a discounted cash flow model, and public company comparables. The discounted 
cash flow model was calculated using unobservable inputs, such as operational budgets, long range strategic plans and other 
estimates, which are classified as Level III within the fair value hierarchy. See Note 14 for further discussion.

Note 8 Variable Interest Entities 

The Company has investments in and/or acts as the managing partner of various partnerships, limited liability companies, 
or registered mutual funds. These entities were established for the purpose of investing in securities of public or private companies, 
or municipal debt obligations and were initially financed through the capital commitments or seed investments of the members. 

VIEs are entities in which equity investors lack the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient 
equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities. The determination as to whether an entity is a VIE is based on the amount 
and nature of the members’ equity investment in the entity. The Company also considers other characteristics such as the power 
through voting rights or similar rights to direct the activities of an entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic 
performance. For those entities that meet the deferral provisions defined by ASU 2010-10, the Company considers characteristics 
such as the ability to influence the decision making about the entity’s activities and how the entity is financed. The Company 
has  identified  certain  of  the  entities  described  above  as  VIEs.  These  VIEs  had  net  assets  approximating  $0.8  billion  at 
December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The Company’s exposure to loss from these VIEs is $12.5 million, which is the 
carrying  value  of  its  capital  contributions  recorded  in  investments  on  the  consolidated  statements  of  financial  condition  at 
December 31, 2013. The Company had no liabilities related to these VIEs at December 31, 2013 and 2012.

The Company is required to consolidate all VIEs for which it is considered to be the primary beneficiary. The determination 
as to whether the Company is considered to be the primary beneficiary is based on whether the Company has both the power 
to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb 
losses or the right to receive benefits of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. For those entities that meet the 
deferral provisions defined by ASU 2010-10, the determination as to whether the Company is considered to be the primary 
beneficiary differs in that it is based on whether the Company will absorb a majority of the VIE’s expected losses, receive a 
majority of the VIE’s expected residual returns, or both. The Company determined it is not the primary beneficiary of these 
VIEs and accordingly does not consolidate them. Furthermore, the Company has not provided financial or other support to these 
VIEs that it was not previously contractually required to provide as of December 31, 2013.

The Company also originates CMOs through secondary market vehicles. The Company's risk of loss with respect to these 

entities is limited to the fair value of the securities held by the Company.

88

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Note 9 Receivables from and Payables to Brokers, Dealers and Clearing Organizations 

Amounts receivable from brokers, dealers and clearing organizations included:

(Dollars in thousands)
Receivable arising from unsettled securities transactions .................................................
Deposits paid for securities borrowed ...............................................................................
Receivable from clearing organizations ............................................................................
Deposits with clearing organizations.................................................................................
Securities failed to deliver .................................................................................................
Other ..................................................................................................................................

Amounts payable to brokers, dealers and clearing organizations included:

(Dollars in thousands)
Payable arising from unsettled securities transactions.......................................................
Payable to clearing organizations ......................................................................................
Securities failed to receive .................................................................................................
Other ..................................................................................................................................

December 31,
2013

December 31,
2012

$

$

59,657
36,278
966
20,995
593
8,624
127,113

$

$

66,426
32,163
17,655
24,717
5,440
1,716
148,117

December 31,
2013

December 31,
2012

$

$

5,643
9,462
744
11,873
27,722

$

$

24,643
5,763
7,459
22,290
60,155

Deposits paid for securities borrowed approximate the market value of the securities. Securities failed to deliver and receive 

represent the contract value of securities that have not been delivered or received by the Company on settlement date. 

Note 10 Receivables from and Payables to Customers 

Amounts receivable from customers included:

(Dollars in thousands)
Cash accounts....................................................................................................................
Margin accounts ................................................................................................................
Total receivables.............................................................................................................

December 31,
2013

December 31,
2012

$

$

5,013
6,620
11,633

$

$

7,444
6,351
13,795

Securities owned by customers are held as collateral for margin loan receivables. This collateral is not reflected on the 

consolidated financial statements. Margin loan receivables earn interest at floating interest rates based on prime rates.

Amounts payable to customers included:

(Dollars in thousands)
Cash accounts....................................................................................................................
Margin accounts ................................................................................................................
Total payables.................................................................................................................

December 31,
2013

December 31,
2012

$

$

30,499
2,610
33,109

$

$

32,103
9,904
42,007

Payables to customers primarily comprise certain cash balances in customer accounts consisting of customer funds pending 
settlement of securities transactions and customer funds on deposit. Except for amounts arising from customer short sales, all 
amounts payable to customers are subject to withdrawal by customers upon their request.

89

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Note 11 Collateralized Securities Transactions 

The Company’s financing and customer securities activities involve the Company using securities as collateral. In the event 
that the counterparty does not meet its contractual obligation to return securities used as collateral (e.g., pursuant to the terms 
of a repurchase agreement), or customers do not deposit additional securities or cash for margin when required, the Company 
may be exposed to the risk of reacquiring the securities or selling the securities at unfavorable market prices in order to satisfy 
its obligations to its customers or counterparties. The Company seeks to control this risk by monitoring the market value of 
securities pledged or used as collateral on a daily basis and requiring adjustments in the event of excess market exposure. The 
Company  also  uses  unaffiliated  third  party  custodians  to  administer  the  underlying  collateral  for  certain  of  its  repurchase 
agreements and short-term financing to mitigate risk.

In a reverse repurchase agreement the Company purchases financial instruments from a seller, typically in exchange for 
cash, and agrees to resell the same or substantially the same financial instruments to the seller at a stated price plus accrued 
interest in the future. In a repurchase agreement, the Company sells financial instruments to a buyer, typically for cash, and 
agrees to repurchase the same or substantially the same financial instruments from the buyer at a stated price plus accrued interest 
at a future date. Even though repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements involve the legal transfer of ownership of financial 
instruments, they are accounted for as financing arrangements because they require the financial instruments to be repurchased 
or resold at maturity of the agreement.

In a securities borrowed transaction, the Company borrows securities from a counterparty in exchange for cash. When the 
Company returns the securities, the counterparty returns the cash. Interest is generally paid periodically over the life of the 
transaction.

In the normal course of business, the Company obtains securities purchased under agreements to resell, securities borrowed 
and margin agreements on terms that permit it to repledge or resell the securities to others, typically pursuant to repurchase 
agreements.  The  Company  obtained  securities  with  a  fair  value  of  approximately  $212.4  million  and  $186.1  million  at 
December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, of which $194.9 million and $174.4 million, respectively, had been pledged or 
otherwise transferred to satisfy its commitments under financial instruments and other inventory positions sold, but not yet 
purchased.

The following is a summary of the Company’s securities sold under agreements to repurchase ("Repurchase Liabilities"), 
the fair market value of collateral pledged and the interest rate charged by the Company’s counterparty, which is based on LIBOR 
plus an applicable margin, as of December 31, 2013:

(Dollars in thousands)
Term up to 30 day maturities:

Asset-backed securities...........................................................................

Term of 30 to 90 day maturities:

Asset-backed securities...........................................................................

Repurchase
Liabilities

Fair Market
Value

Interest Rate

$

$

3,672

725
4,397

$

$

5,328

1.85%

966
6,294

1.99%

Reverse repurchase agreements, repurchase agreements and securities borrowed and loaned are reported on a net basis by 

counterparty when a legal right of offset exists. 

There were no gross amounts offset on the consolidated statements of financial condition for reverse repurchase agreements, 
securities borrowed or repurchase agreements at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, as a legal right of offset did not 
exist. The Company had no outstanding securities lending arrangements as of December 31, 2013 or 2012. See Note 6 for 
information related to the Company's offsetting of derivative contracts.  

90

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Note 12 Investments 

The Company’s proprietary investments include investments in private companies and partnerships, registered mutual funds, 

warrants of public and private companies and private company debt. Investments included:

(Dollars in thousands)
Investments at fair value ...................................................................................................
Investments at cost ............................................................................................................
Investments accounted for under the equity method.........................................................
Total investments............................................................................................................

Less investments attributable to noncontrolling interests (1) ...........................................

December 31,
2013

December 31,
2012

$

$

69,930
20,709
21,404
112,043

(21,137)
90,906

$

$

39,055
26,364
20,353
85,772

(13,236)
72,536

(1)  Noncontrolling interests are attributable to third party ownership in a consolidated merchant banking fund and private equity investment vehicles.

Management regularly reviews the Company’s investments in private company debt and has concluded that no valuation 

allowance is needed as it is probable that all contractual principal and interest will be collected.

At December 31, 2013, investments carried on a cost basis had an estimated fair market value of $29.9 million. The estimated 
fair value of these investments was measured using discounted cash flow models that use market data for comparable companies 
(e.g., multiples of revenue and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA")). Because valuation 
adjustments, based upon management’s judgment, were made to account for differences between the measured security and 
comparable securities, investments carried at cost would be categorized as Level III assets in the fair value hierarchy, if they 
were carried at fair value.

Investments accounted for under the equity method include general and limited partnership interests. The carrying value 
of these investments is based on the investment vehicle’s net asset value. The net assets of investment partnerships consist of 
investments in both marketable and non-marketable securities. The underlying investments held by such partnerships are valued 
based on the estimated fair value determined by management in our capacity as general partner or investor and, in the case of 
investments  in  unaffiliated  investment  partnerships,  are  based  on  financial  statements  prepared  by  the  unaffiliated  general 
partners.

Note 13 Other Assets 

Other assets included:

(Dollars in thousands)
Net deferred income tax assets..........................................................................................
Fee receivables ..................................................................................................................
Accrued interest receivables .............................................................................................
Forgivable loans, net .........................................................................................................
Income tax receivables......................................................................................................
Prepaid expenses ...............................................................................................................
Other..................................................................................................................................
Total other assets.............................................................................................................

December 31,
2013

December 31,
2012

$

$

36,252
34,415
9,793
7,879
—
5,237
8,516
102,092

$

$

33,622
25,343
8,029
10,315
5,448
3,840
2,202
88,799

See Note 28 for additional details concerning the Company's net deferred income tax assets.

91

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Note 14 Goodwill and Intangible Assets 

The following table presents the changes in the carrying value of goodwill and intangible assets from continuing operations 

for the years ended December 31:

(Dollars in thousands)
Goodwill
Balance at December 31, 2011..........................................................
Goodwill acquired...............................................................................
Impairment charge ..............................................................................
Balance at December 31, 2012..........................................................
Goodwill acquired...............................................................................
Impairment charge ..............................................................................
Balance at December 31, 2013..........................................................

Intangible assets
Balance at December 31, 2011..........................................................
Amortization of intangible assets........................................................
Balance at December 31, 2012..........................................................
Intangible assets acquired ...................................................................
Amortization of intangible assets........................................................
Balance at December 31, 2013..........................................................

$

$

$

$

$

$

Capital
Markets

Asset
Management 

Total

— $
—
—
— $

13,790
—
13,790

$

— $
—
— $

6,665
(1,349)
5,316

$

196,844
—
—
196,844
—
—
196,844

48,202
(6,944)
41,258
—
(6,644)
34,614

$

$

$

$

$

$

196,844
—
—
196,844
13,790
—
210,634

48,202
(6,944)
41,258
6,665
(7,993)
39,930

The Company tests goodwill and indefinite-life intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis and on an interim basis 
when circumstances exist that could indicate possible impairment. The Company tests for impairment at the reporting unit level, 
which is generally one level below its operating segments. The Company has identified two reporting units: capital markets and 
asset management. When testing for impairment, the Company has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine 
whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, after making an 
assessment, the Company determines it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying 
amount, then performing the two-step impairment test is unnecessary. However, if the Company concludes otherwise, then the 
Company is required to perform the two-step impairment test, which requires management to make judgments in determining 
what assumptions to use in the calculation. The first step of the process consists of estimating the fair value of our reporting 
units based on the following factors: a discounted cash flow model using revenue and profit forecasts, the Company’s market 
capitalization, public market comparables and multiples of recent mergers and acquisitions of similar businesses, if available. 
The estimated fair values of our reporting units are compared with their carrying values, which includes the allocated goodwill. 
If the estimated fair value is less than the carrying values, a second step is performed to measure the amount of the impairment 
loss, if any. An impairment loss is equal to the excess of the carrying amount of goodwill over its fair value.

The  Company  completed  its  annual  goodwill  impairment  testing  as  of  October 31,  2013,  and  concluded  there  was  no 
goodwill impairment. In 2012, the Company recorded a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $5.5 million within discontinued 
operations. This amount represented the full value of goodwill attributable to FAMCO. In 2011, the Company recorded a non-
cash goodwill impairment charge of $120.3 million within continuing operations. The charge related to the capital markets 
reporting unit and primarily pertained to goodwill created from the 1998 acquisition of Piper Jaffray Companies Inc. by U.S. 
Bancorp, which was retained by the Company when the Company spun-off from U.S. Bancorp on December 31, 2003. 

 The Company also tested its intangible assets (indefinite and definite-lived) and concluded there was no impairment in 

2013,  2012 and 2011, respectively.

92

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

The addition of goodwill and intangible assets during the year ended December 31, 2013 related to the acquisitions of 
Seattle-Northwest and Edgeview, as discussed in Note 4. Management identified $6.7 million of intangible assets, consisting 
of customer relationships ($6.0 million) and non-competition agreements ($0.7 million), which will be amortized over a weighted 
average life of 1.9 years and 3.0 years, respectively.  

Intangible assets with determinable lives consist of asset management contractual relationships and capital markets customer 
relationships and non-competition agreements. The intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives ranging 
from two to ten years. The following table summarizes the future aggregate amortization expense of the Company's intangible 
assets with determinable lives for the years ended:

(Dollars in thousands)
2014.................................................................................................................................................................
2015.................................................................................................................................................................
2016.................................................................................................................................................................
2017.................................................................................................................................................................
Thereafter ........................................................................................................................................................
Total..............................................................................................................................................................

$

$

9,272
7,093
6,219
5,230
9,256
37,070

Note 15 Fixed Assets 

The following is a summary of fixed assets: 

(Dollars in thousands)
Furniture and equipment ...................................................................................................
Leasehold improvements ..................................................................................................
Software ............................................................................................................................
Total................................................................................................................................
Accumulated depreciation and amortization.....................................................................

December 31,
2013

December 31,
2012

$

$

34,980
23,478
19,967
78,425
(62,311)
16,114

$

$

36,454
19,508
20,159
76,121
(61,032)
15,089

For the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, depreciation and amortization of furniture and equipment, leasehold 
improvements and software from continuing operations totaled $5.6 million, $6.5 million and $6.6 million, respectively, and 
are included in occupancy and equipment on the consolidated statements of operations.

93

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Note 16 Short-Term Financing 

The following is a summary of short-term financing and the weighted average interest rate on borrowings:

(Dollars in thousands)
Commercial paper (secured) .................................
Prime broker arrangement.....................................
Total short-term financing ..................................

Outstanding Balance            

December 31,
2013

December 31,
2012

$

$

280,294
234,417
514,711

$

$

304,439
172,575
477,014

Weighted Average
Interest Rate

December 31,
2013
1.59%
0.90%

December 31,
2012
1.65%
0.98%

The Company issues secured commercial paper to fund a portion of its securities inventory. The commercial paper notes 
(“CP Notes”) can be issued with maturities of 27 days to 270 days from the date of issuance. The CP Notes are issued under 
three separate programs, CP Series A, CP Series II A and CP Series III A, and are secured by different inventory classes. As of 
December 31, 2013, the weighted average maturity of CP Series A, CP Series II A and CP Series III A was 132 days, 107 days 
and 31 days, respectively. The CP Notes are interest bearing or sold at a discount to par with an interest rate based on LIBOR 
plus an applicable margin.

The Company has established an arrangement to obtain financing with a prime broker related to its municipal bond funds. 
Financing under this arrangement is secured by certain securities, primarily municipal securities, and collateral limitations could 
reduce the amount of funding available under this arrangement. The funding is at the discretion of the prime broker. 

The Company has committed short-term bank line financing available on a secured basis and uncommitted short-term bank 
line financing available on both a secured and unsecured basis. The Company uses these credit facilities in the ordinary course 
of business to fund a portion of its daily operations and the amount borrowed under these credit facilities varies daily based on 
the Company’s funding needs. 

The Company’s committed short-term bank line financing at December 31, 2013 consisted of a one-year $250 million 
committed revolving credit facility with U.S. Bank, N.A., which was renewed in December 2013. Advances under this facility 
are secured by certain marketable securities. The facility includes a covenant that requires the Company’s U.S. broker dealer 
subsidiary to maintain a minimum net capital of  $120 million, and the unpaid principal amount of all advances under this facility 
will be due on December 27, 2014. The Company pays a nonrefundable commitment fee on the unused portion of the facility 
on a quarterly basis. At December 31, 2013, the Company had no advances against this line of credit.

The Company’s uncommitted secured lines at December 31, 2013 totaled $185 million with two banks and are dependent 
on having appropriate collateral, as determined by the bank agreement, to secure an advance under the line. The availability of 
the Company’s uncommitted lines are subject to approval by the individual banks each time an advance is requested and may 
be denied. At December 31, 2013, the Company had no advances against these lines of credit. 

Note 17 Variable Rate Senior Notes 

On November 30, 2012, the Company entered into a note purchase agreement (“Note Purchase Agreement”) under which 
the Company issued unsecured variable rate senior notes (“Notes”) in the amount of $125 million. The initial holders of the 
Notes are certain entities advised by PIMCO. The Notes consist of two classes, Class A Notes and Class B Notes, with principal 
amounts of $50 million and $75 million, respectively. The Class A Notes bear interest at a rate equal to three-month LIBOR 
plus 4.00 percent and mature on May 31, 2014. The Class B Notes bear interest at a rate equal to three-month LIBOR plus 4.50 
percent and mature on November 30, 2015. Interest on the Notes is adjustable and payable quarterly. The unpaid principal 
amounts are due in full on the respective maturity dates and may not be prepaid by the Company. The proceeds from the Notes 
were used to repay the outstanding balance under the bank syndicated credit agreement (“Credit Agreement”) discussed in Note 
18. The remaining proceeds are being used for general corporate purposes. 

94

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

The Note Purchase Agreement includes customary events of default, including failure to pay principal when due or failure 
to pay interest within five business days of when due, any representation or warranty in the Note Purchase Agreement proving 
untrue in any material respect when made by the Company, failure to comply with the covenants in the Note Purchase Agreement, 
failure to pay or another event of  default under other material indebtedness in an amount exceeding $10 million, bankruptcy 
or insolvency of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or a change in control of the Company. If there is any event of default 
under the Note Purchase Agreement, the noteholders may declare the entire principal and any accrued interest on the Notes to 
be due and payable and exercise other customary remedies.

The Note Purchase Agreement includes covenants that, among other things, require the Company to maintain a minimum 
consolidated tangible net worth and regulatory net capital, limit the Company's leverage ratio and require the Company to 
maintain a minimum ratio of operating cash flow to fixed charges. With respect to the net capital covenant, the Company's U.S. 
broker dealer subsidiary is required to maintain minimum net capital of $120 million. At December 31, 2013, the Company was 
in compliance with all covenants.

The Notes are recorded at amortized cost. As of December 31, 2013, the carrying value of the Notes approximates fair 

value. 

Note 18 Bank Syndicated Financing 

On December 29, 2010, the Company entered into a three-year Credit Agreement comprised of a $100 million amortizing 
term loan and a $50 million revolving credit facility. SunTrust Bank was the administrative agent (“Agent”) for the lenders. The 
interest rate for borrowing under the Credit Agreement was, at the option of the Company, equal to LIBOR or a base rate, plus 
an applicable margin, adjustable and payable quarterly at a minimum. The base rate was defined as the highest of the Agent’s 
prime lending rate, the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.50 percent or one-month LIBOR plus 1.00 percent. The applicable margin 
varied from 1.50 percent to 3.00 percent and was based on the Company’s leverage ratio. In addition, the Company also paid a 
nonrefundable commitment fee of 0.50 percent on the unused portion of the revolving credit facility on a quarterly basis. The 
outstanding balance and unpaid interest on the Credit Agreement was repaid on November 30, 2012 from the proceeds of the 
Notes discussed in Note 17. 

Note 19 Contingencies, Commitments and Guarantees 

Legal Contingencies

The Company has been named as a defendant in various legal actions, including complaints and litigation and arbitration 
claims, arising from its business activities. Such actions include claims related to securities brokerage and investment banking 
activities, and certain class actions that primarily allege violations of securities laws and seek unspecified damages, which could 
be substantial. Also, the Company is involved from time to time in investigations and proceedings by governmental agencies 
and self-regulatory organizations (“SROs”) which could result in adverse judgments, settlement, penalties, fines or other relief.

The Company has established reserves for potential losses that are probable and reasonably estimable that may result from 
pending and potential legal actions, investigations and regulatory proceedings. In many cases, however, it is inherently difficult 
to determine whether any loss is probable or even possible or to estimate the amount or range of any potential loss, particularly 
where proceedings may be in relatively early stages or where plaintiffs are seeking substantial or indeterminate damages. Matters 
frequently need to be more developed before a loss or range of loss can reasonably be estimated.

Given uncertainties regarding the timing, scope, volume and outcome of pending and potential legal actions, investigations 
and regulatory proceedings and other factors, the amounts of reserves and ranges of reasonably possible losses are difficult to 
determine and of necessity subject to future revision. Subject to the foregoing, management of the Company believes, based on 
currently available information, after consultation with outside legal counsel and taking into account its established reserves, 
that pending legal actions, investigations and regulatory proceedings will be resolved with no material adverse effect on the 
consolidated statements of financial condition, results of operations or cash flows of the Company. However, if during any period 
a potential adverse contingency should become probable or resolved for an amount in excess of the established reserves, the 

95

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

results of operations and cash flows in that period and the financial condition as of the end of that period could be materially 
adversely affected. In addition, there can be no assurance that material losses will not be incurred from claims that have not yet 
been brought to the Company’s attention or are not yet determined to be reasonably possible.

Litigation-related reserve activity from continuing operations included within other operating expenses resulted in a benefit 
of $4.1 million primarily attributable to the receipt of insurance proceeds for the reimbursement of prior legal settlements, 
expense of $0.9 million, and a benefit of $0.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Operating Lease Commitments

The Company leases office space throughout the United States and in a limited number of foreign countries where the 
Company’s international operations reside. Aggregate minimum lease commitments under operating leases as of December 31, 
2013 are as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
2014.................................................................................................................................................................
2015.................................................................................................................................................................
2016.................................................................................................................................................................
2017.................................................................................................................................................................
2018.................................................................................................................................................................
Thereafter ........................................................................................................................................................

$

$

11,997
10,011
10,203
8,477
8,158
27,718
76,564

Total  minimum  rentals  to  be  received  from  2014  through  2018  under  noncancelable  subleases  were  $9.8  million  at 

December 31, 2013.

Rental expense, including operating costs and real estate taxes, from continuing operations was $12.9 million, $13.1 million 

and $14.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Fund Commitments

As of December 31, 2013, the Company had commitments to invest approximately $47.6 million in limited partnerships 
that make investments in private equity and venture capital funds. The commitments are estimated to be funded, if called, through 
the end of the respective investment periods ranging from 2014 to 2018.

Other Guarantees

The Company is a member of numerous exchanges and clearinghouses. Under the membership agreements with these 
entities, members generally are required to guarantee the performance of other members, and if a member becomes unable to 
satisfy its obligations to the clearinghouse, other members would be required to meet shortfalls. To mitigate these performance 
risks,  the  exchanges  and  clearinghouses  often  require  members  to  post  collateral.  In  addition,  the  Company  identifies  and 
guarantees certain clearing agents against specified potential losses in connection with providing services to the Company or 
its affiliates. The Company’s maximum potential liability under these arrangements cannot be quantified. However, management 
believes the likelihood that the Company would be required to make payments under these arrangements is remote. Accordingly, 
no liability is recorded in the consolidated financial statements for these arrangements.

As general partner, Piper Jaffray Investment Management LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, has guaranteed 
the debts, liabilities and obligations of a municipal bond fund to the extent of the general partner’s assets. Management believes 
the likelihood that the Company would be required to make payments under this arrangement is remote. Accordingly, no liability 
is recorded in the consolidated financial statements for this arrangement.

96

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Concentration of Credit Risk

The Company provides investment, capital-raising and related services to a diverse group of domestic and foreign customers, 
including governments, corporations, and institutional and individual investors. The Company’s exposure to credit risk associated 
with the non-performance of customers in fulfilling their contractual obligations pursuant to securities transactions can be directly 
impacted by volatile securities markets, credit markets and regulatory changes. This exposure is measured on an individual 
customer basis and on a group basis for customers that share similar attributes. To alleviate the potential for risk concentrations, 
counterparty credit limits have been implemented for certain products and are continually monitored in light of changing customer 
and market conditions.

Note 20 Restructuring 

For the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company incurred pre-tax restructuring charges of $3.6 million from continuing 
operations. The charge resulted from severance benefits of $2.4 million, $0.5 million for vacating redundant leased office space 
and  $0.7  million  for  contract  termination  costs.  For  the  year  ended  December 31,  2012,  the  Company  incurred  pre-tax 
restructuring-related charges of $3.6 million from continuing operations. The charge resulted from severance benefits of $2.4 
million and from the reduction of leased office space of $1.2 million.  

Note 21 Shareholders’ Equity 

The certificate of incorporation of Piper Jaffray Companies provides for the issuance of up to 100,000,000 shares of common 
stock with a par value of $0.01 per share and up to 5,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock with a par value of $0.01 
per share.

Common Stock

The holders of Piper Jaffray Companies common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters to be voted upon 
by the shareholders. Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding preferred stock of Piper Jaffray Companies, 
the holders of its common stock are entitled to receive ratably such dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by 
the Piper Jaffray Companies board of directors out of funds legally available for that purpose. Piper Jaffray Companies does not 
currently pay cash dividends on its common stock. Additionally, there are dividend restrictions as set forth in Note 27.

In the event that Piper Jaffray Companies is liquidated or dissolved, the holders of its common stock are entitled to share 
ratably in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities, subject to any prior distribution rights of Piper Jaffray Companies 
preferred stock, if any, then outstanding. Currently, there is no outstanding preferred stock. The holders of the common stock 
have  no  preemptive  or  conversion  rights  or  other  subscription  rights. There  are  no  redemption  or  sinking  fund  provisions 
applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies common stock.

During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company issued 96,049 common shares out of treasury stock in fulfillment 
of $3.9 million in obligations under the Piper Jaffray Companies Retirement Plan (the “Retirement Plan”) and issued 786,467 
common shares out of treasury stock as a result of employee restricted share vesting as discussed in Note 24. During the year 
ended December 31, 2012, the Company issued 165,241 common shares out of treasury stock in fulfillment of $3.8 million in 
obligations under the Retirement Plan and issued 937,978 common shares out of treasury stock as a result of employee restricted 
share vesting.

In the third quarter of 2010, the Company’s board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $75.0 million in common 
shares through September 30, 2012. During the nine months ended September 30, 2012, the Company repurchased 1,488,881 
shares of the Company’s common stock at an average price of $22.48 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $33.5 million 
related to this authorization. This share repurchase authorization expired as of September 30, 2012. 

97

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

In the third quarter of 2012, the Company’s board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $100.0 million in common 
shares through September 30, 2014. During the fourth quarter of 2012, the Company repurchased 156,577 shares of the Company's 
common stock at an average price of $29.38 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $4.6 million related to this authorization. 
During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company repurchased 1,719,662 shares, or 11.3 percent of the Company’s 
outstanding common stock, at an average price of $32.52 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $55.9 million related to 
this authorization. The Company has $39.5 million remaining under this authorization. 

The Company also purchases shares of common stock from restricted stock award recipients upon the award vesting as 
recipients sell shares to meet their employment tax obligations. The Company purchased 386,713 shares or $15.5 million and 
385,449 shares or $9.1 million of the Company’s common stock for this purpose during the years ended December 31, 2013 
and 2012, respectively. 

Preferred Stock

The Piper Jaffray Companies board of directors has the authority, without action by its shareholders, to designate and issue 
preferred stock in one or more series and to designate the rights, preferences and privileges of each series, which may be greater 
than the rights associated with the common stock. It is not possible to state the actual effect of the issuance of any shares of 
preferred stock upon the rights of holders of common stock until the Piper Jaffray Companies board of directors determines the 
specific rights of the holders of preferred stock. However, the effects might include, among other things, the following: restricting 
dividends on its common stock, diluting the voting power of its common stock, impairing the liquidation rights of its common 
stock and delaying or preventing a change in control of Piper Jaffray Companies without further action by its shareholders.

Note 22 Noncontrolling Interests 

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Piper Jaffray Companies, its wholly owned subsidiaries and 
other entities in which the Company has a controlling financial interest. Noncontrolling interests represent equity interests in 
consolidated entities that are not attributable, either directly or indirectly, to Piper Jaffray Companies. Noncontrolling interests 
include the minority equity holders’ proportionate share of the equity in a municipal bond fund of $126.3 million, a merchant 
banking fund of $14.1 million and private equity investment vehicles aggregating $7.0 million as of December 31, 2013. As of 
December 31, 2012, noncontrolling interests included the minority equity holders’ proportionate share of the equity in a municipal 
bond fund of $43.7 million, a merchant banking fund of $6.4 million and private equity investment vehicles aggregating $6.8 
million.

Ownership  interests  in  entities  held  by  parties  other  than  the  Company’s  common  shareholders  are  presented  as 
noncontrolling interests within shareholders’ equity, separate from the Company’s own equity. Revenues, expenses and net 
income  or  loss  are  reported  on  the  consolidated  statements  of  operations  on  a  consolidated  basis,  which  includes  amounts 
attributable to both the Company’s common shareholders and noncontrolling interests. Net income or loss is then allocated 
between the Company and noncontrolling interests based upon their relative ownership interests. Net income applicable to 
noncontrolling interests is deducted from consolidated net income to determine net income applicable to the Company. There 
was no other comprehensive income or loss attributed to noncontrolling interests for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 
and 2011. 

98

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Note 23 Employee Benefit Plans 

The Company has various employee benefit plans, and substantially all employees are covered by at least one plan. The 
plans include health and welfare plans, a tax-qualified retirement plan (the “Retirement Plan”), and a post-retirement medical 
plan, which was terminated in 2013. During the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, the Company incurred employee 
benefits expenses from continuing operations of $12.1 million, $13.0 million and $11.6 million, respectively.

Health and Welfare Plans

Company employees who meet certain work schedule and service requirements are eligible to participate in the Company’s 
health and welfare plans. The Company subsidizes the cost of coverage for employees. The medical plan contains cost-sharing 
features such as deductibles and coinsurance.

The Company is self-insured for losses related to health claims, although it obtains third-party stop loss insurance coverage 
on both an individual and a group plan basis. Self-insured liabilities are based on a number of factors, including historical claims 
experience, an estimate of claims incurred but not reported and valuations provided by third-party actuaries. For the years ended 
December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, the Company recognized expense of $7.2 million, $8.0 million and $6.9 million, respectively, 
in compensation and benefits expense from continuing operations on the consolidated statements of operations related to its 
health plans.

Retirement Plan

The Retirement Plan consists of a defined contribution retirement savings plan. The defined contribution retirement savings 
plan allows qualified employees, at their option, to make contributions through salary deductions under Section 401(k) of the 
Internal Revenue Code. Employee contributions are 100 percent matched by the Company to a maximum of six percent of 
recognized compensation up to the social security taxable wage base. Although the Company’s matching contribution vests 
immediately,  a  participant  must  be  employed  on  December 31  to  receive  that  year’s  matching  contribution. The  matching 
contribution can be made in cash or Piper Jaffray Companies common stock, at the Company’s discretion.

Post-retirement Medical Plan

All employees of the Company who met defined age and service requirements were eligible to receive post-retirement 
health care benefits provided under a post-retirement medical plan established by the Company in 2004. The estimated cost of 
these retiree health care benefits was accrued during the employees’ active service. The Company accounted for its post-retirement 
medical  plan  in  accordance  with  FASB  Accounting  Standards  Codification  Topic  715,  “Compensation  –  Retirement 
Benefits” (“ASC  715”). The  Company recognized  the  funded  status  of  its  plan  on  the  consolidated statements of  financial 
condition  with  a  corresponding  adjustment  to  accumulated  other  comprehensive  income,  net  of  tax. The  net  unrecognized 
actuarial losses and unrecognized prior service costs were amortized as a component of net periodic benefit cost. Further, actuarial 
gains  and  losses  that  arose  and  were  not  recognized  as  net  periodic  benefit  cost  in  the  same  periods  were  recognized  as  a 
component of other comprehensive income. These amounts were amortized as a component of net periodic benefit cost on the 
same basis as the amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income. For each of the years ended December 31, 
2013, 2012 and 2011, the net periodic benefit cost from continuing operations was $0.1 million.

The Company terminated the post-retirement medical plan in 2013. The Company recognized a settlement gain of $1.1 
million in compensation and benefits expense from continuing operations on the consolidated statements of operations for the 
year ended December 31, 2013. In conjunction with the termination, the Company elected to make lump sum cash distributions 
to  current  plan  participants,  Company  employees  meeting  certain  age  requirements  and  certain  former  employees  with 
accumulated credits. These lump sum cash payments, totaling $1.1 million, were based on a percentage of accumulated retiree 
health care credits and were included in compensation and benefits expense from continuing operations on the consolidated 
statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2013. 

99

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Note 24 Compensation Plans 

Stock-Based Compensation Plans

The Company maintains two stock-based compensation plans, the Piper Jaffray Companies Amended and Restated 2003 
Annual and Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Incentive Plan”) and the 2010 Employment Inducement Award Plan (the “Inducement 
Plan”). The Company’s equity awards are recognized on the consolidated statements of operations at grant date fair value over 
the service period of the award, net of estimated forfeitures.

The following table provides a summary of the Company’s outstanding equity awards (in shares or units) as of December 31, 

2013:

Incentive Plan

Restricted Stock

Annual grants .............................................................................................................................................
Sign-on grants ............................................................................................................................................
Retention grants..........................................................................................................................................
Performance grants.....................................................................................................................................

866,894
436,402
—
—
1,303,296

Inducement Plan

Restricted Stock ............................................................................................................................................

58,310

Total restricted stock related to compensation...........................................................................................

1,361,606

ARI deal consideration (1).............................................................................................................................................

220,456

Total restricted stock outstanding ...............................................................................................................

1,582,062

Incentive Plan

Restricted Stock Units

Leadership grants .......................................................................................................................................

290,536

Incentive Plan
Stock options outstanding ............................................................................................................................

469,289

(1)  The Company issued restricted stock as part of deal consideration in conjunction with the acquisition of ARI.

Incentive Plan

The Incentive Plan permits the grant of equity awards, including restricted stock, restricted stock units and non-qualified 
stock options, to the Company’s employees and directors for up to 7.0 million shares of common stock (1.1 million shares 
remained available for future issuance under the Incentive Plan as of December 31, 2013). The Company believes that such 
awards help align the interests of employees and directors with those of shareholders and serve as an employee retention tool. 
The Incentive Plan provides for accelerated vesting of awards if there is a severance event, a change in control of the Company 
(as defined in the Incentive Plan), in the event of a participant’s death, and at the discretion of the compensation committee of 
the Company’s board of directors.

100

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Restricted Stock Awards

Restricted stock grants are valued at the market price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant and are amortized 
over the related requisite service period. The Company grants shares of restricted stock to current employees as part of year-
end compensation (“Annual Grants”) and as a retention tool. Employees may receive restricted stock upon initial hiring or as a 
retention award (“Sign-on Grants”). The Company has also granted incremental restricted stock awards with service conditions 
to key employees (“Retention Grants”) and restricted stock with performance conditions to members of senior management 
("Performance Grants").

The  Company’s Annual  Grants  are  made  each  year  in  February. Annual  Grants  vest  ratably  over  three  years  in  equal 
installments. The Annual Grants provide for continued vesting after termination of employment, so long as the employee does 
not violate certain post-termination restrictions set forth in the award agreement or any agreements entered into upon termination. 
The Company determined the service inception date precedes the grant date for the Annual Grants, and that the post-termination 
restrictions do not meet the criteria for an in-substance service condition, as defined by ASC 718. Accordingly, restricted stock 
granted as part of the Annual Grants is expensed in the one-year period in which those awards are deemed to be earned, which 
is generally the calendar year preceding the February grant date. For example, the Company recognized compensation expense 
during fiscal 2013 for its February 2014 Annual Grant. If an equity award related to the Annual Grants is forfeited as a result of 
violating the post-termination restrictions, the lower of the fair value of the award at grant date or the fair value of the award at 
the date of forfeiture is recorded within the consolidated statements of operations as a reversal of compensation expense. 

Sign-on Grants are used as a recruiting tool for new employees and are issued to current employees as a retention tool. 
These awards have both cliff and ratable vesting terms, and the employees must fulfill service requirements in exchange for 
rights to the awards. Compensation expense is amortized on a straight-line basis from the grant date over the requisite service 
period,  generally  two  to  five  years.  Employees  forfeit  unvested  shares  upon  termination  of  employment  and  a  reversal  of 
compensation expense is recorded.

Retention  Grants  were  subject  to  ratable  vesting  based  upon  a  five-year  service  requirement  and  were  amortized  as 
compensation expense on a straight-line basis from the 2008 grant date over the requisite service period, which ended in May 
2013. Employees forfeited unvested retention shares upon termination of employment and a reversal of compensation expense 
was recorded.

Performance Grants awarded in 2008 and 2009 expired unvested in May 2013. 

Annually, the Company grants stock to its non-employee directors. The stock-based compensation paid to non-employee 
directors is fully expensed on the grant date and included within outside services expense on the consolidated statements of 
operations.

Restricted Stock Units

The Company granted restricted stock units to its leadership team (“Leadership Grants”) in May 2012 and 2013, respectively. 
The units will vest and convert to shares of common stock at the end of each 36-month performance period only if the Company 
satisfies predetermined market conditions over the performance period. Under the terms of the grants, the number of units that 
will vest and convert to shares will be based on the Company achieving specified market conditions during each performance 
period as described below. Compensation expense is amortized on a straight-line basis over the three-year requisite service 
period based on the fair value of the award on the grant date. The market condition must be met for the awards to vest and 
compensation cost will be recognized regardless if the market condition is satisfied. Employees forfeit unvested share units upon 
termination of employment with a corresponding reversal of compensation expense.

101

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Up to 50 percent of the award can be earned based on the Company’s total shareholder return relative to members of a 
predetermined peer group and up to 50 percent of the award can be earned based on the Company’s total shareholder return. 
The fair value of the awards on the grant date were determined using a Monte Carlo simulation with the following assumptions:  

Grant Year
2013 .............................................................................................................................
2012 .............................................................................................................................

Risk-free
Interest Rate
0.40%
0.38%

Expected Stock
Price Volatility
44.0%
47.6%

Because a portion of the award vesting depends on the Company’s total shareholder return relative to a peer group, the 
valuation modeled the performance of the peer group as well as the correlation between the Company and the peer group. The 
expected stock price volatility assumptions were determined using historical volatility as correlation coefficients can only be 
developed through historical volatility. The risk-free interest rates were determined based on three-year U.S. Treasury bond 
yields.

Stock Options

The  Company  previously  granted  options  to  purchase  Piper  Jaffray  Companies  common  stock  to  employees  and  non-
employee directors in fiscal years 2004 through 2008. Employee and director options were expensed by the Company on a 
straight-line basis over the required service period, based on the estimated fair value of the award on the date of grant using a 
Black-Scholes option-pricing model. As described above pertaining to the Company’s Annual Grants of restricted shares, stock 
options granted to employees were expensed in the calendar year preceding the annual February grant date. For example, the 
Company recognized compensation expense during fiscal 2007 for its February 2008 option grant. The maximum term of the 
stock options granted to employees and directors is ten years. The Company has not granted stock options since 2008.

Inducement Plan

In 2010, the Company established the Inducement Plan in conjunction with the acquisition of ARI. The Company granted 
$7.0 million in restricted stock (158,801 shares) under the Inducement Plan to ARI employees upon closing of the transaction. 
These shares vest ratably over five years in equal annual installments ending on March 1, 2015. Inducement Plan awards are 
amortized as compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. Employees forfeit unvested Inducement 
Plan shares upon termination of employment and a reversal of compensation expense is recorded.

Stock-Based Compensation Activity

The Company recorded total compensation expense within continuing operations of  $21.0 million, $20.2 million and $21.2 
million for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively, related to employee restricted stock and restricted 
stock unit awards. Total compensation cost includes year-end compensation for Annual Grants and the amortization of Sign-on, 
Retention and Leadership Grants, less forfeitures of $1.0 million, $1.3 million and $3.3 million for the years ended December 31, 
2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The tax benefit related to stock-based compensation costs totaled $8.2 million, $7.9 million 
and $8.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

102

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

The following table summarizes the changes in the Company’s unvested restricted stock (including the unvested restricted 
stock  issued  as  part  of  the  deal  consideration  for ARI)  under  the  Incentive  Plan  and  Inducement  Plan  for  the  years  ended 
December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011:

Unvested
Restricted
 Stock
(in Shares)

Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value      

December 31, 2010 ................................................................................................................

4,523,184

$

Granted ...................................................................................................................................
Vested......................................................................................................................................
Canceled .................................................................................................................................

663,887
(1,791,712)
(243,358)

December 31, 2011 ................................................................................................................

3,152,001

$

Granted ...................................................................................................................................
Vested......................................................................................................................................
Canceled .................................................................................................................................

635,136
(1,309,881)
(154,818)

December 31, 2012 ................................................................................................................

2,322,438

$

Granted ...................................................................................................................................
Vested......................................................................................................................................
Canceled .................................................................................................................................

682,760
(1,165,989)
(257,147)

December 31, 2013 ................................................................................................................

1,582,062

$

39.84

40.87
37.77
39.03

38.79

22.89
34.21
39.37

37.01

38.35
39.83
38.30

35.25

The fair value of restricted stock that vested during the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 was $46.4 million, 

$44.8 million and $67.7 million, respectively.

The following summarizes the changes in the Company’s unvested restricted stock units under the Incentive Plan for the 

years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012:

Unvested
Restricted
Stock Units       Fair Value      

Weighted
Average
Grant Date

December 31, 2011 ................................................................................................................

— $

Granted ...................................................................................................................................
Vested......................................................................................................................................
Canceled .................................................................................................................................

214,526
—
(41,255)

December 31, 2012 ................................................................................................................

173,271

$

Granted ...................................................................................................................................
Vested......................................................................................................................................
Canceled .................................................................................................................................

117,265
—
—

December 31, 2013 ................................................................................................................

290,536

$

—

12.12
—
12.12

12.12

21.32
—
—

15.83

As of December 31, 2013, there was $13.5 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to restricted stock and 

restricted stock units expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.86 years.

103

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

The following table summarizes the changes in the Company’s outstanding stock options for the years ended December 31, 

2013, 2012 and 2011:

Weighted Weighted Average
Average
Exercise
 Price

Remaining
Contractual
Term (in Years)

Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value

Options

Outstanding      

December 31, 2010.........................................................................

515,492

$

44.64

4.9

$

166,406

Granted ............................................................................................
Exercised .........................................................................................
Canceled ..........................................................................................

—
(1,023)
(11,846)

—
39.62
42.19

December 31, 2011.........................................................................

502,623

$

44.71

3.9

$

—

Granted ............................................................................................
Exercised .........................................................................................
Canceled ..........................................................................................

—
—
(16,060)

—
—
43.17

December 31, 2012.........................................................................

486,563

$

44.76

2.9

$

94,150

Granted ............................................................................................
Exercised .........................................................................................
Canceled ..........................................................................................

December 31, 2013.........................................................................

Options exercisable at December 31, 2011..................................
Options exercisable at December 31, 2012..................................
Options exercisable at December 31, 2013..................................

—
—
(17,274)

469,289

502,623
486,563
469,289

$

$
$
$

—
—
42.85

44.83

44.71
44.76
44.83

2.0

3.9
2.9
2.0

$

$
$
$

288,318

—
94,150
288,318

Additional information regarding Piper Jaffray Companies options outstanding as of December 31, 2013 is as follows:

Options Outstanding

Exercisable Options

Range of
Exercise Prices
$28.01 ............................................................................
$33.40 ............................................................................
$39.62 ............................................................................
$41.09 ............................................................................
$47.30 - $51.05..............................................................
$70.13 - $70.65..............................................................

Shares

22,852
4,001
131,637
128,887
134,499
47,413

Weighted Average Weighted
Average
Exercise
 Price

Remaining
Contractual
Life (in Years)
1.3
1.6
1.1
4.1
0.5
2.9

$
$
$
$
$
$

28.01
33.40
39.62
41.09
47.74
70.26

Weighted
Average
Exercise
 Price

$
$
$
$
$
$

28.01
33.40
39.62
41.09
47.74
70.26

Shares

22,852
4,001
131,637
128,887
134,499
47,413

As of December 31, 2013, there was no unrecognized compensation cost related to stock options expected to be recognized 

over future years.

The fair value of options exercised, cash received from option exercises and the resulting tax benefit realized for the tax 

deductions from option exercises were immaterial for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. 

The Company has a policy of issuing shares out of treasury (to the extent available) to satisfy share option exercises and 
restricted stock vesting. The Company expects to withhold approximately 0.3 million shares from employee equity awards 
vesting in 2014, related to employee individual income tax withholding obligations on restricted stock vesting. For accounting 
purposes, withholding shares to cover employees’ tax obligations is deemed to be a repurchase of shares by the Company.

104

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Deferred Compensation Plan

In 2012, the Company established the Piper Jaffray Companies Mutual Fund Restricted Share Investment Plan, a deferred 
compensation plan which allows eligible employees to elect to receive a portion of the incentive compensation they would 
otherwise receive in the form of restricted stock, instead in MFRS Awards of registered funds managed by the Company's asset 
management business. MFRS Awards are awarded to qualifying employees in February of each year, and represent a portion of 
their compensation for performance in the preceding year similar to the Company's Annual Grants. MFRS Awards vest ratably 
over three years in equal installments and provide for continued vesting after termination of employment so long as the employee 
does  not  violate  certain  post-termination  restrictions  set  forth  in  the  award  agreement  or  any  agreement  entered  into  upon 
termination. Forfeitures are recorded as a reduction of compensation and benefits expense within the consolidated statements 
of operations.

The  Company  has  also  granted  MFRS Awards  to  new  employees  as  a  recruiting  tool.  Employees  must  fulfill  service 
requirements in exchange for rights to the awards. Compensation expense from these awards will be amortized on a straight-
line basis over the requisite service period of two to five years. 

105

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Note 25 Earnings Per Share 

The Company calculates earnings per share using the two-class method. Basic earnings per common share is computed by 
dividing net income/(loss) applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies’ common shareholders by the weighted average number of 
common shares outstanding for the period. Net income/(loss) applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies’ common shareholders 
represents net income/(loss) applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies reduced by the allocation of earnings to participating securities. 
Losses are not allocated to participating securities. All of the Company’s unvested restricted shares are deemed to be participating 
securities as they are eligible to share in the profits (e.g., receive dividends) of the Company. The Company’s unvested restricted 
stock units are not participating securities as they are not eligible to share in the profits of the Company. Diluted earnings per 
common share is calculated by adjusting the weighted average outstanding shares to assume conversion of all potentially dilutive 
stock options. The computation of earnings per share is as follows:

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)

Net income/(loss) from continuing operations applicable to
Piper Jaffray Companies ...........................................................
Net loss from discontinued operations .......................................
Net income/(loss) applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies ............
Earnings allocated to participating securities (1)...........................

Net income/(loss) applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies’ 
common shareholders (2) ...................................................................

Shares for basic and diluted calculations:

Average shares used in basic computation .................................
Stock options ..............................................................................
Restricted stock...........................................................................
Average shares used in diluted computation.................................

Earnings/(loss) per basic common share:

Income/(loss) from continuing operations..................................
Loss from discontinued operations.............................................
Earnings/(loss) per basic common share ..................................

Earnings/(loss) per diluted common share:

Income/(loss) from continuing operations..................................
Loss from discontinued operations.............................................
Earnings/(loss) per diluted common share ...............................

$

$

$

$

$

$

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2011

2013

$

49,829
(4,739)
45,090
(4,494)

$

47,075
(5,807)
41,268
(5,933)

(90,772)
(11,248)
(102,020)
—

40,596

$

35,335

$

(102,020)

15,046
15
—
15,061

15,615
1
—
15,616

2.98
(0.28)
2.70

2.98
(0.28)
2.70

$

$

$

$

2.58
(0.32)
2.26

2.58
(0.32)
2.26

$

$

$

$

15,672
13
2,892
18,577 (3)

(5.79)
(0.72)
(6.51)

(5.79)
(0.72)
(6.51) (3)

(1)  Represents the allocation of earnings to participating securities. Losses are not allocated to participating securities. Participating securities include all 
of the Company’s unvested restricted shares. The weighted average participating shares outstanding were 1,667,067; 2,622,438 and 3,528,624 for the 
years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

(2)  Net income/(loss) applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies’ common shareholders for diluted and basic EPS may differ under the two-class method as a 
result of adding the effect of the assumed exercise of stock options to dilutive shares outstanding, which alters the ratio used to allocate earnings to Piper 
Jaffray Companies’ common shareholders and participating securities for purposes of calculating diluted and basic EPS.

(3)  Earnings per diluted common share is calculated using the basic weighted average number of common shares outstanding for periods in which a loss is 

incurred.

The anti-dilutive effects from stock options were immaterial for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011.

106

 
 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Note 26 Segment Reporting 

Basis for Presentation

The Company structures its segments primarily based upon the nature of the financial products and services provided to 
customers and the Company’s management organization. The Company evaluates performance and allocates resources based 
on segment pre-tax operating income or loss and segment pre-tax operating margin. Revenues and expenses directly associated 
with each respective segment are included in determining their operating results. Other revenues and expenses that are not 
directly attributable to a particular segment are allocated based upon the Company’s allocation methodologies, including each 
segment’s respective net revenues, use of shared resources, headcount or other relevant measures. The financial management 
of assets is performed on an enterprise-wide basis. As such, assets are not assigned to the business segments.

Segment pre-tax operating income and segment pre-tax operating margin exclude the results of discontinued operations. 

Reportable segment financial results from continuing operations are as follows: 

(Dollars in thousands)
Capital Markets

Investment banking

Financing

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2011

2013

Equities ........................................................................................
Debt..............................................................................................
Advisory services ...........................................................................
Total investment banking..................................................................

$

Institutional sales and trading

Equities...........................................................................................
Fixed income ..................................................................................
Total institutional sales and trading.................................................

Management and performance fees..................................................

Investment income ............................................................................

$

100,224
74,284
74,420
248,928

91,169
76,275
167,444

3,891

30,404

$

73,180
74,102
86,165
233,447

75,723
111,492
187,215

1,678

9,840

Long-term financing expenses ..........................................................

(7,420) .

(7,982)

74,161
54,565
74,373
203,099

86,175
75,589
161,764

243

11,052

(7,067)

Net revenues .....................................................................................

443,247

424,198

369,091

Non-interest expenses

Goodwill impairment .....................................................................
Operating expenses (1)...................................................................
Total non-interest expenses...............................................................

—
393,231
393,231

—
371,628
371,628

120,298
344,036
464,334

Segment pre-tax operating income/(loss) .........................................

$

50,016

$

52,570

$

(95,243)

Segment pre-tax operating margin....................................................

11.3%

12.4%

N/M

Continued on next page

107

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

(Dollars in thousands)
Asset Management

Management and performance fees

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2011

2013

Management fees............................................................................
Performance fees ............................................................................
Total management and performance fees.........................................

$

Investment income/(loss) ..................................................................

Net revenues .....................................................................................

Operating expenses (1) .....................................................................

$

71,314
7,840
79,154

2,794

81,948

56,351

$

63,236
785
64,021

733

64,754

48,313

60,819
2,245
63,064

(72)

62,992

47,938

Segment pre-tax operating income ...................................................

$

25,597

$

16,441

$

15,054

Segment pre-tax operating margin....................................................

31.2%

25.4%

23.9%

Total

Net revenues .....................................................................................

$

525,195

$

488,952

$

432,083

Non-interest expenses

Goodwill impairment .....................................................................
Operating expenses (1)...................................................................
Total non-interest expenses...............................................................

—
449,582
449,582

—
419,941
419,941

120,298
391,974
512,272

Pre-tax operating income/(loss)........................................................

$

75,613

$

69,011

$

(80,189)

Pre-tax operating margin ..................................................................

14.4%

14.1%

N/M

N/M – Not meaningful

(1)  Operating expenses include intangible asset amortization expense as set forth in the table below: 

(Dollars in thousands)
Capital Markets .......................................................................................
Asset Management ..................................................................................
Total intangible asset amortization expense.........................................

$

$

2013

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2011

1,349
6,644
7,993

$

$

— $

6,944
6,944

$

—
7,256
7,256

108

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Geographic Areas

The Company operates in both U.S. and non-U.S. markets. The Company’s non-U.S. business activities are principally 
conducted through European locations. Net revenues and long-lived assets for the Company's Asian location was not significant. 
Net revenues disclosed in the following table reflect the regional view, with financing revenues allocated to geographic locations 
based upon the location of the capital market, advisory revenues allocated based upon the location of the investment banking 
team and net institutional sales and trading revenues allocated based upon the location of the client. Asset management revenues 
are allocated to the U.S. based upon the geographic location of the Company’s asset management team. Net revenues exclude 
discontinued operations for all periods presented. 

(Dollars in thousands)
Net revenues:

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2011

2013

United States.....................................................................................
Europe...............................................................................................
Consolidated .....................................................................................

$

$

513,433
11,762
525,195

$

$

476,718
12,234
488,952

$

$

415,647
16,436
432,083

Long-lived assets are allocated to geographic locations based upon the location of the asset. The following table presents 

long-lived assets held for use by geographic region:

(Dollars in thousands)
Long-lived assets:

December 31,
2013

December 31,
2012

United States...................................................................................................................
Europe.............................................................................................................................
Consolidated ...................................................................................................................

$

$

296,516
6,414
302,930

$

$

285,682
1,131
286,813

Note 27 Net Capital Requirements and Other Regulatory Matters 

Piper  Jaffray  is  registered as  a  securities  broker  dealer with  the  SEC  and  is  a  member of  various  SROs  and  securities 
exchanges. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) serves as Piper Jaffray’s primary SRO. Piper Jaffray is 
subject to the uniform net capital rule of the SEC and the net capital rule of FINRA. Piper Jaffray has elected to use the alternative 
method permitted by the SEC rule, which requires that it maintain minimum net capital of the greater of $1.0 million or 2 percent 
of aggregate debit balances arising from customer transactions, as such term is defined in the SEC rule. Under its rules, FINRA 
may prohibit a member firm from expanding its business or paying dividends if resulting net capital would be less than 5 percent 
of  aggregate  debit  balances. Advances  to  affiliates,  repayment  of  subordinated  debt,  dividend  payments  and  other  equity 
withdrawals by Piper Jaffray are subject to certain notification and other provisions of SEC and FINRA rules. In addition, Piper 
Jaffray is subject to certain notification requirements related to withdrawals of excess net capital.

At December 31, 2013, net capital calculated under the SEC rule was $165.6 million, and exceeded the minimum net capital 

required under the SEC rule by $164.6 million.

The Company’s short-term committed credit facility of $250 million and its variable rate senior notes include covenants 

requiring Piper Jaffray to maintain minimum net capital of $120 million.

Piper Jaffray Ltd., a broker dealer subsidiary registered in the United Kingdom, was subject to the capital requirements of 
the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority. As of December 31, 2013, Piper Jaffray Ltd. was in 
compliance with the capital requirements of the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority.

109

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Note 28 Income Taxes 

Income tax expense is provided using the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for 
the expected future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between amounts reported for income tax purposes 
and financial statement purposes, using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary 
differences are expected to be recovered or settled.

The components of income tax expense from continuing operations are as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Current:

Federal ..............................................................................................
State ..................................................................................................
Foreign..............................................................................................

Deferred:

Federal ..............................................................................................
State ..................................................................................................
Foreign..............................................................................................

Total income tax expense from continuing operations .......................

Total income tax expense/(benefit) from discontinued operations .....

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2011

2013

$

$

$

$

20,468
3,795
183
24,446

(1,582)
(4,041)
1,567
(4,056)

20,390

(2,935)

$

$

16,939
(9,563)
—
7,376

7,735
4,413
(54)
12,094

19,470

(23,795)

$

$

$

(6,108)
27
—
(6,081)

13,803
2,491
(1,093)
15,201

9,120

1,756

A reconciliation of federal income taxes at statutory rates to the Company’s effective tax rates from continuing operations 

is as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Federal income tax expense/(benefit) at statutory rates......................
Increase/(reduction) in taxes resulting from:

Goodwill impairment........................................................................
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit ...................................
Net tax-exempt interest income ........................................................
Foreign jurisdictions tax rate differential..........................................
Change in valuation allowance.........................................................
Restricted stock deferred tax asset write-off.....................................
Income attributable to noncontrolling interests ................................
Other, net ..........................................................................................
Total income tax expense from continuing operations .......................

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2011

2013

$

26,464

$

24,153

$

(28,066)

—
2,785
(3,917)
(185)
(4,182)
—
(1,888)
1,313
20,390

$

—
2,540
(3,353)
(164)
(1,110)
4,577
(863)
(6,310)
19,470

$

40,440
1,327
(3,308)
413
(2,185)
557
(512)
454
9,120

$

In accordance with ASC 740, U.S. income taxes are not provided on undistributed earnings of international subsidiaries 
that are permanently reinvested. As of December 31, 2013, undistributed earnings permanently reinvested in the Company’s 
foreign subsidiaries were not material.

110

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities reflect the tax effect of temporary differences between the carrying amount of 
assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for the same items for income tax reporting purposes. 
The net deferred income tax assets included in other assets on the consolidated statements of financial condition consisted of 
the following items:

(Dollars in thousands)
Deferred tax assets:

December 31,
2013

December 31,
2012

Deferred compensation...................................................................................................
Net operating loss carry forwards...................................................................................
Liabilities/accruals not currently deductible...................................................................
Other ...............................................................................................................................
Total deferred tax assets ...............................................................................................
Valuation allowance .....................................................................................................

$

Deferred tax assets after valuation allowance............................................................

Deferred tax liabilities:

Goodwill amortization ....................................................................................................
Unrealized gains on firm investments ............................................................................
Fixed assets.....................................................................................................................
Other ...............................................................................................................................

$

43,608
5,569
1,903
1,459
52,539
(159)

52,380

9,957
3,577
1,017
1,577

38,090
7,645
2,035
2,667
50,437
(5,139)

45,298

6,010
2,134
2,706
826

Total deferred tax liabilities..........................................................................................

16,128

11,676

Net deferred tax assets ......................................................................................................

$

36,252

$

33,622

The realization of deferred tax assets is assessed and a valuation allowance is recorded to the extent that it is more likely 
than not that any portion of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. The Company believes that its future tax profits will be 
sufficient to recognize its deferred tax assets, with the exception of $0.2 million in state net operating loss carryforwards. 

111

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

The Company accounts for unrecognized tax benefits in accordance with the provisions of ASC 740, which requires tax 
reserves to be recorded for uncertain tax positions on the consolidated statements of financial condition. A reconciliation of the 
beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Balance at December 31, 2010......................................................................................................................
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year ..........................................................................
Additions for tax positions of prior years .......................................................................................................
Reductions for tax positions of prior years .....................................................................................................
Settlements ......................................................................................................................................................
Balance at December 31, 2011......................................................................................................................
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year ..........................................................................
Additions for tax positions of prior years .......................................................................................................
Reductions for tax positions of prior years .....................................................................................................
Settlements ......................................................................................................................................................
Balance at December 31, 2012......................................................................................................................
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year ..........................................................................
Additions for tax positions of prior years .......................................................................................................
Reductions for tax positions of prior years .....................................................................................................
Settlements ......................................................................................................................................................
Balance at December 31, 2013......................................................................................................................

$

$

$

$

9,510
—
—
(595)
—
8,915
—
200
(8,825)
—
290
—
2,000
(90)
—
2,200

As of December 31, 2013, approximately $0.2 million of the Company's unrecognized tax benefits would impact the annual 
effective rate, if recognized. In 2012, the Company reversed $8.8 million for unrecognized tax benefits. In addition, the Company 
reversed $2.6 million of accrued interest related to these positions. In aggregate, the Company recorded a $7.4 million credit to 
income  tax  expense  in  2012,  net  of  federal  income  tax. The  Company  recognizes  interest  and  penalties  accrued  related  to 
unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense. During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company 
recognized $0.2 million in interest and penalties. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company recognized no interest 
and penalties. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company recognized approximately $0.3 million in interest and 
penalties. The Company had approximately $0.2 million and $0.1 million for the payment of interest and penalties accrued at 
December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The Company or one of its subsidiaries files income tax returns with the various 
states and foreign jurisdictions in which the Company operates. The Company is not subject to U.S. federal tax authorities for 
years before 2011 and is not subject to state and local or non-U.S. tax authorities for taxable years before 2006. The Company 
anticipates all of its uncertain income tax provisions will be resolved within the next twelve months.

112

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Note 29 Piper Jaffray Companies (Parent Company only) 

Condensed Statements of Financial Condition 

(Amounts in thousands)
Assets

Cash and cash equivalents ..............................................................................................
Investment in and advances to subsidiaries ....................................................................
Other assets.....................................................................................................................
Total assets ...................................................................................................................

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

Variable rate senior notes................................................................................................
Accrued compensation....................................................................................................
Other liabilities and accrued expenses............................................................................
Total liabilities..............................................................................................................

Shareholders’ equity .......................................................................................................
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity......................................................................

December 31,
2013

December 31,
2012

$

$

$

$

336
870,104
9,119
879,559

125,000
18,454
1,429
144,883

734,676
879,559

$

$

$

$

1,069
857,973
20,850
879,892

125,000
20,838
762
146,600

733,292
879,892

Condensed Statements of Operations

(Amounts in thousands)
Revenues:

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2011

2013

Dividends from subsidiaries .............................................................
Interest ..............................................................................................
Other revenues ..................................................................................
Total revenues.................................................................................

$

Interest expense ................................................................................

Net revenues ...................................................................................

$

46,000
254
198
46,452

5,850

40,602

$

119,000
82
—
119,082

5,823

113,259

80,483
31
—
80,514

5,392

75,122

Non-interest expenses:

Total non-interest expenses ............................................................

3,096

4,222

13,044

Income from continuing operations before income tax expense/
(benefit) and equity in undistributed/(distributed in excess of)
income of subsidiaries .....................................................................

Income tax expense/(benefit)............................................................

Income from continuing operations of parent company ...............

Equity in undistributed/(distributed in excess of) income of
subsidiaries......................................................................................

Net income/(loss) from continuing operations................................

Discontinued operations:

37,506

13,263

24,243

25,200

49,443

109,037

39,175

69,862

62,078

(3,128)

65,206

(49,617)

(167,226)

20,245

(102,020)

Income/(loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax ...................

(4,353)

21,023

—

Net income/(loss) ...............................................................................

$

45,090

$

41,268

$

(102,020)

113

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements – Continued

Year Ended December 31,
2012

2011

2013

$

45,090

$

41,268

$

(102,020)

60
—

(25,200)

19,950

—
—
35,246
(55,929)

(20,683)

(733)

1,069

240
—

49,617

91,125

125,000
(115,000)
(76,481)
(38,068)

(104,549)

(13,424)

14,493

437
9,247

167,226

74,890

—
(10,000)
(51,916)
(5,994)

(67,910)

6,980

7,513

336

$

1,069

$

14,493

(5,596)
(13,263)

$
$

(5,741)
(39,175)

$
$

(5,361)
3,128

Condensed Statements of Cash Flows

(Amounts in thousands)
Operating Activities:

Net income/(loss)..............................................................................
Adjustments to reconcile net income/(loss) to net cash provided
by operating activities:....................................................................
Share-based and deferred compensation ........................................
Goodwill impairment .....................................................................
Equity distributed in excess of/(in undistributed) income of
subsidiaries ...................................................................................

Net cash provided by operating activities ......................................

Financing Activities:

Issuance of variable rate senior notes ...............................................
Decrease in bank syndicated financing.............................................
Advances from/(to) subsidiaries .......................................................
Repurchase of common stock...........................................................

Net cash used in financing activities ..............................................

Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents .........................

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year..................................

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year............................................

Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information

Cash received/(paid) during the year for:

Interest ............................................................................................
Income taxes...................................................................................

$

$
$

114

Piper Jaffray Companies

Supplemental Information

Quarterly Information (unaudited) 

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)
Total revenues...........................................................
Interest expense ........................................................
Net revenues .............................................................
Non-interest expenses ..............................................
Income from continuing operations before income
tax expense .............................................................
Income tax expense ..................................................
Net income from continuing operations...................
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax .........
Net income/(loss) .....................................................
Net income/(loss) applicable to noncontrolling
interests...................................................................
Net income applicable to Piper Jaffray
Companies ..............................................................
Net income applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies'
common shareholders.............................................

Amounts applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies
Net income from continuing operations ................
Net loss from discontinued operations...................

Net income applicable to Piper Jaffray
Companies .........................................................

Earnings per basic common share

Income from continuing operations .......................
Loss from discontinued operations ........................
Earnings per basic common share .......................

Earnings per diluted common share

Income from continuing operations .......................
Loss from discontinued operations ........................
Earnings per diluted common share ....................

Weighted average number of common shares

Basic.......................................................................
Diluted....................................................................

 First

115,312
5,779
109,533
91,365

18,168
5,600
12,568
(521)
12,047

1,901

10,146

8,966

10,667
(521)

10,146

0.60
(0.03)
0.58

0.60
(0.03)
0.57

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

 2013 Fiscal Quarter

 Second

 Third

106,520
6,748
99,772
96,439

3,333
1,644
1,689
(1,871)
(182)

(2,670)

2,488

2,266

4,359
(1,871)

2,488

0.25
(0.11)
0.15

0.25
(0.11)
0.15

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

134,506
6,192
128,314
116,254

12,060
2,886
9,174
(1,529)
7,645

2,323

5,322

4,826

6,851
(1,529)

5,322

0.42
(0.09)
0.33

0.42
(0.09)
0.33

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

 Fourth

193,893
6,317
187,576
145,524

42,052
10,260
31,792
(818)
30,974

3,840

27,134

24,445

27,952
(818)

27,134

1.75
(0.05)
1.70

1.75
(0.05)
1.70

15,582
15,610

15,621
15,626

14,641
14,626

14,378
14,397

115

Piper Jaffray Companies

Supplemental Information – Continued

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)
Total revenues...........................................................
Interest expense ........................................................
Net revenues .............................................................
Non-interest expenses ..............................................
Income from continuing operations before income
tax expense/(benefit) ..............................................
Income tax expense/(benefit) ...................................
Net income from continuing operations...................
Income/(loss) from discontinued operations, net of
tax ...........................................................................
Net income ...............................................................
Net income/(loss) applicable to noncontrolling
interests...................................................................
Net income applicable to Piper Jaffray
Companies ..............................................................
Net income applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies'
common shareholders.............................................

Amounts applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies
Net income from continuing operations ................
Net income/(loss) from discontinued operations ...

Net income applicable to Piper Jaffray
Companies .........................................................

Earnings per basic common share

Income from continuing operations .......................
Income/(loss) from discontinued operations..........
Earnings per basic common share .......................

Earnings per diluted common share

Income from continuing operations .......................
Income/(loss) from discontinued operations..........
Earnings per diluted common share ....................

Weighted average number of common shares.....
Basic.......................................................................
Diluted....................................................................

 First

117,566
4,128
113,438
98,216

15,222
7,553
7,669

(3,303)
4,366

1,437

2,929

2,480

6,232
(3,303)

2,929

0.33
(0.17)
0.15

0.33
(0.17)
0.15

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

 2012 Fiscal Quarter

 Second

 Third

107,417
4,319
103,098
97,443

5,655
(5,699)
11,354

(3,934)
7,420

569

6,851

5,890

10,785
(3,934)

6,851

0.58
(0.21)
0.37

0.58
(0.21)
0.37

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

135,900
4,395
131,505
106,153

25,352
10,194
15,158

5,171
20,329

665

19,664

16,840

14,493
5,171

19,664

0.82
0.29
1.11

0.82
0.29
1.11

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

 Fourth

147,164
6,253
140,911
118,129

22,782
7,422
15,360

(3,741)
11,619

(205)

11,824

10,198

15,565
(3,741)

11,824

0.88
(0.21)
0.67

0.88
(0.21)
0.67

16,072
16,072

15,932
15,932

15,210
15,210

15,253
15,256

116

ITEM 9.       CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL 

DISCLOSURE.

None.

ITEM 9A.     CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

As of the end of the period covered by this report, we conducted an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation 
of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 
13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer 
and principal financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure that information 
required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is (a) recorded, processed, summarized 
and reported within the time periods specified in Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms and (b) accumulated 
and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer to allow timely 
decisions regarding disclosure.

During the fourth quarter of our fiscal year ending December 31, 2013, there was no change in our system of internal control 
over  financial  reporting  (as  defined  in  Rules  13a-15(f)  and  15d-15(f)  under  the  Securities  Exchange Act  of  1934)  that  has 
materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting and the attestation report of our independent registered 
public accounting firm on management’s assessment of internal control over financial reporting are included in Part II, Item 8 
entitled “Financial Statements and Supplemental Information” and are incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 9B.     OTHER INFORMATION.

Not applicable.

PART III 

ITEM 10.     DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.

The information regarding our executive officers included in Part I of this Form 10-K under the caption “Executive Officers” 
is incorporated herein by reference. The information in the definitive proxy statement for our 2014 annual meeting of shareholders 
to be held on May 7, 2014, under the captions “Item I — Election of Directors,” “Information Regarding the Board of Directors 
and Corporate Governance — Committees of the Board — Audit Committee,” “Information Regarding the Board of Directors 
and Corporate Governance — Codes of Ethics and Business Conduct” and “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting 
Compliance” is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 11.     EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.

The information in the definitive proxy statement for our 2014 annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 7, 2014, 
under the captions “Executive Compensation,” “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions — Compensation Committee 
Interlocks  and  Insider  Participation,”  “Information  Regarding  the  Board  of  Directors  and  Corporate  Governance  — 
Compensation  Program  for  Non-Employee  Directors”  and  “Information  Regarding  the  Board  of  Directors  and  Corporate 
Governance — Non-Employee Director Compensation for 2013” is incorporated herein by reference.

117

ITEM 12.     SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND 

RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS.

The information in the definitive proxy statement for our 2014 annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 7, 2014, 
under the captions “Security Ownership — Beneficial Ownership of Directors, Nominees and Executive Officers,” “Security 
Ownership  —  Beneficial  Owners  of  More  than  Five  Percent  of  Our  Common  Stock”  and  “Executive  Compensation  — 
Outstanding Equity Awards” are incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 13.     CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE.

The information in the definitive proxy statement for our 2014 annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 7, 2014, 
under  the  captions  “Information  Regarding  the  Board  of  Directors  and  Corporate  Governance  —  Director  Independence,” 
“Certain Relationships and Related Transactions — Transactions with Related Persons” and “Certain Relationships and Related 
Transactions — Review and Approval of Transactions with Related Persons” is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 14.     PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.

The information in the definitive proxy statement for our 2014 annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 7, 2014, 
under the captions “Audit Committee Report and Payment of Fees to Our Independent Auditor — Auditor Fees” and “Audit 
Committee Report and Payment of Fees to Our Independent Auditor — Auditor Services Pre-Approval Policy” is incorporated 
herein by reference.

ITEM 15.     EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.

(a)(1)    FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF THE COMPANY.

PART IV 

The Consolidated Financial Statements are incorporated herein by reference and included in Part II, Item 8 to this Form 

10-K.

(a)(2)    FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.

All financial statement schedules for the Company have been included in the consolidated financial statements or the related 

footnotes, or are either inapplicable or not required.

(a)(3)    EXHIBITS.

Exhibit
Number       Description

2.1

2.2

2.3

Separation and Distribution Agreement dated as of December 23, 2003, between U.S. Bancorp and Piper 
Jaffray Companies (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K 
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003, filed March 8, 2004). #

Agreement of Purchase and Sale dated March 8, 2013 among Piper Jaffray Asset Management Inc., Piper 
Jaffray Companies, Fiduciary Asset Management LLC, The Wiley Angell Family Trust, and Wiley D. Angell 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K, filed March 11, 
2013). #

Agreement and Plan of Merger dated April 16, 2013 among Piper Jaffray Companies, Piper Jaffray & Co., 
Piper Jaffray Newco Inc., Seattle-Northwest Securities Corporation and Karl Leaverton, as representative of 
the shareholders (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K, 
filed April 17, 2013). #

118

Exhibit
Number       Description

3.1

3.2

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

10.1

10.2

10.3

10.4

10.5

10.6

10.7

10.8

10.9

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s 
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2007, filed August 3, 2007).

Amended and Restated Bylaws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report 
on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2007, filed August 3, 2007).

Form  of  Specimen  Certificate  for  Piper  Jaffray Companies  Common  Stock  (incorporated  by  reference  to 
Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's Form 10, filed June 25, 2003).

Second Amended and  Restated  Indenture  dated  as  of  June  11, 2012  (Secured  Commercial  Paper  Notes), 
between Piper Jaffray & Co. and the Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to 
the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2012, filed August 2, 
2012).

Indenture dated as of April 2, 2012 (Secured Commercial Paper Notes -- Series II), between Piper Jaffray & 
Co. and the Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's Current 
Report on Form 8-K, filed April 5, 2012).

Indenture dated April 1, 2013 (Secured Commercial Paper Notes -- Series III), between Piper Jaffray & Co. 
and the Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's Current Report 
on Form 8-K, filed April 1, 2013).

Office Lease Agreement, dated May 30, 2012, by and among Piper Jaffray & Co. and Wells REIT – 800 
Nicollett Avenue Owner, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's Current Report 
on Form 8-K, filed June 1, 2012).

U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Inc. Second Century 2000 Deferred Compensation Plan (incorporated by reference 
to Exhibit 10.10 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003, 
filed March 8, 2004). †

U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Inc. Second Century Growth Deferred Compensation Plan, as amended and restated 
effective September 30, 1998 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11  to the Company’s Annual Report 
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003, filed March 8, 2004). †

Piper Jaffray Companies Amended and Restated 2003 Annual and Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated 
by  reference  to  Exhibit A to  the  Company’s Definitive  Proxy  Statement  for  its  2013 Annual Meeting  of 
Shareholders, filed March 22, 2013). †

Form  of  Performance  Share  Unit  Agreement  for  2013  Leadership  Team  Grants  under  the  Piper  Jaffray 
Companies Amended and Restated 2003 Annual and Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to 
Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2013, filed July 
31, 2013). †

Piper  Jaffray  Companies  Deferred  Compensation  Plan  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.2  to  the 
Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2013, filed July 31, 2013). †

Form of Restricted Stock Agreement for Employee Grants in 2011, 2012, and 2013 (related to 2010, 2011, 
and 2012 performance, respectively) under the Piper Jaffray Companies Amended and Restated 2003 Annual 
and Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Company’s Annual Report 
on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, filed February 28, 2011). †

Form of Restricted Stock Agreement for Employee Grants in 2014 (related to 2013 performance) under the 
Piper Jaffray Companies Amended and Restated 2003 Annual and Long-Term Incentive Plan. † *

Form  of  Stock  Option  Agreement  for  Employee  Grants  in  2004  and  2005  (related  to  2003  and  2004 
performance, respectively) under the Piper Jaffray Companies Amended and Restated 2003 Annual and Long-
Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 
10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2004, filed August 4, 2004). †

119

Exhibit
Number       Description

10.10

10.11

10.12

10.13

10.14

10.15

10.16

10.17

10.18

10.19

10.20

10.21

10.22

10.23

10.24

Form of Stock Option Agreement for Employee Grants in 2006 (related to 2005 performance) under the Piper 
Jaffray  Companies Amended and  Restated  2003 Annual and  Long-Term Incentive  Plan  (incorporated  by 
reference to Exhibit 10.11 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 
2005, filed March 1, 2006). †

Form  of  Stock  Option  Agreement  for  Employee  Grants  in  2007  and  2008  (related  to  2006  and  2007 
performance, respectively) under the Piper Jaffray Companies Amended and Restated 2003 Annual and Long-
Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-
K for the year ended December 31, 2006, filed March 1, 2007). †

Form  of  Stock  Option Agreement for  Non-Employee  Director  Grants  under  the  Piper  Jaffray Companies 
Amended and Restated 2003 Annual and Long-Term Incentive Plan  (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 
10.4 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2004, filed August 4, 
2004). †

Form  of  Performance  Share  Unit  Agreement  for  2012  Leadership  Team  Grants  under  the  Piper  Jaffray 
Companies Amended and Restated 2003 Annual and Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to 
Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2012, 
filed August 2, 2012). †

Piper Jaffray Companies Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors (incorporated by reference 
to Exhibit 10.14 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, filed 
February 28, 2011). †

Summary of Non-Employee Director Compensation Program. † *

Form of Notice Period Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to the Company’s Annual Report 
on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, filed March 1, 2007). †

Amended and Restated Loan Agreement dated December 28, 2012, between Piper Jaffray & Co. and U.S. 
Bank National Association (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to the Company's Annual Report on 
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, filed February 27, 2013). 

First Amendment to Amended and Restated Loan Agreement, dated December 28, 2013, between Piper Jaffray 
& Co. and U.S. Bank National Association.*

Note Purchase Agreement dated November 30, 2012 among Piper Jaffray Companies, Piper Jaffray & Co. 
and the Purchasers party thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's Current Report 
on Form 8-K, filed November 30, 2012).

Restricted Stock Agreement with Brien O’Brien (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s 
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2010, filed on May 7, 2010). †

Amendment to Restricted Stock Agreement with Brien O’Brien (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.27 
to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, filed February 27, 
2012). †

Employment Agreement between the Company and Brien M. O’Brien (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 
10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed January 11, 2012). †

First  Amendment  to  Employment  Agreement,  dated  February  27,  2012,  by  and  between  Piper  Jaffray 
Companies and Brien M. O'Brien (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's Current Report 
on 8-K, filed February 27, 2012). †

Second Amendment  to  Employment Agreement,  dated  January  30,  2013,  by  and  between  Piper  Jaffray 
Companies and Brien M. O'Brien (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's Current Report 
on 8-K, filed February 8, 2013). †

120

Exhibit
Number       Description

10.25

10.26

10.27

10.28

10.29

21.1

23.1

24.1

31.1

31.2

32.1

101

Compensation Arrangement with M. Brad Winges (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.24 to the Company's 
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, filed February 27, 2013). †

Advisory Research, Inc. Long-Term Incentive Plan. † *

Piper Jaffray Companies Mutual Fund Restricted Share Investment Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 
10.29 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, filed February 
27, 2012). †

Form  of  Mutual  Fund  Restricted  Share  Agreement  for  Employee  Grants  in  2012  and  2013  (related  to 
performance in 2011 and 2012, respectively) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.30 to the Company’s 
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, filed February 27, 2012). †

Form of Mutual Fund Restricted Share Agreement for Employee Grants in 2014 (related to performance in 
2013). † *

Subsidiaries of Piper Jaffray Companies *

Consent of Ernst & Young LLP *

Power of Attorney *

Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. *

Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Chief Financial Officer. *

Section 1350 Certifications. **

Interactive  data  files  pursuant  to  Rule  405  Registration  S-T:  (i)  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Financial 
Condition as of December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, (ii) the Consolidated Statements of Operations 
for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, (iii) the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive 
Income for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, (iv) the Consolidated Statements of Changes 
in Shareholders' Equity for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, (v) the Consolidated Statements 
of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 and (vi) the notes to the Consolidated 
Financial Statements.

#  The Company hereby agrees to furnish supplementally to the Commission upon request any omitted exhibit or schedule.
†  This exhibit is a management contract or compensatory plan or agreement.
*  Filed herewith
**  This information is furnished and not filed for purposes of Section 11 and 12 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 18 

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

121

 
 
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following 

persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities indicated on February 28, 2014. 

SIGNATURES

PIPER JAFFRAY COMPANIES

/s/ Andrew S. Duff

By  
Its

  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following 

persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities indicated on February 28, 2014. 

SIGNATURE

/s/ Andrew S. Duff
Andrew S. Duff

/s/ Debbra L. Schoneman

Debbra L. Schoneman

/s/ Michael R. Francis

Michael R. Francis

/s/ B. Kristine Johnson

B. Kristine Johnson

/s/ Addison L. Piper

Addison L. Piper

/s/ Lisa K. Polsky

Lisa K. Polsky

/s/ Philip E. Soran

Philip E. Soran

/s/ Scott C. Taylor

Scott C. Taylor

/s/ Michele Volpi

Michele Volpi

/s/ Hope Woodhouse

Hope Woodhouse

TITLE

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

122

Investor Inquiries
Shareholders, securities analysts and investors 
seeking more information about the company should 
contact Tom Smith, director of investor relations, 
at thomas.g.smith@pjc.com, 612 303-6336, or the 
corporate headquarters address.

Web Site Access to SEC Reports  
and Corporate Governance Information
Piper Jaffray Companies makes available free of charge 
on its Web site, www.piperjaffray.com, its annual 
reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, 
current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those 
reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 
15(d) of the Exchange Act, as well as all other reports 
filed by Piper Jaffray Companies with the SEC, as soon 
as reasonably practicable after it electronically files 
them with, or furnishes them to, the SEC. Piper Jaffray 
Companies also makes available free of charge on its 
Web site the company’s codes of ethics and business 
conduct, its corporate governance principles and the 
charters of the audit, compensation, and nominating 
and governance committees of the board of directors. 
Printed copies of these materials will be mailed upon 
request. 

Dividends
Piper Jaffray Companies does not currently pay cash 
dividends on its common stock.

Corporate Headquarters
Piper Jaffray Companies
Mail Stop J09SSH
800 Nicollet Mall, Suite 1000
Minneapolis, MN 55402
612 303-6000

Company Web Site
www.piperjaffray.com

Stock Transfer Agent and Registrar
Computershare acts as transfer agent and registrar for 
Piper Jaffray Companies and maintains all shareholder 
records for the company. For questions regarding 
owned Piper Jaffray Companies stock, stock transfers, 
address corrections or changes, lost stock certificates or 
duplicate mailings, please contact Computershare by 
writing or calling: 

Computershare
P.O. Box 30170
College Station, TX 77842-3170
800 872-4409

Street Address for Overnight Deliveries
211 Quality Circle, Suite 210
College Station, TX 77845 

Web Site Access to Registrar
Shareholders may access their investor statements 
online 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 
www.computershare.com/investor.

Independent Accountants
Ernst & Young LLP

Common Stock Listing
New York Stock Exchange (symbol: PJC)

Forward Looking Statements
This annual report and the preceding letter to shareholders contain forward looking statements. Statements 
that are not historical or current facts, including statements about beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking 
statements and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. A number of these risks 
and uncertainties are described in our SEC reports, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended 
December 31, 2013.