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Piper Jaffray Companies

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FY2016 Annual Report · Piper Jaffray Companies
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2016 Annual Report 
Piper Jaffray  
Companies

Chairman’s Letter

Fellow Shareholders,

We delivered remarkable results in 2016, as we continued to execute against our core 
strategy and benefited from our recent growth investments. Adjusted* operating results 
included record revenues and record earnings, with an adjusted return-on-equity (ROE) 
of 9.2%. Our increased scale and profitability led us to initiate a quarterly dividend in 
2017 to return additional value to our shareholders. 

I would like to express my gratitude to all my fellow partners for the results we 
produced together this year. Our belief in our culture and our brand – Realize the Power 
of Partnership® – was key to these remarkable results. Our industry-leading healthcare 
and energy investment banking groups, our talented public finance and fixed income 
teams, and our dedicated corporate support staff, are but a few of the groups that 
embodied the spirit of partnership to make this happen.

We also named a new president and chief operating officer, Stuart Harvey, who will oversee our operating 
businesses, including investment banking and asset management. His diverse experience, combined with 
his deep knowledge and passion for Piper Jaffray, will serve us well in the years to come as we continue to 
transform and drive performance across our business. 

Focus on Shareholder Value

In 2015, we invested for growth, and in 2016, we executed for growth. We remained keenly focused throughout 
the year on driving returns from our growth initiatives, headlined by entry into the energy sector through the 
acquisition of Simmons & Company International, growth in our fixed income group through the acquisition of 
GKST, and entry into the financial institutions sector within investment banking, sales and trading, and research. 
Here are the results:

Grew earnings and improved ROE. We grew adjusted earnings by 11% and made solid progress on our path to 
achieving a ROE that exceeds our cost of capital.

Remixed the business. An explicit element of our strategy is to remix the business toward activities that attract 
higher multiples in the market. For us, this translates to advisory, public finance and asset management. Over 
the past five years, we have doubled the revenue contribution from these areas to nearly two-thirds of our total 
revenue today, and most of our revenue growth has been in these activities.

Gained market share. Since we cannot control the markets, a key metric we look to in delivering value for our 
shareholders is gaining market share in our primary markets. In 2016, we did just that, with significant market 
share gains in both our advisory and public finance businesses.

 
Chairman’s Letter

2016 Highlights

In a year that began with very challenging market conditions for many of our businesses, we nevertheless 
accomplished much of what our outlook presaged from last year’s letter.

•  Advisory revenues were a key highlight for the year. The addition of Simmons within the energy sector and our 
hiring in the financial institutions sector drove our advisory business to new heights with an additional boost 
from our debt capital markets partners. We averaged $75 million for many years, grew revenues to $200 
million in 2014 and 2015 and achieved revenues over $300 million in 2016 – record results for the year and in 
our history.

•  We improved our market share in public finance and achieved record fourth quarter revenues, despite adverse 
market conditions. Revenue of $115 million in 2016 exceeded our 2015 record, and represented an increase 
of 80% over the past two years. We invested in organic growth, expanded our presence in key sectors like 
senior living, and demonstrated differentiated product expertise to drive significant market share gains and 
returns.

• 

In our fixed income business, we improved our productivity, increased our operating leverage and produced 
a higher return-on-capital with the addition of GKST. We also navigated a period of market dislocation in 
municipal bonds following the election, demonstrating a deep expertise with this asset class. This translates 
into both effective management of risk and knowing when to deploy capital opportunistically in this market.

•  We were gratified to see some revenue growth in our equity brokerage business. This business in 2016 was 
up about 12% versus 2015. Bouts of heavy trading post-Brexit and post-election spurred increased activity. 
More significantly, our expansion into the energy sector with the addition of the Simmons research team is 
having a very positive impact on our entire equities platform. We firmly believed that Simmons had a first-
class research team, and the response from our clients has exceeded our expectations.

•  We are well-positioned to attract opportunities that may arise 
in difficult markets, and there were opportunities within asset 
management in 2016. This business is facing challenging market 
conditions, with macro industry trends leading to asset flows away 
from active investing into passive funds. This trend, combined with 
investment performance below our benchmarks for certain products, 
caused a decline in profitability for the year. Our strategy is to diversify 
our product offerings and focus on niche investment strategies. To 
that end, we added Cupps Capital Management’s growth investment 
strategies during 2016, a great addition to the team. We also saw a 
recovery in MLPs, our largest product area, to finish the year with MLP 
asset levels that were up 30% from the 2016 trough.

Chairman’s Letter

I would also like to make special mention of our corporate support group, which contributed significantly to our 
success during the year. Through this team’s efforts, we closed on the Simmons acquisition in the first quarter 
of 2016, which marked the third consecutive quarter where corporate support executed a closing on schedule 
and captured the cost synergies we expected from each acquisition. This skilled and dedicated group of 
professionals provides us with a competitive advantage in the market when it comes to acquiring and merging 
companies.

2017 Outlook

We enter 2017 with optimism about both the markets and our businesses. Steady or increasing growth, ample 
availability of funding and high levels of CEO confidence should serve to create a fertile environment for our 
businesses. Further, we believe economic growth and healthy valuations will produce continued strength in our 
advisory business and an improvement in capital-raising compared to what we experienced in 2016. With this, 
however, comes the assumption that market volatility is manageable and valuations hold up well during the year.

We also expect a slow but steady climb in interest rates to result in a more normalized yield curve. In our public 
finance and fixed income businesses, this interest rate environment should support an improved fixed income 
trading business as long as we avoid periods of heightened volatility or sharp increases in rates. Increasing rates, 
however, may slow public finance refunding activity and could lead to overall lower issuance compared to record 
levels in 2016. We believe that our public finance business, which features considerable sector and product 
diversification, is less susceptible to a potential decline in overall issuance and should continue to outperform 
the broader market.

Our asset management business has confronted challenging market conditions over the past couple of years, 
particularly by the shift from active managers to passive funds. With increasing market valuations and low 
volatility, passive investing is likely to continue attracting investment dollars at the expense of active managers. 
Our focus on niche investment strategies in relatively inefficient sectors of the market should enable us to 
maintain a competitive position in the market.

Overall, we continue to believe that the firm is well-positioned to take advantage of opportunities in our markets, 
both from an execution standpoint as well as a strategic growth standpoint. On behalf of my fellow partners 
across Piper Jaffray, we would like to thank you for trust in us. We remain committed to producing value for you 
every day, and we look forward to a strong 2017 and beyond.

Sincerely,

Andrew S. Duff
Chairman & CEO
Piper Jaffray Companies

* This letter refers to non-GAAP or adjusted financial measures that exclude the effects of a non-cash goodwill impairment charge recognized in 2016, as well as certain 
other items. For a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP, please refer to page 30 of this report.

Board of Directors

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

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

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

Michael E. Frazier 
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 
Simmons & Company International

B. Kristine Johnson 
President 
Affinity Capital Management

Sherry Smith 
Former Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer 
SUPERVALU INC.

Philip E. Soran 
Former President 
Dell Compellent Inc.

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

Michele Volpi 
Chief Executive Officer  
PRÆSIDIAD

Leadership Team

Andrew S. Duff 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Stuart C. Harvey, Jr. 
President and Chief Operating Officer

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

Christopher D. Crawshaw 
Head of Asset Management

Christine N. Esckilsen 
Chief Human Capital Officer

Frank E. Fairman 
Head of Public Finance

John W. Geelan 
General Counsel and Secretary

Jeff P. Klinefelter 
Global Head of Equities

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

Debbra L. Schoneman 
Chief Financial Officer

Thomas G. Smith 
Chief Strategy Officer

M. Brad Winges 
Head of Fixed Income Services 

Our Guiding Principles

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, 2016
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)

30-0168701
(IRS Employer Identification No.)

800 Nicollet Mall, Suite 1000
Minneapolis, Minnesota
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

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 14,421,778 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, 2016 was approximately $544 
million.

As of February 21, 2017, the registrant had 15,164,929 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 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 11, 2017.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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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........................................................................................

ITEM 5.

ITEM 6.

ITEM 7.

ITEM 7A.

ITEM 8.

ITEM 9.

ITEM 9A.

ITEM 9B.

ITEM 10.

ITEM 11.

ITEM 12.

ITEM 13.

ITEM 14.

ITEM 15.

ITEM 16.

PART II

MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S 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 SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.......................................
CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON
ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE........................................................
CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES ....................................................................................
OTHER INFORMATION....................................................................................................

PART III

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......................................................

PART IV

EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES............................................
FORM 10-K SUMMARY....................................................................................................
SIGNATURES .....................................................................................................................

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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

PART I

This Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 (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 conditions 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 and 
in our subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("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 "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K, 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" in Part II, Item 7 of this Form 10-K and in our subsequent reports filed with the 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  ("Piper  Jaffray")  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, Aberdeen, Hong Kong and Zurich. We market our investment banking 
and institutional securities business under Piper Jaffray and Simmons & Company International – Energy Specialists of Piper 
Jaffray. 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 alternative asset management funds and our 
principal investments. 

• 

Investment Banking – For our corporate clients, we help raise capital through equity and debt financings. We also provide 
advisory services, primarily relating to mergers and acquisitions, equity private placements and debt advisory. We operate 
in  the  following  focus  sectors:  healthcare;  energy;  consumer;  diversified  industrials  and  services;  business  services; 
technology; financial institutions; and agriculture, clean technologies and renewables, primarily focusing on middle-market 
clients. For our government and non-profit clients, we underwrite debt issuances, provide municipal financial advisory and 
loan placement services, and offer various over-the-counter derivative products. Our public finance investment banking 
capabilities focus on state and local governments, cultural and social service non-profit entities, and the education, healthcare, 
hospitality, senior living and transportation sectors.

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•  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 North America and Europe that invest in our core sectors. 
Our research analysts provide investment ideas and support to our trading clients on approximately 700 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 focus principally on proprietary investments in municipal bonds and U.S. government agency 
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 funds and other firm investments.

•  Alternative Asset Management Funds – We have created alternative asset management funds in merchant banking, energy, 

and senior living in order to invest firm capital as well as to manage capital from outside investors. 

Asset Management

The Asset Management segment includes our traditional asset management business and our 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 domestic and international equity 
strategies,  as  well  as  MLP  and  energy  infrastructure  strategies,  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.  

•  Equity – For the majority of our equity product offerings, 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. We added an aggressive growth equity product 
at the end of 2016. The investment philosophy for this equity product is centered around identifying and valuing U.S. growth 
franchises, recognizing investment themes, objective allocations to the investment themes, and a combination of fundamental 
and technical analysis. 

•  Master Limited Partnerships ("MLPs") and Energy Infrastructure – We also manage MLPs, energy infrastructure, and 
related operating entity assets 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. In addition to our MLP-focused funds, we manage other private funds focused on energy sector securities.  

As of December 31, 2016, total assets under management ("AUM") were $8.7 billion, of which approximately 47 percent
was invested in equities and 53 percent in MLPs and energy infrastructure securities. As of the same date, approximately 15 
percent of our AUM was invested in international and global investment strategies and 85 percent was invested in domestic 
investment strategies. Approximately 78 percent of our AUM as of December 31, 2016 was managed on behalf of institutional 
clients, including foundations, endowments, pension funds and corporations, and through mutual fund sponsors and registered 
advisors. Approximately 13 percent of our AUM was managed on behalf of individual client relationships, which are principally 
high net worth individuals, and approximately 9 percent of our AUM was managed through sub-advisory relationships on closed-
end funds.

Financial Information about Geographic Areas

As of December 31, 2016, the substantial majority of our net revenues and long-lived assets were located in the U.S.

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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 
venues. 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 21, 2017, we had approximately 1,315 employees, of whom approximately 775 were registered with the 

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. ("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. 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. The intensity of the regulatory environment may correlate with the level and nature of 
our legal proceedings for a given period, and increased intensity could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, 
and results of operations.

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 broker dealer 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, 

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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  two  entities  that  are  authorized,  licensed  and  regulated  by  the  U.K.  Financial  Conduct Authority  and 
registered under the laws of England and Wales, as well as an entity that is authorized, licensed and regulated by the Hong Kong 
Securities and Futures Commission and registered under the laws of Hong Kong. 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. We  also  have  a  subsidiary  organized  in  Guernsey  and 
regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission.

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 the time the client relationship is initiated, monitoring client transactions and reporting suspicious activity. 
Our entities in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Guernsey 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 subsidiaries that are registered as investment advisors with the SEC and subject to regulation and oversight 
by the SEC. Advisory Research, Inc. ("ARI"), Piper Jaffray Investment Management LLC ("PJIM"), and PJC Capital Partners 
LLC are asset management subsidiaries and registered investment advisors. 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. Piper 
Jaffray & Co. is also a registered investment advisor and subject to these requirements. Also, 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 is the investment advisor for Advisory Research Global Funds 
PLC, an open-ended investment company with variable capital authorized and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland pursuant 
to the European Communities Regulations (Undertakings for Collective Investments in Transferable Securities or "UCITS"). 
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. Parallel General Partners Limited is the general partner of several private equity 
limited partnerships; it and the limited partnerships are registered and regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission 
("GFSC").

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. 

6

Executive Officers

Information regarding our executive officers and their ages as of February 21, 2017, are as follows:

Name
Andrew S. Duff............................................
Stuart C. Harvey, Jr......................................
Chad R. Abraham ........................................
Christopher D. Crawshaw ...........................
Christine N. Esckilsen .................................
Frank E. Fairman .........................................
John W. Geelan............................................
Jeff P. Klinefelter.........................................
R. Scott LaRue.............................................
Debbra L. Schoneman .................................
Thomas G. Smith.........................................
M. Brad Winges...........................................

Age
59
55
48
50
48
59
41
49
56
48
60
48

Position(s)
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
President and Chief Operating Officer
Co-Head of Global Investment Banking and Capital Markets
Head of Asset Management
Chief Human Capital Officer
Head of Public Finance
General Counsel and Secretary
Global Head of Equities
Co-Head of Global Investment Banking and Capital Markets
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Strategy Officer
Head of Fixed Income Services and Piper Jaffray Firm
Investments and Trading

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.

Stuart C. Harvey, Jr. is our president and chief operating officer, a position he has held since October 2016. Mr. Harvey 
rejoined Piper Jaffray in 2015 as a partner in our merchant banking group, having previously served as a managing director at 
Piper Jaffray in our investment banking group from 1993 to 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.

Christine N. Esckilsen is our chief human capital officer, a position she has held since January 2016. Ms. Esckilsen has 
been our global head of human capital and a managing director since 2011. She joined Piper Jaffray in 2002 as an assistant 
general counsel responsible for employment matters and litigation.

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.

7

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.

Thomas G. Smith is our chief strategy officer, a position he has held since January 2016 ,which encompasses his roles as 
our head of strategy, corporate development, and investor relations. He joined Piper Jaffray in 1998 as a managing director in 
our technology investment banking group. He became head of corporate development in 2006 and head of investor relations in 
2012.

M. Brad Winges is head of fixed income services, a position he has held since January 2009, and head of Piper Jaffray firm 
investments and trading, a position he has held since February 2014. 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.

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, as amended, 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 or 
elsewhere,  including,  but  not  limited  to,  PIPER  JAFFRAY®,  REALIZE THE  POWER  OF  PARTNERSHIP®, ADVISORY 
RESEARCH®, SIMMONS & COMPANY INTERNATIONAL® ENERGY SPECIALISTS OF PIPER JAFFRAY®, TAKING 
STOCK WITH TEENS®, HEALTHY ACTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING®, and GUIDES FOR THE JOURNEY® are the 
property of Piper Jaffray.

ITEM 1A.     RISK FACTORS.

In the normal course of our business activities, we are exposed to a variety of risks. The principal risks we face in operating 
our business include: strategic risks, market risks, liquidity risks, credit risks, human capital risks, operational risks, and legal 
and regulatory risks. A full description of each of these principal areas of risk, as well as the primary risk management processes 
that  we  use  to  mitigate  our  risk  exposure  in  each,  is  discussed  below  under  the  caption  "Risk  Management"  included  in 
"Management's  Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in  Part II, Item 7 of  this  Form 
10-K.

The following discussion sets forth the risk factors that we have identified in each area of principal risk as being the most 
significant to our business, future financial condition, and results of operations. Although we discuss these risk factors primarily 
in the context of their potential effects on our business, financial condition or results of operations, you should understand that 
these effects can have further negative implications such as: reducing the price of our common stock; reducing our capital, which 
can have regulatory and other consequences; affecting the confidence that our clients and other counterparties have in us, with 
a resulting negative effect on our ability to conduct and grow our business; and reducing the attractiveness of our securities to 
potential purchasers, which may adversely affect our ability to raise capital and secure other funding or the prices at which we 
are able to do so. Further, additional risks beyond those discussed below and elsewhere in this Form 10-K or in other of our 
reports filed with, or furnished to, the SEC could adversely affect us. We cannot assure you that the risk factors herein or elsewhere 
in our other reports address all potential risks that we may face.

8

These risk factors also serve to describe factors which may cause our results to differ materially from those described in 
forward-looking statements included in this Form 10-K or in other documents or statements that make reference to this Form 
10-K. Forward-looking statements and other factors that may affect future results are discussed below under "Management’s 
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Part II, Item 7 of this Form 10-K. 

Strategic Risks

Our business success depends in large part upon the strategic decisions made by our executive management, the alignment 
of business plans developed to act upon those decisions, and the quality of implementation of these business plans. Strategic 
risk represents the risk associated with our executive management failing to develop and execute on the appropriate strategic 
vision which demonstrates a commitment to our culture, leverages our core competencies, appropriately responds to external 
factors in the marketplace, and is in the best interests of our company. In setting out and executing upon a strategic vision for 
our business, we are faced with a number of inherent risks, including risks relating to external events and market and economic 
conditions, competition, and business performance that could all negatively affect our ability to execute on our strategic decisions 
and, therefore, our future financial condition or results of operations. The following are those risk factors that we have identified 
as being most significant to our ability to develop and execute upon a strategic vision.

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:

•  Our equities investment banking revenue, in the form of underwriting, placement and financial advisory fees, is directly 
related to macroeconomic conditions and corresponding financial market activity. When the outlook for macroeconomic 
conditions is uncertain or negative, financial market activity generally tends to decrease, which can reduce our equities 
investment banking revenues. As an example, a portion 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 and market conditions. Equity markets experienced significant declines in the beginning of 2016 amid signs 
of a slowdown in global economic growth, including in China and other developing markets. As a result, the number of 
initial public offerings declined significantly in the first half of 2016, and while there was some recovery in the second half 
as the macroeconomic outlook stabilized, 2016 saw the fewest initial public offerings since 2009, which negatively impacted 
our financial results during the year. A new decline in equity market valuations, whether due to reduced expectations of 
U.S. economic growth or a worsening or unstable global macroeconomic outlook, could cause financial market activity to 
decrease  and  negatively  affect  our  equities  investment  banking  revenues.  In  addition,  U.S.  financial  markets  remain 
vulnerable to the potential risks posed by exogenous shocks, which could include, among other things, political and financial 
uncertainty in the United States and European Union, including further challenges to membership in the European Union 
and  further  sovereign  debt  crises,  renewed  concern  about  China's  economy,  complications  involving  global  trade,  and 
terrorism and armed conflicts around the world, including in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. These factors would 
affect not only our capital raising activities, but also our advisory fees from merger and acquisition engagements.  Our 
advisory business was a significant contributor to our business performance in 2016, and a slowdown in this business for 
any reason, including an exogenous shock, would have a significant negative impact on our results of operations.  More 
generally, because our business is closely correlated to the macroeconomic outlook, worsening conditions or an exogenous 
shock would likely have an immediate and significant negative impact on our equities investment banking business and 
overall company results of operations.

• 

Interest rates have a significant impact on our business, particularly our fixed income institutional business. This includes 
periods of volatility that manifest itself in changes in the level and volatility of interest rates, changes in the slope of the 
yield curve and credit spreads, and the rate of prepayments on our interest-earning assets (e.g., inventory) and our funding 
sources (e.g., short-term financing) which finance these assets. There were marked periods of volatility in U.S. Treasury 
yields  during  2016  attributed  to  the  vote  in  the  United  Kingdom  to  leave  the  European  Union  and  following  the  U.S. 
presidential  election.  The  rise  in  interests  rates  following  the  U.S.  presidential  election  appear  to  reflect  the  market’s 
expectation  of  higher  growth  and  inflation. Yields  will  be  impacted  in  2017  as  more  information  becomes  available 
concerning the new U.S. presidential administration’s infrastructure spending, trade, and regulatory and tax reform priorities 
and the U.S. Congress’s support of those priorities. Yields will also be impacted by the Federal Reserve’s intent to increase 

9

the federal funds rate further during the year based on economic and labor market conditions. As to the impact to our 
business, a large percentage of our securities inventory - both that are held for facilitating client activity as well as our own 
proprietary trading - consist of fixed income securities, and rapid increases in interest rates decrease the value of these 
inventories, sometimes significantly. Further, our interest rate hedging strategies may not mitigate this volatility 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. In addition, interest rate increases in 2017, 
both gradual and more severe, may negatively impact the volume of debt refinancing issuances underwritten by our public 
finance  investment  banking  business,  as  well  as  our  assets  under  management  focused  on  master  limited  partnerships 
("MLPs"), which may underperform compared to other asset classes in a rising interest rate environment. 

•  Although  many  U.S.  equity  market  indices  reached  record  levels  in  2016,  a  U.S.  economic  recession,  a  reduction  in 
expectations for economic growth, declining prospects for future corporate earnings, or a significant worsening of global 
economic  conditions  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.

It is difficult to predict the market conditions for 2017, which are dependent in large part upon the pace of global and U.S. 
economic growth and geopolitical events globally. 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, business mix, 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, our business mix, 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.

Developments in specific business sectors and markets in which we conduct our business, 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 U.S. or global 
economy, or for certain products within the financial services industry, due to our business mix and focus areas. For example:

•  Our equities investment banking business focuses on specific sectors, specifically healthcare, energy, consumer, diversified 
industrials  and  services,  business  services,  technology,  financial  institutions,  and  agriculture,  clean  technologies  and 
renewables.  Volatility,  uncertainty,  or  slowdowns  in  these  sectors  may  adversely  affect  our  business,  sometimes 
disproportionately, and may cause volatility in the net revenues we receive from our capital markets and corporate advisory 
activities.  In  recent  years,  the  healthcare  sector  has  been  a  significant  contributor  to  our  overall  results,  and  negative 
developments in this sector would materially and disproportionately impact us, even if general economic conditions were 
strong. Further, the energy sector has become one of our more significant sectors of coverage for our equity investment 
banking business since our acquisition of Simmons & Company International in February 2016. Energy markets suffered 
through much of 2015 and 2016 from a prolonged depression in oil and natural gas prices, which have only recently begun 
to recover. Disproportionately negative market conditions in the energy sector will slow and hinder our ability to realize 
the benefits from the acquisition. Lastly, we may not participate, or may participate to a lesser degree than other firms, in 
sectors that experience significant activity, such as real estate, and our operating results may not correlate with the results 
of other firms which participate in these sectors.

•  Our public finance investment banking business depends heavily upon conditions in the municipal market. It focuses on 
investment  banking  activity  in  sectors  that  include  state  and  local  government,  education,  senior  living,  healthcare, 
transportation, 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. Further, our fixed income institutional business and our public finance 
business are tied to the municipal market and 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 would impact 
these businesses. Any reduction or elimination of tax-exempt bond interest, or a reduction in individual income tax rates, 
could negatively impact the value of the municipal securities we hold in our inventory as well as our public finance investment 
banking business more generally, which would negatively impact the results of operations for these businesses. 

10

• 

In recent years, there has been a shift in investor preference from actively managed investment strategies to passively 
managed investment strategies. This shift, if it is sustained, could further negatively impact our business and results of 
operations. For example, our asset management revenues are derived from actively managed equity strategies, and this type 
of investment product has experienced asset outflows in recent years, including in 2016, as the shift to passively managed 
strategies gained momentum and our performance lagged. Asset outflows negatively affect results of operations for this 
business, as revenues are largely made up of management fees which are based on a percentage of assets under management. 
In 2016, as a result of a decline in market valuations in certain sectors and net outflows of assets under management, we 
recorded an $82.9 million non-cash impairment charge to reduce the carrying value of the goodwill associated with our 
Asset Management segment. Further outflows of assets under management caused by investor preference for passively 
managed equity strategies, especially if coupled with investment performance below comparable benchmarks or any outflows 
from equity strategies generally or decline in equity valuations, would negatively impact our results of operations for this 
business,  and  could  lead  to  future  non-cash  impairment  charges  on  the  remaining  goodwill  associated  with  our Asset 
Management segment.

•  Management and performance fees we earn on assets invested by institutions and individuals focused on MLPs and other 
investments related to the energy infrastructure sector are a meaningful contributor to our asset management revenues. 
Return  on  investment  in  the  energy  infrastructure  sector  is  dependent  to  a  meaningful  degree  on  the  prices  of  energy 
commodities such as natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, refined petroleum products or coal. Persistently depressed 
prices for any of these products, such as those experienced in 2015 and the first quarter of 2016, will likely lead to a further 
deterioration of market conditions for companies in the energy infrastructure sector and poorer returns in this sector, and, 
consequently, a reduction in the management and performance fees we receive.

•  Our fixed income institutional business derives its revenue from sales and trading activity in the municipal market and from 
products within the taxable market, 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 
a significant portion of our business focuses on the municipal market and we do not participate in significant segments of 
the fixed income markets such as credit default swaps, corporate high-yield bonds, currencies and commodities. 

Financing  and  advisory  services  engagements  are  transactional  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. As a 
consequence, the timing of when fees are earned, and, therefore, our financial results from capital markets and corporate advisory 
activities may experience volatility quarter to quarter based on equity market conditions as well as the macroeconomic business 
cycle more broadly. In particular, our revenues related to acquisition and disposition transactions tend to be more 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 levels of 
revenue in one quarter will not necessarily be predictive of continued high levels of revenue 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.

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.

11

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

The success of our asset management business is largely dependent on the level of assets under management, 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. 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. For example, certain of our investment strategies 
have had investment performance beneath comparable benchmarks for an extended period of time, which we believe contributed 
to net asset outflows in 2016. 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, existing clients may withdraw funds business in favor of better 
performing products or a different investment style or focus, our ability to attract new funds will likely be impaired, and our 
key employees in the business may depart, whether to join a competitor or otherwise. In addition, poor investment performance 
may negatively affect the value of our capital investments in our investment funds or the seed capital we have committed to 
certain investment strategies.

In addition, a significant portion of our asset management revenues are derived from actively managed equity strategies, 
and this type of investment product has experienced asset outflows in recent years in favor of passively managed equity strategies, 
which offer lower management fees than actively managed strategies. To the extent that this trend continues and passively 
managed strategies continue to gain market share at the expense of actively managed strategies, it is possible that we may 
continue to experience asset outflows, find it increasingly difficult to attract new assets under management, and be unable to 
maintain our current fee structures given price competition, which would negatively impact our results of operations. The decline 
in our asset management revenues in 2016 led us to a record an $82.9 million non-cash goodwill impairment charge relating to 
our Asset Management segment. Future declines could lead to additional non-cash impairment charges on the remaining goodwill 
associated with our Asset Management segment.

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 and 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. Most recently, we expanded our equities investment banking business into the energy and financial institutions 
sectors through our completed acquisitions of Simmons & Company International and River Branch Holdings LLC, respectively. 
We also added scale to our fixed income institutional sales and trading business through our acquisition of BMO Capital Markets 
GKST Inc. Of these three, the most significant was Simmons & Company International, making the energy sector one of our 
more significant sectors of coverage for our equity investment banking business. 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. Importantly, we may be unable to retain key personnel after the 
transaction, personnel who are critical to the success of the ongoing business. 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 may require increased costs in the form of 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. In addition, when we acquire a business, a substantial portion of the purchase price is often allocated to goodwill and 
other identifiable intangible assets. Our goodwill and intangible assets are tested at least annually for impairment. If, in connection 
with that test, we determine that a reporting unit’s implied fair value is less than its carrying value, we may be required to 
recognize an impairment to the goodwill associated with that reporting unit. For example, we recorded a $82.9 million non-cash 
goodwill impairment charge in the fourth quarter of 2016 relating to Advisory Research, Inc. ("ARI"), a Chicago-based asset 
management firm that we acquired in 2010. The charge in our Asset Management segment negatively impacted our net income 
and results of operations and resulted in a net loss in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for our full-
year results in 2016. 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 

12

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.

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. 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, 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).

Our inability to identify and address actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest may negatively impact our reputation 
and have a material adverse effect on our business.

We regularly address actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest in our business, including situations where our 
services to a particular client or our own investments or other interests conflict, or are perceived to conflict, with the interests 
of another client. Appropriately identifying and dealing with conflicts of interest is complex and difficult, and we face the risk 
that our current policies, controls and procedures do not timely identify or appropriately manage such conflicts of interest. It is 
possible that actual, potential or perceived conflicts could give rise to client dissatisfaction, litigation or regulatory enforcement 
actions. Our reputation could be damaged if we fail, or appear to fail, to deal appropriately with potential or actual conflicts of 
interest. Client dissatisfaction, litigation, or regulatory enforcement actions arising from a failure to adequately deal with conflicts 
of interest, and the reputational harm suffered as a consequence, could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Damage to our reputation could damage our business.

Maintaining our reputation is critical to attracting and maintaining clients, customers, investors, and employees. If we fail 
to deal with, or appear to fail to deal with, issues that may give rise to reputational risk, such failure or appearance of failure 
could have a material adverse effect on our business and stock price. These issues include, but are not limited to, appropriately 
dealing with potential conflicts of interest, legal and regulatory requirements, ethical issues, money laundering, cybersecurity, 
and the proper identification of the strategic, market, credit, liquidity, human capital, and operational risks inherent in our business 
and products.

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 

13

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.

Risk management processes may not fully mitigate exposure to the various risks that we face.

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 
identifying and mitigating our risk exposure in all economic market environments or against all types of risk. For example, we 
may 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 risk, or every economic and financial outcome, 
or the specifics and timing of such outcomes. In addition, our risk management techniques and strategies seek to balance our 
ability to profit from our market-making and investing positions with our exposure to potential losses. 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.

Market Risks

Market risk represents the risk of losses, or 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 inherent in our business activities and is directly 
related to our role as a financial intermediary for our clients, our market-making activities, and our strategic trading activities. 
Market risks are inherent both to cash and derivative financial instruments. Our inability to identify and completely mitigate 
every market risk that we encounter could negatively impact our future financial condition or results of operations. The following 
are those market risk factors that we have identified as posing the most significant risks to us. 

Our underwriting, 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 underwriting, lending, proprietary 
trading, and principal investing. In our role as underwriter for equity and fixed income securities, we commit to purchase securities 
from the issuer or one or more holders of the issuer's securities, and then sell those securities to other investors or into the public 
markets, as applicable. Our underwriting activities, including our equity block trading activities, expose us to the risk of loss if 
the price of the security falls below the price we purchased the security at before we are able to sell all of the securities that we 
purchased. For example, as an underwriter, or, with respect to equity securities, a block positioner, we may commit to purchasing 
securities from an issuer or one or more holders of the issuer's securities without having found purchasers for some or all of the 
securities. In those instances, we may find that we are unable to sell the securities at a price equal to or above the price at which 
we purchased the securities, or with respect to certain securities, at a price sufficient to cover our hedges.

We also engage in proprietary trading activities (which we also refer to as "strategic trading" in this Form 10-K) related to 
municipal bonds. Proprietary trading has been a meaningful contributor to our overall financial results. In addition to proprietary 
trading, we engage in principal investing, having established alternative asset management funds for merchant banking (focused 
on investments in the equity and debt instruments of private companies) and senior living construction projects. 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. These investments comprise a meaningful percentage of our Level III assets. Level III assets have 
little or no pricing observability, and may be less liquid than other securities that we hold in our securities inventory. Additionally, 
we make principal investments in funds managed by ARI, our asset management subsidiary, which are generally invested in 
publicly traded equities.

Our results from these activities may vary significantly from quarter to quarter. We may incur significant losses from our 
underwriting, proprietary trading, and principal investments due to equity or fixed income market fluctuations and volatility 
from quarter to quarter. For example, in 2015, our principal investments in ARI funds focused on MLPs and other investments 
related to the energy sector, and, as a result, suffered significant declines related to the ongoing downturn in that sector. In 
addition, we may engage in hedging transactions that, if not successful, could result in losses; and the hedges we purchase to 
counterbalance market rate changes in certain inventory positions are not perfectly matched to the positions being hedged, which 

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could  result  in  losses. With  respect  to  principal  investing,  there  often  is  not  an  established  liquid  trading  market  for  these 
investments or our investments may be otherwise subject to restrictions on sale or hedging, and our ability to withdraw our 
capital  from  these  investments  may  be  limited,  increasing  our  risk  of  losses. 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.

Use  of  derivative  instruments  as  part  of  our  financial  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 the Municipal Market Data ("MMD"), 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 mortgage-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 risk, especially when market volatility reduces the correlation between a hedging vehicle 
and the securities inventory being hedged.

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. We may incur losses 
from our exposure to derivative interest rate products and the increased use of these products in the future.

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, investments in private companies, 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.

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 transaction between market participants at the measurement date. 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.

Investments 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 
(e.g., multiples of revenue and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA")) and changes in market 
outlook, among other factors. These valuation techniques require significant management estimation and judgment.

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Liquidity Risks

We face liquidity risk both with respect to our ability to timely divest securities that we hold in connection with our market-
making, sales and trading, and proprietary trading activities, as well as our ability to timely access necessary funding sources 
in order to operate our business. Losses that we suffer on securities that we cannot timely divest, or inability to obtain necessary 
funding could negatively affect our future financial condition or results of operations. The following are those market risk factors 
that we have identified as posing the most significant risks to us.

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  divest  inventory  positions  may  have  an  impact  on  our  liquidity  as  funding  sources  generally  become  more 
restrictive, which would limit our ability 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.

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, with Lehman 
Brothers being the most prominent example. 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 $200 million committed 
credit facility in December 2016 for another twelve months. We also have $175 million of unsecured notes. The notes consist 
of two classes, with $125 million maturing in October 2018 and $50 million maturing in May 2017. In order to further diversify 
our short-term funding needs, we also continue to maintain three commercial paper programs in the amounts of $300 million, 
$150 million, and $125 million. 

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 also 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 unsecured notes discussed above include covenants that, among other things, limit our leverage ratio and require maintenance 
of certain levels of tangible net worth, regulatory net capital, and operating cash flow to fixed charges. In addition, 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.

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If we are unable to obtain necessary funding, or if the funding we obtain is on terms and conditions unfavorable to us, it 
could negatively affect our business activities and operations, and our ability to pursue certain growth initiatives and make 
certain capital decisions, including the decision whether to pay future dividends to our shareholders, as well as our future financial 
condition or results of operations.

Credit Risks

Our business has the potential for loss due to the default or deterioration in credit quality of a counterparty, customer, 
borrower or issuer of securities we hold in our trading inventory.  The nature and amount of credit risk depends on the type of 
transaction, the structure and duration of that transaction and the parties involved. For example, credit risk associated with our 
derivatives is the risk that a counterparty will not perform in accordance with the terms of the applicable derivative contract. In 
addition, our business has credit risk from an obligor's failure to meet the terms of any contract with the company or otherwise 
fail to perform as agreed.  This may be reflected on issues like settlement obligations or payment collections (e.g., margin and 
investment banking receivables).

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 nature of our businesses exposes us to credit risk, or the 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.

Particular activities or products within our business expose us to increased credit risk, including inventory positions, interest 
rate swap contracts with customer credit exposure, counterparty risk with one major financial institution related to customer 
interest rate swap contracts without customer credit exposure, investment banking and advisory fee receivables, customer margin 
accounts, liquidity providers on variable rate demand notes we remarket, and trading counterparty activities related to settlement 
and similar activities. With respect to interest rate swap contracts with customer credit exposure, we have retained the credit 
exposure with five public finance counterparties totaling $22.7 million at December 31, 2016 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. 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. Non-performance by our counterparties, clients and others, including with respect to our inventory 
positions, interest rate swap contracts with customer credit exposures, could result in losses, potentially material, and thus have 
a significant adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

In addition, reliance on revenues from hedge funds and hedge fund advisors, which are less regulated than many investment 
company and investment 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.

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, alternative 
asset management, 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.

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Human Capital Risks

Our  business  is  a  human  capital  business,  and,  therefore,  our  future  financial  condition  and  results  of  operations  are 
significantly  dependent  upon  our  employees  and  their  actions.  Our  success  is  dependent  upon  the  skills,  expertise,  and 
performance of our employees. Human capital risks represent the risks posed if we fail to attract and retain qualified individuals 
who are motivated to serve the best interests of our clients, thereby serving the best interests of our company, as well as the risks 
posed if our culture fails to encourage such behavior. Human capital risk is also present where we fail to detect and prevent 
employees from acting contrary to our policies and procedures. The following are those human capital risk factors that we have 
identified as posing the most significant risks to us.

Our ability to attract, develop and retain highly skilled and productive employees, and develop the next generation of our 
business leadership 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 
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 business success depends in large part on the strategic decisions made by our leadership team, and the business plans 
developed and implemented by our senior business leaders. Our ability to identify, develop, and retain future senior business 
leaders, and our ability to develop and implement successful succession plans for our CEO and leadership team, is critical to 
our future success and results of operations.

Our  inability  to  effectively  integrate  and  retain  personnel  in  connection  with  our  acquisitions  may  adversely  affect  our 
financial condition and results of operations.

We invest time and resources in carefully assessing opportunities for acquisitions, and we have made acquisitions in the 
past several years to broaden the scope and depth of our human capital in various businesses. Despite diligence and integration 
planning, acquisitions still present certain risks, including the difficulties in integrating and bringing together different work 
cultures and employees, and retaining those employees for the period of time necessary to realize the anticipated benefits of the 
acquisition. Difficulties in integrating our acquisitions, including attracting and retaining talent to realize the expected benefits 
of these acquisitions, may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Operational Risks

Operational risk is the risk of loss, or damage to our reputation, resulting from inadequate or failed processes, people and 
systems or from external events. Such loss or reputational damage could negatively impact our future financial condition and 
results of operations. The following are those operational risk factors that we have identified as posing the most significant risks 
to us.

Our  information  and  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 

18

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.  ("Broadridge"),  pursuant  to  which  Broadridge  handles  our  trade  and  back  office  processing,  and  Unisys  Corporation 
("Unisys"), 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.

In 2017, we have made the strategic decision to move to a fully disclosed model for all of our currently self clearing broker 
dealer operations. In a fully disclosed model, we will act as an introducing broker for most customer transactions and rely on a 
clearing broker dealer to handle clearance and settlement of our customers' securities transactions. We expect the conversion to 
occur in the second half of 2017. The conversion process introduces unique risks that could cause significant disruptions in our 
business or create other unexpected capital charges or losses. Once the conversion is completed, the clearing services provided 
by the clearing broker dealer will be critical to our business operations, and similar to other critical outsourced operations, any 
failure by the clearing agent with respect to the services we will rely on it to provide could significantly disrupt and negatively 
impact our operations and financial results.

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, compliance, 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.

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.

Protection of our sensitive and confidential information is critical to our operations, and failure of those systems may disrupt 
our business, damage our reputations, and cause financial losses.

Our clients routinely provide us with sensitive and confidential information. Secure processing, storage and transmission 
of confidential and other information in our internal and outsourced computer systems and networks 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, and those of our clients, vendors, service providers, counterparties and other third parties, may 
be vulnerable to unauthorized access, cyberattacks, security breaches, 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. We work with our clients, vendors, service providers, counterparties and other third parties to develop secure 
transmission capabilities and protect against these events, but we do not have, and may be unable to put in place, secure capabilities 
with all of these third parties and we may not be able to ensure that these third parties have appropriate controls in place to 
protect the confidentiality of the information. 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  those  of  third  parties,  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 reputational harm as well 
as litigation and financial losses that are either not insured against or not fully covered through any insurance maintained by us.

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Legal and Regulatory Risks

Legal and regulatory risk includes the risk of non-compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements and the 
loss  to  our  reputation  we  may  suffer  as  a  result  of  failure  to  comply  with  laws,  regulations,  rules,  related  self-regulatory 
organization standards and codes of conduct applicable to our business activities. It also includes the risk that legislation could 
reduce or eliminate certain business activities that we are currently engaged in, which could negatively impact our future financial 
condition or results of operation. The following are those legal and regulatory risk factors that we have identified as posing the 
most significant risks to us. 

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 
remains intense. 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 on, cause significant reputational harm to, or result in 
other collateral consequences for 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, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong. Each of these 
entities is registered or licensed with the applicable local 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, 
as well as Piper Jaffray & Co., are registered as investment advisors with the SEC and subject to the regulation and oversight 
by the SEC, and we have an additional asset management subsidiary subject to regulation in Guernsey.

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, record-keeping 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.

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Our business also subjects us to the complex income and payroll tax laws of the national and local 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 and other 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 that could disrupt our operations and negatively impact 
our results of operations.

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

Proposed changes in laws or regulations relating to our business could decrease, perhaps significantly, the revenue that we 
receive from certain products or services that we provide. For example, federal law currently 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.  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, or a reduction in individual income tax rates, 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.

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

To the extent that 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 noncompliance 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.

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. The regulatory restrictions described above may impede access to funds our holding company 
needs to make payments on any such obligations.

21

Other Risks to Our Shareholders

We may change our dividend policy at any time and there can be no assurance that we will continue to declare cash dividends.

Beginning in 2017, we are initiating the payment of a quarterly cash dividend to our shareholders. Although we expect to 
pay dividends to our shareholders in accordance with our dividend policy, we have no obligation to pay any dividend, and our 
dividend policy may change at any time without notice. The declaration and payment of dividends is at the discretion of our 
board of directors in accordance with applicable law after taking into account various factors, including our financial condition, 
operating results, current and anticipated cash needs, limitations imposed by our indebtedness, legal requirements and other 
factors that our board of directors deems relevant. As a result, we may not pay dividends at any rate or at all.

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,  a  predominantly  passive  or 
quantitative shareholder base among the company's top twenty shareholders, 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.

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.

ITEM 2.     PROPERTIES.

As of February 21, 2017, we conducted our operations through 59 principal offices in 28 states, and the District of Columbia, 
and in London, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Zurich. All of our offices are leased. Our principal executive office is located 
at 800 Nicollet Mall, Suite 1000, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402 and, as of February 21, 2017, comprises approximately 124,000 
square feet of space under a lease which expires November 30, 2025, with an early termination option effective January 31, 
2022.

22

ITEM 3.     LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

Due to the nature of our business, we are involved in a variety of legal proceedings. 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, 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.  Reasonably  possible  losses  in  excess  of  amounts  accrued  at  December 31,  2016  are  not  material. 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.

23

PART II

ITEM 5.     MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S 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, 2016 and 2015. On February 21, 2017, the last reported sale price 
of our common stock was $75.90.

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

$

$

49.56
49.23
48.63
77.45

$

32.64
35.92
37.43
48.80

$

58.24
55.39
46.24
42.81

51.05
43.45
36.17
34.40

2016 Fiscal Year

2015 Fiscal Year

High

Low

High

Low

Shareholders

We had 14,562 shareholders of record and approximately 26,613 beneficial owners of our common stock as of February 21, 

2017.

Dividends

We have not historically paid cash dividends on our common stock. Beginning in 2017, we are initiating the payment of a 
quarterly cash dividend. Our board of directors has declared a dividend of $0.3125 per share to be paid on March 13, 2017 to 
shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 20, 2017. 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 24 to the 
consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K. 

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, 2016.

Period
Month #1

    (October 1, 2016 to

October 31, 2016) .........

Month #2

    (November 1, 2016 to

November 30, 2016) .....

Month #3

    (December 1, 2016 to

December 31, 2016) .....

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)

—

6,521

—

6,521

$

$

$

$

—

66.22

—

66.22

—

—

—

—

$

$

$

$

72 million

72 million

72 million

72 million

(1)  Effective August 14, 2015, our board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $150.0 million of common stock through September 30, 2017.

24

Stock Performance Graph

The following graph compares the performance of an investment in our common stock from December 31, 2011 through 
December 31, 2016, with the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Diversified Financials Index. The graph assumes $100 was 
invested on December 31, 2011, 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. 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...

12/31/2011
100
100
100

12/31/2012
159.06
116.00
141.34

12/31/2013
195.79
153.57
199.84

12/31/2014
287.57
174.60
232.94

12/31/2015
200.00
177.01
211.75

12/31/2016
358.91
198.18
255.25

25

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)

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

For the year ended December 31,

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

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

490,340
161,186
60,672
33,074
24,602
769,874
22,525
747,349

510,612
10,206
82,900
174,505
778,223

(30,874)

(17,128)
(13,746)

—
(13,746)
8,206
(21,952)

(21,952) (1)

(21,952)
—
(21,952)

(1.73)
—
(1.73)

(1.73)
—
(1.73) (2)

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

414,118
154,889
75,017
41,557
10,736
696,317
23,399
672,918

421,733
10,652
—
154,110
586,495

86,423

27,941
58,482

—
58,482
6,407
52,075

48,060

52,075
—
52,075

3.34
—
3.34

3.34
—
3.34

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

369,811
156,809
85,062
48,716
12,813
673,211
25,073
648,138

394,510
—
—
143,317
537,827

110,311

35,986
74,325

—
74,325
11,153
63,172

58,141

63,172
—
63,172

3.88
—
3.88

3.87
—
3.87

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

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

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

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

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

12,674
12,779 (2)

14,368
14,389

14,971
15,025

15,046
15,061

15,615
15,616

Other data

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

$ 2,125,503
175,000
$
759,250
$
816,266
$
1,297

$ 2,138,518
175,000
$
783,659
$
832,820
$
1,152

$ 2,623,917
125,000
$
819,912
$
969,460
$
1,026

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

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

(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.

26

 
 
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 Form 10-K. Certain statements in this Form 10-K 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 this Form 
10-K 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 this Form 10-K, 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) goodwill impairment charges. These adjustments affect 
the  following  financial  measures:  net  revenues,  compensation  expenses,  non-compensation  expenses,  net  income/(loss) 
applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies, earnings/(loss) per diluted common share, return on average common shareholders' 
equity,  segment  net  revenues,  segment  operating  expenses,  segment  pre-tax  operating  income/(loss)  and  segment  pre-tax 
operating margin. Management believes that presenting these results and measures on an adjusted basis in conjunction with the 
corresponding U.S. GAAP measures provides the most meaningful basis for comparison of its operating results across periods, 
and enhances the overall understanding of our current financial performance by excluding certain items that may not be indicative 
of our core operating results. The non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, 
measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. 

Executive Overview

Strategic Growth Initiatives – Beginning in 2011, following the financial crisis, we implemented a strategic framework 
focused on achieving strong results across various markets conditions, as well as growth in earnings and improvement in our 
return on equity. In order to do so, we focused on increasing the contributions from our higher margin activities (i.e., advisory 
services, public finance and asset management), diversifying the business, and making investments to drive growth. Through 
strong execution on these strategic initiatives we have increased net revenues and changed the business mix to higher quality 
earnings. Our investments in the business are discussed below.

Overview of Operations – Our 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:

27

Capital Markets – The Capital Markets segment provides investment banking services and institutional sales, trading and 
research services. Investment banking services include management of and participation in underwritings, financial advisory 
services and public finance activities. Revenues are generated through the receipt of advisory and financing fees. 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. 
Also, we generate revenue through strategic trading and investing activities, which focus on investments in municipal bonds, 
mortgage-backed securities and U.S. government agency securities. In order to invest firm capital and to manage capital from 
outside investors, we have created alternative asset management funds in merchant banking that involve equity or debt investments 
in late stage private companies; senior living, which provides financing to U.S. senior living facilities; and energy, whose principal 
activity is to invest in oil and gas services companies headquartered in Europe. We receive management and performance fees 
for managing these funds.

We have made significant progress on our strategic growth initiatives through investments in the business, primarily by 
expanding into new industry sectors within equity investment banking and equity institutional brokerage, and the expansion of 
our fixed income middle market sales platform. The following is a summary of our most recent activity.

•  As part of our strategy to expand our equity investment banking business into the energy sector and grow our advisory
business, on February 26, 2016, we completed the acquisition of Simmons & Company International ("Simmons"), an 
employee-owned investment bank and broker dealer focused on the energy industry.

• 

In the second quarter of 2015, we began expanding our equity investment banking business into the financial institutions 
sector through significant hiring in our Capital Markets segment.

•  On September 30, 2015, we built upon our expansion into the financial institutions sector by acquiring the assets of 
River  Branch  Holdings  LLC  ("River  Branch"),  an  equity  investment  banking  boutique  focused  on  the  financial 
institutions  sector. The  acquisition  added  investment  banking  resources  dedicated  to  banks,  thrifts,  and  depository 
institutions, and further strengthened our mergers and acquisitions leadership in the middle markets.

•  On October 9, 2015, we completed the acquisition of BMO Capital Markets GKST Inc. ("BMO GKST"), a municipal 
bond sales, trading and origination business of BMO Financial Corp. This acquisition expanded our fixed income 
institutional sales, trading and underwriting platforms. Additionally, it strengthened our strategic analytic and advisory 
capabilities. 

• 

For more information on our acquisitions, see Note 4 of our consolidated financial statements. 

Asset Management – The Asset Management segment, which provides traditional asset management services, manages 
assets in domestic and international equity markets. Additionally, the asset management segment manages investments in master 
limited partnerships ("MLPs") and energy infrastructure securities 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.

An explicit element of our strategy in asset management is to diversify our product offerings by adding high quality investment 
teams. Consistent with this strategy, we added Cupps Capital Management, LLC ("Cupps") in the fourth quarter of 2016. Cupps 
focuses on U.S. growth investment strategies with an aggressive growth equity product.

With respect to our Asset Management segment, an extended cycle of investors favoring passive investment vehicles over 
active management, combined with certain products having investment performance below their benchmarks, have reduced 
management fees for this business and caused a corresponding decline in profitability. Lower average assets under management 
for our MLP strategies, driven by a decline in MLP valuations, also resulted in decreased management fees and profitability. In 
the fourth quarter of 2016, we conducted our annual goodwill impairment testing, including the goodwill associated with our 
Asset Management segment, which resulted in a pre-tax non-cash impairment charge of $82.9 million. For more information 
on our goodwill impairment testing, please refer to the "Critical Accounting Policies" section. 

28

Financial Highlights

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)
U.S. GAAP

Net revenues ...................................................................................
Compensation and benefits expenses ..............................................
Non-compensation expenses ...........................................................
Net income/(loss) applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies ..............
Earnings/(loss) per diluted common share ......................................

Non-GAAP(1)

Adjusted net revenues .....................................................................
Adjusted compensation and benefits expenses ...............................
Adjusted non-compensation expenses ............................................
Adjusted net income applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies ..........
Adjusted earnings per diluted common share .................................

N/M — Not meaningful

For the year ended December 31, 2016

Twelve Months Ended

Dec. 31,
2016

Dec. 31,
2015

 Percent Inc/(Dec)
2016
vs. 2015

$

$

$

$

747,349
510,612
267,611
(21,952)
(1.73)

736,279
474,371
150,427
72,642
4.69

$

$

$

$

672,918
421,733
164,762
52,075
3.34

663,108
417,500
143,045
65,850
4.22

11.1%
21.1
62.4
N/M
N/M

11.0%
13.6
5.2
10.3
11.1

•  Net  revenues  increased  11.1  percent  compared  to  2015,  as  higher  advisory  services  and  debt  financing  revenues  were 

partially offset by lower equity financing and asset management revenues. 

•  Compensation  and  benefits  expenses  were  up  21.1  percent  compared  to  the  year-ago  period  due  primarily  to  higher 
compensation expenses arising from increased revenues, as well as additional compensation expenses associated with our 
recent  acquisitions,  including  amortization  of  deal  consideration  tied  to  employment,  and  expansion  into  the  financial 
institutions sector. 

•  Non-compensation expenses increased 62.4 percent compared to 2015, driven by an $82.9 million goodwill impairment 
charge. Also, higher acquisition-related expenses and higher costs as a result of business expansion were partially offset by 
a $9.8 million settlement of a legal matter in the prior-year period.
In 2016, our return on average common shareholders' equity was a negative 2.8 percent, compared with 6.4 percent for 
2015. On an adjusted basis, we generated a return on average common shareholders' equity of 9.2 percent(2) in 2016, compared 
with 8.1 percent(2) for 2015. 

• 

Continued on next page

29

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

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)
 Net revenues:

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

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

Compensation and benefits:

Compensation and benefits – U.S. GAAP basis .........................................................................................
Adjustments:

Compensation from acquisition-related agreements...............................................................................
Adjusted compensation and benefits ..........................................................................................................

Non-compensation expenses:

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

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

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

Net income/(loss) applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies – U.S. GAAP basis .........................................
 Adjustments:

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

Earnings/(loss) per diluted common share:

 Earnings/(loss) per diluted common share – U.S. GAAP basis ................................................................
Adjustment for loss allocated to participating shares (3) ..........................................................................

 Adjustments:

Compensation from acquisition-related agreements...............................................................................
Restructuring and integration costs ........................................................................................................
Goodwill impairment...............................................................................................................................
Amortization of intangible assets related to acquisitions........................................................................
 Adjusted earnings per diluted common share ...........................................................................................

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

Year Ended December 31,
2015
2016

747,349

(11,070)
736,279

510,612

(36,241)
474,371

267,611

(2,864)
(10,206)
(82,900)
(21,214)
150,427

$

$

$

$

$

$

(21,952)

$

23,700
7,014
50,901
12,979
72,642

(1.73)
0.30
(1.43)

1.53
0.45
3.29
0.84
4.69

$

$

$

672,918

(9,810)
663,108

421,733

(4,233)
417,500

164,762

(3,403)
(10,652)
—
(7,662)
143,045

52,075

2,586
6,508
—
4,681
65,850

3.34
—
3.34

0.17
0.42
—
0.30
4.22

(2)   Adjusted return on average common shareholders' equity is computed by dividing adjusted net income applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies for the last 
12 months by average monthly common shareholders' equity. For a detailed explanation of the components of adjusted net income, see "Reconciliation 
of U.S. GAAP to adjusted non-GAAP financial information" in footnote (1).

(3)  Piper Jaffray Companies calculates earnings per common share using the two-class method, which requires the allocation of consolidated adjusted net 
income between common shareholders and participating security holders, which in the case of Piper Jaffray Companies, represents unvested stock with 
dividend rights. Losses are not allocated to participating shares for periods in which a loss is incurred.

30

Market Data

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

Year Ended
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

2016
19,763
5,383

1,256

1,896

2015
17,425
5,007

1,187

1,886

2014
17,823
4,736

1,039

1,952

2016
v2015

13.4 %
7.5 %

2015
v2014

(2.2)%
5.7 %

5.8 %

14.2 %

0.5 %

(3.4)%

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

10,540

10,319

10,263

2.1 %

0.5 %

Public Equity Offerings

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

Initial Public Offerings

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

Municipal Negotiated Issuances

735

106

909

171

1,107

(19.1)%

(17.9)%

282

(38.0)%

(39.4)%

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

8,881

8,764

7,261

1.3 %

20.7 %

Municipal Negotiated Issuances

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

$ 352.6

$

1.84%
0.32%

$

315.9
2.14%
0.05%

266.1
2.21%
0.03%

11.6 %
(14.0)%
540.0 %

18.7 %
(3.2)%
66.7 %

(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 Reuters.

(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, 
often unpredictable and at times inherently volatile. 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 and credit spreads (especially rapid and extreme changes), 
overall market liquidity, the level and shape of various yield curves, the volume and value of trading in securities, overall equity 
valuations, and the demand for active asset management services.

Factors that differentiate our business within the financial services industry also may affect our financial results. For example, 
our capital markets business focuses on specific industry sectors while serving principally middle-market clientele. If the business 
environment for our focus sectors is impacted adversely, our business and results of operations could reflect these impacts. In 
addition, our business, with its specific areas of focus and investment, may not track 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.

31

Outlook for 2017

Markets strengthened following the U.S. election in November 2016. Factors contributing to this market dynamic included 
the belief that administrative and legislative policies, including increased fiscal spending, deregulation and tax reform, may 
provide catalysts to propel the economy in 2017. However, uncertainty over the details of these policies and their transition, as 
well as political or economic instability internationally, may inject periods of volatility into the U.S. equity and debt markets. 
If economic growth accelerates we would expect that higher interest rates would ensue. We anticipate that the U.S. Federal 
Reserve would manage to a gradual and steady path to rate normalization. Exogenous conditions, however, may trigger episodes 
of volatility with respect to interest rates. A rising or volatile interest rate environment may have a mixed impact on certain of 
our businesses.

We expect the equity markets to be constructive in 2017 as U.S. economic growth, spurred by the lowering of tax rates and 
easing of the regulatory burden on companies, results in improving valuations and sustained CEO confidence levels. These 
conditions favor our equity capital raising and advisory services businesses. After challenging market conditions in the first half 
of 2016, we are optimistic that equity financing activity will improve compared to 2016, absent any episodes of heightened 
volatility  or  significant  declines  in  equity  market  valuations. While  lower  volatility  benefits  our  capital  raising  business,  it 
adversely impacts our equity sales and trading business. If we experience sustained bouts of higher volatility or material market 
correction, however, our equity brokerage business may benefit while our equity capital raising and advisory businesses would 
suffer. Mergers and acquisition activity levels were strong in our advisory services business in 2016, and we believe this business 
will continue to perform well in 2017 on the strength of our market position, recent investments, and sustained CEO confidence 
levels. Advisory services revenues for any given quarter are impacted by the timing and size of the deals' closings, which can 
result in fluctuations in revenues period over period.

While higher interest rates would be favorable to our fixed income institutional brokerage business, the move to higher 
rates could adversely impact our public finance business in the short-term as the level of refunding activity abates prior to greater 
economic growth increasing new money issuance volumes. We believe that the level of municipal debt underwriting activity 
will decline in 2017 after record market issuance volumes in 2016. Our geographic range, product capabilities, and industry 
expertise should serve to mitigate somewhat the impact of less favorable market conditions on the performance of our public 
finance business.

Increased economic growth and higher valuations will benefit our asset management business. We will continue to monitor, 
however, the trend of investors shifting from active to passive investment vehicles. Changing market conditions and increased 
differentiation in performance by individual companies could begin to favor active managers over passive vehicles in terms of 
capturing market returns. This could lead to the slowing or reversal of funds flowing out of actively managed strategies which 
would be beneficial for our business. While it is difficult to anticipate which areas of the market will attract investor interest, 
we continue to expand our product offerings to broaden our exposure to areas of investor interest.

32

Results of Operations

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.

(Dollars in thousands)
Revenues:

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

2016

$490,340
161,186
60,672
33,074
24,602
769,874

Year Ended December 31,
2016
v2015

2014

2015

$414,118
154,889
75,017
41,557
10,736
696,317

$369,811
156,809
85,062
48,716
12,813
673,211

18.4%
4.1
(19.1)
(20.4)
129.2
10.6

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

2016

2015

2014

65.6 % 61.5%
21.6
8.1
4.4
3.3
103.0

23.0
11.1
6.2
1.6
103.5

57.1%
24.2
13.1
7.5
2.0
103.9

2015
v2014

12.0 %
(1.2)
(11.8)
(14.7)
(16.2)
3.4

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

22,525

23,399

25,073

(3.7)

(6.7)

3.0

3.5

3.9

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

747,349

672,918

648,138

11.1

3.8

100.0

100.0

100.0

Non-interest expenses:

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

Income/(loss) before income tax
expense/(benefit) .....................................

510,612
39,289
34,813
29,626
30,404
7,651
10,206
82,900
21,214
561
10,947
778,223

421,733
36,218
28,301
23,762
29,990
7,794
10,652
—
7,662
—
20,383
586,495

394,510
37,055
28,231
22,732
27,260
7,621
—
—
9,272
—
11,146
537,827

21.1
8.5
23.0
24.7
1.4
(1.8)
(4.2)
N/M
176.9
N/M
(46.3)
32.7

6.9
(2.3)
0.2
4.5
10.0
2.3
N/M
N/M
(17.4)
N/M
82.9
9.0

68.3
5.3
4.7
4.0
4.1
1.0
1.4
11.1
2.8
0.1
1.5
104.1

62.7
5.4
4.2
3.5
4.5
1.2
1.6
—
1.1
—
3.0
87.2

60.9
5.7
4.4
3.5
4.2
1.2
—
—
1.4
—
1.7
83.0

(30,874)

86,423

110,311

N/M

(21.7)

(4.1)

12.8

17.0

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

(17,128)

27,941

35,986

N/M

(22.4)

(2.3)

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

(13,746)

58,482

74,325

N/M

(21.3)

(1.8)

4.2

8.7

5.6

11.5

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

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

N/M — Not meaningful

8,206

6,407

11,153

28.1

(42.6)

1.1

1.0

1.7

$ (21,952) $ 52,075

$ 63,172

N/M

(17.6)%

(2.9)%

7.7%

9.7%

33

For the year ended December 31, 2016, we recorded a net loss applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies of $22.0 million, 
driven by a $50.9 million, net of tax, goodwill impairment charge. Net revenues for the year ended December 31, 2016 were 
$747.3 million, a 11.1 percent increase compared to $672.9 million in the year-ago period. In 2016, investment banking revenues 
increased 18.4 percent to $490.3 million, compared with $414.1 million in 2015, driven by strong advisory services and debt 
financing revenues which reflect our investments and focus to grow these businesses. These increases were partially offset by 
lower equity financing revenues, as our equity capital raising business experienced challenging market conditions for most of 
2016. For the year ended December 31, 2016, institutional brokerage revenues were $161.2 million, up 4.1 percent compared 
with $154.9 million in 2015, due to higher equity institutional brokerage revenues. Asset management fees were $60.7 million
in 2016, compared with $75.0 million in 2015, due to lower management fees from our equity and MLP product offerings. For 
the year ended December 31, 2016, net interest income decreased to $10.5 million, compared with $18.2 million in 2015. The 
decrease primarily resulted from the liquidation of our municipal bond fund with outside investors in the second half of 2015, 
and additional interest expense on our senior notes. In addition, we had lower interest income earned on mortgage-backed 
securities as a result of lower inventory balances. In 2016, investment income was $24.6 million, compared with $10.7 million
in 2015. In the prior year, we recorded losses on our investments of firm capital in our MLP strategies. Non-interest expenses 
were $778.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, an increase of 32.7 percent compared to $586.5 million in the prior 
year. The increase was due to an $82.9 million goodwill impairment charge, as well as higher compensation expense driven by 
increased revenues and higher expenses resulting from our recent acquisitions and business expansion. Partially offsetting this 
increase was lower legal reserves associated with a $9.8 million legal settlement in 2015.

For the year ended December 31, 2015, we recorded net income applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies of $52.1 million. 
Net revenues for the year ended December 31, 2015 were $672.9 million, a 3.8 percent increase compared to $648.1 million in 
2014. In 2015, investment banking revenues increased 12.0 percent to $414.1 million, compared with $369.8 million in 2014, 
driven by strong advisory services and debt financing revenues as we were able to continue to capitalize on the investments we 
have made to strengthen these businesses. For the year ended December 31, 2015, institutional brokerage revenues were $154.9 
million, compared with $156.8 million in 2014. Asset management fees were $75.0 million in 2015, compared with $85.1 million
in 2014, due to lower management fees from our equity product offerings resulting from decreased assets under management. 
For the year ended December 31, 2015, net interest income decreased to $18.2 million, compared with $23.6 million in 2014. 
The decrease primarily resulted from lower average inventory balances in municipal and treasury securities driven by the closure 
and liquidation of our municipal bond fund with outside investors in the second half of 2015, as well as lower interest income 
attributable to a merchant banking debt investment that was repaid in the second quarter of 2014. These decreases were partially 
offset by increased interest expense at the end of 2015 due to a higher amount of outstanding principal on our senior notes. In 
2015, investment income was $10.7 million, compared with $12.8 million in 2014, as we recorded gains associated with our 
investment and the noncontrolling interests in the merchant banking fund that we manage, which were partially offset by losses 
on  our  investments  of  firm  capital  in  our  MLP  strategies.  Non-interest  expenses  were  $586.5  million  for  the  year  ended 
December 31, 2015, an increase of 9.0 percent compared to $537.8 million in 2014, resulting from higher compensation expenses 
due to increased revenues and expansion of our financial institutions group, as well as higher non-compensation expenses due 
to a $9.8 million legal settlement charge and restructuring and integration costs primarily associated with the acquisitions of 
River Branch and BMO GKST. 

34

Consolidated Non-Interest Expenses

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.We have granted 
restricted stock with service conditions as a component of our acquisition deal consideration, which is amortized to compensation 
expense over the service period.

For the year ended December 31, 2016, compensation and benefits expenses increased 21.1 percent to $510.6 million from 
$421.7 million in 2015, due to higher revenues as well as higher acquisition-related compensation costs primarily resulting from 
the Simmons acquisition completed in February 2016. Compensation and benefits expenses as a percentage of net revenues was 
68.3 percent in 2016, compared with 62.7 percent in 2015. The higher compensation expense ratio was attributable to increased 
acquisition-related compensation. We expect this ratio to continue at an elevated rate in 2017.

For the year ended December 31, 2015, compensation and benefits expenses increased 6.9 percent to $421.7 million from 
$394.5 million in 2014, due primarily to improved financial results. Compensation and benefits expenses as a percentage of net 
revenues was 62.7 percent in 2015, compared with 60.9 percent in 2014. The higher compensation expense ratio was attributable 
to incremental compensation related to the expansion of our financial institutions group as well as a change in our mix of 
revenues.

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 8.5 percent to $39.3 million in 2016, compared with $36.2 million in the corresponding 
period of 2015. Excluding the portion of expenses from non-controlled equity interests in our consolidated alternative asset 
management  funds,  outside  services  expenses  increased  9.2  percent  due  primarily  to  higher  professional  fees,  as  well  as 
incremental expenses related to our acquisitions.

Outside services expenses decreased 2.3 percent to $36.2 million in 2015, compared with $37.1 million in 2014. Excluding 
the portion of expenses from non-controlled equity interests in our consolidated alternative asset management funds, outside 
services expenses decreased 1.7 percent.

Occupancy and Equipment – For the year ended December 31, 2016, occupancy and equipment expenses increased 23.0 
percent to $34.8 million, compared with $28.3 million in 2015. The increase was primarily the result of incremental occupancy 
expenses from our acquisitions of Simmons, River Branch and BMO GKST.

For the year ended December 31, 2015, occupancy and equipment expenses were $28.3 million, essentially flat compared 

with 2014. 

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, 2016, communication 
expenses increased 24.7 percent to $29.6 million, compared with $23.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The 
increase resulted from higher market data service expenses due to the additional headcount associated with our acquisition of 
Simmons, and also reflects a full year of incremental expenses associated with our acquisitions of River Branch and BMO GKST.

For the year ended December 31, 2015, communication expenses increased 4.5 percent to $23.8 million, compared with 
$22.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase resulted from higher market data service expenses due to the 
additional headcount associated with our financial institutions group expansion and our acquisitions of River Branch and BMO 
GKST.

35

 
Marketing and Business Development – Marketing and business development expenses include travel and entertainment 
costs, advertising and third party marketing fees. In 2016, marketing and business development expenses were $30.4 million, 
compared with $30.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, as increased travel expenses were offset by a decline in 
third party marketing fees.

In 2015, marketing and business development expenses increased 10.0 percent to  $30.0 million, compared with $27.3 
million in the year ended December 31, 2014, due to higher travel expenses from increased business activity and acquisition-
related travel.

Trade Execution and Clearance – For the year ended December 31, 2016, trade execution and clearance expenses were 

$7.7 million, down slightly compared with 2015. 

For the year ended December 31, 2015, trade execution and clearance expenses were $7.8 million, compared with $7.6 

million in the year ended December 31, 2014. 

Restructuring and Integration Costs – During the year ended December 31, 2016, we recorded restructuring and acquisition 
integration costs of $10.2 million primarily related to our acquisition of Simmons. The expenses consisted of $6.6 million of 
severance, benefits and outplacement costs, $1.3 million of vacated redundant leased office space, $1.3 million of transaction 
costs, and $1.0 million of contract termination costs. 

For the year ended December 31, 2015, we recorded restructuring and integration costs of $10.7 million, primarily related 
to  the  acquisitions  of  River  Branch  and  BMO  GKST.  The  expenses  consisted  of  $8.8  million  of  severance,  benefits  and 
outplacement costs, $1.4 million of transaction costs, and $0.5 million of contract termination costs. 

Goodwill Impairment – During the fourth quarter of 2016, we completed our annual goodwill impairment testing, which 

resulted in a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $82.9 million related to the asset management reporting unit.

Intangible Asset Amortization Expense – Intangible asset amortization expense includes the amortization of definite-lived 
intangible assets consisting of customer relationships, the Simmons trade name, and non-competition agreements. For the year 
ended  December 31,  2016,  intangible  asset  amortization  expense  was  $21.2  million,  compared  with  $7.7  million  in  the 
corresponding period of 2015. The increase reflects incremental intangible asset amortization expense related to the acquisition 
of Simmons, and a full year of intangible asset amortization expense related to the 2015 acquisitions of River Branch and BMO 
GKST.

For the year ended December 31, 2015, intangible asset amortization expense was $7.7 million, compared with $9.3 million

in the corresponding period of 2014. 

Back Office Conversion Costs – In 2017, we will be migrating from a self clearing model to a fully disclosed model. Back 
office conversion costs includes costs incurred to move to a fully disclosed clearing model, such as contract termination fees, 
vendor migration fees, other professional fees, and severance benefits for impacted personnel. For the year ended December 
31, 2016, we incurred back office conversion costs of $0.6 million. We expect to complete this conversion in 2017 and incur 
costs of approximately $3.0 million between 2016 and 2017. We anticipate a meaningful reduction in our trade clearing expenses 
by moving to a fully disclosed model.

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 to $10.9 million in 2016, compared with $20.4 million in
2015. Legal reserves were higher in 2015 due to a $9.8 million charge resulting from settlement of a legal matter.

Other operating expenses increased to $20.4 million in 2015, compared with $11.1 million in 2014. In 2015, we recorded 

a $9.8 million charge related to settlement of a legal matter. 

Income Taxes – For the year ended December 31, 2016, our benefit from income taxes was $17.1 million equating to an 
effective tax rate, excluding noncontrolling interests, of 43.8 percent. The higher effective tax rate was due to the benefit from 
tax-exempt municipal interest income during a period with pre-tax losses. 

36

For the year ended December 31, 2015, our provision for income taxes was $27.9 million, equating to an effective tax rate, 

excluding noncontrolling interests, of 34.9 percent. 

For the year ended December 31, 2014, our provision for income taxes was $36.0 million, equating to an effective rate, 

excluding noncontrolling interests, of 36.3 percent.

Segment Performance

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 chief operating decision maker 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, and enhances the overall understanding of our current financial performance by excluding certain items that 
may not be indicative of our core operating results. The non-GAAP segment results should be considered in addition to, not as 
a substitute for, the segment results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

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 acquisition integration costs and (5) goodwill impairment charges. 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 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. These amounts are excluded on a non-GAAP basis as 
they represent expenses specifically related to acquisitions that will eventually be fully amortized and therefore not part of our 
on-going operations. 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 leased 
office space and contract termination costs. Restructuring and integration costs are excluded from our non-GAAP financial 
measures as they generally relate to an acquisition or a specific event and excluding these amounts provides a better understanding 
of our core non-compensation expenses. Management believes that presenting adjusted segment pre-tax operating income and 
adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin excluding the acquisition-related amounts and restructuring and integration costs 
provides clarity on the financial results generated by the core operating components of our business. The non-cash goodwill 
impairment charge recognized in 2016 relates to the asset management reporting unit and primarily pertains to goodwill created 
from the 2010 acquisition of ARI. 

37

Capital Markets

The following table sets forth the Capital Markets adjusted segment financial results 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,

2016

Adjustments (1)

2015

Adjustments (1)

Total

Noncontrolling

Other

U.S.

Total

Noncontrolling

Other

U.S.

Adjusted

Interests

Adjustments

GAAP

Adjusted

Interests

Adjustments

GAAP

(Dollars in thousands)

Investment banking

Financing

Equities ........................................

$

71,161

$

— $

— $

71,161

$ 114,468

$

— $

— $ 114,468

Debt .............................................

Advisory services............................

Total investment banking....................

Institutional sales and trading

Equities............................................

Fixed income...................................

Total institutional sales and trading...

Total management and performance

fees ...................................................

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

115,013

304,654

490,828

87,992

90,495

178,487

6,363

14,692

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

(9,136)

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

681,234

—

—

—

—

971

971

—

10,099

—

11,070

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

115,013

304,654

490,828

91,195

209,163

414,826

87,992

91,466

78,584

93,489

179,458

172,073

6,363

4,642

24,791

15,474

(9,136)

(7,494)

692,304

599,521

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

580,974

2,864

62,025

645,863

511,241

—

—

—

—

816

816

—

8,994

—

9,810

3,403

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

91,195

209,163

414,826

78,584

94,305

172,889

4,642

24,468

(7,494)

609,331

16,293

530,937

Segment pre-tax operating income.....

$

100,260

$

8,206

$

(62,025)

$

46,441

$

88,280

$

6,407

$

(16,293)

$ 78,394

Segment pre-tax operating margin .....

14.7%

6.7%

14.7%

12.9%

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

2016

2015

36,241
10,197
15,587
62,025

$

$

4,019
10,652
1,622
16,293

$

$

Capital Markets net revenues on a U.S. GAAP basis increased 13.6 percent to $692.3 million for the year ended December 31, 
2016, compared with $609.3 million in the prior-year period. For the year ended December 31, 2016, Capital Markets adjusted 
net revenues were $681.2 million compared with $599.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.The variance explanations 
for net revenues and adjusted net revenues are consistent on both a U.S. GAAP and non-GAAP basis.

Investment banking revenues comprise all of the revenues generated through equity and debt financing and advisory services 
activities, which include mergers and acquisitions, equity private placements, debt advisory, and municipal financial advisory 
transactions. To assess the profitability of investment banking, we aggregate investment banking fees with the net interest income 
or expense associated with these activities.

38

In  2016,  investment  banking  revenues  increased  18.3  percent  to  $490.8  million  compared  with  $414.8  million  in  the 
corresponding period of the prior year, as strong advisory services and debt financing revenues were partially offset by lower 
equity financing revenues. For the year ended December 31, 2016, advisory services revenues increased to $304.7 million, 
compared with $209.2 million in 2015. The increase reflects our long-term effort to grow our advisory services business, including 
expansion into the energy and financial institutions sectors over the past year. Our revenues increased more than 45 percent 
compared to the prior year while mergers and acquisitions activity was declining, which reflects meaningful market share gains. 
Our debt advisory group also contributed to the strong results. We completed 150 transactions with an aggregate enterprise value 
of $22.3 billion in 2016, compared with 82 transactions with an aggregate enterprise value of $23.0 billion in 2015. Debt financing 
revenues for the year ended December 31, 2016 were $115.0 million, an increase of 26.1 percent compared with $91.2 million
in the year-ago period, due to higher public finance revenues. Our public finance business benefited from increased new money 
issuance volumes and refunding activity, as well as market share gains attributable to our geographic and sector expansion. In 
2016, our par value from negotiated municipal issuances increased 17.2 percent, compared to 10.5 percent for the industry. 
During 2016, we completed 718 negotiated municipal issues with a total par value of $16.7 billion, compared with 707 negotiated 
municipal issues with a total par value of $14.3 billion during the prior-year period. For the year ended December 31, 2016, 
equity financing revenues were $71.2 million, down 37.8 percent compared with $114.5 million in the prior-year period, due to 
fewer completed transactions and lower revenue per transaction. The equity capital raising business experienced challenging 
market conditions for most of the year. The total available fee pool in the sub-$2 billion market decreased 33 percent in 2016. 
Contributions from our expansion into the energy and financial institutions sectors partially offset the impact of the significant 
decrease in capital raising. During 2016, we completed 68 equity financings, raising $13.7 billion for our clients, compared with 
95 equity financings, raising $17.4 billion for our clients in the year-ago period. 

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 U.S. government agency 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, 2016, institutional brokerage revenues increased 3.8 percent to $179.5 million, compared 
with $172.9 million in the prior-year period, as higher equity institutional brokerage revenues were partially offset by lower 
fixed income institutional brokerage revenues. Equity institutional brokerage revenues were $88.0 million in 2016, up 12.0 
percent compared with $78.6 million in 2015. The increase reflects our expansion into the energy and financial institutions 
sectors and expanded research capabilities. For the year ended December 31, 2016, fixed income institutional brokerage revenues 
were $91.5 million, down 3.0 percent compared with $94.3 million in the prior-year period. The addition of BMO GKST in the 
fourth quarter of 2015 resulted in gains to our customer flow business in 2016, which were offset by lower trading gains from 
fewer trading opportunities. Challenging market conditions at various times during the year negatively impacted our trading 
opportunities, which reduced our revenues. Credit spreads were volatile in the first quarter, and the municipal market, in which 
we have a meaningful presence, was volatile in the fourth quarter. 

Management and performance fees include the fees generated from our merchant banking, energy, senior living and municipal 
bond funds with outside investors. For the year ended December 31, 2016, management and performance fees were $6.4 million, 
up 37.1 percent compared with $4.6 million in the prior-year period, due to incremental management fees generated from two 
energy funds, which we acquired with the Simmons acquisition, as well as higher performance fees from our merchant banking 
fund. These increases were offset by lower management fees from a municipal bond fund, which we closed in the third quarter 
of 2015. 

Investment income includes realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments, including amounts attributable to 
noncontrolling interests, in our merchant banking fund, municipal bond fund, senior living fund, and other firm investments. 
For the year ended December 31, 2016, investment income was $24.8 million, compared to $24.5 million in 2015. In 2016, 
higher gains on the senior living fund that we manage, as well as higher gains on our firm investments, were offset by lower 
gains in our merchant banking fund. Excluding the impact of noncontrolling interests, adjusted investment income was $14.7 
million in 2016.

39

Long-term financing expenses primarily represent interest paid on our senior notes. For the year ended December 31, 2016, 
long-term financing expenses increased to $9.1 million, compared to $7.5 million in the prior-year period, as we increased the 
amount of outstanding principal on our senior notes in the fourth quarter of 2015 from $125 million to $175 million.

Capital Markets segment pre-tax operating margin for the year ended December 31, 2016 decreased to 6.7 percent, compared 
with 12.9 percent for 2015, due to higher acquisition-related costs. Adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin of 14.7 percent
for the year ended December 31, 2016 was consistent with 2015. In 2016, a decrease in our non-compensation ratio was offset 
by a higher compensation ratio due to our mix of business. 

The following table sets forth the Capital Markets adjusted segment financial results 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,

2015

Adjustments (1)

2014

Adjustments (1)

Total

Noncontrolling

Other

U.S.

Total

Noncontrolling

Other

Adjusted

Interests

Adjustments

GAAP

Adjusted

Interests

Adjustments

U.S.

GAAP

(Dollars in thousands)

Investment banking

Financing

Equities ........................................

$ 114,468

$

— $

— $ 114,468

$ 109,706

$

— $

— $

109,706

Debt .............................................

Advisory services............................

Total investment banking....................

Institutional sales and trading

Equities............................................

Fixed income...................................

Total institutional sales and trading...

Total management and performance

fees ...................................................

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

91,195

209,163

414,826

78,584

93,489

172,073

4,642

15,474

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

(7,494)

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

599,521

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

511,241

—

—

—

—

816

816

—

8,994

—

9,810

3,403

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

91,195

209,163

414,826

63,005

197,880

370,591

78,584

94,305

82,211

92,200

172,889

174,411

4,642

24,468

5,398

8,347

(7,494)

(6,655)

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

15,699

—

609,331

552,092

15,699

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

63,005

197,880

370,591

82,211

92,200

174,411

5,398

24,046

(6,655)

567,791

16,293

530,937

467,198

4,546

6,917

478,661

Segment pre-tax operating income.....

$

88,280

$

6,407

$

(16,293)

$

78,394

$

84,894

$

11,153

$

(6,917)

$

89,130

Segment pre-tax operating margin .....

14.7%

12.9%

15.4%

15.7%

(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,

2015

2014

$

$

4,019
10,652
1,622
16,293

$

$

3,945
—
2,972
6,917

Capital Markets net revenues on a U.S. GAAP basis were $609.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, compared 
with $567.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. For the year ended December 31, 2015, Capital Markets adjusted 
net revenues were $599.5 million compared with $552.1 million in the prior year. The variance explanations for net revenues 
and adjusted net revenues are consistent on both a U.S. GAAP and non-GAAP basis.

40

In 2015, investment banking revenues increased 11.9 percent to $414.8 million compared with $370.6 million in the prior 
year, due primarily to strong debt financing and advisory services revenues. For the year ended December 31, 2015, equity 
financing revenues were $114.5 million, up 4.3 percent compared with $109.7 million in the prior-year period, as a result of 
more completed transactions and slightly higher revenue per transaction. We were bookrunner on 70 percent of our transactions 
in 2015 compared to 52 percent in 2014. During 2015, we completed 95 equity financings, raising $17.4 billion for our clients, 
compared with 90 equity financings, raising $20.5 billion for our clients in 2014. Debt financing revenues for the year ended 
December 31, 2015 were $91.2 million, up 44.7 percent compared with $63.0 million in the prior year, due to higher public 
finance revenues resulting from market-wide increases in the volume of municipal issuances in 2015, as well as market share 
gains attributable to our geographic and sector expansion and product diversification. In 2015, our par value from negotiated 
debt issuances increased 49.8 percent, compared to 18.7 percent for the industry. During 2015, we completed 707 negotiated 
municipal issues with a total par value of $14.3 billion, compared with 485 negotiated municipal issues with a total par value 
of $9.5 billion during 2014. For the year ended December 31, 2015, advisory services revenues increased to $209.2 million, 
compared with $197.9 million in 2014, due to increased mergers and acquisitions services revenues from higher revenue per 
transaction. Our strategic focus to grow our mergers and acquisitions resources in the middle market and continued leadership 
in the healthcare sector has resulted in market share gains and increased revenues. We completed 82 transactions with an aggregate 
enterprise value of $23.0 billion during 2015, compared with 91 transactions with an aggregate enterprise value of $14.7 billion
in 2014.

In 2015, institutional brokerage revenues decreased slightly to $172.9 million, compared with $174.4 million in 2014, due 
to lower equity institutional brokerage revenues, partially offset by higher fixed income institutional brokerage revenues. Equity 
institutional brokerage revenues were $78.6 million in 2015, down 4.4 percent compared with $82.2 million in 2014. The decrease 
was primarily due to lower client trading volumes, offset in part by contributions from our financial institutions group expansion. 
For the year ended December 31, 2015, fixed income institutional brokerage revenues were $94.3 million, up slightly compared 
with $92.2 million in the prior year, as a decline in strategic trading revenues was more than offset by solid performance in our 
customer flow business and incremental revenues associated with our acquisition of BMO GKST.

For the year ended December 31, 2015, management and performance fees were $4.6 million, down 14.0 percent compared 
with $5.4 million in 2014, due to decreased performance fees from our municipal bond fund, partially offset by higher performance 
fees from our merchant banking fund. In the third quarter of 2015, we closed the municipal bond fund and completed its liquidation 
in October 2015.

For the year ended December 31, 2015, investment income was $24.5 million, compared to $24.0 million in 2014. In 2015, 
we recorded higher gains on our merchant banking activities, which were offset by lower gains on the municipal bond fund with 
outside investors that we liquidated in the fourth quarter of 2015. Excluding the impact of noncontrolling interests, adjusted 
investment income was $15.5 million in 2015.

In 2015, long-term financing expenses increased to $7.5 million, compared to $6.7 million in the prior year, as we increased 

the amount of outstanding principal on our senior notes in the fourth quarter of 2015 from $125 million to $175 million.

Capital Markets segment pre-tax operating margin for 2015 decreased to 12.9 percent, compared with 15.7 percent for 2014. 
Adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin for 2015 decreased to 14.7 percent, compared with 15.4 percent for 2014. The 
decrease in pre-tax operating margin was due to higher non-compensation expenses resulting from a legal settlement as well as 
additional expenses associated with our acquisitions of River Branch and BMO GKST and our financial institutions group 
expansion. 

41

Asset Management 

The following table sets forth the Asset Management segment financial results 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,

2016
Adjustments (1)

2015
Adjustments (1)

Total
Adjusted

Noncontrolling
Interests

Other
Adjustments

U.S.
GAAP

Total
Adjusted

Noncontrolling
Interests

Other
Adjustments

U.S.
GAAP

(Dollars in thousands)
Management fees

Equity ..............................................
MLP.................................................
Total management fees .......................

$

28,164
25,561
53,725

$

— $
—
—

— $
—
—

28,164
25,561
53,725

$

$

38,249
31,918
70,167

— $
—
—

— $
—
—

38,249
31,918
70,167

Performance fees

Equity ..............................................
MLP.................................................
Total performance fees .......................

584
—
584

Total management and performance

fees ...................................................

54,309

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

736

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

55,045

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

43,824

—

—

—

—

—

584
—
584

208
—
208

54,309

70,375

736

(6,788)

—

—

—

—

55,045

88,536

132,360

63,587

49,304

—
—
—

—

—

—

—

—
—
—

—

—

—

208
—
208

70,375

(6,788)

63,587

6,254

55,558

Segment pre-tax operating income/

(loss).................................................

$

11,221

$

— $

(88,536)

$ (77,315)

$

14,283

$

— $

(6,254)

$

8,029

Segment pre-tax operating margin .....

20.4%

(140.5)%

22.5%

12.6%

Adjusted segment pre-tax operating

margin excluding investment
income/(loss) (2) ..............................

19.3%

29.9%

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

tax operating margin for the periods presented:

(Dollars in thousands)
Compensation from acquisition-related agreements ...............................................................................
Restructuring and integration costs.........................................................................................................
Goodwill impairment ...............................................................................................................................
Amortization of intangible assets related to acquisitions ........................................................................

Year Ended December 31,
2015

2016

$

$

— $
9
82,900
5,627
88,536

$

214
—
—
6,040
6,254

(2)   Management believes that presenting adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin excluding investment income/(loss), a non-GAAP measure, provides the 

most meaningful basis for comparison of Asset Management operating results across periods. 

Management and performance fee revenues comprise the revenues generated from management and investment advisory 
services performed for separately managed accounts, registered funds and partnerships. Client asset inflows and outflows and 
investment performance 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 AUM, 
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 AUM 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 AUM. 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, 2016, approximately five percent of our AUM was eligible to earn 
performance fees. 

42

For the year ended December 31, 2016, management fees were $53.7 million, a decrease of 23.4 percent, compared with 
$70.2 million in the prior-year period, due to decreased management fees from both our equity and MLP product offerings. In
2016, management fees related to our equity strategies were $28.2 million, down 26.4 percent compared to 2015, driven by 
lower AUM from net client outflows in our value equity products amid tough market trends for active asset managers and 
underperformance in certain of our strategies. Management fees from our MLP strategies decreased 19.9 percent in 2016 to 
$25.6 million compared with $31.9 million in 2015. The decline in management fees resulted from lower average AUM, driven 
by a decline in MLP valuations. 

For the year ended December 31, 2016, performance fees were $0.6 million, compared to $0.2 million in the prior-year 
period. The performance fees recorded in 2016 and 2015 resulted from certain funds exceeding their performance targets over 
a specified measurement period. 

Investment income/(loss) includes gains and losses from our investments in registered funds and private funds or partnerships 
that we manage. In 2016, we recorded investment income of $0.7 million, compared with a loss of $6.8 million for the year
ended December 31, 2015. The investment loss in 2015 was driven by losses in MLP investments.

Segment pre-tax operating margin for the year ended December 31, 2016 was a negative 140.5 percent, compared to 12.6 
percent for the year ended December 31, 2015. The negative pre-tax operating margin in 2016 was driven by the $82.9 million
goodwill impairment charge. Excluding investment income/(loss) on firm capital invested in our strategies, adjusted operating 
margin declined from 29.9 percent in 2015 to 19.3 percent in 2016, due to lower management fees.

43

The following table sets forth the Asset Management segment financial results 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,

2015

Adjustments (1)

2014

Adjustments (1)

(Dollars in thousands)
Management fees

Total

Adjusted

Noncontrolli
ng
Interests

Other

Adjustmen
ts

U.S.

GAAP

Total

Adjusted

Noncontrolli
ng
Interests

Other

Adjustmen
ts

U.S.

GAAP

Equity.......................................

$ 38,249

$

— $

— $ 38,249

$ 47,987

$

— $

— $ 47,987

MLP .........................................
Total management fees................

31,918

70,167

Performance fees

Equity.......................................

MLP .........................................
Total performance fees................

208

—

208

Total management and

performance fees.......................

70,375

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

(6,788)

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

63,587

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

49,304

Segment pre-tax operating

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

31,918

70,167

30,785

78,772

208

—

208

684

208

892

70,375

79,664

(6,788)

683

63,587

80,347

6,254

55,558

51,582

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

30,785

78,772

684

208

892

79,664

683

80,347

7,584

59,166

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

$ 14,283

$

— $

(6,254) $

8,029

$ 28,765

$

— $

(7,584) $ 21,181

Segment pre-tax operating

margin .......................................

Adjusted segment pre-tax

operating margin excluding
investment income/(loss) (2) ....

22.5%

29.9%

12.6%

35.8%

26.4%

35.3%

(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 ...............................................................................
Amortization of intangible assets related to acquisitions ........................................................................

Year Ended December 31,
2014

2015

$

$

214
6,040
6,254

$

$

1,284
6,300
7,584

(2)   Management believes that presenting adjusted segment pre-tax operating margin excluding investment income/(loss), a non-GAAP measure, provides the 

most meaningful basis for comparison of Asset Management operating results across periods. 

For the year ended December 31, 2015, management fees were $70.2 million, a decrease of 10.9 percent, compared with 
$78.8 million in 2014, due to decreased management fees from our equity strategies. In 2015, management fees related to our 
equity strategies were $38.2 million, down 20.3 percent compared to 2014, due to lower average AUM from net client outflows 
and market depreciation, as well as a lower average effective yield. The average effective revenue yield for our equity strategies 
was 69 basis points in 2015, compared to 78 basis points in the prior year. The decline in the average effective revenue yield 
was driven by large new investments from institutional investors, which have a lower fee structure. Management fees from our 
MLP strategies increased 3.7 percent in 2015 to $31.9 million, compared with $30.8 million in 2014, due to higher average 
effective revenue yields, partially offset by lower AUM, driven by sharp declines in MLP valuations. The average effective 
revenue yield for our MLP strategies was 61 basis points in 2015, compared to 54 basis points in 2014. The increase in the 
average effective revenue yield was due to more assets from individual investors in open-ended mutual funds, which earned 
higher fees. 

For  the  year  ended  December 31,  2015,  performance  fees  were  $0.2  million,  compared  to  $0.9  million  in  2014.  The 
performance fees recorded in 2015 and 2014 primarily resulted from certain funds exceeding their performance targets over a 
specified measurement period or at the time of client asset withdrawals.

44

In 2015, we recorded an investment loss of $6.8 million driven by losses in MLP investments, compared with income of 

$0.7 million in 2014.

Segment pre-tax operating margin for 2015 was 12.6 percent, compared to 26.4 percent for 2014. Excluding investment 
income/(loss)  on  firm  capital  invested  in  our  strategies,  adjusted  segment  pre-tax  operating  margin  for  the  year  ended 
December 31, 2015 was 29.9 percent, compared to 35.3 percent for the year ended December 31, 2014, due to lower management 
fees.

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

(Dollars in millions)

Equity

Twelve Months Ended
December 31,
2015

2014

2016

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

MLP

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

Total

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

$

$

$

$

$

$

4,954
(1,331)
492
4,115

3,924
(286)
978
4,616

8,878
(1,617)
1,470
8,731

$

$

$

$

$

$

5,758
(572)
(232)
4,954

5,711
434
(2,221)
3,924

11,469
(138)
(2,453)
8,878

$

$

$

$

$

$

6,683
(979)
54
5,758

4,549
719
443
5,711

11,232
(260)
497
11,469

At December 31, 2016, total AUM was $8.7 billion. Equity AUM was $4.1 billion at December 31, 2016, compared to $5.0 
billion at December 31, 2015, as net client outflows of $1.3 billion were partially offset by net market appreciation of $0.5 
billion. The asset management industry has experienced an ongoing trend of investors favoring passive investment vehicles over 
active management. Our AUM outflows in 2016 reflected the impact of this trend, including a large investor in our all-cap 
product shifting to a passive investment. In addition, performance in our small/mid-cap and all-cap value strategies has lagged 
their relative benchmarks which has contributed to client outflows. These outflows were partially offset by client inflows related 
to  the  addition  of  an  aggressive  growth  equity  team  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  2016.  MLP AUM  increased  to  $4.6  billion  at 
December 31, 2016 as net market appreciation of $1.0 billion more than offset net client outflows of $0.3 billion. 

Total AUM decreased to $8.9 billion in 2015 driven by net market depreciation in our MLP product offerings. Equity AUM 
was $5.0 billion at December 31, 2015, compared to $5.8 billion at December 31, 2014 due to net client outflows and net market 
depreciation during the period. In 2015, our performance in our small/mid-cap value strategy lagged its relative benchmark, 
which contributed to client outflows, as did the continued movement to passive funds over actively-managed funds. These 
outflows were offset by client inflows related to our international and energy strategies. MLP AUM decreased $1.8 billion to 
$3.9 billion at December 31, 2015 as net market depreciation of $2.2 billion was partially offset by net client inflows of $0.4 
billion. 

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.

45

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 investments 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 at the measurement date (the exit price). Based on the nature of our business and our role as a 
"dealer"  in  the  securities  industry  or  as  a  manager  of  alternative  asset  management  funds,  the  fair  values  of  our  financial 
instruments are determined internally. See Note 2 and Note 6 to our consolidated financial statements for additional information 
on the valuation of our financial instruments and our fair value processes, including specific control processes to determine the 
reasonableness of the fair value of our financial instruments.

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 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 6 to our consolidated 
financial statements for additional discussion of our assets and liabilities in the fair value hierarchy.

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, 
2016, we had goodwill of $196.2 million. The goodwill balance consists of $81.9 million recorded within our capital markets 
segment, of which $60.7 million is attributable to our 2016 acquisition of Simmons. The remaining $114.4 million relates to 
our asset management segment. At December 31, 2016, we had intangible assets of $37.2 million, of which $19.3 million relates 
to our capital markets segment and $17.9 million relates to our asset management segment.

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. We have 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, we determine 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 we conclude otherwise, then we are required to perform the two-step impairment 
test, which requires management to make judgments in determining what assumptions to use in the calculation. See Note 13 to 
our consolidated financial statements for additional information on our goodwill impairment testing.

46

The initial recognition of goodwill and other intangible assets and the subsequent quantitative impairment analysis involves 
significant judgment in determining the estimates of future cash flows, discount rates, economic forecast and other assumptions 
which are then used in acceptable valuation techniques, such as the market approach (earnings and/or transaction multiples) 
and/or the income approach (discounted cash flow method). Changes in these estimates and assumptions could have a significant 
impact on the fair value and any resulting impairment of goodwill. Our estimated cash flows, 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, 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 the cycle in estimating the timing 
and extent of future cash flows. In addition to discounted cash flows, we consider earnings multiples of comparable public 
companies and multiples of recent mergers and acquisitions transactions of similar businesses in our subsequent impairment 
analysis. 

We performed our annual goodwill impairment analysis based on financial information as of October 31, 2016, which 
resulted in a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $82.9 million. The charge relates to the asset management reporting unit 
and primarily pertains to goodwill created from the 2010 acquisition of ARI. The impairment charge resulted from net outflows 
of AUM in 2016 as a result of an extended cycle of investors favoring passive investment vehicles over active management, 
combined with certain investment strategies having performance below their benchmarks, which led to reduced management 
fees and profitability. In addition, lower average AUM for our MLP strategies, driven by a decline in MLP valuations, resulted 
in decreased management fees and profitability. The fair value of the asset management reporting unit was calculated using the 
income  approach  (discounted  cash  flow  method  based  on  revenue  and  EBITDA  forecasts)  and  market  approach  (earnings 
multiples of comparable public companies), which are valuation techniques we believe market participants would use for the 
reporting unit. The implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill was determined in the same manner as the amount of 
goodwill recognized in a business combination. The implied fair value of goodwill is the excess value of the reporting unit over 
the fair value assigned to its assets and liabilities.

We elected to perform 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, and the overall financial performance 
of the capital markets reporting unit. Our annual goodwill impairment testing resulted in no impairment associated with the 
capital markets reporting unit. 

We also evaluated intangible assets (indefinite and definite-lived) and concluded there was no impairment in 2016.

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. 

See Note 21 to our consolidated financial statements for additional information about our stock-based compensation plans.

47

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 restricted compensation (i.e., restricted 
stock, restricted stock units, options, restricted mutual fund shares (MFRS awards), and deferred 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. As of December 31, 2016, we 
have recorded a deferred tax asset valuation allowance of $0.8 million, representing the entire deferred tax asset related to net 
operating loss carryforwards within Simmons & Company International Limited ("SCIL").

We  record  deferred  tax  benefits  for  future  tax  deductions  expected  upon  the  vesting  of  stock-based  compensation.  If 
deductions reported on our tax return for stock-based compensation (i.e., the value of the stock-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 stock-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. As discussed in Note 3 
to our consolidated financial statements, beginning January 1, 2017, new accounting guidance requires us to recognize the 
income tax effects of stock-based compensation awards in the income statement when the awards vest, rather than as additional 
paid-in capital. As of December 31, 2016, we had $7.3 million of excess tax benefits recorded as additional paid-in capital, 
which will remain in additional paid-in capital. In the first quarter of 2017, approximately 4,000 options expired and 611,000
shares vested at share prices greater than the grant date fair value, resulting in $7.1 million of excess tax benefits recorded as 
income tax benefit in the first quarter of 2017. 

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. 

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 and maintain 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 

48

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 have not historically paid cash dividends on our common stock. Beginning in 2017, we are initiating the payment of a 
quarterly cash dividend to holders of our common stock. Our board of directors has declared a dividend of $0.3125 per share 
to be paid on March 13, 2017 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 20, 2017. Our board of directors 
is free to change our dividend policy at any time.

Effective August 14, 2015, our board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $150.0 million in common shares 
through September 30, 2017. During 2016, we repurchased 1,536,226 shares our common stock at an average price of $38.89
per share for an aggregate purchase price of $59.7 million related to this authorization. We have $71.8 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 2016, we purchased 261,685 shares or $11.1 million of our common 
shares for this purpose. 

Cash Flows 

Cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2016 were $41.4 million, a decrease of $148.6 million from December 31, 2015. 
Operating activities provided $48.8 million of cash, as non-cash charges were partially offset by an increase in operating assets. 
Our $13.7 million net loss in 2016 included non-cash charges of $82.9 million related to goodwill impairment and $21.2 million
of intangible asset amortization expense. The increase in intangible asset amortization expense was due to incremental expense 
related to our recent acquisitions of Simmons, River Branch and BMO GKST. The increase in operating assets primarily related 
to a receivable for unsettled trades, reverse repurchase agreements, which are principally used to make delivery on securities 
sold short, and additional investments in our senior living fund. In 2016, investing activities used $83.7 million of cash, of which 
$72.7 million related to the acquisition of Simmons, and $11.0 million for the purchase of fixed assets. Cash of $111.6 million
was used in financing activities as we repurchased $70.9 million of common stock. In addition, we used excess cash of $27.4 
million to reduce amounts due under our short-term financing, primarily related to commercial paper, and also decreased our 
obligations related to repurchase agreements. 

Cash and cash equivalents increased $174.0 million to $189.9 million at December 31, 2015 from December 31, 2014. 
Operating activities provided $379.5 million of cash primarily due to cash generated from earnings as well as a reduction in 
operating assets, particularly related to the liquidation of our municipal bond fund with outside investors, convertible securities 
inventory, and reverse repurchase agreements, which are principally used to make delivery on securities sold short. Investing 
activities in 2015 used $16.2 million of cash primarily related to the acquisitions of River Branch and BMO GKST, and the 
purchase of fixed assets. In 2015, financing activities used $189.0 million of cash as we repurchased $132.9 million of common 
stock, and experienced a $106.8 million decrease in noncontrolling interests resulting from the liquidation of our municipal 
bond fund with outside investors. In October 2015, we entered into a Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement 
under which we issued unsecured fixed rate senior notes that provided $125.0 million in financing, $75.0 million of which was 
used to repay our Class B variable rate senior notes that were due in November 2015.

Cash and cash equivalents decreased $107.8 million to $15.9 million at December 31, 2014 from December 31, 2013. 
Operating  activities  used  $50.1  million  of  cash  primarily  due  to  an  increase  in  operating  assets,  particularly  related  to  our 
inventory and reverse repurchase agreements, which are principally used to make delivery on securities sold short. Partially 
offsetting these increases in operating assets were cash received from earnings and increased compensation related accruals. 
Investing activities in 2014 used $5.4 million of cash primarily related to the purchase of fixed assets. Cash of $52.0 million
was used in financing activities as we reduced amounts due under our short-term financing related to commercial paper and our 
prime broker arrangement, offset in part by increases in repurchase agreements. Additionally, we experienced a $9.0 million

49

decrease in noncontrolling interests due to net fund capital withdrawals and used $10.9 million of cash to repurchase common 
stock from employees selling shares to meet their tax obligations related to award vestings.

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............................................................................................................

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

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

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

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

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

$

$

$

$

December 31,
2016
2,125,503
(233,452)
(109,179)
1,782,872

816,266
(233,452)
(57,016)
525,798

2.6

3.4

$

$

$

$

December 31,
2015
2,138,518
(248,506)
(88,590)
1,801,422

832,820
(248,506)
(49,161)
535,153

2.6

3.4

Adjusted assets and tangible common shareholders’ equity are non-GAAP financial measures. 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 shareholders’ 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.

50

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 
business. The majority of our inventory is liquid and is therefore funded by overnight or short-term facilities. Certain of 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. In the case of our committed line, it is available to us regardless of changes 
in market liquidity conditions through the end of its term, although there may be limitations on the type of securities available 
to pledge. Our commercial paper program helps mitigate changes in market liquidity conditions given it is not an overnight 
facility, but provides funding with a term of 27 to 270 days. 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. Funding is generally obtained 
at rates based upon the federal funds rate 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. CP Series III A includes a covenant that requires Piper 
Jaffray & Co. to maintain excess net capital of $120 million. The following table provides information about our commercial 
paper programs at December 31, 2016:

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

$

Weighted average maturity, in days................................
Weighted average maturity at issuance, in days..............

CP Series A

CP Series II A

CP Series III A

$

300.0
67.6

45
142

150.0
20.0

$

13
95

125.0
59.4

15
42

Prime Broker Arrangements – We have established an arrangement to obtain overnight financing by a single prime broker 
related to certain strategic trading activities in municipal securities and the alternative asset management fund that we previously 
managed with outside investors. Additionally, we have established a second overnight financing arrangement with another broker 
dealer related to our convertible securities inventories. Financing under these arrangements is secured primarily by securities, 
and collateral limitations could reduce the amount of funding available under these arrangements. Our prime broker financing 
activities are recorded net of receivables from trading activity. The funding is at the discretion of the prime brokers and could 
be denied subject to a notice period. At December 31, 2016, we had $271.8 million of financing outstanding under these prime 
broker arrangements.

Committed Lines – We elected to decrease our committed line from $250 million to a one-year $200 million revolving 
secured credit facility in 2016. 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. to maintain 
minimum  net  capital  of  $120  million,  and  the  unpaid  principal  amount  of  all  advances  under  the  facility  will  be  due  on 
December 16, 2017. This credit facility has been in place since 2008 and we renewed the facility for another one-year term in 
the fourth quarter of 2016. At December 31, 2016, 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, 2016, we had no advances 
against these lines of credit.

51

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

2016 and 2015, respectively.

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

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

Average Balance for the Three Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Sept. 30, 2016

June 30, 2016 Mar. 31, 2016

$

$

3.5
165.8
225.6
5.3
400.2

$

$

14.8
235.8
200.6
—
451.2

$

$

28.9
279.7
169.2
6.4
484.2

$

$

30.5
279.2
159.0
0.8
469.5

Average Balance for the Three Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Sept. 30, 2015

June 30, 2015 Mar. 31, 2015

$

$

25.5
277.5
109.4
0.3
412.7

$

$

32.1
276.8
139.8
0.2
448.9

$

$

76.9
256.3
242.8
11.9
587.9

$

$

66.4
245.1
167.1
28.4
507.0

The average funding in the fourth quarter of 2016 decreased to $400.2 million, compared with $451.2 million during the 

third quarter of 2016, as we used excess cash to reduce commercial paper funding.

The following table presents the maximum daily funding amount by quarter for 2016 and 2015, respectively.

(Dollars in millions)
First Quarter .......................................................................................................................
Second Quarter ...................................................................................................................
Third Quarter......................................................................................................................
Fourth Quarter ....................................................................................................................

$
$
$
$

2016

2015

576.4
669.7
525.6
274.1

$
$
$
$

949.8
876.0
666.1
531.7

Senior Notes

We have entered into variable and fixed rate senior notes with certain entities advised by Pacific Investment Management 

Company ("PIMCO"). The following table presents the outstanding balance by note class:

(Dollars in thousands)
Class A Notes...............................................................................................................
Class C Notes ..............................................................................................................
Total senior notes ......................................................................................................

Outstanding Balance

December 31,
2016

December 31,
2015

$

$

50,000
125,000
175,000

$

$

50,000
125,000
175,000

On October 8, 2015, we entered into a second amended and restated note purchase agreement ("Second Amended and 
Restated Note Purchase Agreement") under which we issued $125 million of fixed rate Class C Notes. The Class C Notes bear 
interest at an annual fixed rate of 5.06 percent, payable semi-annually and mature on October 9, 2018. The $50 million of variable 
rate Class A Notes issued in 2014 bear interest at a rate equal to three-month LIBOR plus 3.00 percent, adjusted and payable 
quarterly and mature on May 31, 2017. The unpaid principal amounts of the senior notes are due in full on the respective maturity 
dates and may not be prepaid.

The Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement includes customary events of default and 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. At December 31, 
2016, we were in compliance with all covenants.

52

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, 2016, 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. The amounts presented in the table below 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. 

(Dollars in millions)
Operating lease obligations .....................
Purchase commitments ...........................
Investment commitments (1) ..................
Senior notes.............................................

$

2017

2018
 - 2019

2020
 - 2021

$

14.6
17.1
—
50.0

$

25.5
7.1
—
125.0

18.3
—
—
—

$

2022 and
thereafter
20.0
—
—
—

$

Total

78.4
24.2
22.8
175.0

(1)  The investment commitments have no specified call dates. The timing of capital calls is based on market conditions and investment 
opportunities. Investment commitments consist of $15.6 million to an affiliated merchant banking fund, and $3.8 million to an 
affiliated fund, which provides financing to senior living facilities.

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.

Capital Requirements 

As a registered broker dealer and member firm of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. ("FINRA"), Piper Jaffray 
& Co., 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 certain approvals, notifications 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. At December 31, 
2016, our net capital under the SEC’s uniform net capital rule was $191.1 million, and exceeded the minimum net capital required 
under the SEC rule by $190.1 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.

Our committed short-term credit facility and its senor notes include covenants requiring Piper Jaffray & Co. to maintain 
minimum net capital of $120 million. CP Notes issued under CP Series III A include a covenant that requires Piper Jaffray & 
Co. to maintain  excess net capital of $120 million.

At December 31, 2016, Piper Jaffray Ltd. and SCIL, our broker dealer subsidiaries registered in the United Kingdom, were 
subject to, and were in compliance with, the capital requirements of the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial 
Conduct Authority pursuant to the Financial Services Act of 2012.

Piper Jaffray Hong Kong Limited is licensed by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, which is subject to 
the liquid capital requirements of the Securities and Futures (Financial Resources) Rule promulgated under the Securities and 
Futures  Ordinance. At  December 31,  2016,  Piper  Jaffray  Hong  Kong  Limited  was  in  compliance  with  the  liquid  capital 
requirements of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission.

53

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

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

summarizes the notional contract value of our off-balance sheet arrangements for the periods presented:

(Dollars in thousands)

2017

2018

2019

2020
- 2021

2022
- 2023

Expiration Per Period at December 31,

Total Contractual Amount
December 31, December 31,

Later

2016

2015

Customer matched-book

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

$

40,950

$

— $

34,650

$

42,960

$ 165,780

$ 3,045,867

$

3,330,207

$

4,392,440

Trading securities derivative

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

393,800

Credit default swap index

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

Futures and equity option

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

Investment commitments (3) ....

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

7,470

—

—

—

—

—

—

29,750

423,550

290,600

—

—

—

7,470

94,270

—

2,345,037

22,776

32,819

(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 one major financial institution, which is mitigated by collateral deposits. In addition, we have a limited number of counterparties (contractual amount 
of $183.4 million at December 31, 2016) 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, 2016, we had $22.7 million of credit exposure with these counterparties, 
including $15.6 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, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the net fair value of these derivative contracts approximated $24.0 million
and $31.8 million, respectively.

(3)  The investment commitments have no specified call dates. 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 5, "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.

Investment Commitments

We have investments, including those made as part of our merchant banking activities, in various limited partnerships that 
provide financing or make investments in private equity companies. We commit capital and/or act as the managing partner of 
these entities. For a complete discussion of our activities related to these types of entities, see Note 7, "Variable Interest Entities," 
in the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

We have committed capital to certain entities and these commitments generally have no specified call dates. We had $22.8 
million of commitments outstanding at December 31, 2016, of which $15.6 million relate to an affiliated merchant banking 
fund, and $3.8 million relate to an affiliated fund, which provides financing for senior living facilities.

Risk Management

Risk is an inherent part of our business. The principal risks we face in operating our business include: strategic risk, market 
risk, liquidity risk, credit risk, operational risk, human capital risk, and legal and regulatory risks. The extent to which we properly 
identify and effectively manage each of these risks is critical to our financial condition and profitability. We have a formal risk 
management process to identify, assess and monitor each risk and mitigating controls in accordance with defined policies and 
procedures. The risk management functions are independent of our business lines. Our management takes an active role in the 
risk management process, and the results are reported to senior management and the Board of Directors. 

54

 
The audit committee of the Board of Directors oversees management’s processes for identifying and evaluating our major 
risks, and the policies, procedures and practices employed by management to govern its risk assessment and risk management 
processes. The nominating and governance committee of the Board of Directors oversees the Board of Directors’ committee 
structures and functions as they relate to the various committees’ responsibilities with respect to oversight of our major risk 
exposures. With respect to these major risk exposures, the audit committee is responsible for overseeing management’s monitoring 
and control of our major risk exposures relating to market risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, legal and regulatory risk, operational 
risk, and human capital risk relating to misconduct, fraud, and legal and compliance matters. Our compensation committee is 
responsible  for  overseeing  management’s  monitoring  and  control  of  our  major  risk  exposures  relating  to  compensation, 
organizational structure, and succession. Our Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing management’s monitoring and 
control of our major risk exposures related to our corporate strategy. Our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer 
meet with the audit committee on a quarterly basis to discuss our market, liquidity, and legal and regulatory risks, and provide 
updates to the Board of Directors, audit committee, and compensation committee concerning the other major risk exposures on 
a regular basis.

We use internal committees to assist in governing risk and ensure that our business activities are properly assessed, monitored 
and managed. Our financial risk committees manage our market, liquidity and credit risks, and oversee risk management practices 
related to these risks, including defining acceptable risk tolerances and approving risk management policies. Membership is 
comprised of senior leadership, including but not limited to, our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, General 
Counsel,  Treasurer,  Head  of  Market  and  Credit  Risk,  Head  of  Public  Finance,  Head  of  Fixed  Income  Services  and  Firm 
Investments and Trading, and Head of Equities. Other committees that help evaluate and monitor risk include underwriting, 
leadership team and operating committees. These committees help manage risk by ensuring that business activities are properly 
managed and within a defined scope of activity. Our valuation committee, comprised of members of senior management and 
risk management, provide oversight and overall responsibility for the internal control processes and procedures related to fair 
value measurements. Additionally, our operational risk committees address and monitor risk related to information systems and 
security, legal, regulatory and compliance matters, and third parties such as vendors and service providers.

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.

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.

Strategic Risk 

Strategic risk represents the risk associated with executive management failing to develop and execute on the appropriate 
strategic vision which demonstrates a commitment to our culture, leverages our core competencies, appropriately responds to 
external factors in the marketplace, and is in the best interests of our clients, employees and shareholders.

Our leadership team is responsible for managing our strategic risks. The Board of Directors oversees the leadership team 

in setting and executing our strategic plan.

Market Risk

Market risk represents the risk of losses, or 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.

55

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 slope of the yield curve, 
changes in credit spreads, and the rate of prepayments on our interest-earning assets (e.g., inventories) and our funding sources 
(e.g., short-term financing) which finance these assets. Interest rate risk is managed by selling short U.S. government securities, 
agency securities, corporate debt securities and derivative contracts. See Note 5 of our accompanying consolidated financial 
statements for additional information on our derivative contracts. 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. Also, we establish limits on the notional level 
of our fixed income securities inventory and manage net positions within those limits.

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. 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.

Foreign  Exchange  Risk  —  Foreign  exchange  risk  represents  the  potential  volatility  to  earnings  or  capital  arising  from 
movement in foreign exchange rates. 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/(loss) within the shareholders’ equity section of our consolidated statements of financial condition and 
other comprehensive income/(loss) within the consolidated statements of comprehensive income).

Value-at-Risk ("VaR")

We use the statistical technique known as VaR to measure, monitor and review the market risk exposures in our trading 
portfolios. VaR is the potential loss in value of our trading positions, excluding noncontrolling 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, mortgage-backed securities and all associated 
economic hedges. These positions encompass both customer-related and strategic trading activities. A VaR model 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. When comparing our VaR numbers to those of other firms, 
it is important to remember that different methodologies, assumptions and approximations could produce significantly different 
results.

56

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 one 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,
2016

December 31,
2015

$

$

696
41
(26)
711

$

$

608
119
(66)
661

(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.

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, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

(Dollars in thousands)
For the Year Ended December 31, 2016
Interest Rate Risk .................................................................................
Equity Price Risk..................................................................................
Diversification Effect (1)......................................................................
Total Value-at-Risk...............................................................................

(Dollars in thousands)
For the Year Ended December 31, 2015
Interest Rate Risk .................................................................................
Equity Price Risk..................................................................................
Diversification Effect (1)......................................................................
Total Value-at-Risk...............................................................................

High

Low

Average

$

$

$

$

990
412

1,049

High

853
618

1,128

$

$

$

$

Low

251
6

362

415
31

487

$

$

$

$

533
150
(72)
611

Average

582
314
(133)
763

(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 14 occasions during 2016.

The aggregate VaR as of December 31, 2016 was higher than the reported VaR on December 31, 2015. The increase in VaR 

is due to higher volatility and increased inventory levels at the end of the measurement period.

In addition to VaR, we also employ additional measures to monitor and manage market risk exposure including 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. In times of market volatility, we also perform ad hoc stress tests and 
scenario analysis as market conditions dictate. Unlike our VaR, which measures potential losses within a given confidence level, 
stress scenarios do not have an associated implied probability. Rather, stress testing is used to estimate the potential loss from 
market moves outside our VaR confidence levels.

57

Liquidity Risk 

Liquidity risk is the risk that we are unable to timely access necessary funding sources in order to operate our business, as 
well as the risk that we are unable to timely divest securities that we hold in connection with our market-making, sales and 
trading, and strategic trading activities. We are exposed to liquidity risk in our day-to-day funding activities, by holding potentially 
illiquid inventory positions and in our role as a remarketing agent for variable rate demand notes. 

See the section entitled "Liquidity, Funding and Capital Resources" in Part II, Item 7, "Management’s Discussion and 
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," in this Form 10-K for information regarding our liquidity and how 
we manage liquidity risk.

Our inventory positions, including those associated with strategic trading activities, subject us to potential financial losses 
from the reduction in value of illiquid positions. 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 or forced to liquidate into a challenging market if funding becomes unavailable. 

Credit Risk 

Credit risk refers to the potential for loss due to the default or deterioration in credit quality of a counterparty, customer, 
borrower or issuer of securities we hold in our trading inventory. The nature and amount of credit risk depends on the type of 
transaction, the structure and duration of that transaction and the parties involved. Credit risk also results from an obligor's failure 
to meet the terms of any contract with us or otherwise fail to perform as agreed. This may be reflected through issues such as 
settlement obligations or payment collections.

Our different types of credit risk include:

Credit Spread Risk — Credit spread risk arises from the possibility that changes in credit spreads will affect the value of 
financial instruments. Credit spreads represent the credit risk premiums required by market participants for a given credit quality 
(e.g., the additional yield that a debt instrument issued by a AA-rated entity must produce over a risk-free alternative). Changes 
in  credit  spreads  result  from  potential  changes  in  an  issuer’s  credit  rating  or  the  market’s  perception  of  the  issuer’s  credit 
worthiness. We are exposed to credit spread risk with the debt instruments held in our trading inventory, including those held 
for strategic trading activities. We enter into transactions to hedge our exposure to credit spread risk through the use of derivatives 
and certain other financial instruments. These hedging strategies may not work in all market environments and as a result may 
not be effective in mitigating credit spread risk.

Deterioration/Default Risk — Deterioration/default risk represents the risk due to an issuer, counterparty or borrower failing 
to fulfill its obligations. We are exposed to deterioration/default 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.  The  risk  of  default  depends  on  the 
creditworthiness of the counterparty and/or issuer of the security. We mitigate this risk by establishing and monitoring individual 
and aggregate position limits for each counterparty relative to potential levels of activity, holding and marking to market collateral 
on  certain  transactions  and  conducting  business  through  clearing  organizations,  which  guarantee  performance.  Our  risk 
management functions also evaluate the potential 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. 

Collections Risk — Collections risk arises from ineffective management and monitoring of collecting outstanding debts 
and obligations, including those related to our customer trading activities and margin lending. 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.

58

Concentration Risk — Concentration risk is the risk due to concentrated exposure to a particular product; individual issuer, 
borrower or counterparty; financial instrument; or geographic area. We are subject to concentration risk if we hold large individual 
securities  positions,  execute  large  transactions  with  individual  counterparties  or  groups  of  related  counterparties,  or  make 
substantial underwriting commitments. Concentration risk can occur by industry, geographic area or type of client. Securities 
purchased  under  agreements  to  resell  consist  primarily  of  securities  issued  by  the  U.S.  government  or  its  agencies.  The 
counterparties to these agreements typically are primary dealers of U.S. government securities and major financial institutions. 
Inventory and investment positions taken and commitments made, including underwritings, may result in exposure to individual 
issuers and businesses. Potential concentration risk is carefully monitored through review of counterparties and borrowers and 
is managed through the use of policies and limits established by senior management. 

We  have  concentrated  counterparty  credit  exposure  with  five  non-publicly  rated  entities  totaling  $22.7  million  at 
December 31, 2016. This counterparty credit exposure is part of our matched-book derivative program related to our public 
finance  business,  consisting  primarily  of  interest  rate  swaps.  One  derivative  counterparty  represents  68.7  percent,  or  $15.6 
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.

Operational Risk

Operational risk is the risk of loss, or damage to our reputation, resulting from inadequate or failed processes, people and 
systems or from external events. We rely on the ability of our employees and our systems, both internal and at computer centers 
operated by third parties, to process a large number of transactions. Our systems may fail to operate properly or become disabled 
as a result of events that are wholly or partially beyond our control. In the event of a breakdown or improper operation of our 
systems 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 also face the risk of operational failure or termination of any of the 
exchanges, clearing houses, fully disclosed clearing firms, or other financial intermediaries we use to facilitate our securities 
transactions. Any such failure or termination could adversely affect our ability to effect transactions and manage our exposure 
to risk. 

Our operations rely on secure processing, storage and transmission of confidential and other information in our internal and 
outsourced computer systems and networks. Our computer systems, software and networks may be vulnerable to unauthorized 
access, computer viruses or other malicious code, and other events that could have an information security impact. The occurrence 
of one or more of these events 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 take protective measures and endeavor to modify them as 
circumstances warrant.

In order to mitigate and control operational risk, we have developed and continue to enhance policies and procedures that 
are designed to identify and manage operational risk at appropriate levels throughout the organization. We also 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 operational policies and procedures 
are being followed and that our various businesses are operating within established corporate policies and limits.

In 2017, we will be migrating to a fully disclosed clearing model for all of our currently self clearing operations. The 
migration process introduces unique risks that could cause disruptions in our business or create other unexpected capital charges 
or losses. We have preventative measures in place, including a project governance committee comprised of members of senior 
management, as well as senior management at our third party partner. In order to mitigate and control operational risk inherent 
in  the  migration,  we  have  developed  procedures  specific  to  the  project  implementation  process,  including  parallel  system 
operations, mock conversion testing, and ongoing monitoring and reporting to members of the project governance committee. 
We also have the ability to obtain additional methods of financing from existing creditors in the event unknown capital charges 
arise.

59

Human Capital Risk 

Our business is a human capital business and our success is dependent upon the skills, expertise and performance of our 
employees. Human capital risks represent the risks posed if we fail to attract and retain 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. 
There are risks associated with the proper recruitment, development and rewards of our employees to ensure quality performance 
and retention.

Legal and Regulatory Risk 

Legal and regulatory risk includes the risk of non-compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements and loss 
to our reputation we may suffer as a result of failure to comply with laws, regulations, rules, related self-regulatory organization 
standards and codes of conduct applicable to our business activities. 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, such as public company reporting obligations, regulatory net capital 
requirements, sales and trading practices, potential conflicts of interest, use and safekeeping of customer funds and securities, 
anti-money laundering, privacy and recordkeeping. We have also established procedures that are designed to require that our 
policies relating to ethics and business conduct are followed. The legal and regulatory focus on the financial services industry 
presents a continuing business challenge for us.

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.

Effects of Inflation

Because our assets are liquid and generally short-term 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 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  "Risk  Management"  in  Part  II,  Item  7  of  this  Form  10-K  entitled,  "Management’s 

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

60

ITEM 8.     FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.

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

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

Note 8

Note 9

Note 6

Note 7

Note 10

Note 13

Note 15

Note 14

Note 11

Note 12

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..............................................................................................................
Senior Notes ............................................................................................................................
Contingencies, Commitments and Guarantees........................................................................
Restructuring ...........................................................................................................................
Shareholders’ Equity................................................................................................................
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) ...................................................................
Supplementary Data ........................................................................................................................................

Note 23

Note 22

Note 17

Note 18

Note 20

Note 21

Note 16

Note 24

Note 26

Note 25

Note 19

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

70

71

72

77

79

81

83

91

92

92

93

95

95

96

97

97

98

99

100

100

102

103

108

109

111

111

113

116

61

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, 2016. 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 (2013 framework). Based on its assessment and those criteria, 
management has concluded that we maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016.

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, 2016. Their report, which expresses an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of 
Piper Jaffray Companies’ internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016, is included herein.

62

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, 
2016,  based  on  criteria  established  in  Internal  Control —  Integrated  Framework  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring 
Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 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, 2016, based on the COSO criteria.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United 
States), the 2016 consolidated financial statements of Piper Jaffray Companies and our report dated February 24, 2017, expressed 
an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Minneapolis, Minnesota
February 24, 2017 

63

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, 2016 and 2015, 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, 2016. 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, 2016 and 2015, and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash 
flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2016, 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, 2016, based on criteria established 
in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission 
(2013 framework) and our report dated February 24, 2017 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Minneapolis, Minnesota
February 24, 2017 

64

Piper Jaffray Companies

Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition

(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 $58,308 and $51,874,
respectively)....................................................................................................................................
Goodwill ...........................................................................................................................................
Intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization of $70,017 and $48,803, respectively)............
Investments.......................................................................................................................................
Other assets.......................................................................................................................................
Total assets.....................................................................................................................................

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
Short-term financing.........................................................................................................................
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..............................................................................................
Total liabilities ...............................................................................................................................

$

$

Shareholders’ equity:

Common stock, $0.01 par value:

Shares authorized: 100,000,000 at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015;
Shares issued: 19,535,307 at December 31, 2016 and 19,510,858 at December 31, 2015;
Shares outstanding: 12,391,970 at December 31, 2016 and 13,311,016 at December 31, 2015
Additional paid-in capital ..............................................................................................................
Retained earnings...........................................................................................................................
Less common stock held in treasury, at cost: 7,143,337 at December 31, 2016 and 6,199,842
shares at December 31, 2015 .......................................................................................................
Accumulated other comprehensive loss.........................................................................................
Total common shareholders’ equity............................................................................................

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

December 31,
2016

December 31,
2015

$

41,359
29,015

$

189,910
81,022

41,167
147,949
136,983

283,579
707,355
990,934

18,984
217,976
30,530
165,398
117,665
2,138,518

446,190
175,000

37,364
48,131
45,319
239,155
251,638
62,901
1,305,698

195
752,066
279,140

(247,553)
(189)
783,659

49,161
832,820

$

$

31,917
212,730
159,697

464,610
594,361
1,058,971

25,343
196,218
37,234
168,057
164,962
2,125,503

418,832
175,000

29,352
40,842
15,046
299,357
288,255
42,553
1,309,237

195
788,927
257,188

(284,461)
(2,599)
759,250

57,016
816,266

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

$

2,125,503

$

2,138,518

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

65

Piper Jaffray Companies

Consolidated Statements of Operations

2016

Year Ended December 31,
2015

2014

(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 ........................................................................
Outside services..........................................................................................
Occupancy and equipment .........................................................................
Communications.........................................................................................
Marketing and business development ........................................................
Trade execution and clearance ...................................................................
Restructuring and integration costs ............................................................
Goodwill impairment .................................................................................
Intangible asset amortization expense........................................................
Back office conversion costs......................................................................
Other operating expenses ...........................................................................

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

Income/(loss) before income tax expense/(benefit)...................................

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

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...............................................................................................

Earnings/(loss) per common share

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

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding

$

490,340
161,186
60,672
33,074
24,602

769,874

22,525

747,349

510,612
39,289
34,813
29,626
30,404
7,651
10,206
82,900
21,214
561
10,947

778,223

(30,874)

(17,128)

(13,746)

8,206

$

$

$
$

(21,952)

$

(21,952) (1) $

(1.73)
$
(1.73) (2) $

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

12,674
12,779 (2)

$

$

$

$
$

414,118
154,889
75,017
41,557
10,736

696,317

23,399

672,918

421,733
36,218
28,301
23,762
29,990
7,794
10,652
—
7,662
—
20,383

586,495

86,423

27,941

58,482

6,407

52,075

48,060

3.34
3.34

14,368
14,389

369,811
156,809
85,062
48,716
12,813

673,211

25,073

648,138

394,510
37,055
28,231
22,732
27,260
7,621
—
—
9,272
—
11,146

537,827

110,311

35,986

74,325

11,153

63,172

58,141

3.88
3.87

14,971
15,025

(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

66

                     
Piper Jaffray Companies

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

(Amounts in thousands)
Net income/(loss) ...............................................................................

Other comprehensive loss, net of tax:

Foreign currency translation adjustment ..........................................

Total other comprehensive loss, net of tax.....................................

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

(16,156)

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

8,206

Year Ended December 31,
2015

2014

2016

$

(13,746)

$

58,482

$

74,325

(2,410)

(2,410)

(566)

(566)

57,916

6,407

(519)

(519)

73,806

11,153

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

$

(24,362)

$

51,509

$

62,653

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

67

Piper Jaffray Companies

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity

(Amounts in thousands,

Common
Shares

Common

Additional
Paid-In

Retained

Treasury

Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive

Total
Common
Shareholders'

Noncontrolling

Total
Shareholders'

 except share amounts)

Outstanding

Stock

Capital

Earnings

Stock

Income/(Loss)

Equity

Interests

Equity

Balance at                          
December 31, 2013 .....

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

Amortization/issuance of
restricted stock .............

Issuance of treasury
shares for options
exercised ......................

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/issued

for director
compensation ...............

Other comprehensive

loss ...............................

Fund capital

withdrawals, net ...........

Balance at                           
December 31, 2014 .....

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

Amortization/issuance of
restricted stock .............

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

Issuance of treasury
shares for options
exercised ......................

Issuance of treasury

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

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

Shares reserved/issued

for director
compensation ...............

Other comprehensive

loss ...............................

Fund capital

withdrawals, net ...........

Balance at                           
December 31, 2015 .....

14,383,418

$

195

$ 740,321

$ 163,893

$ (170,629)

$

896

$

734,676

$

147,396

$

882,072

—

—

137,864

892,385

(256,055)

103,598

4,210

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

63,172

23,649

834

(30,295)

—

726

180

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

4,618

30,295

(10,854)

3,430

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

(519)

—

63,172

23,649

5,452

—

(10,854)

4,156

180

(519)

—

11,153

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

74,325

23,649

5,452

—

(10,854)

4,156

180

(519)

(9,001)

(9,001)

15,265,420

$

195

$ 735,415

$ 227,065

$ (143,140)

$

377

$

819,912

$

149,548

$

969,460

—

—

(2,459,400)

50,671

734,080

(281,180)

1,425

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

52,075

43,237

—

—

—

—

96

(26,752)

—

70

—

—

—

(118,464)

—

—

1,760

26,752

—

(14,461)

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

(566)

—

52,075

43,237

(118,464)

1,856

—

(14,461)

70

(566)

6,407

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

58,482

43,237

(118,464)

1,856

—

(14,461)

70

(566)

—

(106,794)

(106,794)

13,311,016

$

195

$ 752,066

$ 279,140

$ (247,553)

$

(189)

$

783,659

$

49,161

$

832,820

Continued on next page

68

Piper Jaffray Companies

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity – Continued

(Amounts in thousands,

Common
Shares

Common

Additional
Paid-In

Retained

Treasury

Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive

Total
Common
Shareholders'

Noncontrolling

Total
Shareholders'

 except share amounts)

Outstanding

Stock

Capital

Earnings

Stock

Income/(Loss)

Equity

Interests

Equity

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

Amortization/issuance of
restricted stock .............

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

Issuance of treasury
shares for options
exercised ......................

Issuance of treasury

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

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

Shares reserved/issued

for director
compensation ...............

Other comprehensive

loss ...............................

Deconsolidation of

investment
partnerships (1) ............

Fund capital

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

Balance at                           
December 31, 2016 .....

— $

— $

— $ (21,952)

$

— $

— $

(21,952)

$

8,206

$

(13,746)

—

(1,536,226)

104,175

750,241

(261,685)

24,449

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

65,311

—

—

—

411

(29,805)

—

944

—

—

—

—

(59,739)

—

—

4,146

29,805

—

(11,120)

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

65,311

(59,739)

4,557

—

(11,120)

944

(2,410)

(2,410)

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

65,311

(59,739)

4,557

—

(11,120)

944

(2,410)

—

—

—

—

(9,415)

(9,415)

9,064

9,064

12,391,970

$

195

$ 788,927

$ 257,188

$ (284,461)

$

(2,599)

$

759,250

$

57,016

$

816,266

(1)  The Company deconsolidated certain investment partnerships upon adoption of ASU 2015-02. See Note 3 for further discussion.

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

69

Piper Jaffray Companies

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

Year Ended December 31,
2015

2014

2016

$

(13,746)

$

58,482

$

74,325

(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 ...................................................................................................................
Stock-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 ...........................................................................................

Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities .......................................................................

Investing Activities:

Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired .......................................................................................
Repayment of note receivable ...........................................................................................................
Purchases of fixed assets, net ............................................................................................................

Net cash used in investing activities ..............................................................................................

Financing Activities:

Increase/(decrease) in short-term financing ......................................................................................
Issuance of senior notes ....................................................................................................................
Repayment of senior notes ................................................................................................................
Increase/(decrease) in securities sold under agreements to repurchase .............................................
Increase/(decrease) in noncontrolling interests .................................................................................
Repurchase of common stock ...........................................................................................................
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation ..........................................................................
Proceeds from stock option exercises ...............................................................................................

6,410
(31,023)
55,977
82,900
21,214
8,785

52,007

9,272
(64,781)
(24,591)
(7,835)
(10,881)
(20,992)

(8,012)
(7,289)
(1,127)
30,396
(27,902)

48,782

(72,709)
—
(11,017)

(83,726)

(27,358)
—
—
(27,269)
9,064
(70,859)
304
4,557

Net cash used in financing activities ..............................................................................................

(111,561)

Currency adjustment:

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

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 disclosure of cash flow information –

Cash paid during the year for:

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

Non-cash investing activities –

Issuance of common stock related to the acquisition of Simmons & Company International:
25,525 shares for the year ended December 31, 2016 .......................................................................

Non-cash financing activities –

Issuance of common stock for retirement plan obligations:
103,598 shares for the year ended December 31, 2014 .....................................................................

Issuance of restricted common stock for annual equity award:
843,889 shares, 550,650 shares and 402,074 shares for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015
and 2014, respectively ..................................................................................................................

$

$
$

$

$

$

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

70

(2,046)

(148,551)

189,910

41,359

23,171
27,298

1,074

$

$
$

$

5,058
(20,959)
48,754
—
7,662
6,377

(56,011)

(31,509)
13,060
171,182
126,458
(38,558)
3,602

24,036
22,567
18,050
2,178
19,095

379,524

(11,739)
1,500
(5,914)

(16,153)

68,423
125,000
(75,000)
(75,377)
(106,794)
(132,925)
5,858
1,856

(188,959)

(369)

174,043

15,867

189,910

24,668
31,950

$

$
$

5,269
(10,843)
28,764
—
9,272
5,316

18,001

1,975
(33,896)
(140,290)
(27,042)
(14,797)
3,785

(19,781)
(2,158)
—
67,247
(15,216)

(50,069)

—
2,000
(7,387)

(5,387)

(136,944)
50,000
(50,000)
98,249
(9,001)
(10,854)
1,081
5,452

(52,017)

(343)

(107,816)

123,683

15,867

25,345
58,599

— $

—

— $

— $

4,156

35,089

$

30,429

$

16,131

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; Simmons & Company International Limited ("SCIL"), a firm providing mergers 
and acquisitions services to the energy industry headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland; 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 investment banking services and institutional sales, trading and research services. 
Investment banking services include management of and participation in underwritings, financial advisory services and public 
finance activities. Revenues are generated through the receipt of advisory and financing fees. 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. Also,  the 
Company generates revenue through strategic trading and investing activities, which focus on investments in municipal bonds, 
mortgage-backed  securities,  U.S.  government  agency  securities,  and  merchant  banking  activities  involving  equity  or  debt 
investments in late stage private companies. The Company has created alternative asset management funds in merchant banking, 
energy and senior living in order to invest firm capital and to manage capital from outside investors. The Company receives 
management and performance fees for managing these funds.

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.

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 the Company's alternative asset management funds. 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.

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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

Note 2 Summary of Significant Accounting Policies 

Principles of Consolidation

The Company consolidates entities in which it has a controlling financial interest. The Company determines whether it has 
a controlling financial interest in an entity by first evaluating whether the entity is a variable interest entity ("VIE") or a voting 
interest entity.

VIEs are entities in which (i) the total equity investment at risk is not sufficient to enable the entity to finance its activities 
independently  or  (ii)  the  at-risk  equity  holders  do  not  have  the  normal  characteristics  of  a  controlling  financial  interest. A 
controlling financial interest in a VIE is present when an enterprise has one or more variable interests that have both (i) the 
power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and (ii) the obligation 
to absorb losses of the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. The 
enterprise with a controlling financial interest is the primary beneficiary and consolidates the VIE.

Voting interest entities lack one or more of the characteristics of a VIE. The usual condition for a controlling financial 
interest is ownership of a majority voting interest for a corporation or a majority of kick-out or participating rights for a limited 
partnership.

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's investment is accounted for under the equity method of accounting. 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.

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 municipal bond fund are recorded on a gross basis.

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Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

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 (including securities 
with extended settlements and derivative contracts) 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), including securities with 
extended settlements, 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.

Fair  Value  Measurement  –  Definition  and  Hierarchy  –  Financial Accounting  Standards  Board  ("FASB") Accounting 
Standards Codification Topic 820, "Fair Value Measurement," ("ASC 820") defines fair value as the amount at which an instrument 
could be exchanged in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (the exit price). ASC 820 
establishes a fair value hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. The fair value hierarchy 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 observability 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. 

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, 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. 

Level III – Instruments that have little to no pricing observability as of the report date. These financial instruments 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. 

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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

Valuation 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. 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 
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.

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 ten years 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.

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Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

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. See Note 13 for additional information on the Company's goodwill 
impairment testing.

Intangible assets with determinable lives consist of customer relationships, the Simmons & Company International trade 
name, and non-competition agreements that are amortized over their original estimated useful lives ranging from one to ten
years. The  pattern  of  amortization  reflects  the  timing  of  the  realization  of  the  economic  benefits  of  such  intangible  assets. 
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.

Investments

The Company’s investments include equity investments in private companies and partnerships, investments in registered 
mutual funds, warrants of public and private companies and private company debt. Equity investments in private companies are 
accounted for at fair value, as required by accounting guidance or 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, or at cost. 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 fair value, as 
required by accounting guidance, or 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 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 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 for completed deals. 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 and included in other liabilities and accrued expenses on the consolidated statements of financial 
condition.

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 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, 

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Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

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 
financing and its 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, senior living and other firm investments. 

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 stock-based awards that do not require future service are recognized in the year in 
which the awards were deemed to be earned. Stock-based awards that require future service are amortized over the relevant 
service period net of estimated forfeitures. See Note 21 for additional information on the Company's accounting for stock-based 
compensation.

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 and restricted stock units.

Unvested stock-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 stock-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.

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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

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. The 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  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.

Note 3 Recent Accounting Pronouncements 

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Consolidation

In  February  2015,  the  FASB  issued Accounting  Standard  Update  ("ASU")  No.  2015-02,  "Consolidation  (Topic  810): 
Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis" ("ASU 2015-02"). ASU 2015-02 makes several modifications to the consolidation 
guidance for VIEs and general partners' investments in limited partnerships, as well as modifications to the evaluation of whether 
limited partnerships are VIEs or voting interest entities. It was effective for the Company as of January 1, 2016. The adoption 
of ASU 2015-02 resulted in the deconsolidation of certain investment partnerships with assets (and the related noncontrolling 
interests) of approximately $9.4 million. There was no impact to the Company's retained earnings upon adoption. In addition, 
certain entities previously consolidated as voting entities became consolidated VIEs under the amended guidance.

Future Adoption of New Applicable Accounting Standards

Revenue Recognition

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)," ("ASU 2014-09") 
which supersedes current revenue recognition guidance, including most industry-specific guidance. ASU 2014-09 requires a 
company  to  recognize  revenue  when  it  transfers  promised  goods  or  services  to  customers  in  an  amount  that  reflects  the 
consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services, and also requires additional 
disclosures regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue that is recognized. The FASB has subsequently 
issued various ASUs which amend specific areas of guidance in ASU 2014-09. The Company’s implementation efforts include 
the identification of revenue within the scope of the guidance, and the potential impact on its consolidated results of operations 
and disclosures. The current industry treatment of netting deal expenses with investment banking revenues, and the timing of 
performance fee recognition related to certain consolidated entities and fees received for equity research may be impacted by 
the new guidance. The Company is also evaluating whether certain asset management contract costs can be capitalized on the 
consolidated statements of financial position. The Company will adopt this guidance as of January 1, 2018. The two permitted 
transition methods under ASU 2014-09 are the full retrospective method, in which case the standard would be applied to each 
prior reporting period presented, or the modified retrospective method, under which the cumulative effect of applying the standard 
would be recognized at the date of initial application. The Company is in the process of determining its method of adoption, 
which depends, in part, upon the completion of further analysis.

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Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, "Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and 
Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities" ("ASU 2016-01"). The amendments in ASU 2016-01 address certain 
aspects of the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments. ASU 2016-01 is effective for 
annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Except for the early application guidance outlined in ASU 
2016-01, early adoption is not permitted. The adoption of ASU 2016-01 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's 
results of operations or financial position, but may impact the Company's disclosures.

Leases

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, "Leases (Topic 842)" ("ASU 2016-02"). ASU 2016-02 requires 
lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and lease liability on the consolidated statements of financial position and disclose key 
information about leasing arrangements. The recognition, measurement and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising 
from a lease by a lessee have not significantly changed from current U.S. GAAP. ASU 2016-02 is effective for annual and interim 
periods beginning after December 15, 2018. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had approximately 65 operating leases for 
office space with aggregate minimum lease commitments of $78.4 million. The Company is evaluating other service contracts 
which may include embedded leases. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-02, the Company does not expect material changes to the 
recognition of rent expense in its consolidated statements of operations. The impact of the new guidance on Piper Jaffray’s net 
capital is expected to be minimal. 

Stock-Based Compensation

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, "Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to 
Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting" ("ASU 2016-09"). ASU 2016-09 makes targeted amendments to the accounting 
for share-based payments to employees. Under ASU 2016-09, entities will be required to recognize the income tax effects of 
awards in the income statement when the awards vest or are settled, rather than as additional paid-in capital. ASU 2016-09 also 
amends the guidance regarding the employer’s statutory income tax withholding requirements and allows an entity to make an 
accounting policy election for forfeitures. The guidance is effective on a prospective basis for annual and interim periods beginning 
after December 15, 2016. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had $7.3 million of excess tax benefits recorded as additional 
paid-in capital, which will remain in additional paid-in capital upon adoption. The adoption of ASU 2016-09 will impact the 
Company's 2017 results of operations as excess tax benefits generated from the vesting of share-based awards will be recognized 
in the income statement as opposed to additional paid-in capital.

Financial Instruments – Credit Losses 

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, "Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of 
Credit Losses on Financial Instruments" ("ASU 2016-13"). The new guidance requires an entity to measure all expected credit 
losses  for  financial  assets  held  at  the  reporting  date  based  on  historical  experience,  current  conditions,  and  reasonable  and 
supportable forecasts as opposed to delaying recognition until the loss was probable of occurring. ASU 2016-13 is effective for 
annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted for annual and interim periods 
beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2016-13 to have a material impact on 
its consolidated financial statements.

Statement of Cash Flows

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, "Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash 
Receipts and Cash Payments" ("ASU 2016-15"). ASU 2016-15 clarifies how entities should classify certain cash receipts and 
cash payments on the statement of cash flows. The amendments in ASU 2016-15 are effective for annual and interim periods 
beginning after December 15, 2017 and should be applied retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted. The Company expects 
that only a limited number of the amendments will impact the presentation of its consolidated statements of cash flows. 

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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, "Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash" ("ASU 
2016-18"). Under ASU 2016-18, restricted cash will be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-
of-period and end-of-period amounts shown on the consolidated statements of cash flows. ASU 2016-18 is effective for annual 
and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and should be applied retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted. 

Goodwill Impairment

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, "Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test 
for Goodwill Impairment" ("ASU 2017-04"). ASU 2017-04 eliminates the requirement to calculate the implied fair value of 
goodwill (i.e., perform a hypothetical purchase price allocation) to measure a goodwill impairment charge. Instead, entities will 
record an impairment charge based on the excess of a reporting unit’s carrying amount over its fair value. ASU 2017-04 is 
effective for the Company’s annual and any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 
and should be applied prospectively. Early adoption is permitted for interim and annual goodwill impairment testing dates after 
January 1, 2017.

Note 4 Acquisitions 

The following 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. 

Simmons & Company International

On February 26, 2016, the Company completed the acquisition of Simmons & Company International ("Simmons"), an 
employee-owned investment bank and broker dealer focused on the energy industry. The economic value of the acquisition was 
approximately $140.0 million and was completed pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement dated November 16, 2015, as 
amended. The acquisition of Simmons expands the Company's equity underwriting and institutional brokerage businesses into 
the energy sector and grows its advisory business.

The Company acquired net assets with a fair value of $119.3 million as described below. As part of the purchase price, the 
Company issued 1,149,340 restricted shares valued at $48.2 million as equity consideration on the acquisition date. Employees 
must fulfill service requirements in exchange for the rights to the shares. Compensation expense will be amortized on a straight-
line basis over the requisite service period of one or three years (a weighted average service period of 2.7 years). The fair value 
of the restricted stock was determined using the market price of the Company's common stock on the date of the acquisition. 

The Company also entered into acquisition-related compensation arrangements with certain employees of $20.6 million
which consisted of cash ($9.0 million) and restricted stock ($11.6 million) for retention purposes. Compensation expense related 
to these arrangements will be amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of three years. Additional cash 
compensation may be available to certain investment banking employees subject to exceeding an investment banking revenue 
threshold during the three year post-acquisition period to the extent they are employed by the Company at the time of payment. 
Amounts estimated to be payable related to this performance award plan will be recorded as compensation expense on the 
consolidated statements of operations over the requisite performance period of three years. For the year ended December 31, 
2016, the Company recorded $4.3 million related to this performance award plan.

The Company recorded $60.7 million of goodwill on its consolidated statements of financial condition, of which $59.4 
million is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes. In management's opinion, the goodwill represents the reputation 
and operating expertise of Simmons.

Identifiable intangible assets purchased by the Company consisted of customer relationships and the Simmons trade name 
with acquisition-date fair values of $17.5 million and $9.1 million, respectively. Transaction costs of $0.9 million were incurred 
for the year ended December 31, 2016, and are included in restructuring and integration costs on the consolidated statements of 
operations.

79

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

The  following  table  summarizes  the  estimated  fair  value  of  assets  acquired  and  liabilities  assumed  at  the  date  of  the 

acquisition:

(Dollars in thousands)
Assets:

Cash and cash equivalents.............................................................................................................................
Fixed assets ...................................................................................................................................................
Goodwill........................................................................................................................................................
Intangible assets ............................................................................................................................................
Investments ...................................................................................................................................................
Other assets ...................................................................................................................................................
Total assets acquired........................................................................................................................................

$

Liabilities:

Accrued compensation ..................................................................................................................................
Other liabilities and accrued expenses ..........................................................................................................
Total liabilities assumed ..................................................................................................................................

47,201
1,868
60,737
26,638
980
5,071
142,495

15,387
7,814
23,201

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

$

119,294

Simmons’  results  of  operations  have  been  included  in  the  Company's  consolidated  financial  statements  prospectively 
beginning  on  the  date  of  acquisition.  The  acquisition  has  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 acquisition had occurred at the beginning of the comparable prior periods presented. Pro forma results have been 
prepared by adjusting the Company's historical results to include Simmons' results of operations adjusted for the following 
changes: amortization expense was adjusted to account for the acquisition-date fair value of intangible assets; compensation 
and benefits expenses were adjusted to reflect such expenses based on the Company’s compensation arrangements and the 
restricted  stock  issued  as  equity  consideration;  and  the  income  tax  effect  of  applying  the  Company's  statutory  tax  rates  to 
Simmons’ results of operations. The Company's unaudited pro forma information presented does not necessarily reflect the 
results of operations that would have resulted had the acquisition 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) applicable to Piper Jaffray Companies ..................................

$

River Branch Holdings LLC and BMO Capital Markets GKST Inc.

Year Ended December 31,
2015
753,369
47,290

2016
755,146
(16,411)

$

$

2014
752,197
57,939

On September 30, 2015, the Company acquired the assets of River Branch Holdings LLC ("River Branch"), an equity 
investment banking boutique focused on the financial institutions sector. On October 9, 2015, the Company completed the 
purchase of BMO Capital Markets GKST Inc. ("BMO GKST"), a municipal bond sales, trading and origination business of 
BMO Financial Corp. The Company recorded $6.1 million of goodwill on the consolidated statements of financial condition 
related  to  these  acquisitions  and  $7.5  million  of  identifiable  intangible  assets  consisting  of  customer  relationships.  In 
management's opinion, the goodwill represents the reputation and operating expertise of River Branch and BMO GKST.

The results of operations of River Branch and BMO GKST have been included in the Company's consolidated financial 
statements prospectively from the respective dates of acquisition. The terms of these transactions were not disclosed as the 
acquisitions did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. 

80

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

Note 5 Financial Instruments and Other Inventory Positions Owned and Financial Instruments and Other Inventory Positions 

Sold, but Not Yet Purchased 

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

December 31,
2016

December 31,
2015

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

$

$

6,363
103,486
21,018

Municipal securities:

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

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

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....

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

$

$

$

63,090
559,329
35,175
5,638
205,685
29,970
29,217
1,058,971

(57,700)
1,001,271

89,453
17,324
6,723
180,650
5,207
299,357

$

$

(631)
298,726

$

(4,586)
234,569

(1)  Noncontrolling interests attributable to third party ownership in a consolidated municipal bond fund consist of $1.3 million and $7.5 million of taxable 
municipal securities, $55.2 million and $35.1 million of tax-exempt municipal securities, and $1.2 million and $0.8 million of derivative contracts as of 
December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. 

(2)  Noncontrolling  interests  attributable  to  third  party  ownership  in  a  consolidated  municipal  bond  fund  consist  of  U.S.  government  securities  as  of 

December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

At December 31, 2016 and 2015, financial instruments and other inventory positions owned in the amount of $594.4 million 

and $707.4 million, respectively, had been pledged as collateral for short-term financings and repurchase agreements.

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, U.S. treasury bond and Eurodollar futures and exchange traded options.

81

9,505
18,460
48,654

111,591
416,966
33,068
121,794
188,140
7,729
35,027
990,934

(43,397)
947,537

15,740
39,909
21,267
159,037
3,202
239,155

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

Derivative Contract Financial Instruments

The  Company  uses  interest  rate  swaps,  interest  rate  locks,  credit  default  swap  index  contracts,  U.S  treasury  bond  and 
Eurodollar futures and equity option contracts as a means to manage risk in certain inventory positions. The Company also enters 
into interest rate swaps to facilitate customer transactions. 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 and uses U.S. treasury bond and 
Eurodollar futures to hedge interest rate and market value risks associated with its fixed income securities. These 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.

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. The total absolute notional contract amount, representing the absolute value of the sum of gross long and short 
derivative contracts, provides an indication of the volume of the Company's derivative activity and does not represent gains and 
losses. The following table presents the gross fair market value and the total absolute notional contract amount of the Company's 
outstanding derivative instruments, prior to counterparty netting, by asset or liability position:

(Dollars in thousands)
Derivative Category
Interest rate

Derivative
Assets (1)

December 31, 2016
Derivative
Liabilities (2)

Notional
Amount

Derivative
Assets (1)

December 31, 2015
Derivative
Liabilities (2)

Notional
Amount

Customer matched-book ..
Trading securities .............

$

288,955
13,952

$

272,819
1,707

$ 3,330,207
423,550

$

406,888
—

$

386,284
7,685

$ 4,392,440
290,600

Credit default swap index

Trading securities .............

Futures and equity options

Trading securities .............

—

127

7,470

5,411

530

94,270

—
302,907

$

$

—
274,653

—
$ 3,761,227

$

164
412,463

$

149
394,648

2,345,037
$ 7,122,347

(1)  Derivative assets are included within financial instruments and other inventory positions owned on the consolidated statements of financial condition.

(2)  Derivative liabilities are included within financial instruments and other inventory positions sold, but not yet purchased on the consolidated statements 

of financial condition.

82

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

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 gains and losses on the related economically hedged inventory positions are 
not disclosed below as they are not in qualifying hedging relationships. 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..........
Futures and equity option derivative
contracts ................................................

Operations Category
Investment banking
Institutional brokerage
Institutional brokerage

Institutional brokerage

Year Ended December 31,
2015

2014

2016

$

$

(4,151)
19,613
4,317

255
20,034

$

$

(2,274)
534
12,228

(252)
10,236

$

$

(2,790)
(1,678)
(1,080)

1,037
(4,511)

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, 2016, the Company had $22.7 million of 
uncollateralized credit exposure with these counterparties (notional contract amount of $183.4 million), including $15.6 million 
of uncollateralized credit exposure with one counterparty.

Note 6 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.

83

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

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. 

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.

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. Certain illiquid taxable 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.

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.

Mortgage-backed  securities  –  Mortgage-backed  securities  are  valued  using  observable  trades,  when  available.  Certain 
mortgage-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 mortgage-backed securities are categorized as Level 
II.  Other  mortgage-backed  securities,  which  are  principally  collateralized  by  residential  mortgages,  have  experienced  low 
volumes of executed transactions resulting in less observable transaction data. Certain mortgage-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 mortgage-
backed securities are categorized as Level III.

84

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

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  126-952  basis  points  ("bps")  on  spreads  over  U.S.  treasury  securities,  or  models  based  upon 
prepayment expectations ranging from13%-33% conditional prepayment rate ("CPR"). 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 swaps, interest rate locks, credit default swap index contracts, U.S 
treasury bond and Eurodollar futures and equity option 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 included 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. 

Investments

The  Company’s  investments  valued  at  fair  value  include  equity  investments  in  private  companies  and  partnerships, 
investments in registered mutual funds, warrants of public and private companies and private company debt. Investments in 
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. Investments 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 (e.g., multiples of revenue and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA")) 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 $19.7 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, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The realized and unrealized net gains from fair value changes included in earnings 
as a result of electing to apply the fair value option to certain financial assets were $1.8 million, $1.3 million and $2.7 million
for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

85

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, 2016:

Valuation
Technique

Unobservable Input

Range

Weighted
Average

Assets:
Financial instruments and other
inventory positions owned:
Municipal securities:

Taxable securities...................... Discounted cash

flow

Tax-exempt securities................ Discounted cash

flow

Short-term securities ................. Discounted cash

flow

Expected recovery rate
(% of par) (2)
Expected recovery rate
(% of par) (2)
Expected recovery rate
(% of par) (2)

62.6%

5 - 60%

66 - 94%

0 - 4%
1 - 35%
0 - 100%
3 - 7%

62.6%

19.4%

91.0%

2.7%
6.5%
72.9%
3.8%

1 - 19 bps

6.9 bps

Credit default rates (3)
Prepayment rates (4)
Loss severity (3)
Valuation yields (3)

Premium over the MMD
curve (1)

Revenue multiple (2)
EBITDA multiple (2)

2 - 4 times
10 - 15 times

3.8 times
12.0 times

Mortgage-backed securities:

Collateralized by residential
mortgages ................................

Discounted cash
flow

Derivative contracts:

Interest rate locks ...................... Discounted cash

flow

Investments at fair value:

Equity securities in private
companies................................ Market approach

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)

2 - 30 bps

17.1 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.

86

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, 2016:

(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...............
Mortgage-backed securities ......
U.S. government agency
securities....................................
U.S. government securities .......
Derivative contracts ..................

Total financial instruments and
other inventory positions owned

Level I

Level II

Level III

Counterparty
and Cash
Collateral
Netting (1)

Total

$

82
—
—

—
—
—
—

—
29,970
—

6,281
103,486
21,018

60,404
558,252
34,431
273

205,685
—
288,955

30,052

1,278,785

$

$

—
—
—

2,686
1,077
744
5,365

—
—
13,952

23,824

— $
—
—

—
—
—
—

—
—
(273,690)

6,363
103,486
21,018

63,090
559,329
35,175
5,638

205,685
29,970
29,217

(273,690)

1,058,971

Cash equivalents..........................

768

—

—

—

768

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 .................

$

$

32,783
63,603

$

—
1,278,785

$

123,319 (2)
147,143

$

—
(273,690) $

156,102
1,215,841

89,453
—

$

— $

17,324

—
180,650
—

6,723
—
273,166

—
—

—
—
1,487

$

— $
—

—
—
(269,446)

89,453
17,324

6,723
180,650
5,207

$

270,103

$

297,213

$

1,487

$

(269,446) $

299,357

(1)  Represents cash collateral and the impact of netting on a counterparty basis. The Company had no securities posted as collateral to its 

counterparties.

(2)  Noncontrolling interests of $45.1 million are attributable to third party ownership in consolidated merchant banking and senior living 

funds.

87

— $
—
—

—
—
—
—

—
—
(377,436)

9,505
18,460
48,654

111,591
416,966
33,068
121,794

188,140
7,729
35,027

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, 2015:

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 ..........

$

$

7,569
—
—

$

1,936
18,460
48,654

$

—
—
—

Municipal securities:

Taxable securities....................
Tax-exempt securities.............
Short-term securities...............
Mortgage-backed securities ......
U.S. government agency
securities....................................
U.S. government securities .......
Derivative contracts ..................

Total financial instruments and
other inventory positions owned

—
—
—
—

—
7,729
164

105,775
415,789
32,348
670

188,140
—
412,299

5,816
1,177
720
121,124

—
—
—

15,462

1,224,071

128,837

(377,436)

990,934

Cash equivalents..........................

130,138

—

—

—

130,138

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 .................

$

$

34,874
180,474

$

—
1,224,071

$

109,444 (2)
238,281

$

—
(377,436) $

144,318
1,265,390

13,489
—

$

2,251
39,909

$

—
159,037
149

21,267
—
387,351

—
—

—
—
7,148

$

— $
—

—
—
(391,446)

15,740
39,909

21,267
159,037
3,202

$

172,675

$

450,778

$

7,148

$

(391,446) $

239,155

(1)  Represents cash collateral and the impact of netting on a counterparty basis. The Company had no securities posted as collateral to its 

counterparties.

(2)  Noncontrolling interests of $41.0 million are attributable to third party ownership in consolidated merchant banking and senior living 

funds and private equity investment vehicles.

88

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

The Company’s Level III assets were $147.1 million and $238.3 million, or 12.1 percent and 18.8 percent of financial 
instruments measured at fair value at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The value of transfers between levels are 
recognized at the beginning of the reporting period. There were $9.1 million of transfers of financial assets out of Level III for 
the year ended December 31, 2016, primarily related to the deconsolidation of certain investment partnerships as discussed in 
Note 3. There were no other significant transfers between Level I, Level II or Level III for the year ended December 31, 2016.

The following tables summarize the changes in fair value associated with Level III financial instruments held at the beginning 

or end of the periods presented: 

Balance at

December 31,

Transfers

Transfers

gains/

gains/

December 31,

December 31,

Realized

Unrealized

Balance at

liabilities held at

(Dollars in thousands)

2015

Purchases

Sales

in

out

(losses) (1)

(losses) (1)

2016

2016 (1)

Unrealized gains/

(losses) for assets/

Assets:

Financial instruments
and other inventory
positions owned:

Municipal securities:

Taxable securities...

$

5,816

$

— $

(3,700) $ — $ — $

554

$

16

$

2,686

$

1,177

720

—

—

—

—

121,124

26,519

(142,263)

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

(100)

1,077

24

744

3,495

—

(3,510)

13,952

5,365

13,952

16

(100)

24

69

13,952

128,837

26,519

(145,963)

—

—

4,049

10,382

23,824

13,961

109,444

33,683

(28,343)

—

(9,088)

10,336

7,287

123,319

$

238,281

$

60,202

$ (174,306) $ — $ (9,088) $ 14,385

$

17,669

$

147,143

$

7,014

20,975

Tax-exempt
securities ................

Short-term
securities ................

Mortgage-backed

securities .................

Derivative contracts ..

Total financial

instruments and other
inventory positions
owned.........................

Investments at fair
value.............................

Total assets...................

Liabilities:

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

Derivative contracts ..

$

7,148

$ (14,653) $

— $ — $ — $ 14,653

$

(5,661) $

1,487

$

1,487

Total financial

instruments and other
inventory positions
sold, but not yet
purchased ...................

$

7,148

$ (14,653) $

— $ — $ — $ 14,653

$

(5,661) $

1,487

$

1,487

(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.

89

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

Balance at

December 31,

Transfers

Transfers

gains/

gains/

December 31,

December 31,

Realized

Unrealized

Balance at

liabilities held at

(Dollars in thousands)

2014

Purchases

Sales

in

out

(losses) (1)

(losses) (1)

2015

2015 (1)

Unrealized gains/

(losses) for assets/

Assets:

Financial instruments
and other inventory
positions owned:

Municipal securities:

Taxable securities...

$

— $

5,133

$

— $ — $ — $

— $

683

$

5,816

$

683

1,186

720

—

—

—

—

124,749

130,534

(138,874)

140

520

—

126,795

136,187

(138,874)

74,165

18,589

(1,089)

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

(9)

—

1,177

720

3,301

(520)

1,414

(140)

121,124

—

(9)

—

2,157

—

2,781

1,948

128,837

2,831

$

200,960

$ 154,776

$ (139,963) $ — $ — $

2,865

$

19,643

$

238,281

$

84

17,695

109,444

17,589

20,420

Tax-exempt
securities ................

Short-term
securities ................

Mortgage-backed

securities .................

Derivative contracts ..

Total financial

instruments and other
inventory positions
owned.........................

Investments at fair
value.............................

Total assets...................

Liabilities:

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

Derivative contracts ..

$

7,822

$ (10,349) $

— $ — $ — $ 10,349

$

(674) $

7,148

$

7,148

Total financial

instruments and other
inventory positions
sold, but not yet
purchased ...................

$

7,822

$ (10,349) $

— $ — $ — $ 10,349

$

(674) $

7,148

$

7,148

(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 the Company’s 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 approximate fair 
value due to their liquid or short-term nature.

Non-Recurring Fair Value Measurement

During the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company recorded a goodwill impairment charge of $82.9 million representing 
approximately 42 percent of the value of goodwill attributable to the asset management reporting unit. The fair value measurement 
used in the analysis was calculated using the income approach (discounted cash flow method) and market approach (earnings 
multiples of public company comparables). The discounted cash flow model was calculated using unobservable inputs, such as 
revenue and EBITDA forecasts, which are classified as Level III within the fair value hierarchy. See Note 13 for further discussion.

90

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

Note 7 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, or providing financing to senior living facilities, 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 structure 
and nature of each 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 and how the entity is 
financed.

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. Effective January 1, 2016, the 
Company adopted ASU 2015-02. Prior to the adoption of ASU 2015-02, the primary beneficiary analysis differed for entities 
which qualified for the deferral under previous consolidation guidance (i.e., asset managers and investment companies). For 
these entities, the Company was considered to be the primary beneficiary if it absorbed a majority of the VIE’s expected losses, 
received a majority of the VIE’s expected residual returns, or both.

Consolidated VIEs

The Company’s consolidated VIEs at December 31, 2016 include certain alternative asset management funds in which the 
Company has an investment and as the managing partner, is deemed to have both the power to direct the most significant activities 
of the funds and the right to receive benefits (or the obligation to absorb losses) that could potentially be significant to these 
funds. Prior to the adoption of ASU 2015-02, these entities lacked the characteristics of a VIE and were consolidated as voting 
interest entities.

The  following  table  presents  information  about  the  carrying  value  of  the  assets  and  liabilities  of  the  VIEs  which  are 
consolidated by the Company and included on the consolidated statements of financial condition at December 31, 2016. The 
assets can only be used to settle the liabilities of the respective VIE, and the creditors of the VIEs do not have recourse to the 
general credit of the Company. The assets and liabilities are presented prior to consolidation and thus a portion of these assets 
and liabilities are eliminated in consolidation.

(Dollars in thousands)
Assets:

Alternative Asset
Management Funds

Receivables from brokers, dealers and clearing organizations..........................................................
Financial instruments and other inventory positions owned and pledged as collateral ....................
Investments........................................................................................................................................
Other assets........................................................................................................................................
Total assets...........................................................................................................................................

Liabilities:

Short-term financing..........................................................................................................................
Payables to brokers, dealers and clearing organizations ...................................................................
Financial instruments and other inventory positions sold, but not yet purchased.............................
Other liabilities and accrued expenses ..............................................................................................
Total liabilities .....................................................................................................................................

$

$

$

$

7,768
332,317
101,099
5,602
446,786

271,811
13,948
3,632
5,120
294,511

91

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

The Company has investments in a grantor trust which was established as part of a nonqualified deferred compensation 
plan. The Company is the primary beneficiary of the grantor trust. Accordingly, the assets and liabilities of the grantor trust are 
consolidated by the Company on the consolidated statements of financial condition. See Note 21 for additional information on 
the nonqualified deferred compensation plan.

Nonconsolidated VIEs

The Company determined it is not the primary beneficiary of certain VIEs and accordingly does not consolidate them. These 
VIEs had net assets approximating $0.8 billion and $0.4 billion at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company’s 
exposure to loss from these VIEs is $7.6 million, which is the carrying value of its capital contributions recorded in investments 
on the consolidated statements of financial condition at December 31, 2016. The Company had no liabilities related to these 
VIEs at December 31, 2016 and 2015. 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, 2016.

Note 8 Receivables from and Payables to Brokers, Dealers and Clearing Organizations 

(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 ............................................................................................................................
Total receivables from brokers, dealers and clearing organizations .........................

(Dollars in thousands)
Payable arising from unsettled securities transactions ................................................
Payable to clearing organizations................................................................................
Securities failed to receive...........................................................................................
Other ............................................................................................................................
Total payables to brokers, dealers and clearing organizations..................................

December 31,
2016

December 31,
2015

$

$

132,724
27,573
3,293
35,713
975
12,452
212,730

$

$

62,105
47,508
3,155
27,019
2,100
6,062
147,949

December 31,
2016

December 31,
2015

$

$

13,948
15,893
3,043
7,958
40,842

$

$

34,445
3,115
4,468
6,103
48,131

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 9 Receivables from and Payables to Customers 

(Dollars in thousands)
Cash accounts ..............................................................................................................
Margin accounts ..........................................................................................................
Total receivables from customers..............................................................................

December 31,
2016

December 31,
2015

$

$

29,610
2,307
31,917

$

$

39,415
1,752
41,167

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.

92

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

(Dollars in thousands)
Cash accounts ..............................................................................................................
Margin accounts ..........................................................................................................
Total payables to customers ......................................................................................

December 31,
2016

December 31,
2015

$

$

14,416
14,936
29,352

$

$

19,650
17,714
37,364

Payables  to  customers  primarily  comprise  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.

Note 10 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 the majority of its 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  $192.2  million  and  $185.8  million  at 
December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, of which $185.2 million and $175.8 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, 2016:

(Dollars in thousands)
On demand maturities:

U.S. government agency securities .........................................
U.S. government securities .....................................................

Repurchase
Liabilities

Fair Market
Value

$

$

1,877
15,046
16,923

$

$

1,975
14,877
16,852

Interest Rate

0.80%
0.00 - 0.25%

93

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

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. The following table provides information about the offsetting of these instruments 
and related collateral amounts at December 31, 2016:

Gross Amount
Offset on the
Consolidated
 Statements of
Financial Condition

Net Amounts
Presented on the
Consolidated
 Statements of
Financial Condition

Gross
Recognized
Assets

Gross Amounts Not Offset
on the Consolidated Statements
of Financial Condition

Financial
 Instruments

Collateral
Received (1)

Net
Amount

$

161,574

$

(1,877) $

159,697

$

— $

(159,697) $

27,573

—

27,573

—

(27,573)

—

—

Gross Amount
Offset on the
Consolidated
 Statements of
Financial Condition

Net Amount
Presented on the
Consolidated
 Statements of
Financial Condition

Gross
Recognized
Liabilities

Gross Amount Not Offset
on the Consolidated Statements
of Financial Condition

Financial
 Instruments

Collateral
Pledged (2)

Net
Amount

$

16,923

$

(1,877) $

15,046

$

— $

(15,046) $

—

(Dollars in thousands)
Description

Reverse repurchase
agreements ..............

Securities
borrowed (3)............

(Dollars in thousands)
Description

Repurchase
agreements ..............

(1) 

(2) 

Includes securities received by the Company from the counterparty. These securities are not included on the consolidated statements of financial condition 
unless there is an event of default.

Includes the fair value of securities pledged by the Company to the counterparty. These securities are included on the consolidated statements of financial 
condition unless the Company defaults.

(3)  Deposits paid for securities borrowed are included in receivables from brokers, dealers and clearing organizations on the consolidated statements of 

financial condition. See Note 8 for additional information on receivables from brokers, dealers and clearing organizations.

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, 2015, as a legal right of offset did not exist. The Company had 
no outstanding securities lending arrangements as of December 31, 2016 or 2015. See Note 5 for information related to the 
Company's offsetting of derivative contracts.  

94

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

Note 11 Investments 

The Company’s investments include investments in private companies and partnerships, registered mutual funds, warrants 

of public and private companies and private company debt.

(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,
2016

December 31,
2015

$

$

$

156,102
2,755
9,200
168,057

(45,123)
122,934

$

144,318
3,299
17,781
165,398

(41,008)
124,390

(1)  Noncontrolling interests are attributable to third party ownership in consolidated merchant banking and senior living funds and private equity investment 

vehicles.

At December 31, 2016, investments carried on a cost basis had an estimated fair market value of $4.4 million. Because 
valuation estimates were based upon management’s judgment, 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 12 Other Assets 

(Dollars in thousands)
Net deferred income tax assets ...................................................................................
Fee receivables............................................................................................................
Accrued interest receivables .......................................................................................
Forgivable loans, net...................................................................................................
Prepaid expenses.........................................................................................................
Secured loan receivables.............................................................................................
Other ...........................................................................................................................
Total other assets ......................................................................................................

$

$

December 31,
2016

December 31,
2015

97,833
22,840
9,259
9,307
6,363
6,236
13,124
164,962

$

$

66,810
18,362
6,145
10,234
6,161
3,289
6,664
117,665

See Note 25 for additional details concerning the Company's net deferred income tax assets.

95

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

Note 13 Goodwill and Intangible Assets 

(Dollars in thousands)
Goodwill
Balance at December 31, 2014 .................................................
Goodwill acquired ......................................................................
Balance at December 31, 2015 .................................................
Goodwill acquired ......................................................................
Impairment charge ......................................................................
Balance at December 31, 2016 .................................................

Intangible assets
Balance at December 31, 2014 .................................................
Intangible assets acquired ...........................................................
Amortization of intangible assets ...............................................
Balance at December 31, 2015 .................................................
Intangible assets acquired ...........................................................
Amortization of intangible assets ...............................................
Balance at December 31, 2016 .................................................

$

$

$

$

$

$

Capital
Markets

Asset
Management 

Total

15,034
6,098
21,132
60,723
—
81,855

2,344
7,534
(1,622)
8,256
26,651
(15,587)
19,320

$

$

$

$

$

$

196,844
—
196,844
419
(82,900)
114,363

28,314
—
(6,040)
22,274
1,267
(5,627)
17,914

$

$

$

$

$

$

211,878
6,098
217,976
61,142
(82,900)
196,218

30,658
7,534
(7,662)
30,530
27,918
(21,214)
37,234

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 requires a comparison of the fair value of the reporting unit to its 
carrying value, including allocated goodwill. The estimated fair value of the reporting unit is derived based on valuation techniques 
that a market participant would use. The Company estimates the fair value of the reporting unit using the income approach 
(discounted cash flow method) and market approach (earnings and/or transaction multiples). 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 performed its annual goodwill impairment analysis as of October 31, 2016, which resulted in a non-cash 
goodwill impairment charge of $82.9 million. The charge relates to the asset management reporting unit and primarily pertains 
to goodwill created from the 2010 acquisition of ARI. The fair value of the asset management reporting unit was calculated 
using  the  income  approach  (discounted  cash  flow  method  based  on  revenue  and  EBITDA  forecasts)  and  market  approach 
(earnings  multiples  of  comparable  public  companies).  The  impairment  charge  resulted  from  net  outflows  of  assets  under 
management in 2016 as a result of an extended cycle of investors favoring passive investment vehicles over active management, 
combined with certain investment strategies having performance below their benchmarks, which led to reduced management 
fees and profitability. The annual goodwill impairment testing resulted in no impairment associated with the capital markets 
reporting unit.

The Company also evaluated its intangible assets (indefinite and definite-lived) and concluded there was no impairment in 

2016. The Company concluded there was no goodwill or intangible asset impairment in 2015 and 2014, respectively. 

The addition of goodwill and intangible assets during the year ended December 31, 2016 primarily related to the acquisition 
of Simmons, as discussed in Note 4. Management identified $26.6 million of intangible assets, consisting of customer relationships 
($17.5 million) and the Simmons trade name ($9.1 million), which will be amortized over a weighted average life of 1.6 years
and 4.0 years, respectively. 

96

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

The addition of goodwill and intangible assets during the year ended December 31, 2015 related to the acquisitions of River 
Branch and BMO GKST, as discussed in Note 4. Management identified intangible assets consisting of customer relationships 
with acquisition-date fair values of $7.5 million, which are being amortized over a weighted average life of 2.1 years. 

Intangible assets with determinable lives consist of customer relationships and the Simmons trade name. 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)
2017..............................................................................................................................................................
2018..............................................................................................................................................................
2019..............................................................................................................................................................
2020..............................................................................................................................................................
2021..............................................................................................................................................................
Total...........................................................................................................................................................

$

$

15,289
9,793
7,779
1,256
258
34,375

Note 14 Fixed Assets 

(Dollars in thousands)
Furniture and equipment.............................................................................................
Leasehold improvements ............................................................................................
Software......................................................................................................................
Total..........................................................................................................................
Accumulated depreciation and amortization ..............................................................

December 31,
2016

December 31,
2015

$

$

37,712
31,982
13,957
83,651
(58,308)
25,343

$

$

31,953
25,213
13,692
70,858
(51,874)
18,984

For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, depreciation and amortization of furniture and equipment, leasehold 
improvements and software totaled $6.4 million, $5.1 million and $5.3 million, respectively, and are included in occupancy and 
equipment expense on the consolidated statements of operations.

Note 15 Short-Term Financing 

(Dollars in thousands)
Commercial paper (secured) ............................
Prime broker arrangements ..............................
Total short-term financing..............................

Outstanding Balance

December 31,
2016

December 31,
2015

Weighted Average Interest Rate
December 31,
December 31,
2015
2016

$

$

147,021
271,811
418,832

$

$

276,894
169,296
446,190

2.12%
1.49%

1.74%
1.07%

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, 2016, the weighted average maturity of CP Series A, CP Series II A and CP Series III A was 45 days, 13 days and 
15 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. CP Series III A includes a covenant that requires the Company’s U.S. broker dealer subsidiary to maintain 
excess net capital of $120 million.

97

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

The Company has established arrangements to obtain financing with prime brokers related to its municipal bond fund and 
convertible securities. Financing under these arrangements is primarily secured by municipal securities, and collateral limitations 
could reduce the amount of funding available under the arrangements. Prime broker financing activities are recorded net of 
receivables from trading activity. The funding is at the discretion of the prime brokers subject to a notice period. 

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, 2016 consisted of a one-year $200 million
committed revolving credit facility with U.S. Bank, N.A., which was renewed in December 2016. 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 minimum net capital of $120 million, and the unpaid principal amount of all advances under this facility 
will be due on December 16, 2017. The Company pays a nonrefundable commitment fee on the unused portion of the facility 
on a quarterly basis. At December 31, 2016, the Company had no advances against this line of credit.

The Company’s uncommitted secured lines at December 31, 2016 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, 2016, the Company had no advances against these lines of credit. 

Note 16 Senior Notes 

The Company has entered into variable and fixed rate senior notes with certain entities advised by Pacific Investment 

Management Company ("PIMCO"). The following table presents the outstanding balance by note class:

(Dollars in thousands)
Class A Notes..............................................................................................................
Class C Notes..............................................................................................................
Total senior notes......................................................................................................

$

$

Outstanding Balance

December 31,
2016

December 31,
2015

50,000
125,000
175,000

$

$

50,000
125,000
175,000

On October 8, 2015, the Company entered into a second amended and restated note purchase agreement ("Second Amended 
and Restated Note Purchase Agreement") under which the Company issued $125 million of fixed rate Class C Notes. The Class 
C Notes bear interest at an annual fixed rate of 5.06 percent, payable semi-annually and mature on October 9, 2018. The variable 
rate Class A Notes bear interest at a rate equal to three-month LIBOR plus 3.00 percent, adjusted and payable quarterly and 
mature on May 31, 2017. The unpaid principal amounts are due in full on the respective maturity dates and may not be prepaid 
by the Company. 

The Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement includes customary events of default and 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. 
At December 31, 2016, the Company was in compliance with all covenants. 

The senior notes are recorded at amortized cost. As of December 31, 2016, the carrying value of the variable rate Class A 
Notes approximated fair value. As of December 31, 2016, the fair value of the fixed rate Class C Notes was approximately 
$126.5 million. 

98

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

Note 17 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. Reasonably possible losses in excess of amounts 
accrued at December 31, 2016 are not material. 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 
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 included within other operating expenses resulted in expense of $0.3 million, $9.7 million
(primarily  related  to  a  municipal  derivatives  class  action  settlement  paid  in  2016),  and  $0.8  million  for  the  years  ended 
December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, 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, 
2016 are as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
2017................................................................................................................................................................
2018................................................................................................................................................................
2019................................................................................................................................................................
2020................................................................................................................................................................
2021................................................................................................................................................................
Thereafter.......................................................................................................................................................
Total.............................................................................................................................................................

$

$

14,629
13,601
11,857
11,307
7,040
20,006
78,440

Total  minimum  rentals  to  be  received  from  2017  through  2021  under  noncancelable  subleases  were  $4.7  million  at 

December 31, 2016.

Rental expense, including operating costs and real estate taxes, was $17.3 million, $13.7 million and $13.8 million for the 

years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

99

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

Fund Commitments

As of December 31, 2016, the Company had commitments to invest approximately $22.8 million in limited partnerships 

that make investments in private equity companies or provide financing for senior living facilities. 

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.

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 18 Restructuring 

The  Company  incurred  the  following  pre-tax  restructuring  charges  within  the  Capital  Markets  segment  primarily  in 

conjunction with the acquisitions of Simmons, River Branch and BMO GKST discussed in Note 4.

(Dollars in thousands)
Severance, benefits and outplacement costs...............................................................
Vacated redundant leased office space........................................................................
Contract termination costs ..........................................................................................
Total pre-tax restructuring charges...........................................................................

$

$

Year Ended December 31,
2016

2015

6,608
1,320
1,026
8,954

$

$

8,806
—
546
9,352

Note 19 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 did not 
pay cash dividends on its common stock in 2016, 2015 or 2014. Beginning in 2017, the Company is initiating the payment of 
a quarterly cash dividend to holders of its common stock. Additionally, there are dividend restrictions as set forth in Note 24.

100

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

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.

Share Repurchases

Effective August 14, 2015, the Company's board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $150.0 million in common 
shares through September 30, 2017. During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company repurchased 1,536,226 shares at 
an average price of $38.89 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $59.7 million related to this authorization. The Company 
has $71.8 million remaining under this authorization. During the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company repurchased 
2,459,400 shares  at an average price of $48.17 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $118.5 million related to the August 
2015 and prior authorizations. The Company did not repurchase any shares of the Company's outstanding common stock during 
the year ended December 31, 2014.

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 261,685 shares or $11.1 million, 281,180
shares or $14.5 million and 256,055 shares or $10.9 million of the Company’s common stock for this purpose during the years
ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. 

Issuance of Shares 

The Company issues common shares out of treasury stock as a result of employee restricted share vesting and exercise 
transactions as discussed in Note 21. During the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, the Company issued 854,416 
shares, 784,751 shares and 1,030,249 shares, respectively, related to these obligations. The Company also issued common shares 
out of treasury stock related to obligations under the Piper Jaffray Companies Retirement Plan. During the year ended December 
31, 2014, the Company issued 103,598 shares or $4.2 million out of treasury stock in fulfillment of these obligations.

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.

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 merchant banking fund of $35.0 million, a municipal 
bond fund with employee investors of $9.2 million and a senior living fund aggregating $12.8 million as of December 31, 2016. 
As of December 31, 2015, noncontrolling interests included the minority equity holders’ proportionate share of the equity in a 
merchant banking fund of $31.8 million, a municipal bond fund with employee investors of $7.0 million and private investment 
vehicles aggregating $10.4 million.

101

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

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, 2016, 2015
and 2014. 

Note 20 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 and a tax-qualified retirement plan (the "Retirement Plan"). During the years ended 
December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, the Company incurred employee benefits expenses of $17.6 million, $15.1 million and 
$13.2 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 health plans contain 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,  2016,  2015  and  2014,  the  Company  recognized  expense  of  $10.4  million,  $9.1  million  and  $7.7  million, 
respectively, in compensation and benefits expense 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. 

102

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

Note 21 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 2016 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, 

2016:

Incentive Plan

Restricted Stock

Annual grants ............................................................................................................................................
Sign-on grants ...........................................................................................................................................

1,309,440
280,945
1,590,385

Inducement Plan

Restricted Stock .........................................................................................................................................

269,491

Total restricted stock related to compensation.......................................................................................

1,859,876

Simmons Deal Consideration (1) ................................................................................................................

1,014,241

Total restricted stock outstanding..............................................................................................................

2,874,117

Incentive Plan

Restricted Stock Units

Market condition leadership grants...........................................................................................................

374,460

Incentive Plan

Stock Options .............................................................................................................................................

30,613

(1)  The Company issued restricted stock with service conditions as part of deal consideration for the acquisition of Simmons. See Note 4 for 

further discussion.

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 8.2 million shares of common stock (0.9 million shares 
remained available for future issuance under the Incentive Plan as of December 31, 2016). 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.

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 requisite service period. The Company grants shares of restricted stock to employees as part of year-end compensation 
("Annual Grants") and upon initial hiring or as a retention award ("Sign-on 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. 

103

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

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 2016 for its February 2017 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  one  to  five  years.  Employees  forfeit  unvested  shares  upon  termination  of  employment  and  a  reversal  of 
compensation expense is recorded.

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 grants restricted stock units to its leadership team ("Leadership Grants"). The units will vest and convert to 
shares of common stock at the end of each 36-month performance period only if the Company's stock performance 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's stock performance achieving specified targets 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.

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 was determined using a Monte Carlo simulation with the following assumptions: 

Grant Year
2016..................................................................................................................................
2015..................................................................................................................................
2014..................................................................................................................................

Risk-free
Interest Rate
0.98%
0.90%
0.82%

Expected Stock
Price Volatility
34.9%
29.8%
41.3%

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.

104

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

Inducement Plan

The Company established the Inducement Plan in conjunction with the acquisition of Simmons. The Company granted 
$11.6 million (286,776 shares) in restricted stock under the Inducement Plan on May 15, 2016. These shares cliff vest in three 
years. 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  compensation  expense  of  $53.7  million,  $48.2  million  and  $28.2  million  for  the  years  ended 
December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively, related to employee restricted stock and restricted stock unit awards. Forfeitures 
were $1.4 million, $0.5 million and $0.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The tax 
benefit related to stock-based compensation costs totaled $14.0 million, $18.8 million and $11.0 million for the years ended 
December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

The following table summarizes the changes in the Company’s unvested restricted stock:

December 31, 2013.............................................................................................
Granted ................................................................................................................
Vested ..................................................................................................................
Canceled ..............................................................................................................
December 31, 2014.............................................................................................
Granted ................................................................................................................
Vested ..................................................................................................................
Canceled ..............................................................................................................
December 31, 2015.............................................................................................
Granted ................................................................................................................
Vested ..................................................................................................................
Canceled ..............................................................................................................
December 31, 2016.............................................................................................

Unvested
Restricted Stock
(in Shares)

Weighted Average
Grant Date
Fair Value 

1,582,062
421,728
(883,761)
(24,724)
1,095,305
783,758
(575,716)
(15,432)
1,287,915
2,359,672
(623,961)
(149,509)
2,874,117

$

$

$

$

35.25
40.57
36.22
36.02
36.51
51.08
34.72
40.83
46.20
41.87
44.89
42.49
43.12

The fair value of restricted stock that vested during the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 was $28.0 million, 

$20.0 million and $32.0 million, respectively.

105

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

The following table summarizes the changes in the Company’s unvested restricted stock units:

December 31, 2013.............................................................................................
Granted ................................................................................................................
Vested ..................................................................................................................
Canceled ..............................................................................................................
December 31, 2014.............................................................................................
Granted ................................................................................................................
Vested ..................................................................................................................
Canceled ..............................................................................................................
December 31, 2015.............................................................................................
Granted ................................................................................................................
Vested ..................................................................................................................
Canceled ..............................................................................................................
December 31, 2016.............................................................................................

Unvested
Restricted
Stock Units

290,536
115,290
—
—
405,826
123,687
(149,814)
(23,457)
356,242
135,483
(117,265)
—
374,460

$

$

Weighted Average
Grant Date
Fair Value      
15.83
23.42
—
—
17.99
21.83
12.12
12.12
22.18
19.93
21.32
—
21.63

$

$

As of December 31, 2016, there was $46.0 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to restricted stock and 

restricted stock units expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.1 years.

The following table summarizes the changes in the Company’s outstanding stock options:

Weighted
Average

Exercise Price     
$

Weighted Average
Remaining
Contractual Term
(in Years)
2.0

Aggregate
Intrinsic Value
288,318
$

2.0

$

3,066,839

1.6

0.3

2.0
1.6
0.3

$

$

$
$
$

—

203,291

3,066,839
—
203,291

44.83
—
39.55
39.62
47.72
46.66
—
36.62
—
39.62
50.35
—
43.75
—
59.83
65.86

46.66
50.35
65.86

December 31, 2013..........................................
Granted .............................................................
Exercised ..........................................................
Canceled ...........................................................
Expired .............................................................
December 31, 2014..........................................
Granted .............................................................
Exercised ..........................................................
Canceled ...........................................................
Expired .............................................................
December 31, 2015..........................................
Granted .............................................................
Exercised ..........................................................
Canceled ...........................................................
Expired .............................................................
December 31, 2016..........................................

Options
Outstanding
469,289
—
(137,864)
(55)
(113,497)
217,873
—
(50,671)
—
(10,001)
157,201
—
(104,175)
—
(22,413)
30,613

Options exercisable at December 31, 2014...
Options exercisable at December 31, 2015...
Options exercisable at December 31, 2016...

217,873
157,201
30,613

106

$

$

$

$
$
$

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

Additional information regarding Piper Jaffray Companies options outstanding as of December 31, 2016 is as follows:

Range of
Exercise Prices
$41.09.........................
$70.13.........................

Shares

4,502
26,111

Options Outstanding
Weighted Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (in Years)

1.1
0.1

Exercisable Options

Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
41.09
$
70.13
$

Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
41.09
$
70.13
$

Shares

4,502
26,111

As of December 31, 2016, there was no unrecognized compensation cost related to stock options expected to be recognized 
over future years. The intrinsic value of options exercised and the resulting tax benefit realized was $2.0 million and $0.8 million, 
respectively,  for  the  year  ended  December 31,  2016.  For  the  year  ended  December 31,  2015,  the  intrinsic  value  of  options 
exercised and the resulting tax benefit realized was $0.9 million and $0.3 million, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 
2014, the intrinsic value of options exercised and the resulting tax benefit realized was $1.7 million and $0.7 million, 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 2017, 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.

Deferred Compensation Plans

The Company maintains various deferred compensation arrangements for employees.

The nonqualified deferred compensation plan is an unfunded plan which allows certain highly compensated employees, at 
their election, to defer a percentage of their base salary, commissions and/or cash bonuses. The deferrals vest immediately and 
are non-forfeitable. The amounts deferred under this plan are held in a grantor trust. The Company invests, as a principal, in 
investments to economically hedge its obligation under the nonqualified deferred compensation plan. Investments in the grantor 
trust, consisting of mutual funds, totaled $24.4 million and $14.6 million as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and 
are included in investments on the consolidated statements of financial condition. The compensation deferred by the employees 
is expensed in the period earned. The deferred compensation liability was $24.5 million and $14.5 million as of December 31, 
2016 and 2015, respectively. Changes in the fair value of the investments made by the Company are reported in investment 
income and changes in the corresponding deferred compensation liability are reflected as compensation and benefits expense 
on the consolidated statements of operations.

The Piper Jaffray Companies Mutual Fund Restricted Share Investment Plan is a fully funded 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 restricted mutual fund shares ("MFRS Awards") of investment funds. 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. MFRS Awards are owned 
by employee recipients (subject to the aforementioned vesting restrictions) and as such are not included on the consolidated 
statements of financial condition.

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. 

107

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

The  Company  recorded  compensation  expense  of  $17.5  million,  $26.6  million  and  $20.0  million  for  the  years  ended 
December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively, related to employee MFRS Awards. Total compensation cost includes year-
end compensation for MFRS Awards and the amortization of sign-on MFRS Awards, less forfeitures. Forfeitures were immaterial 
for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Note 22 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 and restricted stock units. 

The computation of earnings per share is as follows:

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)
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)............................................................

$

$

2016

Year Ended December 31,
2015

2014

(21,952)
—

(21,952)

$

$

52,075
(4,015)

48,060

$

$

Shares for basic and diluted calculations:

Average shares used in basic computation.................................
Stock options ..............................................................................
Restricted stock units .................................................................
Average shares used in diluted computation.................................

12,674
15
90
12,779 (3)

14,368
21
—
14,389

Earnings/(loss) per common share:

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

$
$

(1.73)
$
(1.73) (3) $

3.34
3.34

$
$

3.88
3.87

(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 2,691,728; 
1,201,610 and 1,299,827 for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, 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. 2,874,117 common shares were excluded from diluted EPS as the Company had a net loss for the year.

The anti-dilutive effects from stock options and restricted stock units were immaterial for the years ended December 31, 

2016, 2015 and 2014.

108

63,172
(5,031)

58,141

14,971
54
—
15,025

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

Note 23 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. Segment assets are based on 
those directly associated with each segment, and include an allocation of certain assets based on the most relevant measures 
applicable, including headcount and other factors. The substantial majority of the Company's net revenues and long-lived assets 
are located in the U.S.

Reportable segment financial results are as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Capital Markets

Investment banking

Financing

Year Ended December 31,
2015

2014

2016

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

$

71,161
115,013
304,654
490,828

$

Institutional sales and trading

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

87,992
91,466
179,458

Management and performance fees..................................................

6,363

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

24,791

114,468
91,195
209,163
414,826

78,584
94,305
172,889

4,642

24,468

$

109,706
63,005
197,880
370,591

82,211
92,200
174,411

5,398

24,046

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

(9,136)

(7,494)

(6,655)

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

692,304

609,331

567,791

Operating expenses (1) .....................................................................

645,863

530,937

478,661

Segment pre-tax operating income ...................................................

$

46,441

$

78,394

$

89,130

Segment pre-tax operating margin....................................................

6.7 %

12.9%

15.7%

Continued on next page

109

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

(Dollars in thousands)
Asset Management

Management and performance fees

Year Ended December 31,
2015

2014

2016

Management fees............................................................................
Performance fees ............................................................................
Total management and performance fees.........................................

$

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

$

53,725
584
54,309

736

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

55,045

Operating expenses (1) .....................................................................

132,360

$

70,167
208
70,375

(6,788)

63,587

55,558

78,772
892
79,664

683

80,347

59,166

Segment pre-tax operating income/(loss) .........................................

$

(77,315)

$

8,029

$

21,181

Segment pre-tax operating margin....................................................

(140.5)%

12.6%

26.4%

Total

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

$

747,349

$

672,918

$

648,138

Operating expenses (1) .....................................................................

778,223

586,495

537,827

Pre-tax operating income/(loss)........................................................

$

(30,874)

$

86,423

$

110,311

Pre-tax operating margin ..................................................................

(4.1)%

12.8%

17.0%

(1)  Operating expenses include a $82.9 million goodwill impairment charge for the Asset Management segment, as well as intangible 

asset amortization expense as set forth in the table below:  

(Dollars in thousands)
Capital Markets .......................................................................................
Asset Management ..................................................................................
Total intangible asset amortization expense.........................................

$

$

2016

Year Ended December 31,
2015

2014

15,587
5,627
21,214

$

$

1,622
6,040
7,662

$

$

2,972
6,300
9,272

December 31,
2016
1,934,528
190,975
2,125,503

$

$

December 31,
2015
1,870,272
268,246
2,138,518

$

$

Reportable segment assets are as follows: 

(Dollars in thousands)

Capital Markets ............................................................................................................
Asset Management .......................................................................................................

110

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

Note 24 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, Inc. ("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. 

At December 31, 2016, net capital calculated under the SEC rule was $191.1 million, and exceeded the minimum net capital 

required under the SEC rule by $190.1 million.

The Company’s committed short-term credit facility and its senior notes include covenants requiring Piper Jaffray to maintain 
minimum net capital of $120 million. CP Notes issued under CP Series III A include a covenant that requires Piper Jaffray to 
maintain excess net capital of $120 million.

Piper  Jaffray  Ltd.  and  SCIL,  broker  dealer  subsidiaries  registered  in  the  United  Kingdom,  are  subject  to  the  capital 
requirements of the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority. As of December 31, 2016, Piper 
Jaffray Ltd. and SCIL were in compliance with the capital requirements of the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial 
Conduct Authority.

Piper Jaffray Hong Kong Limited is licensed by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, which is subject to 
the liquid capital requirements of the Securities and Futures (Financial Resources) Rule promulgated under the Securities and 
Futures  Ordinance. At  December 31,  2016,  Piper  Jaffray  Hong  Kong  Limited  was  in  compliance  with  the  liquid  capital 
requirements of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission.

Note 25 Income Taxes 

Income tax expense/(benefit) 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/(benefit) are as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Current:

Federal.....................................................................................
State.........................................................................................
Foreign ....................................................................................

$

Deferred:

Federal.....................................................................................
State.........................................................................................
Foreign ....................................................................................

2016

Year Ended December 31,
2015

2014

$

11,704
2,454
(703)
13,455

(27,764)
(3,758)
939
(30,583)

$

33,818
7,030
58
40,906

(11,620)
(1,901)
556
(12,965)

37,331
8,117
161
45,609

(8,641)
(1,317)
335
(9,623)

Total income tax expense/(benefit)............................................

$

(17,128)

$

27,941

$

35,986

111

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

A reconciliation of federal income taxes at statutory rates to the Company’s effective tax rates is as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Federal income tax expense/(benefit) at statutory rates ............
Increase/(reduction) in taxes resulting from:

State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit .........................
Net tax-exempt interest income ..............................................
Foreign jurisdictions tax rate differential................................
Change in valuation allowance ...............................................
Income attributable to noncontrolling interests ......................
Other, net.................................................................................
Total income tax expense/(benefit)............................................

2016

Year Ended December 31,
2015

2014

$

(10,806)

$

30,248

$

38,609

(1,110)
(4,600)
1,860
362
(2,872)
38
(17,128)

$

3,155
(4,299)
191
—
(2,243)
889
27,941

$

3,857
(3,693)
(63)
—
(3,903)
1,179
35,986

$

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, 2016, undistributed earnings permanently reinvested in the Company’s 
foreign subsidiaries were not material.

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:

Deferred compensation ............................................................................................
Goodwill tax basis in excess of book basis ..............................................................
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 book basis in excess of tax basis ..............................................................
Unrealized gains on firm investments ......................................................................
Fixed assets ..............................................................................................................
Other.........................................................................................................................

Total deferred tax liabilities ...................................................................................

December 31,
2016

December 31,
2015

$

79,230
18,357
3,900
1,060
5,474
108,021
(911)

107,110

—
6,406
2,075
796

9,277

74,127
—
3,947
5,454
5,175
88,703
(159)

88,544

16,951
2,917
1,189
677

21,734

Net deferred tax assets ................................................................................................

$

97,833

$

66,810

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 $0.9 million primarily related to SCIL's net operating loss 
carryforwards. 

112

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, 2013 ..................................................................................................................
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, 2014 ..................................................................................................................
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, 2015 ..................................................................................................................
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, 2016 ..................................................................................................................

$

$

$

$

2,200
—
123
—
—
2,323
—
—
(2,000)
(200)
123
—
—
—
—
123

As of December 31, 2016, approximately $0.1 million of the Company's unrecognized tax benefits would impact the annual 

effective rate, if recognized. 

The Company recognizes interest and penalties accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax 
expense.  The  Company  had  no  accruals  related  to  the  payment  of  interest  and  penalties  at  December 31,  2016  and  2015, 
respectively. The Company had approximately $0.2 million for the payment of interest and penalties accrued at December 31, 
2014. 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 2014 and is not subject to 
state and local or non-U.S. tax authorities for taxable years before 2010. The Company anticipates all of its uncertain income 
tax provisions will be resolved within the next twelve months.

Note 26 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

Senior notes ..............................................................................................................
Accrued compensation .............................................................................................
Other liabilities and accrued expenses .....................................................................
Total liabilities .......................................................................................................

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

December 31,
2016

December 31,
2015

$

$

$

$

1,170
941,215
22,031
964,416

175,000
27,756
2,410
205,166

759,250
964,416

$

$

$

$

48
982,426
15,843
998,317

175,000
36,347
3,311
214,658

783,659
998,317

113

 
Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

Condensed Statements of Operations

(Amounts in thousands)
Revenues:

2016

Year Ended December 31,
2015

2014

Dividends from subsidiaries....................................................
Interest.....................................................................................
Investment income/(loss) ........................................................
Total revenues.......................................................................

$

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

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

$

104,016
994
1,835
106,845

8,195

98,650

$

37,649
650
(2,033)
36,266

6,406

29,860

50,333
662
275
51,270

5,463

45,807

Non-interest expenses:

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

4,505

3,487

5,318

Income before income tax expense and equity in
undistributed income of subsidiaries ...................................

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

Income of parent company .....................................................

94,145

27,952

66,193

26,373

9,191

17,182

40,489

14,795

25,694

Equity in undistributed/(distributed in excess of) income of
subsidiaries ............................................................................

(88,145)

34,893

37,478

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

$

(21,952)

$

52,075

$

63,172

114

Piper Jaffray Companies

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

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:
Stock-based and deferred compensation ..............................
Equity in undistributed/(distributed in excess of) income of
subsidiaries..........................................................................

Net cash provided by operating activities.............................

Investing Activities:

Repayment of note receivable.................................................

Net cash provided by investing activities .............................

Financing Activities:

Issuance of senior notes ..........................................................
Repayment of senior notes ......................................................
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........................

2016

Year Ended December 31,
2015

2014

$

(21,952)

$

52,075

$

63,172

944

88,145

67,137

—

—

—
—
(6,276)
(59,739)

(66,015)

1,122

48

70

180

(34,893)

(37,478)

17,252

25,874

1,500

1,500

125,000
(75,000)
49,560
(118,464)

(18,904)

(152)

200

2,000

2,000

50,000
(50,000)
(28,010)
—

(28,010)

(136)

336

200

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

$

1,170

$

48

$

Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information

Cash paid during the year for:

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

$
$

(7,201)
(27,952)

$
$

(5,756)
(9,191)

$
$

(4,801)
(14,795)

115

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/(loss) before income tax expense/(benefit) ............
Income tax expense/(benefit) ..............................................
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 ........................................................

Earnings/(loss) per common share

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

Weighted average number of common shares

 First
159,601
6,045
153,556
150,114
3,442
256
3,186
749
2,437

2,124

0.16
0.16

$

$

$

$
$

 2016 Fiscal Quarter
 Third

 Second

 Fourth

$

$

$

$
$

176,392
5,909
170,483
163,974
6,509
1,996
4,513
2,575
1,938

1,577

0.12
0.12

$

$

$

$
$

206,276
5,429
200,847
182,396
18,451
6,515
11,936
1,278
10,658

$

227,605
5,142
222,463
281,739 (1)
(59,276)
(25,895)
(33,381)
3,604
(36,985)

8,582

$

(36,985) (2)

0.70
0.70

$
$

(3.00)
(3.00) (3)

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

13,160
13,172

12,927
12,942

12,282
12,298

12,337
12,353 (3)

(1)  Includes a $82.9 million goodwill impairment charge.

(2)  No allocation of income was made due to loss position.

(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.

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)
Total revenues......................................................................
Interest expense ...................................................................
Net revenues ........................................................................
Non-interest expenses..........................................................
Income before income tax expense .....................................
Income tax expense .............................................................
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 ........................................................

Earnings per common share

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

Weighted average number of common shares

 First
168,431
6,560
161,871
130,579
31,292
9,490
21,802
4,830
16,972

15,810

1.03
1.03

$

$

$

$
$

 2015 Fiscal Quarter
 Third

 Second

 Fourth

$

$

$

$
$

170,110
6,044
164,066
138,207
25,859
9,542
16,317
(682)
16,999

15,699

1.08
1.08

$

$

$

$
$

154,732
5,115
149,617
142,829
6,788
1,573
5,215
384
4,831

4,448

0.32
0.32

$

$

$

$
$

203,044
5,680
197,364
174,880
22,484
7,336
15,148
1,875
13,273

12,147

0.88
0.88

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

15,294
15,332

14,487
14,513

13,938
13,952

13,775
13,782

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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934 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 ended December 31, 2016, 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 of 
this Form 10-K entitled "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" 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 2017 annual meeting of shareholders 
to be held on May 11, 2017, 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 2017 annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 11, 2017, 
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 2016" 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 2017 annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 11, 2017, 
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 2017 annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 11, 2017, 
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 2017 annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 11, 2017, 
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). #

Securities Purchase Agreement dated November 16, 2015 among Piper Jaffray Companies, Piper Jaffray & 
Co., Simmons & Company International, SCI JV LP, SCI GP, LLC, and Simmons & Company International 
Holdings LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed 
November 17, 2015). #

First Amendment to Securities Purchase Agreement dated February 25, 2016 among Piper Jaffray Companies, 
Piper Jaffray & Co., Simmons & Company International, SCI JV LP, SCI GP, LLC, and Simmons & Company 
International Holdings LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on 
Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2016, filed May 4, 2016). #

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

10.10

10.11

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  (as  of August  5,  2016)  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  3.1  to  the 
Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed August 5, 2016). 

Form  of  Specimen  Certificate  for  Piper  Jaffray Companies  Common  Stock  (incorporated  by  reference  to 
Exhibit 4.1 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, filed 
February 25, 2016). 

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).

Second Amended and Restated Indenture dated April 21, 2014 (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 21, 2014).

Form of director indemnification agreement between Piper Jaffray Companies and its directors (incorporated 
by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K, filed March 17, 2014). †

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 (as amended 
May 31, 2015) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, 
filed May 14, 2015). †

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 (incorporated 
by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 
2013, filed February 28, 2014).  † 

Form of Restricted Stock Agreement for Employee Grants in 2015 (related to 2014 performance) 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, 
2014, filed February 26, 2015).  † 

Form  of  Restricted  Stock  Agreement  for  California-based  Employee  Grants  in  2015  (related  to  2014 
performance)  under  the  Piper  Jaffray  Companies  Amended  and  Restated  2003  Annual  and  Long-Term 
Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K 
for the year ended December 31, 2014, filed February 26, 2015).  † 

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

10.12

10.13

10.14

10.15

10.16

10.17

10.18

10.19

10.20

10.21

10.22

10.23

10.24

10.25

10.26

10.27

10.28

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). †

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). †

Form  of  Performance  Share  Unit  Agreement  for  2014  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, 2014, filed July 
30, 2014). †

Form  of  Performance  Share  Unit  Agreement  for  2015  Leadership  Team  Grants  under  the  Piper  Jaffray 
Companies Amended and Restated 2003 Annual and Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to 
Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2015, filed 
August 5, 2015). †

Form  of  Performance  Share  Unit  Agreement  for  2016  Leadership  Team  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 March 31, 2016, filed 
May 4, 2016). †

Form  of  Performance  Share  Unit  Agreement  for  2017  Leadership  Team  Grants  under  the  Piper  Jaffray 
Companies Amended and Restated 2003 Annual and Long-Term Incentive Plan. †*

Piper Jaffray Companies Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors, as amended and restated 
effective May 4, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 
10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2016, filed August 5, 2016). †

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 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.18 to the Company’s 
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, filed February 28, 2014).

Second Amendment to Amended and Restated Loan Agreement, dated December 19, 2014, between Piper 
Jaffray & Co. and U.S. Bank National Association (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23 to the Company’s 
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, filed February 26, 2015).

Third Amendment to Amended and  Restated  Loan Agreement, dated  December  18,  2015,  between  Piper 
Jaffray & Co. and U.S. Bank National Association (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.25 to the Company's 
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, filed February 25, 2016). 

Fourth Amendment to Amended and Restated Loan Agreement, dated December 17, 2016, between Piper 
Jaffray & Co. and U.S. Bank National Association. *

120

Exhibit
Number       Description

10.29

10.30

10.31

10.32

10.33

10.34

10.35

10.36

10.37

10.38

10.39

10.40

10.41

10.42

10.43

10.44

10.45

10.46

Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement dated June 2, 2014 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 June 5, 2014).

Second  Amended  and  Restated  Note  Purchase  Agreement  dated  October  8,  2015  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 October 13, 2015).

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). †

Restricted Limited Partnership Interest Agreement dated February 23, 2015, by and between Piper Jaffray 
Investment  Management  LLC  and  M.  Brad  Winges  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.27  to  the 
Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, filed February 26, 2015). †

Advisory  Research,  Inc.  Long-Term  Incentive  Plan  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.26  to  the 
Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, filed February 28, 2014). †

Piper Jaffray Companies Amended and Restated Mutual Fund Restricted Share Investment Plan, effective as 
of December 13, 2016. † *

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) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.29 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year 
ended December 31, 2013, filed February 28, 2014). † 

Form of Mutual Fund Restricted Share Agreement for Employee Grants in 2015 (related to performance in 
2014) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.32 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year 
ended December 31, 2014, filed February 26, 2015). † 

Form of Mutual Fund Restricted Share Agreement for California-based Employee Grants in 2015 (related to 
performance in 2014) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.33 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, filed February 26, 2015). † 

Form of Restricted Stock and Mutual Fund Restricted Share Agreement for Employee Grants in 2016 (related 
to performance in 2015) under the Piper Jaffray Companies Amended and Restated 2003 Annual and Long-
Term Incentive Plan and Mutual Fund Restricted Share Investment Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 
10.37 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, filed 
February 25, 2016). †

Form of Restricted Stock and Mutual Fund Restricted Share Agreement for California-based Employee Grants 
in 2016 (related to performance in 2015) under the Piper Jaffray Companies Amended and Restated 2003 
Annual and Long-Term Incentive Plan and Mutual Fund Restricted Share Investment Plan (incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 10.38 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 
31, 2015, filed February 25, 2016). †

Form of Restricted Stock and Mutual Fund Restricted Share Agreement for Employee Grants in 2017 (related 
to performance in 2016) under the Piper Jaffray Companies Amended and Restated 2003 Annual and Long-
Term Incentive Plan and Mutual Fund Restricted Share Investment Plan.†*

Form of Restricted Stock and Mutual Fund Restricted Share Agreement for California-based Employee Grants 
in 2017 (related to performance in 2016) under the Piper Jaffray Companies Amended and Restated 2003 
Annual and Long-Term Incentive Plan and Mutual Fund Restricted Share Investment Plan.†*

Piper Jaffray Companies 2016 Employment Inducement Award Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.4 
to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-8, filed February 25, 2016). †

Form  of  Restricted  Stock  Agreement  for  grants  under  the  Piper  Jaffray  Companies  2016  Employment 
Inducement Award Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to the Company's Registration Statement 
on Form S-8, filed February 25, 2016). †

Consulting Agreement for Services of Independent Contractor dated November 16, 2015 by and between Piper 
Jaffray & Co. and Michael E. Frazier (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly 
Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2016, filed May 4, 2016). †

Restricted Stock Agreement dated November 16, 2015 by and between Piper Jaffray Companies and Michael 
E. Frazier (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for 
the period ended March 31, 2016, filed May 4, 2016). †

121

Exhibit
Number       Description

21.1

23.1

24.1
31.1

31.2
32.1

101

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, 2016 and December 31, 2015, (ii) the Consolidated Statements of Operations 
for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, (iii) the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive 
Income for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, (iv) the Consolidated Statements of Cash 
Flows for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 and (v) 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.

ITEM 16.     FORM 10-K SUMMARY.

None.

122

 
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 24, 2017. 

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 24, 2017. 

SIGNATURE

/s/ Andrew S. Duff
Andrew S. Duff

/s/ Debbra L. Schoneman

Debbra L. Schoneman

/s/ William R. Fitzgerald

William R. Fitzgerald

/s/ Michael E. Frazier
Michael E. Frazier

/s/ B. Kristine Johnson

B. Kristine Johnson

/s/ Addison L. Piper

Addison L. Piper

/s/ Sherry M. Smith

Sherry M. Smith

/s/ Philip E. Soran

Philip E. Soran

/s/ Scott C. Taylor

Scott C. Taylor

/s/ Michele Volpi

Michele Volpi

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

123

Corporate Headquarters
Piper Jaffray Companies
Mail Stop J09SSH
800 Nicollet Mall, Suite 1000
Minneapolis, MN 55402
612 303-6000

Company Website
piperjaffray.com

Stock Transfer Agent and Registrar
Wells Fargo acts as transfer agent and registrar 
for Piper Jaffray Companies and maintains all 
shareholder records for the company. If you have 
questions regarding Piper Jaffray Companies stock, 
transfers, corrections or changes, lost certificates or 
duplicate mailings, please contact Wells Fargo: 

Online
shareowneronline.com

Telephone
800 401-1957 Toll-Free
Shareowner relations specialists  
available Monday through Friday 
7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CT

Written correspondence
Wells Fargo Shareowner Services
P.O. Box 64874
St. Paul, MN 55164-0874

Certified and overnight delivery
Wells Fargo Shareowner Services
1110 Centre Pointe Curve, Suite 101
Mendota Heights, MN 55120

Independent Accountants
Ernst & Young LLP

Common Stock Listing
New York Stock Exchange (symbol: PJC)

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.

Website Access to SEC Reports and 
Corporate Governance Information
Piper Jaffray Companies makes available free of 
charge on its website, 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 website 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 has not historically paid 
cash dividends on its common stock. Beginning in 
February 2017, the firm announced the payment of its 
first quarterly cash dividend.

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, 2016.

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