UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q
 

(Mark One)

Commission File Number: 001-36802

JMP Group LLC

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

600 Montgomery Street, Suite 1100, San Francisco, California 94111

(Address of principal executive offices and Zip code)

(415) 835-8900

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒  No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically 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 whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐  No ☒

JMP Group LLC shares representing limited liability company interests outstanding as of May 5, 202010, 2021: 19,577,409.19,852,493.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Organization and Description of Business

JMP Group LLC, together with its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”), is a diversified financial services firm headquartered in San Francisco, California. The Company conducts its investment banking and institutional brokerage business through JMP Securities LLC (“JMP Securities”) and its asset management business through Harvest Capital Strategies LLC (“HCS”), HCAP Advisors LLC (“HCAP Advisors”), and JMP Asset Management LLC (“JMPAM”) and JMP Credit Advisors LLC (“JMPCA”) (through March 19, 2019). The Company conducts certain principal investment transactions through JMP Investment Holdings LLC (“JMP Investment Holdings”) and other subsidiaries. The above entities, other than HCAP Advisors, are wholly-owned subsidiaries. JMP Securities is a U.S. registered broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). JMP Securities operates as an introducing broker and does not hold funds or securities for, or owe any money or securities to, customers and does not carry accounts for customers. All customer transactions are cleared through another broker-dealer on a fully disclosed basis. HCS is a registered investment advisor under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and provides investment management services for sophisticated investors in investment partnerships and other entities managed by HCS. HCAP Advisors provides investment advisory services to Harvest Capital Credit Corporation (“HCC”), a publicly-traded business development company. JMPAM currently manages two fund strategies: one that invests in real estate and real estate-related enterprises and another that provides credit to small and midsized private companies. JMPCA, which was a wholly-owned subsidiary until March 19, 2019, is an asset management platform that underwrites and manages investments in senior secured debt. The Company completed a Reorganization Transaction in January 2015 pursuant to which JMP Group Inc. became a wholly-owned subsidiary of JMP Group LLC (the “Reorganization Transaction”). The Company entered into a Contribution Agreement in November 2017 pursuant to which JMP Group Inc. became a wholly-owned subsidiary of JMP Investment Holdings, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of JMP Group LLC.

Recent Transactions

On January 17, 2019, the non-call period of JMP Credit Advisors CLO III(R) Ltd. (“CLO III”) expired, which resulted in a change in the entity with the control over the most significant activities of the variable interest entity (“VIE”). During the non-call period the Company concluded that it was the primary beneficiary of CLO III through its combination of control over the manager and its economic interest in CLO III. When the non-call period expired, holders of a majority of the subordinated notes could refinance or liquidate the CLO and the Company determined this to be the most significant activity. The expiration of the non-call period resulted in the Company losing control over the most significant activity of CLO III as it cannot unilaterally direct this activity. The Company deconsolidated CLO III as of January 17, 2019. The Company continues to hold approximately 47% of the outstanding subordinated notes of CLO III and accounts for its ownership of the CLO III subordinated notes as an investment in a debt security. The Company recognized a gain of $1.6 million as revenue from principal transactions on the deconsolidation of CLO III in the period ended March 31, 2019.

On March 19, 2019, the Company sold a 50.1% equity interest in JMPCA to Medalist Partners LP (“Medalist”), an alternative asset management firm specializing in structured credit and asset-backed lending, and a 4.9% interest to management employees of JMPCA. The Company retained 45.0% of the equity interest in JMPCA. The sale of JMPCA was considered a reconsideration event as defined in Accounting Standard Codification (“ASC”) 810, Consolidation, which requires a new consolidation analysis, and the Company determined that JMPCA is a VIE after the transaction date. The Company determined that it was not the primary beneficiary of JMPCA as the Company is not the party with the power to direct the most significant activities of JMPCA. As the Company determined that it is not the primary beneficiary, the Company deconsolidated JMPCA as of the date of sale. As the Company retained 45.0% of the equity interest of JMPCA and has significant influence, the Company has determined that it is required to account for its retained interest as an equity method investment, however the Company has made the election to apply the fair value option to this investment. The Company received a cash payment of $0.3 million in consideration for the limited liability company interest sold and recorded a gain of $3.4 million on deconsolidation as revenue from principal transactions. The Company will receive a portion of the subordinated management fees from the CLOs JMPCA managed as of the date of the sale. After the sale, JMPCA was renamed In February 2020, Medalist Partners Corporate Finance LLC (“MPCF”("MPCF").

The sale of JMPCA also required Medalist to provide additional capital to purchase an equity interest in JMP Credit Advisors Long-Term Warehouse Ltd (“CLO VI”) to finance the acquisition of broadly syndicated corporate loans. On March 19, 2019, Medalist related entities purchased 66% of the outstanding equity interest of CLO VI for $7.6 million. There was no gain or loss recognized on the sale of the equity interest.

After the sale of JMPCA, the Company lost the ability to direct the most significant activities of the following VIEs: JMP Credit Advisors CLO IV Ltd (“CLO IV”), JMP Credit Advisors CLO V Ltd (“CLO V”), and CLO VI (collectively with CLO III, the “CLOs”) and as a result, deconsolidated the aforementionedCLOs as of March 19, 2019 (except CLO III which was deconsolidated on January 17, 2019). Previously the Company concluded that it was the primary beneficiary of CLO IV, CLO V, and CLO VI through its control over JMPCA and its ownership of 100% of the equity interests of these CLOs. Collectively, the Company recognized a loss on the deconsolidation of CLO IV, CLO V, and CLO VI of $1.8 million in March 2019 in revenues from principal transactions. The Company continues to hold 100% of the junior subordinated notes of CLO IV and CLO V and accounts for its ownership of these subordinated notes as an investment in a debt security and classifies them as available-for-sale securities. The Company owned approximately 33% of the equity interests of the CLO VI warehouse as of December 31, 2019. In February 2020, MPCF completed the securitization of Medalist Partners Corporate Finance CLO VI Ltd upon which the related CLO VI warehouse was liquidated. The Company does not hold any subordinated notes of Medalist Partners Corporate Finance CLO VI Ltd.

On December 23, 2020, HCC and Portman Ridge Finance Corporation (“PTMN”) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which HCC will merge with and into PTMN, a business development company managed by Sierra Crest Investment Management LLC (“Sierra Crest”), an affiliate of BC Partners Advisors L.P. The parties currently expect the transaction to be completed in the second calendar quarter of 2021. The Company’s partially-owned subsidiary HCAP Advisors provides investment advisory services to HCC. In addition, the Company had investments in HCC common stock of $8.5 million as of March 31,2021. In connection with the above transaction, HCC stockholders will receive aggregate consideration equal to HCC’s net asset value at closing. This consideration will be funded using PTMN shares (valued at 100% of PTMN’s net asset value per share at the time of closing of the transaction) and, to the extent the required number of PTMN shares exceeds 19.9% of the issued and outstanding shares of PTMN common stock immediately prior to the transaction closing, cash consideration in the amount of such excess. As described below, HCAP stockholders will have an opportunity, subject to certain limitations, to elect to receive either cash or PTMN shares in consideration for their HCAP shares. Additionally, all HCAP stockholders will receive an additional cash payment from Sierra Crest of $2.15 million in the aggregate, or approximately $0.36 per share.

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies 

Basis of Presentation

These consolidated financial statements and related notes are unaudited and have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 20192020 filed with the SEC on March 30, 202029, 2021 (the “Annual Report”). Certain disclosures required by GAAP and normally included in an annual report on Form 10-K have been condensed or omitted from this report; however, except as disclosed herein, there has been no material change in the information disclosed in the notes to consolidated financial statements included in the Annual Report. The results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for a full year. In the opinion of management, all normal, recurring adjustments have been included for a fair statement of this interim financial information.

The consolidated accounts of the Company include the wholly-owned subsidiaries and the partially-owned subsidiaries of which we arethe Company is the majority owner or the primary beneficiary. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Non-controlling interests on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition at March 31, 20202021 and December 31, 20192020 relate to the interest of third parties in the partially-owned subsidiaries. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation.

For the three months ended March 31, 20202021, there were no significant changes made to the Company’s significant accounting policies other than those described below. policies. See Note 3, Recent Accounting Pronouncements, for a summary of recently adopted or yet to be adopted accounting pronouncements, and their impact on the Company.

3. Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 Accounting Standards to be adopted in Future Periods

ASUIn June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (Topic 326)(CECL), was issued in June 2016, with subsequent amendments to replaceclarify the guidance, provide transitional relief provisions and minor updates to the original ASU. ASU 206-13 replaces the existing incurred loss impairment methodology with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. TheThis ASU is required to be adopted using a modified retrospective approach with a cumulative-effect adjustment to beginning retained earnings, as of the beginning of the first reporting period the guidance is effective for. As a result of one of the amendments to ASU 2016-13, the new guidance will be effective for public business entities that meet the definition of a smaller reporting company for fiscal years and all interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2022.2022, with early adoption permitted. The Company is evaluatingdoes not plan to early adopt this standard, but continues to work through implementation. While the Company cannot reasonably estimate the impact of adopting this standard, it expects the impact will be influenced by the composition, characteristics and quality of the Company's securities portfolios, as well as the general economic conditions and forecasts as of the adoption of this standard.date.

Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes, was issued in December 2019 to simplify the accounting for income taxes. This guidance eliminates certain exceptions to the general approach to the income tax accounting model, and adds new guidance to reduce the complexity in accounting for income taxes. This guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020, including interim periods within those annual periods. The Company is currently evaluatingadopted ASU 2019-12 effective January 1, 2021. The adoption did not materially impact the impact of the adoption of this standard.Company's consolidated financial statements or disclosure

Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework – Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, was issued in August 2018. ASU 2018-13 eliminates, adds and modifies certain disclosure requirements for fair value measurements as part of the FASB’s disclosure framework project to improve the effectiveness of the disclosures in the notes to the financial statements.project. The amendments in this update modify the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements in Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement. The new guidance will be effective for all entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. WeCompany adopted the guidanceASU 2018-13 effective January 1, 2020; however, the2020. The adoption did not have a materialmaterially impact on our Consolidated Statements of Financial Conditionsthe Company’s consolidated financial statements or Consolidated Statements of Operations or on the disclosures in our Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

its disclosures.

4. Fair Value Measurements

The following tables provide fair value information related to the Company’s financial instruments at March 31, 20202021 and December 31, 20192020: