Financial Performance - For the first quarter of 2025, the company reported revenue of $57.3 million, a slight increase from $56.9 million in the same quarter of 2024 [2][39] - Operating income rose to $18.6 million, compared to $15.3 million in the first quarter of 2024, resulting in an operating margin of 32.4% [2][9] - Net income for the quarter was $18.3 million, leading to diluted earnings per share of $0.81, up from $0.64 in the prior year [2][39] Assets Under Management (AUM) - As of March 31, 2025, total AUM was $31.2 billion, a decrease of 1.6% from $31.7 billion at the end of 2024 [6][15] - The decline in AUM was attributed to net outflows of $0.7 billion and distributions of $0.1 billion, partially offset by net market appreciation of $0.3 billion [15][44] - The company entered a partnership with Keeley management, adding approximately $1.0 billion in AUM from four open-end funds and around 500 separately managed accounts [6][14] Revenue Breakdown - Investment advisory and incentive fees accounted for $53.8 million of total revenue, an increase from $52.5 million in the same quarter of 2024 [5][39] - Distribution fees and other income decreased to $3.5 million from $4.5 million year-over-year [5][39] - The increase in funds revenue was primarily due to higher average assets under management [5] Expenses - Total expenses for the first quarter were $38.7 million, down from $41.6 million in the same quarter of 2024 [2][8] - Compensation expenses decreased to $26.6 million, reflecting $2.8 million of waived compensation [8] - Other operating expenses remained relatively stable, with minor fluctuations compared to the previous year [8] Charitable Contributions - Since its IPO in February 1999, the company has donated approximately $80 million to charitable causes, with $48 million through a shareholder designated charitable contribution program [3] - A private foundation was established to continue the charitable giving program, with an initial contribution of $5 million [4] Return to Shareholders - In the first quarter of 2025, the company returned $14.1 million to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends [23] - A regular quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share was declared, payable on June 24, 2025 [24]