ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

NOTE 1—ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Organization and Nature of Operations

 

B. Riley Financial, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively the “Company”) provide investment banking and financial services to corporate, institutional and high net worth clients, and asset disposition, valuation and appraisal and capital advisory services to a wide range of retail, wholesale and industrial clients, as well as lenders, capital providers, private equity investors and professional services firms throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, and Europe, and with the acquisition of United Online, Inc. (“UOL”) on July 1, 2016, provide consumer Internet access and related subscription services.

 

With the acquisition of UOL, the Company now operates in four operating segments: (i) Capital Markets, through which the Company provides investment banking, corporate finance, restructuring, research, sales and trading and wealth management services to corporate, institutional and high net worth clients; (ii) Auction and Liquidation, through which the Company provides auction and liquidation services to help clients dispose of assets that include multi-location retail inventory, wholesale inventory, trade fixtures, machinery and equipment, intellectual property and real property; (iii) Valuation and Appraisal, through which the Company provides valuation and appraisal services to clients with independent appraisals in connection with asset based loans, acquisitions, divestitures and other business needs and (iv) Principal Investments - United Online, through which the Company provides consumer Internet access and related subscription services.