Shutterstock, Inc.SSTK
Shutterstock, Inc. Fair Value Disclosure
Fair Value Measurements and Other Long-term Investments
Fair Value Measurements
The Company had no assets or liabilities requiring fair value hierarchy disclosures as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, except as noted below.
Money Market Accounts
Cash equivalents include money market accounts and are classified as a level 1 measurement based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets that the reporting entity can access at the measurement date. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company did not have any cash equivalent balances.
Other Fair Value Measurements
The carrying amounts of cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses and the Giphy Retention Compensation approximate fair value because of the short-term nature of these instruments. Debt consists of principal amounts outstanding under our credit facility, which approximates fair value as underlying interest rates are reset regularly based on current market rates and is classified as Level 2. The Company’s non-financial assets, which include long-lived assets, intangible assets and goodwill, are not required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis. However, if certain triggering events occur, or if an annual impairment test is required and the Company is required to evaluate the non-financial asset for impairment, a resulting asset impairment would require that the non-financial asset be recorded at its fair value.
Long-Term Investments
Investment in Meitu, Inc. (“Meitu”)
In 2018, the Company invested $15.0 million in convertible preferred shares issued by ZCool Technologies Limited (“ZCool”) (the “Preferred Shares”). ZCool’s primary business is the operation of an e-commerce platform in the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”) whereby customers can pay to license content contributed by creative professionals. ZCool and its affiliates have been the exclusive distributor of Shutterstock content in China since 2014. The Company used the measurement alternative and the investment in ZCool was reported at cost, adjusted for impairments or any observable price changes in ordinary transactions with identical or similar investments.
On March 27, 2024, ZCool was acquired by Meitu, and the Company’s Preferred Shares in ZCool were exchanged for $18.4 million of Meitu common shares, resulting in an investment carrying value increase of $3.4 million, which is recorded in Other income, net in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. Meitu’s primary business is the provision of online advertising and other internet value added services in the PRC, and its common shares are publicly traded on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. This investment is recorded at fair value on a recurring basis, with changes in fair value being recorded in Other income, net in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. The investment is subject to a contractual sale restriction that limits the sale or transfer of the investment for a period of 3 years, ending March 2027. Its fair value level hierarchy and amount are as follows (in thousands):
| As of December 31, 2025 | As of December 31, 2024 | |||||||
| Level 1 | $ | 40,021 | $ | 17,290 | ||||
Other Long-Term Investments
In connection with its Data, Distribution, and Services business, the Company may receive equity instruments in addition to cash for revenue contract consideration. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company had $30.5 million and $24.0 million, respectively, recorded in Other Assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheet from equity instruments received. The Company estimated the value of these equity instruments based on issuers’ recent market transactions. The Company will use the measurement alternative for fair value since the equity instruments do not have a readily determinable fair value and will report the instruments at cost, adjusted for impairments or any observable price changes in ordinary transactions with identical or similar investments.
As of December 31, 2024, the Company also had a long-term investment in an equity security with no readily determinable fair value totaling $5.0 million. The Company uses the measurement alternative for fair value and the investment’s carrying value is reported at cost, adjusted for impairments or any observable price changes in ordinary transactions with identical or similar investments. In the second quarter of 2025, the issuer of this security raised additional capital at a valuation that would result in the Company not recovering its investment in a liquidation event. Accordingly, as of June 30, 2025, the Company concluded this investment was fully impaired and recorded a $5.0 million impairment charge in the three-month period ended June 30, 2025.Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 17, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 25, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 26, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 14, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 10, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Feb 11, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 13, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Feb 26, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 22, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Feb 27, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Feb 24, 2016 | |
About Fair Value Disclosures
Fair value disclosures classify all assets and liabilities measured at fair value into a three-level hierarchy: Level 1 (quoted market prices), Level 2 (observable inputs like yield curves), and Level 3 (unobservable inputs requiring management estimates). The proportion of Level 3 assets directly reflects how much of the balance sheet depends on internal models rather than market evidence.
Key signals: a growing Level 3 balance relative to total fair-value assets increases valuation uncertainty and earnings volatility risk. Watch for transfers between levels — assets moving from Level 2 to Level 3 often signal deteriorating market liquidity. Unrealized gains and losses on Level 3 positions flow through earnings or other comprehensive income, so large swings deserve scrutiny. For financial institutions, examine the sensitivity disclosures that show how Level 3 valuations change under alternative assumptions. Compare the fair value of debt against its carrying amount to gauge hidden leverage.