OMB APPROVAL -------------------------- OMB Number: 3235-0006 Expires: October 31, 2003 Estimated average burden hours per response....23.3 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 Form 13F Form 13F COVER PAGE Report for the Calendar Year or Quarter Ended: December 31, 2008 Check here if Amendment [ ]; Amendment Number: -------- This Amendment (Check only one.): [ ] is a restatement. [ ] adds new holdings entries. Institutional Investment Manager Filing this Report: Name: Piper Jaffray Companies ------------------------------ Address: 800 Nicollet Mall ------------------------------ Suite 800 ------------------------------ Minneapolis, MN 55402-7020 ------------------------------ Form 13F File Number: 28-10776 The institutional investment manager filing this report and the person by whom it is signed hereby represent that the person signing the report is authorized to submit it, that all information contained herein is true, correct and complete, and that it is understood that all required items, statements, schedules, lists, and tables, are considered integral parts of this form. Person Signing this Report on Behalf of Reporting Manager: Name: Tim Carter ------------------------------ Title: Treasurer ------------------------------ Phone: 612 303-6000 ------------------------------ Signature, Place, and Date of Signing: Tim Carter Minneapolis, MN 2/9/09 ------------------------------------- ---------------------- --------------- [Signature] [City, State] [Date] Report Type (Check only one.): [X] 13F HOLDINGS REPORT. (Check here if all holdings of this reporting manager are reported in this report.) [ ] 13F NOTICE. (Check here if no holdings reported are in this report, and all holdings are reported by other reporting manager(s).) [ ] 13F COMBINATION REPORT. (Check here if a portion of the holdings for this reporting manager are reported in this report and a portion are reported by other reporting manager(s).) FORM 13F SUMMARY PAGE Report Summary: Number of Other Included Managers: 0 ----------- Form 13F Information Table Entry Total: 52 ----------- Form 13F Information Table Value Total: $ 17,968 ----------- (thousands) List of Other Included Managers: Provide a numbered list of the name(s) and Form 13F file number(s) of all institutional investment managers with respect to which this report is filed, other than the manager filing this report. NONE COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3 COLUMN 4 COLUMN 5 COLUMN 6 COLUMN 7 COLUMN 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME OF TITLE OF VALUE SHRS OR PUT/ INVESTMENT OTHER ISSUER CLASS CUSIP (X$1000) PRN AMT SH/PRN CALL DISCRETION MANAGERS SOLE SHARED NONE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ AMERICAN TOWER CORP CL A 029912201 1 50 SH 50 0 0 AMERISOURCEBERGEN CORP COM 03073E105 3,188 89,400 SH CALL 89,400 0 0 AMERISOURCEBERGEN CORP COM 03073E105 1,662 46,600 SH PUT 46,600 0 0 ARENA RESOURCES INC COM 040049108 6 225 SH 225 0 0 ATS MED INC NOTE 6.000%10/1 002083AB9 1,435 2,000,000 PRN 2,000,000 0 0 BARCLAYS BANK PLC ADR PFD SR 5 06739H362 907 60,400 SH 60,400 0 0 BIOMARIN PHARMACEUTICAL INC COM 09061G101 2 100 SH 100 0 0 CHICOS FAS INC COM 168615102 0 5 SH 5 0 0 CTRIP COM INTL LTD ADR 22943F100 119 5,000 SH 5,000 0 0 D & E COMMUNICATIONS INC COM 232860106 1 200 SH 200 0 0 DIGITAL RLTY TR INC COM 253868103 2 50 SH 50 0 0 ENPRO INDS INC DBCV 3.937%10/1 29355XAB3 77 100,000 PRN 100,000 0 0 F5 NETWORKS INC COM 315616102 2 91 SH 91 0 0 FGX INTERNATIONAL HLDGS LTD ORD SHS G3396L102 26 1,925 SH 1,925 0 0 FISERV INC COM 337738108 2 50 SH 50 0 0 FOCUS MEDIA HLDG LTD SPONSORED ADR 34415V109 136 15,000 SH 15,000 0 0 GAMESTOP CORP NEW CL A 36467W109 1 50 SH 50 0 0 GREATBATCH INC SDCV 2.250% 6/1 39153LAB2 2,834 3,305,000 PRN 3,305,000 0 0 HATTERAS FINL CORP COM 41902R103 5 200 SH 200 0 0 IHS INC CL A 451734107 2 50 SH 50 0 0 JA SOLAR HOLDINGS CO LTD SPON ADR 466090107 87 20,000 SH 20,000 0 0 L-3 COMMUNICATIONS HLDGS INC COM 502424104 35 475 SH 475 0 0 LAWSON SOFTWARE INC NEW NOTE 2.500% 4/1 52078PAA0 205 265,000 PRN 265,000 0 0 LINCOLN ELEC HLDGS INC COM 533900106 3 50 SH 50 0 0 MAGMA DESIGN AUTOMATION COM 559181102 20 20,000 SH PUT 20,000 0 0 MAGMA DESIGN AUTOMATION NOTE 2.000% 5/1 559181AC6 1,639 2,869,000 PRN 2,869,000 0 0 MARINER ENERGY INC COM 56845T305 7 700 SH 700 0 0 MCAFEE INC COM 579064106 36 1,050 SH 1,050 0 0 MWI VETERINARY SUPPLY INC COM 55402X105 3 100 SH 100 0 0 NEW YORK CMNTY BANCORP INC COM 649445103 40 3,325 SH 3,325 0 0 NYSE EURONEXT COM 629491101 1,741 63,578 SH 63,578 0 0 O REILLY AUTOMOTIVE INC COM 686091109 12 400 SH 400 0 0 O2MICRO INTERNATIONAL LTD SPONS ADR 67107W100 1 500 SH 500 0 0 OLD DOMINION FGHT LINES INC COM 679580100 9 300 SH 300 0 0 ON SEMICONDUCTOR CORP COM 682189105 36 10,532 SH 10,532 0 0 OSI PHARMACEUTICALS INC NOTE 2.000%12/1 671040AF0 339 250,000 PRN 250,000 0 0 COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3 COLUMN 4 COLUMN 5 COLUMN 6 COLUMN 7 COLUMN 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME OF TITLE OF VALUE SHRS OR PUT/ INVESTMENT OTHER ISSUER CLASS CUSIP (X$1000) PRN AMT SH/PRN CALL DISCRETION MANAGERS SOLE SHARED NONE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PATTERSON COMPANIES INC COM 703395103 469 25,000 SH PUT 25,000 0 0 PATTERSON COMPANIES INC COM 703395103 469 25,000 SH 25,000 0 0 PHARMERICA CORP COM 71714F104 1,758 112,200 SH CALL 112,200 0 0 PHARMERICA CORP COM 71714F104 235 15,000 SH PUT 15,000 0 0 PHARMERICA CORP COM 71714F104 1 45 SH 45 0 0 POWERWAVE TECHNOLOGIES INC COM 739363109 16 32,500 SH 32,500 0 0 PSYCHIATRIC SOLUTIONS INC COM 74439H108 1 50 SH 50 0 0 ROYAL BK SCOTLAND GROUP PLC ADR PREF SHS R 780097747 120 15,000 SH 15,000 0 0 SANDISK CORP COM 80004C101 96 10,000 SH 10,000 0 0 SIGNATURE BK NEW YORK N Y COM 82669G104 32 1,125 SH 1,125 0 0 SIRIUS XM RADIO INC COM 82967N108 8 68,600 SH CALL 68,600 0 0 SOLERA HOLDINGS INC COM 83421A104 37 1,550 SH 1,550 0 0 SPDR GOLD TRUST GOLD SHS 78463V107 35 400 SH 400 0 0 SUPERTEX INC COM 868532102 34 1,403 SH 1,403 0 0 THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC COM 883556102 12 350 SH 350 0 0 YAHOO INC COM 984332106 24 2,000 SH CALL 2,000 0 0