ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Numbers are rounded for presentation purposes.
See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
Numbers are rounded for presentation purposes.
See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
Numbers are rounded for presentation purposes.
See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
Numbers are rounded for presentation purposes.
See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(unaudited)
1. Organization and Basis of Presentation
Organization
Overview
Siebert
Financial Corp., a New York corporation, incorporated in 1934, is a holding company that conducts the following lines of business through
its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries:
| ● | Muriel
Siebert & Co., Inc. (“MSCO”) provides retail brokerage services. MSCO is
a Delaware corporation and broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(“SEC”) under the Exchange Act and the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936, and member
of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), the New York Stock
Exchange (“NYSE”), the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”),
and the National Futures Association (“NFA”). |
| | |
| ● | Siebert
AdvisorNXT, Inc. (“SNXT”) provides investment advisory services. SNXT is a New
York corporation registered with the SEC as a Registered Investment Advisor (“RIA”)
under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. |
| | |
| ● | Park
Wilshire Companies, Inc. (“PW”) provides insurance services. PW is a Texas corporation
and licensed insurance agency. |
| | |
| ● | Siebert
Technologies, LLC (“STCH”) provides technology development. STCH is a Nevada
limited liability company. |
| | |
| ● | RISE
Financial Services, LLC (“RISE”) is a Delaware limited liability company and
a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and NFA. |
| | |
| ● | StockCross
Digital Solutions, Ltd. (“STXD”) is an inactive subsidiary headquartered in Bermuda. |
For
purposes of this Report on Form 10-Q, the terms “Siebert,” “Company,” “we,” “us,” and
“our” refer to Siebert Financial Corp., MSCO, SNXT, PW, STCH, RISE, and STXD collectively, unless the context otherwise requires.
The
Company is headquartered in New York, NY, with primary operations in New Jersey, Florida, and California. The Company has 13 branch offices
throughout the U.S. and clients around the world. The Company’s SEC filings are available through the Company’s website at
www.siebert.com, where investors can obtain copies of the Company’s public filings free of charge. The Company’s common stock,
par value $.01 per share, trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “SIEB.”
The
Company primarily operates in the securities brokerage and asset management industry and has no other reportable segments. All of the
Company’s revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 were derived from its operations in the U.S.
As
of March 31, 2023, the Company
is comprised of a single operating segment based on the factors related to management’s decision-making framework as well as management
evaluating performance and allocating resources based on assessments of the Company from a consolidated perspective.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited
condensed consolidated financial statements (“financial statements”) of the Company have been prepared on the accrual basis
of accounting in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“GAAP”) for interim financial information
with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes
required by GAAP for complete annual financial statements. The U.S. dollar is the functional currency of the Company and numbers are rounded
for presentation purposes.
In the opinion of management,
the financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring entries) necessary to fairly present such interim results.
Interim results are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations which may be expected for a full year or any subsequent period.
These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto in the Company’s 2022 Form
10-K.
Principles of Consolidation
The
financial statements include the accounts of Siebert and its wholly-owned and majority-owned consolidated subsidiaries. Upon consolidation,
all intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated. For the period of March 31, 2022 to October 18, 2022, the Company determined
that RISE was a variable interest entity (“VIE”) for which the Company was the primary beneficiary. As discussed in more detail
in Note 4 – RISE, as of October 18, 2022, the Company’s ownership in RISE increased to 68% and therefore, the Company continued
to consolidate RISE under the voting interest model (“VOE model”). The Company’s ownership in RISE remained 68% as of
March 31, 2023. Certain reclassifications have been made to previously reported amounts to conform to current presentation.
For
consolidated subsidiaries that are not wholly-owned, the third-party holdings of equity interests are referred to as noncontrolling interests.
The net income or loss attributable to noncontrolling interests for such subsidiaries is presented as net income or loss attributable
to noncontrolling interests in the statements of operations. The portion of total equity that is attributable to noncontrolling interests
for such subsidiaries is presented as noncontrolling interests in the statements of financial condition.
For
investments in entities in which the Company does not have a controlling financial interest but has significant influence over its operating
and financial decisions, the Company applies the equity method of accounting with net income and losses recorded in earnings of equity
method investment in related party.
Significant Accounting Policies
The Company’s significant
accounting policies are included in Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Company’s 2022 Form 10-K. During
the three months ended March 31, 2023, there were no significant changes made to the Company’s significant accounting policies.
2. New Accounting Standards
The
Company did not adopt any new accounting standards during the three months ended March 31, 2023. In addition, the Company has evaluated
other recently issued accounting standards and does not believe that any of these standards will have a material impact on the Company’s
financial statements and related disclosures as of March 31, 2023.
3. Transactions with
Tigress and Hedge Connection
In
2021 and 2022, the Company entered into agreements and subsequent reorganization agreements and termination agreements with Tigress Holdings,
LLC (“Tigress”) and Hedge Connection, LLC (“Hedge Connection”). Refer to Note 3 – Transactions with Tigress
and Hedge Connection in the Company’s 2022 Form 10-K for more detail on these transactions. Information related to these transactions
that impact the periods presented is shown below.
During
the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized $38,000 and $165,000 from its equity method investment in Tigress,
respectively. On January 21, 2022, the Company purchased Hedge Connection for $1,000,000, of which $400,000 was noncash consideration
and $600,000 was a note payable. The Company paid off $100,000 of its note payable to Hedge Connection during the three months ended
March 31, 2022. As of March 31, 2023 and the date of this Report, the Company owned 17% of Tigress.
4. RISE
During the first quarter of
2022, RISE issued and Siebert sold membership interests in RISE to certain employees, directors, and affiliates of RISE and Siebert.
From January 1, 2022 through
March 30, 2022, RISE issued 8.3% of RISE’s total issued and outstanding membership interests in exchange for a net increase
in assets of $1,000,000. Siebert sold membership interests representing 2% of RISE’s total issued and outstanding membership interests
to Siebert employees and affiliates.
On March 31, 2022, Siebert
exchanged $2,880,000 in aggregate of notes payable to Gloria E. Gebbia for 24% ownership interest in RISE. As a result, Siebert’s
direct ownership percentage in RISE declined from 76% as of December 31, 2021 to approximately 44% as of March 31, 2022. As
of March 31, 2022, Siebert determined that RISE was a VIE and that Siebert was the primary beneficiary, requiring RISE to be consolidated
in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 810 – Consolidation.
As a result of transactions
described in Note 3 – Transactions with Tigress and Hedge Connection, Siebert’s ownership in RISE increased to 68%, and therefore
Siebert continued to consolidate RISE from October 18, 2022 through December 31, 2022 under the VOE model. There have been no further
transactions completed by the Company related to RISE’s membership interests for the three months ended March 31, 2023.
As of March 31, 2023, RISE
reported assets of $1.3 million and liabilities of $0.04 million. As of December 31, 2022, RISE reported assets of $1.3 million and liabilities
of $0.1 million. There are no restrictions on RISE’s assets.
5. Receivables From, Payables To, and Deposits With Broker-Dealers
and Clearing Organizations
Amounts receivable from, payables
to, and deposits with broker-dealers and clearing organizations consisted of the following as of the periods indicated:
| |
As of March 31,
2023 | | |
As of December 31,
2022 | |
Receivables from and deposits with broker-dealers and clearing organizations | |
| | |
| |
DTCC / OCC / NSCC (1) | |
$ | 9,221,000 | | |
$ | 8,187,000 | |
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (“GSCO”) | |
| 30,000 | | |
| 31,000 | |
Pershing Capital | |
| — | | |
| 96,000 | |
National Financial Services, LLC (“NFS”) | |
| 2,050,000 | | |
| 2,006,000 | |
Securities fail-to-deliver | |
| 115,000 | | |
| 3,000 | |
Globalshares | |
| 112,000 | | |
| 82,000 | |
Total Receivables from and deposits with broker-dealers and clearing organizations | |
$ | 11,528,000 | | |
$ | 10,405,000 | |
| |
| | | |
| | |
Payables to broker-dealers and clearing organizations | |
| | | |
| | |
Securities fail-to-receive | |
$ | 229,000 | | |
$ | 396,000 | |
Payables to broker-dealers | |
| 3,415,000 | | |
| 264,000 | |
Total Payables to broker-dealers and clearing organizations | |
$ | 3,644,000 | | |
$ | 660,000 | |
| (1) | Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation is referred to as
(“DTCC”), Options Clearing Corporation is referred to as (“OCC”), and National Securities Clearing Corporation
is referred to as (“NSCC”). |
Under the DTCC shareholders’
agreement, MSCO is required to participate in the DTCC common stock mandatory purchase. As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, MSCO
had shares of DTCC common stock valued at approximately $1,236,000 and $1,054,000, respectively, which are included within the line item
“Deposits with broker-dealers and clearing organizations” on the statements of financial condition.
In September 2022, MSCO and
RISE entered into a clearing agreement whereby RISE would introduce clients to MSCO. As part of the agreement, RISE deposited a clearing
fund escrow deposit of $50,000 to MSCO, and had excess cash of approximately $1.2 million in its brokerage account at MSCO as of March
31, 2023. The resulting asset of RISE and liability of MSCO is eliminated in consolidation. There was no income or expense related to
this clearing relationship for periods presented.
As of March 31, 2023, the
Company had terminated its clearing relationships with GSCO and Pershing.
6. Prepaid Service
Contract
In
April 2020, the Company entered into an agreement with a technology partner whereby the Company paid the technology partner shares of
the Company’s common stock and cash in exchange for services to develop a new client and back end interface as well as related functionalities
for the Company’s key operations. In February 2022, the Company entered into a Consulting Services Agreement (“CSA”)
with the technology partner, whereby the Company would provide certain consulting services over an 18-month period. In September 2022,
the Company and the technology partner mutually agreed to terminate the services being provided under both the original agreement as well
as the CSA. Refer to Note 6 – Prepaid Service Contract in the Company’s 2022 Form 10-K for further detail. Information related
to these transactions that impacted the periods presented is shown below.
The
Company recorded amortization of prepaid service contract assets of $0 and $177,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022,
respectively. The Company recorded a total of $0 and $583,000 in consulting fee income for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022,
respectively.
7. Fair Value Measurements
Overview
ASC 820 defines fair value,
establishes a framework for measuring fair value as well as a hierarchy of fair value inputs. Refer to the below as well as Note 2 –
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Company’s 2022 Form 10-K for further information regarding fair value hierarchy,
valuation techniques and other items related to fair value measurements.
Financial Assets and
Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
The
tables below present, by level within the fair value hierarchy, financial assets and liabilities, measured at fair value on a recurring
basis for the periods indicated. As required by ASC Topic 820, financial assets and financial liabilities are classified in their entirety
based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the respective fair value measurement.
| |
As of March 31, 2023 | |
| |
Level 1 | | |
Level 2 | | |
Level 3 | | |
Total | |
Assets | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| |
Cash and securities segregated for regulatory purposes | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| |
U.S. government securities | |
$ | 195,906,000 | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | 195,906,000 | |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Securities owned, at fair value | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
U.S. government securities | |
$ | 6,856,000 | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | 6,856,000 | |
Certificates of deposit | |
| — | | |
| 194,000 | | |
| — | | |
| 194,000 | |
Municipal securities | |
| — | | |
| 166,000 | | |
| — | | |
| 166,000 | |
Corporate bonds | |
| — | | |
| 141,000 | | |
| — | | |
| 141,000 | |
Equity securities | |
| 54,000 | | |
| 198,000 | | |
| — | | |
| 252,000 | |
Total Securities owned, at fair value | |
$ | 6,910,000 | | |
$ | 699,000 | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | 7,609,000 | |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Liabilities | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Equity securities | |
$ | 2,000 | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | 2,000 | |
Total Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value | |
$ | 2,000 | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | 2,000 | |
| |
As of December 31, 2022 | |
| |
Level 1 | | |
Level 2 | | |
Level 3 | | |
Total | |
Assets | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| |
Cash and securities segregated for regulatory purposes | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
U.S. government securities | |
$ | 140,978,000 | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | 140,978,000 | |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Securities owned, at fair value | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
U.S. government securities | |
$ | 2,808,000 | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | 2,808,000 | |
Certificates of deposit | |
| — | | |
| 92,000 | | |
| — | | |
| 92,000 | |
Municipal securities | |
| — | | |
| 52,000 | | |
| — | | |
| 52,000 | |
Corporate bonds | |
| — | | |
| 7,000 | | |
| — | | |
| 7,000 | |
Equity securities | |
| 63,000 | | |
| 182,000 | | |
| — | | |
| 245,000 | |
Total Securities owned, at fair value | |
$ | 2,871,000 | | |
$ | 333,000 | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | 3,204,000 | |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Liabilities | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Equity securities | |
$ | 2,000 | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | 2,000 | |
Total Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value | |
$ | 2,000 | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | — | | |
$ | 2,000 | |
The
Company had U.S. government securities with the below market values and maturity dates for the periods indicated:
| |
As of March 31,
2023 | |
Market value of U.S. government securities | |
| | |
Maturing 05/18/2023, 2.791% Discount Rate | |
| 9,942,000 | |
Maturing 06/22/2023, 4.654% Discount Rate | |
| 19,795,000 | |
Maturing 07/25/2023, 4.762% Discount Rate | |
| 19,705,000 | |
Maturing 08/03/2023, 4.820% Discount Rate | |
| 24,602,000 | |
Maturing 08/31/2023, 1.375% Coupon Rate | |
| 9,863,000 | |
Maturing 09/21/2023, 4.382% Discount Rate | |
| 14,000 | |
Maturing 09/21/2023, 4.865% Discount Rate | |
| 14,667,000 | |
Maturing 09/28/2023, 4.709% Discount Rate | |
| 4,000,000 | |
Maturing 12/31/2023, 0.750% Coupon Rate | |
| 63,093,000 | |
Maturing 01/31/2024, 0.875% Coupon Rate | |
| 24,211,000 | |
Maturing 05/31/2024, 2.500% Coupon Rate | |
| 9,775,000 | |
Maturing 08/15/2024, 0.375% Coupon Rate | |
| 2,841,000 | |
Accrued interest | |
| 254,000 | |
Total Market value of investment in U.S. government securities | |
$ | 202,762,000 | |
| |
| As of December 31,
2022 | |
Market value of U.S. government securities | |
| | |
Maturing 03/23/2023, 3.750% Discount Rate | |
$ | 24,768,000 | |
Maturing 05/18/2023, 2.700% Discount Rate | |
| 9,831,000 | |
Maturing 08/31/2023, 1.375% Coupon Rate | |
| 9,777,000 | |
Maturing 12/31/2023, 0.750% Coupon Rate | |
| 62,497,000 | |
Maturing 01/31/2024, 0.875% Coupon Rate | |
| 23,995,000 | |
Maturing 05/31/2024, 2.500% Coupon Rate | |
| 9,707,000 | |
Maturing 08/15/2024, 0.375% Coupon Rate | |
| 2,808,000 | |
Accrued interest | |
| 404,000 | |
Total Market value of investment in U.S. government securities | |
$ | 143,787,000 | |
Financial Assets Measured
at Fair Value on a Non-Recurring Basis
The
following table represents information for assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis and display the carrying value after
measurement as of the periods indicated. The fair value measurement is nonrecurring as these assets are measured at fair value only when
there is a triggering event (e.g., an evidence of impairment). Assets included in the table are those that were impaired during the respective
reporting periods and that are still held as of the reporting date. The estimated fair values for these amounts were determined using
significant unobservable inputs (Level 3).
| |
As of March 31,
2023 | | |
As of December 31,
2022 | |
Equity method investment in related party | |
$ | 2,622,000 | | |
$ | 2,584,000 | |
As a result of the transaction
discussed Note 3 – Transactions with Tigress and Hedge Connection, the Company recognized an impairment charge for its investment
in Tigress of approximately $4,015,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The fair value of the Company’s investment in Tigress
was determined using the income and market approach. For the income approach, the Company utilized estimated discounted future cash flow
expected to be generated by Tigress. For the market approach, the Company utilized market multiples of revenue and earnings derived from
comparable publicly-traded companies.
Financial Assets and
Liabilities Not Carried at Fair Value
The following represents financial
instruments in which the ending balances as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 that are not carried at fair value in the statements
of financial condition:
Short-term
financial instruments: The carrying value of short-term financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents as well as cash
and securities segregated for regulatory purposes, are recorded at amounts that approximate the fair value of these instruments. These
financial instruments generally expose the Company to limited credit risk and have no stated maturities or have short-term maturities
and carry interest rates that approximate market rates. The Company had no cash equivalents for regulatory purposes as of March 31, 2023
and December 31, 2022. Securities segregated for regulatory purposes consist solely of U.S. government securities and are included in
the fair value hierarchy table above. Cash and cash equivalents and cash and securities segregated for regulatory purposes are classified
as level 1.
Receivables
and other assets: Receivables from customers, receivables from non-customers, receivables from and deposits with broker-dealers and clearing
organizations, other receivables, and prepaid expenses and other assets are recorded at amounts that approximate fair value and are classified
as level 2 under the fair value hierarchy. The Company may hold cash equivalents related to rent deposits in prepaid expenses and other
assets that are categorized as level 2 under the fair value hierarchy.
Securities
borrowed and securities loaned: Securities borrowed and securities loaned are recorded at amounts which approximate fair value and are
primarily classified as level 2 under the fair value hierarchy. The Company’s securities borrowed and securities loaned balances
represent amounts of equity securities borrow and loan contracts and are marked-to-market daily in accordance with standard industry practices
which approximate fair value.
Investments,
cost: The Company’s non-marketable equity securities are investments in privately held companies without readily determinable market
values. Due to the absence of quoted market prices, the inherent lack of liquidity and the fact that inputs used to measure fair value
are unobservable and require management’s judgment. As there is no readily determinable fair value, the carrying amount of these
investments minus impairment approximates the fair value. The cost will be adjusted upwards or downwards in accordance with observable
market transactions and is recorded in the line item “Other general and administrative” in the statements of operations. Under
the fair value hierarchy, the investments, cost is classified as level 3.
Payables:
Payables to customers, payables to non-customers, drafts payable, payables to broker-dealers and clearing organizations, accounts payable
and accrued liabilities, and taxes payable are recorded at amounts that approximate fair value due to their short-term nature and are
classified as level 2 under the fair value hierarchy.
Deferred
contract incentive: The carrying amount of the deferred contract incentive approximates fair value due to the relative short-term
nature of the liability. Under the fair value hierarchy, the deferred contract incentive is classified as level 2.
Long-term
debt: The carrying amount of the loan and mortgage with East West Bank approximates fair value as they reflect terms that approximate
current market terms for similar arrangements. Under the fair value hierarchy, the loan and mortgage are classified as level 2.
8. Property, Office Facilities, and Equipment,
Net
Property, office facilities,
and equipment consisted of the following as of the periods indicated:
| |
As of March 31,
2023 | | |
As of December 31,
2022 | |
Property | |
$ | 6,815,000 | | |
$ | 6,815,000 | |
Office facilities | |
| 3,181,000 | | |
| 2,616,000 | |
Equipment | |
| 749,000 | | |
| 674,000 | |
Total Property, office facilities, and equipment | |
| 10,745,000 | | |
| 10,105,000 | |
Less accumulated depreciation | |
| (1,858,000 | ) | |
| (1,777,000 | ) |
Total Property, office facilities, and equipment, net | |
$ | 8,887,000 | | |
$ | 8,328,000 | |
Total depreciation expense
for property, office facilities, and equipment was $81,000 and $97,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Miami Office Building
On
December 30, 2021, the Company purchased an office building located at 653 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL (“Miami office building”).
The Miami office building contains approximately 12,000 square feet of office space and will serve as a primary operating center of the
Company.
As
of March 31, 2023, no depreciation expense has been recorded for the Miami office building. Depreciation expense will commence when the
build out of the Miami office building is completed and placed in service, which occurred in April 2023. The Company invested $565,000
and $276,000 in the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, to build out the Miami office building.
9. Software, Net
Software consisted of the
following as of the periods indicated:
| |
As of March 31,
2023 | | |
As of December 31,
2022 | |
Robo-advisor | |
$ | 763,000 | | |
$ | 763,000 | |
Other software | |
| 3,719,000 | | |
| 3,342,000 | |
Total Software | |
| 4,482,000 | | |
| 4,105,000 | |
Less accumulated amortization – robo-advisor | |
| (763,000 | ) | |
| (763,000 | ) |
Less accumulated amortization – other software | |
| (2,460,000 | ) | |
| (2,351,000 | ) |
Total Software, net | |
$ | 1,259,000 | | |
$ | 991,000 | |
In the fourth quarter of 2022,
the Company partnered with a technology partner to develop a new retail trading platform for the Company’s customers and integrate
the trading platform into the Company’s operations. The total capitalized software development work related to this project was
$629,000 as of March 31, 2023, of which $272,000 was capitalized during the three months ended March 31, 2023.
Amortization expense will
commence when the retail trading platform is launched and placed into service, which is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2023.
Total amortization of software
was $110,000 and $162,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. As of March 31, 2023, the Company estimates
future amortization of software assets of $411,000, $471,000, $322,000, and $55,000 in the years ended December 31, 2023, 2024, 2025,
and 2026 respectively.
10. Leases
As
of March 31, 2023, all of the Company’s leases are classified as operating and primarily consist of office space leases expiring
in 2023 through 2027. The Company elected not to include short-term leases (i.e., leases with initial terms of less than twelve months),
or equipment leases (deemed immaterial) on the statements of financial condition. The Company leases some miscellaneous office equipment,
but they are immaterial and therefore the Company records the costs associated with this office equipment on the statements of operations
rather than capitalizing them as lease right-of-use assets. The balance of the lease right-of-use assets and lease liabilities are displayed
on the statements of financial condition and the below tables display further detail on the Company’s leases.
Lease Term and Discount Rate | |
As of March 31,
2023 | | |
As of December 31,
2022 | |
Weighted average remaining lease term – operating leases (in years) | |
| 2.6 | | |
| 2.7 | |
Weighted average discount rate – operating leases | |
| 5.0 | % | |
| 5.0 | % |
| |
Three Months Ended March 31, | |
| |
2023 | | |
2022 | |
Operating lease cost | |
$ | 304,000 | | |
$ | 378,000 | |
Short-term lease cost | |
| 143,000 | | |
| 25,000 | |
Variable lease cost | |
| 31,000 | | |
| 70,000 | |
Total Rent and occupancy | |
$ | 478,000 | | |
$ | 473,000 | |
| |
| | | |
| | |
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities |
Operating cash flows from operating leases | |
$ | 326,000 | | |
$ | 400,000 | |
| |
| | | |
| | |
Lease right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new lease liabilities |
Operating leases | |
$ | — | | |
$ | — | |
Lease Commitments
Future annual minimum payments
for operating leases with initial terms of greater than one year as of March 31, 2023 were as follows:
Year | |
Amount | |
2023 | |
$ | 920,000 | |
2024 | |
| 588,000 | |
2025 | |
| 450,000 | |
2026 | |
| 234,000 | |
2027 | |
| 48,000 | |
Remaining balance of lease payments | |
| 2,240,000 | |
Less: difference between undiscounted cash flows and discounted cash flows | |
| 135,000 | |
Lease liabilities | |
$ | 2,105,000 | |
11. Equity Method Investment in Related Party
Transaction with Tigress
On
November 16, 2021, the Company entered into an agreement with Tigress and a subsequent reorganization agreement with Tigress on October
18, 2022. Refer to Note 3 – Transactions with Tigress and Hedge Connection in the Company’s 2022 Form 10-K for further detail.
As
a result of the reorganization agreement with Tigress on October 18, 2022, the Company’s ownership interest of Tigress decreased
from 24% to 17%, and the Company reassessed whether it had significant influence over Tigress. Based on the level of the Company’s
ownership of Tigress, the Company concluded that it was still able to exercise significant influence over Tigress through March 31, 2023.
Therefore, the Company continues to account for this investment under the equity method of accounting as of March 31, 2023.
For
the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the earnings recognized from the Company’s investment in Tigress were $38,000 and
$165,000, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company received cash distributions from Tigress of $0
and $156,000, respectively.
As
of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the carrying amount of the investment in Tigress was $2,622,000 and $2,584,000, respectively.
There
were no events or circumstances suggesting the carrying amount of the investment may be impaired as of March 31, 2023 and December 31,
2022.
Below
is a table showing the summary from the consolidated statements of operations and financial condition for Tigress for the periods indicated
(unaudited):
| |
Three Months Ended March 31, | |
| |
2023 | | |
2022 | |
Revenue | |
$ | 1,845,000 | | |
$ | 3,399,000 | |
Operating income | |
$ | 221,000 | | |
$ | 689,000 | |
Net income | |
$ | 221,000 | | |
$ | 689,000 | |
| |
As of | |
| |
March 31,
2023 | | |
December 31,
2022 | |
Assets | |
$ | 8,575,000 | | |
$ | 8,169,000 | |
Liabilities | |
$ | 5,886,000 | | |
$ | 5,301,000 | |
Stockholders’ Equity | |
$ | 2,689,000 | | |
$ | 2,868,000 | |
Transaction with Hedge
Connection
On
January 21, 2022, RISE entered into an agreement with Hedge Connection, and a subsequent termination agreement with Hedge Connection on
October 18, 2022. Refer to Note 3 – Transactions with Tigress and Hedge Connection in the Company’s 2022 Form 10-K for further
detail.
The
earnings recognized from the Company’s investment in Hedge Connection for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 were $0
and $36,000, respectively. The Company did not receive any cash distributions from Hedge Connection for the three months ended March 31,
2023 and 2022.
The
carrying amount of the investment in Hedge Connection was $0 as of both March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022.
The
Company paid Hedge Connection for licensing and consulting fees related to this agreement in an aggregate amount of $0 and $108,000 for
the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
12. Investments, Cost
OpenHand
As
of March 31, 2022, the Company maintained a 2% ownership interest in OpenHand Holdings, Inc. (“OpenHand”). The investment
does not have a readily determinable fair value since OpenHand is a private company and its shares are not publicly traded.
As
of March 31, 2023, management concluded that its investment in OpenHand was not impaired and that no additional events or changes in circumstances
were identified that could have a significant effect on the original valuation of the investment. As of both March 31, 2023 and December
31, 2022, the carrying value of the Company’s investment in OpenHand was $850,000.
Refer
to Note 12 – Investments, Cost in the Company’s 2022 Form 10-K for further information regarding this transaction and the
corresponding accounting treatment.
13. Goodwill
As of both March 31, 2023
and December 31, 2022, the Company’s carrying amount of goodwill was $1,989,000, all of which came from the Company’s acquisition
of RISE. As of March 31, 2023, management concluded that there have been no impairments to the carrying value of the Company’s goodwill
and no impairment charges related to goodwill were recognized during the three months ended March 31, 2023. Additionally, the Company
determined there was not a material risk for future possible impairments to goodwill as of the date of the assessment.
14. Long-Term Debt
Mortgage with East
West Bank
Overview
On
December 30, 2021, the Company purchased the Miami office building for approximately $6.8 million, and the Company entered into a mortgage
with East West Bancorp, Inc. (“East West Bank”) for approximately $4 million to finance part of the purchase of the Miami
office building as well as $338,000 to finance part of the build out of the Miami office building.
The Company’s obligations
under the mortgage are secured by a lien on the Miami office building and the term of the loan is ten years. The repayment schedule
will utilize a 30-year amortization period, with a balloon on the remaining amount due at the end of ten years. The interest rate
is 3.6% for the first 7 years, and thereafter the interest rate shall be at the prime rate as reported by the Wall Street Journal,
provided that the minimum interest rate on any term loan will not be less than 3.6%. As part of the agreement, the Company must maintain
a debt service coverage ratio of 1.4 to 1. The loan is subject to a prepayment penalty over the first five years which is calculated
as a percentage of the principal amount outstanding at the time of prepayment. This percentage is 5% in the first year and decreases
by 1% each year thereafter, with the prepayment penalty ending after 5 years. As of March 31, 2023, the Company was in compliance with
all of its covenants related to this agreement.
As of March 31, 2023, the
Company used its full commitment of $338,000 with East West Bank for the build out of the Miami office building.
Remaining Payments
Future
remaining annual minimum principal payments for the mortgage with East West Bank as of March 31, 2023 were as follows:
| |
Amount | |
2023 | |
$ | 61,000 | |
2024 | |
| 84,000 | |
2025 | |
| 88,000 | |
2026 | |
| 91,000 | |
Thereafter | |
| 4,048,000 | |
Total | |
$ | 4,372,000 | |
The
interest expense related to this mortgage was $39,000 and $25,000 for the three months ended March
31, 2023, and 2022, respectively. As of March 31, 2023, the interest rate for this mortgage was 3.6%.
Loan with East West Bank
Overview
On
July 22, 2020, the Company entered into a loan and security agreement with East West Bank. In accordance with the terms of this agreement,
the Company borrowed $5.0 million and had an outstanding balance of $2.4 million as of March 31,
2023.
The
Company’s obligations under the agreement are secured by a lien on all of the Company’s cash, dividends, stocks and other
monies and property from time to time received or receivable in exchange for the Company’s equity interests in and any other rights
to payment from the Company’s subsidiaries; any deposit accounts into which the foregoing is deposited and all substitutions, products,
proceeds (cash and non-cash) arising out of any of the foregoing. Each term loan will have a term of four years, beginning when the
draw is made. The repayment schedule will utilize a five-year (60 month) amortization period, with a balloon on the remaining amount due
at the end of four years.
Term
loans made pursuant to the agreement shall bear interest at the prime rate as reported by the Wall Street Journal, provided that the minimum
interest rate on any term loan will not be less than 3.25%. In addition to the foregoing, on the date that each term loan is made,
the Company shall pay to the lender an origination fee equal to 0.25% of the principal amount of such term loan. Pursuant to the
loan agreement, the Company paid all lender expenses in connection with the loan agreement.
This
agreement contains certain financial and non-financial covenants. The financial covenants are that the Company must maintain a debt service
coverage ratio of 1.35 to 1, an effective tangible net worth of a minimum of $25 million, and MSCO must maintain a net
capital ratio that is not less than 10% of aggregate debit items. Certain other non-financial covenants include that the Company
must promptly notify East West Bank of the creation or acquisition of any subsidiary that at any time owns assets with a value of $100,000
or greater. As of March 31, 2023, the Company was in compliance with all its covenants
related to this agreement.
In
addition, the Company’s obligations under the agreement are guaranteed pursuant to a guarantee agreement by and among, John J. Gebbia
and Gloria E. Gebbia, individually, and as a co-trustees of the John and Gloria Living Trust, U/D/T December 8, 1994 (“John and
Gloria Gebbia Trust”).
Remaining Payments
Future
remaining annual minimum principal payments for the loan with East West Bank as of March 31,
2023 were as follows:
| |
Amount | |
2023 | |
$ | 749,000 | |
2024 | |
| 1,661,000 | |
Total | |
$ | 2,410,000 | |
The
interest expense related to the loan was $49,000 and $29,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. As of March
31, 2023, the interest rate for this loan was 8%.
15. Deferred Contract Incentive
Effective
August 1, 2021, MSCO entered into an amendment to its clearing agreement with NFS that, among other things, extended the term of the arrangement
for an additional four-year period commencing on August 1, 2021 and ending July 31, 2025.
As part of this agreement,
the Company received a one-time business development credit of $3 million from NFS which was recorded in the line item “Deferred
contract incentive” on the statements of financial condition. This credit will be recognized as contra expense over the term of
the agreement in the line item “Clearing fees, including execution costs” on the statements of operations. For both the three
months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized $213,000 in contra expense.
As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the balance of the deferred contract incentive was $1.8 million and $2.0 million, respectively,
and are recorded in the line items “Current portion of deferred contract incentive” and “Deferred contract incentive,
less current portion” in the statements of financial condition.
16. Revenue Recognition
Refer to Note 2 – Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies in Company’s 2022 Form 10-K for detail on the Company’s primary sources of revenue and
the corresponding accounting treatment. Information related to items that impact certain revenue streams within the periods presented
is shown below.
Principal Transactions and Proprietary Trading
In
2022 the Company invested in treasury bill and treasury notes, which are primarily in the line item “Cash and securities
segregated for regulatory purposes” on the statements of financial condition, in order to enhance its yield on its excess
15c3-3 deposits. During 2022, there was an increase in U.S. government securities yields, which created an unrealized loss of
approximately on the Company’s U.S. government securities portfolio of approximately $3.9 million on our government securities
portfolio for the year ended December 31, 2022. The Company continuously invests in treasury bills and treasury notes as part of its
normal operations to meet deposit requirements. The aggregate unrealized loss on the portfolio will be returned over the duration of
the government securities, at a point no later than the maturity of the securities. Refer to Note 7 – Fair Value
Measurements for additional detail.
The
following table represents detail related to principal transactions and proprietary trading.
| |
Three Months Ended March 31, | |
| |
2023 | | |
2022 | | |
Increase
(Decrease) | |
Principal transactions and proprietary trading | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Realized and unrealized gain on primarily riskless principal transactions | |
$ | 1,799,000 | | |
$ | 1,919,000 | | |
$ | (120,000 | ) |
Unrealized gain (loss) on portfolio of U.S. government securities | |
| 1,001,000 | | |
| (2,186,000 | ) | |
| 3,187,000 | |
Total Principal transactions and proprietary trading | |
$ | 2,800,000 | | |
$ | (267,000 | ) | |
$ | 3,067,000 | |
Stock Borrow / Stock
Loan
For
the three months ended March 31, 2023, stock borrow / stock loan revenue was $3,442,000 ($9,776,000 gross revenue less $6,334,000 expenses).
For the three months ended March 31, 2022, stock borrow / stock loan revenue was $3,578,000 ($7,465,000 gross revenue minus $3,887,000
expenses).
17. Income Taxes
The
Company’s provision for income taxes consists of federal and state taxes, as applicable, in amounts necessary to align the Company’s
year-to-date tax provision with the effective rate that it expects to achieve for the full year. Each quarter the Company updates its
estimate of the annual effective tax rate and records cumulative adjustments as necessary. As of March 31, 2023, the Company has concluded
that its deferred tax assets are realizable on a more-likely-than-not basis with the exception of certain state net operating losses.
For the three months ended
March 31, 2023, the Company recorded an income tax provision of $1,136,000 on pre-tax book income of $4,351,000. The effective tax rate
for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was 26%. The effective tax rate differs from the federal statutory rate of 21% primarily related
to certain permanent tax differences and state and local taxes.
For the three months ended
March 31, 2022, the Company recorded an income tax benefit of $282,000 on pre-tax book loss of $1,374,000. The effective tax rate for
the three months ended March 31, 2022 was 21%.
As of both March 31, 2023
and December 31, 2022, the Company recorded an uncertain tax position of $1,596,000 related to various tax matters, which is included
in the line item “Taxes payable” in the statements of financial condition.
18. Capital Requirements
MSCO
Net Capital
MSCO is subject to the Uniform
Net Capital Rules of the SEC (Rule 15c3-1) of the Exchange Act. Under the alternate method permitted by this rule, net capital, as defined,
shall not be less than the lower of $1 million or 2% of aggregate debit items arising from customer transactions. As of March 31, 2023,
MSCO’s net capital was $33.2 million, which was approximately $31.8 million in excess of its required net capital of $1.4 million,
and its percentage of aggregate debit balances to net capital was 47.09%.
As of December 31, 2022, MSCO’s
net capital was $30.6 million, which was approximately $29.2 million in excess of its required net capital of $1.4 million, and its percentage
of aggregate debit balances to net capital was 44.49%.
Special Reserve Account
MSCO is subject to Customer
Protection Rule 15c3-3 which requires segregation of funds in a special reserve account for the exclusive benefit of customers. As of
March 31, 2023, MSCO had cash and securities deposits of $254.4 million (cash of $58.5 million, securities with a fair value of $195.9
million) in the special reserve accounts which was $22.2 million in excess of the deposit requirement of $232.2 million. After adjustments
for deposit(s) and / or withdrawal(s) made on April 3, 2023, MSCO had $3.2 million in excess of the deposit requirement.
As
of December 31, 2022, MSCO had cash and securities deposits of $276.2 million (cash of $135.2 million, securities with a fair
value of $141.0 million) in the special reserve accounts which was $11.9 million in excess of the deposit requirement of $264.3 million.
The Company made no subsequent deposits or withdrawals on January 3, 2023.
As
of March 31, 2023, the Company was subject to the PAB Account Rule 15c3-3 of the SEC which requires segregation of funds in a special
reserve account for the exclusive benefit of proprietary accounts of introducing broker-dealers. As of March 31, 2023, the Company had
$1.2 million in the special reserve account which was approximately $0.01 million in excess of the deposit requirement of approximately
$1.2 million. The Company made no subsequent deposits or withdrawals on April 3, 2023. As of December 31, 2022, the Company did not hold
any proprietary accounts of introducing broker-dealers.
RISE
Net Capital
RISE, as a member of FINRA,
is subject to the SEC Uniform Net Capital Rule 15c3-1. This rule requires the maintenance of minimum net capital and that the ratio of
aggregate indebtedness to net capital, both as defined, shall not exceed 15 to 1 and that equity capital may not be withdrawn, or cash
dividends paid if the resulting net capital ratio would exceed 10 to 1. RISE is also subject to the CFTC’s minimum financial requirements
which require that RISE maintain net capital, as defined, equal to the greater of its requirements under Regulation 1.17 under the Commodity
Exchange Act or Rule 15c3-1.
As of March 31, 2023, RISE’s
net capital was approximately $1.3 million which was $1.0 million in excess of its minimum requirement of $250,000 under 15c3-1. As of
December 31, 2022, RISE’s net capital was approximately $1.2 million which was $0.9 million in excess of its minimum requirement
of $250,000 under 15c3-1.
19. Financial Instruments with Off-Balance
Sheet Risk
The Company enters into various
transactions to meet the needs of customers, conduct trading activities, and manage market risks and is, therefore, subject to varying
degrees of market and credit risk. Refer to the below as well as Note 21 – Financial Instruments with Off-Balance Sheet Risk in
the Company’s 2022 Form 10-K for further information.
As
of March 31, 2023, the Company had margin loans extended to its customers of approximately $354.0 million, of which $51.9 million is within
the line item “Receivables from customers” on the statements of financial condition. As of December 31, 2022, the Company
had margin loans extended to its customers of approximately $365.4 million, of which $52.1 million is in the line item “Receivables
from customers” on the statements of financial condition. There were no material losses for unsettled customer transactions for
the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022.
20. Commitments, Contingencies, and Other
Legal and Regulatory Matters
The
Company is party to certain claims, suits and complaints arising in the ordinary course of business.
For
activity related to operations of StockCross Financial Services, Inc. (“StockCross”) prior to the Company’s acquisition
of StockCross, FINRA’s Division of Enforcement is currently investigating unit investment trust (“UIT”) transactions
that were executed by StockCross that the enforcement staff believes were terminated early. The Company believes that many of these transactions
were UIT transactions that were the subject of its prior settlements with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Dkt. No. E-2017-0104) and
the State of California (CRD No.s: 6670 and 2400211). All of these transactions occurred prior to the Company’s acquisition of StockCross
on January 1, 2020.
Management
cannot at this time assess either the duration or the likely outcome or consequences of the FINRA investigation. Nevertheless, FINRA has
the authority to impose sanctions on the Company or require that it make offers of restitution to other customers who FINRA believes incurred
sales charges in early liquidations of UITs. No assurances can be given that a mutual settlement with FINRA regarding the investigation
can be reached or that any amount paid in settlement will not be material.
As
of both March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, all other legal matters are without merit or involve amounts which would not have a material
impact on the Company’s results of operations or financial position.
Overnight Financing
As
of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, MSCO had an available line of credit for short term overnight demand borrowing with BMO Harris
Bank (“BMO Harris”) of up to $25 million and $15 million, respectively. As of those dates, MSCO had no outstanding loan balance
and there were no commitment fees or other restrictions on this line of credit. On May 23, 2022, MSCO increased its principal amount for
this line of credit from $15 million to $25 million.
There
was no interest expense or fees for this line of credit for both the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022.
At the Market Offering
On
May 27, 2022, the Company entered into a Capital on DemandTM Sales Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with JonesTrading
as agent, pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell, from time to time through JonesTrading, shares of the Company’s common
stock having an aggregate offering amount of up to $9.6 million under the Company’s shelf registration statement on Form S-3. The
Company is not obligated to make any sales of shares under the Sales Agreement. The Company agreed to pay JonesTrading a commission rate
equal to 3.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds from each sale of shares. The Company or JonesTrading may suspend or terminate the offering
upon notice to the other party and subject to other conditions. Whether the Company sells securities under the Sales Agreement will depend
on a number of factors, including the market conditions at that time, the Company’s cash position at that time and the availability
and terms of alternative sources of capital. For the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company did not sell any shares pursuant
to this Sales Agreement.
NFS Contract
Effective
August 1, 2021, MSCO entered into an amendment to its clearing agreement with NFS that, among other things, extends the term of the arrangement
for an additional four-year period commencing on August 1, 2021 and ending July 31, 2025. If the Company chooses to exit this agreement
before the end of the contract term, the Company is under the obligation to pay an early termination fee upon occurrence pursuant to the
table below:
Date of Termination | |
Early Termination Fee | |
Prior to August 1, 2023 | |
$ | 7,250,000 | |
Prior to August 1, 2024 | |
$ | 4,500,000 | |
Prior to August 1, 2025 | |
$ | 3,250,000 | |
For the three months ended
March 31, 2023 and 2022, there has been no expense recognized for any early termination fees. The Company believes that it is unlikely
it will have to make material payments related to early termination fees and has not recorded any contingent liability in the financial
statements related to this arrangement.
Technology Vendor
On March
31, 2023, the Company entered into an agreement with a technology vendor for certain development projects for a total of approximately
$1.2 million over a term of 2 years.
General Contingencies
The
Company’s general contingencies are included in Note 22 – Commitments, Contingencies, and Other in the Company’s 2022
Form 10-K. Other than the below, there have been no material updates to the Company’s general contingencies during the three months
ended March 31, 2023.
The
Company, through its affiliate, Kennedy Cabot Acquisition, LLC (“KCA”), is self-insured with respect to employee health claims.
KCA maintains stop-loss insurance for certain risks and has a health claim reinsurance limit capped at approximately $65,000 per employee
as of March 31, 2023.
As
part of this plan, the Company recognized expenses of $180,000 and $496,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
The
Company had an accrual of $50,000 as of March 31, 2023, which represents the estimate of future expense to be recognized for claims incurred
during the period.
The
Company believes that its present insurance coverage and reserves are sufficient to cover currently estimated exposures, but there can
be no assurance that the Company will not incur liabilities in excess of recorded reserves or in excess of its insurance limits.
21. Employee Benefit Plans
The Company, through KCA,
sponsors a defined-contribution retirement plan under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code that covers substantially all employees.
Participant contributions to the plan are voluntary and are subject to certain limitations. The Company may also make discretionary contributions
to the plan. No contributions to the plan were made by the Company or KCA for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022.
The
Company has an equity incentive plan that provides for the grant of stock options, restricted stock, and other equity awards of the Company’s
common stock to employees, officers, consultants, directors, affiliates and other service providers of the Company. There were 3 million
shares reserved under the equity incentive plan and 2,704,000 shares remained as of March 31, 2023. The Company did not issue any shares
under this plan for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022.
22. Related Party
Disclosures
KCA
KCA
is an affiliate of the Company and is under common ownership with the Company. To gain efficiencies and economies of scale with billing
and administrative functions, KCA serves as a paymaster for the Company for payroll and related functions, the entirety of which KCA passes
through to the subsidiaries of the Company proportionally.
KCA
owns a license from the Muriel Siebert Estate / Foundation to use the names “Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc.” and “Siebert”
within business activities, which expires in 2025. KCA passed through to the Company its cost of $15,000 for the use of these names in
both the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022.
KCA has earned no profit for
providing any services to the Company as KCA passes through any revenue or expenses to the Company’s subsidiaries for both the three
months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022. As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had a payable to KCA of $9,000 and $4,000,
respectively, for miscellaneous expenses, which are in the line item “Accounts payable and accrued liabilities” on the statements
of financial condition.
PW
PW
brokers the insurance policies for related parties. Revenue for PW from related parties was $22,000 and $75,000 for the three months ended
March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Gloria E. Gebbia,
John J. Gebbia, and Gebbia Family Members
On
March 31, 2022, Gloria E. Gebbia exchanged approximately $2.9 million of her notes payable to Company for 24% of the outstanding and issued
membership interests in RISE.
The
Company has entered into various notes payable with Gloria E. Gebbia, the Company’s principal stockholder. The Company had
interest expense related to theses notes payable of $0 and $70,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
The
Company’s obligations under its loan with East West Bank are guaranteed pursuant to a guarantee agreement by and among, John J.
Gebbia and Gloria E. Gebbia, individually, and as a co-trustees of the John and Gloria Gebbia Trust. Refer to Note 14 – Long-Term
Debt for additional detail.
Gloria
E. Gebbia has extended loans to certain Company employees for the purchase of the Company’s shares. These transactions have not
materially impacted the Company’s financial statements.
The
sons of Gloria E. Gebbia and John J. Gebbia hold executive positions within the Company’s subsidiaries and their compensation was
in aggregate $524,000 and $443,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Part of their compensation includes
performance-based payments related to key revenue streams.
Gebbia Sullivan County Land Trust
The Company operates on a
month-to-month lease agreement for its branch office in Omaha, Nebraska with the Gebbia Sullivan County Land Trust, the trustee of which
is a member of the Gebbia Family. For both the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, rent expense was $15,000 for this branch office.
Tigress and Hedge
Connection
The
Company entered into various agreements and subsequent terminations with Tigress and Hedge Connection. Refer to Note 3 – Transactions
with Tigress and Hedge Connection and Note 11– Equity Method Investment in Related Party for further detail.
RISE
During the year ended 2022,
RISE issued and Siebert sold membership interests of RISE to Siebert employees, directors and affiliates. Refer to Note 4 – RISE
for further detail. RISE entered into a clearing arrangement with MSCO and deposited a clearing fund escrow deposit of $50,000 to MSCO,
and had excess cash of approximately $1.2 million in its brokerage account at MSCO as of March 31, 2023.
23. Subsequent Events
The Company has evaluated
events that have occurred subsequent to March 31, 2023 and through May 15, 2023, the date of the filing of this Report.
On
April 27, 2023, the Company entered into an agreement to raise new capital into the Company by issuing new shares of the Company’s
common stock to Kakaopay Corporation (“Kakaopay”), a company established under the Laws of the Republic of Korea and a fintech
subsidiary of Korean-based conglomerate Kakao Corp.
The
Company entered into stock purchase agreements and ancillary agreements regarding this transaction. The transaction will occur in two
tranches, and in the first tranche, Kakaopay will purchase a 19.9% stake of the Company of 8,075,607 newly issued shares for approximately
$17.4 million. In the second tranche, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval, Kakaopay will acquire an additional 31.1% of the
Company of 25,756,470 of newly issued shares for approximately $60.5 million. Refer to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K
filed on May 3, 2023 for further detail regarding this transaction.
As
of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company capitalized deferred issuance costs related to this transaction of $383,000 and $318,000,
respectively, which are recorded within the line item “Prepaid expenses and other assets” in the statements of financial condition.
Based on the Company’s
assessment, other than the events described above, there have been no material subsequent events that occurred during such period that
would require disclosure in this Report or would be required to be recognized in the financial statements as of March 31, 2023.