Item 1. Financial Statements
ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
ACCESS NEWSWIRE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
September 30,
December 31,
2025
2024
(unaudited)
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 3,261
$ 4,103
Accounts receivable (net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $ 1,661 and $ 1,059 respectively
4,137
3,351
Other current assets
1,603
1,234
Current assets held for sale
–
1,338
Total current assets
9,001
10,026
Capitalized software (net of accumulated amortization of $ 3,854 and $ 3,644 , respectively)
747
934
Fixed assets (net of accumulated depreciation of $ 848 and $ 914 , respectively)
274
365
Right-of-use asset – leases
575
766
Other long-term assets
80
158
Goodwill
19,043
19,043
Intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization of $ 8,906 and $ 7,024 , respectively)
10,094
11,976
Deferred tax asset
4,236
3,793
Non-current assets held for sale
–
3,577
Total assets
$ 44,050
$ 50,638
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
$ 1,354
$ 1,423
Accrued expenses
2,038
1,699
Income taxes payable
1,565
56
Current portion of long-term debt
870
4,000
Deferred revenue
5,020
4,743
Current liabilities held for sale
–
893
Total current liabilities
10,847
12,814
Long-term debt (net of debt discount of $ 57 and $ 70 , respectively)
1,899
11,930
Lease liabilities – long-term
408
668
Deferred tax liability
82
–
Other long-term liabilities
20
–
Total liabilities
13,256
25,412
Commitments and contingencies
–
–
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock, $ 0.001 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively.
–
–
Common stock $ 0.001 par value, 20,000,000 shares authorized, 3,868,826 and 3,838,743 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively.
4
4
Additional paid-in capital
24,909
24,259
Other accumulated comprehensive loss
( 127 )
( 178 )
Retained earnings
6,008
1,141
Total stockholders' equity
30,794
25,226
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
$ 44,050
$ 50,638
The accompanying notes are an integral part of
these unaudited financial statements.
3
ACCESS NEWSWIRE INC. AND
SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(UNAUDITED)
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
For the Three Months Ended
For the Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
September 30,
September 30,
2025
2024
2025
2024
Revenues
$ 5,723
$ 5,639
$ 16,820
$ 17,231
Cost of revenues
1,455
1,411
3,994
4,172
Gross profit
4,268
4,228
12,826
13,059
Operating costs and expenses:
General and administrative
1,484
1,893
5,189
5,374
Sales and marketing expenses
1,626
1,592
4,682
5,606
Product development
684
671
2,072
2,044
Depreciation and amortization
658
676
1,993
2,032
Total operating costs and expenses
4,452
4,832
13,936
15,056
Operating loss
( 184 )
( 604 )
( 1,110 )
( 1,997 )
Interest income (expense), net
207
( 270 )
14
( 857 )
Other expense, net
( 1 )
( 343 )
( 80 )
( 124 )
Income (loss) before taxes
22
( 1,217 )
( 1,176 )
( 2,978 )
Income tax expense (benefit)
67
( 347 )
( 127 )
( 642 )
Net loss from continuing operations
( 45 )
( 870 )
( 1,049 )
( 2,336 )
Net income from discontinued operations, net of tax
–
404
5,916
1,738
Net income (loss)
$ ( 45 )
$ ( 466 )
$ 4,867
$ ( 598 )
Loss from continuing operations per share – basic
$ ( 0.01 )
$ ( 0.23 )
$ ( 0.27 )
$ ( 0.61 )
Loss from continuing operations per share – fully diluted
$ ( 0.01 )
$ ( 0.23 )
$ ( 0.27 )
$ ( 0.61 )
Income from discontinued operations per share – basic
$ 0.00
$ 0.11
$ 1.53
$ 0.45
Income from discontinued operations per share – fully diluted
$ 0.00
$ 0.11
$ 1.53
$ 0.45
Income (loss) per share – basic
$ ( 0.01 )
$ ( 0.12 )
$ 1.26
$ ( 0.16 )
Income (loss) per share – fully diluted
$ ( 0.01 )
$ ( 0.12 )
$ 1.26
$ ( 0.16 )
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding – basic
3,869
3,833
3,856
3,823
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding – fully diluted
3,870
3,835
3,857
3,826
The accompanying notes are an integral part of
these unaudited financial statements.
4
ACCESS NEWSWIRE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(LOSS)
(UNAUDITED)
(in thousands)
For the Three Months Ended
For the Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
September 30,
September 30,
2025
2024
2025
2024
Net income (loss)
$ ( 45 )
$ ( 466 )
$ 4,867
$ ( 598 )
Foreign currency translation adjustment
( 30 )
21
51
( 26 )
Comprehensive income (loss)
$ ( 75 )
$ ( 445 )
$ 4,918
$ ( 624 )
The accompanying notes are an integral part of
these unaudited financial statements.
5
ACCESS NEWSWIRE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’
EQUITY
(UNAUDITED)
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
Common Stock
Additional
Paid-in
Accumulated Other Comprehensive
Retained
Total Stockholders’
Shares
Amount
Capital
Income (Loss)
Earnings
Equity
Balance at December 31, 2023
3,815,212
$ 4
$ 23,531
$ ( 49 )
$ 11,934
$ 35,420
Stock-based compensation expense
–
–
( 67 )
–
–
( 67 )
Exercise of stock awards, net of tax
2,167
–
–
–
–
–
Foreign currency translation
–
–
–
( 34 )
–
( 34 )
Net loss
–
–
–
–
( 139 )
( 139 )
Balance at March 31, 2024
3,817,379
$ 4
$ 23,464
$ ( 83 )
$ 11,795
$ 35,180
Stock-based compensation expense
–
–
267
–
–
267
Exercise of stock awards, net of tax
14,332
–
–
–
–
–
Foreign currency translation
–
–
–
( 13 )
–
( 13 )
Net income
–
–
–
–
7
7
Balance at June 30, 2024
3,831,711
$ 4
$ 23,731
$ ( 96 )
$ 11,802
$ 35,441
Stock-based compensation expense
–
–
247
–
–
247
Exercise of stock awards, net of tax
2,266
–
21
–
–
21
Foreign Currency Translation
–
–
–
21
–
21
Net Income
–
–
–
–
( 466 )
( 466 )
Balance at September 30, 2024
3,833,977
$ 4
$ 23,999
$ ( 75 )
$ 11,336
$ 35,264
Balance at December 31, 2024
3,838,743
$ 4
$ 24,259
$ ( 178 )
$ 1,141
$ 25,226
Stock-based compensation expense
–
–
280
–
–
280
Exercise of stock awards, net of tax
9,000
–
–
–
–
–
Foreign currency translation
–
–
–
2
–
2
Net income
–
–
–
–
5,387
5,387
Balance at March 31, 2025
3,847,743
$ 4
$ 24,539
$ ( 176 )
$ 6,528
$ 30,895
Stock-based compensation expense
–
–
189
–
–
189
Exercise of stock awards, net of tax
21,083
–
–
–
–
–
Foreign currency translation
–
–
–
79
–
79
Net loss
–
–
–
–
( 475 )
( 475 )
Balance at June 30, 2025
3,868,826
$ 4
$ 24,728
$ ( 97 )
$ 6,053
$ 30,688
Stock-based compensation expense
–
–
181
–
–
181
Foreign currency translation
–
–
–
( 30 )
–
( 30 )
Net income
–
–
–
–
( 45 )
( 45 )
Balance at September 30, 2025
3,868,826
$ 4
$ 24,909
$ ( 127 )
$ 6,008
$ 30,794
The accompanying notes are an integral part of
these unaudited financial statements.
6
ACCESS NEWSWIRE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(UNAUDITED)
(in thousands)
For the Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2025
2024
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)
$ 4,867
$ ( 598 )
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Gain on disposal of business
( 8,974 )
–
Depreciation and amortization
2,231
2,317
Provision for credit losses
1,056
906
Deferred income taxes
( 360 )
( 99 )
Change in fair value of interest rate swaps
–
124
Stock-based compensation expense
650
468
Non-cash interest adjustment on note payable
13
13
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Decrease (increase) in accounts receivable
( 1,056 )
( 951 )
Decrease (increase) in other assets
411
78
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable
8
113
Increase (decrease) in income tax payable
1,509
2
Increase (decrease) in accrued expenses
( 26 )
17
Increase (decrease) in deferred revenue
( 29 )
( 96 )
Net cash provided by operating activities
300
2,294
Cash flows from investing activities:
Proceeds from Sale of Compliance Business
12,000
–
Capitalized software
( 23 )
( 537 )
Purchase of fixed assets
( 20 )
( 19 )
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
11,957
( 556 )
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payment of long-term debt
( 13,174 )
( 3,333 )
Net cash used in financing activities
( 13,174 )
( 3,333 )
Net change in cash and cash equivalents
( 917 )
( 1,595 )
Cash and cash equivalents – beginning
4,103
5,714
Currency translation adjustment
75
( 33 )
Cash and cash equivalents – ending
$ 3,261
$ 4,086
Supplemental disclosures:
Cash paid for income taxes
$ 1,519
$ 170
Cash paid for interest
$ 368
$ 1,093
The accompanying notes are an integral part of
these unaudited financial statements.
7
ACCESS NEWSWIRE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(UNAUDITED)
Note 1. Basis of Presentation
The unaudited interim consolidated
balance sheet as of September 30, 2025 and consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), stockholders’ equity
and cash flows for the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2025 and 2024 included herein, have been prepared in accordance
with the instructions for Form 10-Q under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Article
10 of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act. In the opinion of management, they include all normal recurring adjustments necessary for
a fair presentation of the financial statements. Results of operations reported for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative
of results for the entire year. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance
with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such
rules and regulations relating to interim financial statements. The interim financial information should be read in conjunction with the
2024 audited financial statements of ACCESS Newswire Inc. (the “Company”, “We”, or “Our”) filed on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
The consolidated financial
statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. Significant intercompany accounts and transactions are
eliminated in consolidation.
Cash Equivalents
For purposes of the Company’s
financial statements, the Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity date of three months or
less to be cash equivalents.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Credit
Losses
The Company calculates its
allowance for credit losses using an expected losses model rather than using incurred losses. The model is based on the credit losses
expected to arise over the life of the asset based on the Company’s expectations as of the balance sheet date through analyzing
historical customer data as well as taking into consideration current economic trends. The Company generally writes-off accounts receivable
against the allowance when it determines a balance is uncollectible and no longer actively pursues its collection.
The following is a summary
of the allowance for credit losses during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024 (in thousands):
Schedule of allowance for credit losses
For the Three Months Ended
For the Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
September 30,
September 30,
2025
2024
2025
2024
Beginning balance
$ 1,600
$ 712
$ 1,059
$ 721
Provision for credit losses
80
283
636
773
Write-offs
( 19 )
( 57 )
( 34 )
( 556 )
Ending Balance
$ 1,661
$ 938
$ 1,661
$ 938
8
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments and
related items which potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents and accounts
receivable. The Company places its cash and temporary cash investments with credit quality institutions. As of September 30, 2025, the
Company’s domestic cash balance is spread among different depository institutions such that there is no balance which exceeds the
FDIC insurance limit of $ 250,000 . The Company also had cash-on-hand of $ 1,647,000 in Canada as of September 30, 2025.
The Company believes it did
not have any financial instruments that could have potentially subjected us to significant concentrations of credit risk for any relevant
period.
The Company did not have
any customers during the three months ended September 30, 2025 or 2024 that accounted for more than 10% of revenue.
Revenue Recognition
Substantially all the Company’s
revenue comes from contracts with customers for its press release distribution and related products, investor relations website hosting
or data feeds, events and webcast offerings and subscriptions to its incident hotline. Customers consist of public corporate issuers and
professional firms, such as investor and public relations firms. In the case of news distribution and webcasting offerings, customers
also include private companies. The Company accounts for a contract with a customer when there is an enforceable contract between the
Company and the customer, the rights of the parties are identified, the contract has economic substance, and collectability of the contract
consideration is probable. The Company's revenues are measured based on consideration specified in the contract with each customer.
The Company's contracts include
either a subscription to its entire platform, certain modules within the platform or to its Press Release Optimizer Plan (“PRO”),
or an agreement to perform services, or any combination thereof, and often contain multiple subscriptions and services. For these bundled
contracts, the Company accounts for individual subscriptions and services as separate performance obligations if they are distinct, which
is when a product or service is separately identifiable from other items in the bundled package, and a customer can benefit from it on
its own or with other resources that are readily available to the customer. Performance obligations include providing subscriptions to
certain modules or our entire platform, distributing press releases on a per release basis or conducting webcasts, virtual annual meetings,
or other events on a per event basis. PRO subscription contracts contain two performance obligations: (i) the first is a series of distinct
services that include, but are not limited to, developing specific media plans, and creating content to be distributed and (ii) the second
performance obligation being access to the PRO platform along with distribution of press releases, ongoing support, and assessment of
performance as a stand-ready obligation. The Company’s subscription and service contracts are generally for one year, with automatic
renewal clauses included in the contract until the contract is cancelled. The contracts do not contain any rights of returns, guarantees,
or warranties. Since contracts are generally for one year, all the revenue is expected to be recognized within one year from the contract
start date. As such, the Company has elected the optional exemption that allows the Company not to disclose the transaction price allocated
to performance obligations that are unsatisfied or partially satisfied at the end of each reporting period.
The Company recognizes revenue
for subscriptions evenly over the contract period, upon distribution for pay per release or packages of press releases and upon event
completion for webcasting and virtual annual meeting events. For service contracts that include stand-ready obligations, revenue is recognized
evenly over the contract period. For all other services delivered on a per project or event basis, the revenue is recognized at the completion
of the event. The Company believes recognizing revenue for subscriptions and stand ready obligations using a time-based measure of progress,
best reflects the Company’s performance in satisfying the obligations.
For bundled contracts, revenue
is allocated to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. Standalone selling prices are based on observable
prices at which the Company separately sells the subscription or service. If a standalone selling price is not directly observable, the
Company uses the residual method to allocate any remaining price to that subscription or service. The Company reviews standalone selling
prices, at least annually, and updates these estimates if necessary.
9
The Company invoices its customers
based on the billing schedules designated in its contracts, typically upfront on either a monthly, quarterly or annual basis or per transaction
at the completion of the performance obligation. Deferred revenue for the periods presented was primarily related to press release packages
which have been invoiced or paid, however the releases have not yet been disseminated, as well as, subscription and service contracts,
which are billed upfront, quarterly, or annually, however the revenue has not yet been recognized. The associated deferred revenue is
generally recognized as releases are disseminated for press release packages and ratably over the billing period for subscriptions. Deferred
revenue as of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, was $ 5,020,000 and $ 4,743,000 , respectively, and is expected to be recognized
primarily within one year. Approximately $ 688,000 of the deferred revenue balance as of September 30, 2025, relates to contracts for press
release packages with an expiration date after September 30, 2026, however the customer may use the balance within one year. As of January
1, 2024, deferred revenue was $ 4,750,000 . Revenue recognized for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024, which was included
in the deferred revenue balance at the beginning of each reporting period, was approximately $ 3,642,000 and $ 3,396,000 , respectively.
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses, related to contracts with customers was $ 4,137,000 and $ 3,351,000 as of September
30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. As of January 1, 2024, accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses was $ 3,005,000 .
Since substantially all the contracts have terms of one year or less, the Company has elected to use the practical expedient regarding
the existence of significant financing.
Costs to obtain
contracts with customers consist primarily of sales commissions. As of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company has
capitalized $ 52,000 and $ 69,000 ,
respectively, of costs to obtain contracts that are expected to be amortized over more than one year. For contract costs expected to
be amortized in less than one year, the Company has elected to use the practical expedient allowing the recognition of incremental
costs of obtaining a contract as an expense when incurred. The Company has considered historical renewal rates, expectations of
future renewals and economic factors in making these determinations.
Earnings Per Share (EPS)
Earnings per share accounting
guidance requires that basic net income per common share be computed by dividing net income for the period by the weighted average number
of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share is computed by dividing the net income for the period by
the weighted average number of common and dilutive common equivalent shares outstanding during the period. Shares issuable upon the exercise
of stock options totaling 53,750 were excluded in the computation of diluted earnings per common share during the three and nine months
ended September 30, 2025, respectively, because their impact was anti-dilutive. Shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options totaling
54,750 and 52,750 were excluded in the computation of diluted earnings per common share during the three and nine months ended September
30, 2024, respectively, because their impact was anti-dilutive.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial
statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues
and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates include the allowance for credit losses and the valuation of goodwill,
intangible assets, deferred tax assets, and stock-based compensation. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Income Taxes
Deferred income tax assets
and liabilities are computed for differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities that will result
in future taxable or deductible amounts based on enacted tax laws and rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected
to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred income tax assets to the amounts expected
to be realized. For any uncertain tax positions, the Company recognizes the impact of a tax position, only if it is more likely than not
of being sustained upon examination, based on the technical merits of the position. The Company’s policy regarding the classification
of interest and penalties is to classify them as income tax expense in the financial statements, if applicable.
10
Capitalized Software
Costs incurred to develop
the Company’s cloud-based platform products are capitalized when the preliminary project phase is complete, management commits
to fund the project and it is probable the project will be completed and used for its intended purposes. Once the software is substantially
complete and ready for its intended use, the software is amortized over its estimated useful life, which is typically four years. Costs
related to design or maintenance of the software are expensed as incurred. Amortization for the three and nine-month periods ended September
30, 2025 and 2024, is as follows (in thousands):
Schedule of capitalized costs and amortization
For the Three Months Ended
For the Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
September 30,
September 30,
2025
2024
2025
2024
Capitalized software development costs
$ –
$ 137
$ 23
$ 537
Amortization included in cost of revenues
$ 64
$ 59
$ 209
$ 159
Impairment of Long-lived Assets
In accordance with the authoritative
guidance for accounting for long-lived assets, assets such as property and equipment, trademarks, and intangible assets subject to amortization,
are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset group may not be
recoverable. Recoverability of asset groups to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset group to
estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset group. If the carrying amount of an asset group exceeds
its estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized by the amount by which the carrying amount of an asset group exceeds
fair value of the asset group.
Lease Accounting
The Company determines if
an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating lease agreements are primarily for office space and are included within lease right-of-use
(“ROU”) assets and lease liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet.
ROU assets represent the right
to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease.
ROU assets and lease liabilities are recognized at the commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term.
Variable lease payments consist of non-lease services related to the lease and payments under operating leases classified as short-term.
Variable lease payments are excluded from the ROU assets and lease liabilities and are recognized in the period in which the obligation
for those payments is incurred. As most of the leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate
based on the information available at the commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. ROU assets include any
lease payments due and exclude lease incentives. Rental expense for lease payments related to operating leases is recognized on a straight-line
basis over the lease term.
Fair Value Measurements
Accounting Standards Codification
(“ASC”) Topic 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and
minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value in the financial statements
are categorized based upon the hierarchy of levels of judgment associated with the inputs used to measure their fair value. Hierarchical
levels directly related to the amount of subjectivity associated with the inputs to fair valuation of these assets and liabilities, are
as follows:
●
Level 1 – Quoted prices are available in active markets for identical assets or liabilities at the reporting date. Generally, this includes debt and equity securities that are traded in an active market. Cash and cash equivalents are quoted at Level 1.
11
●
Level 2 – Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. The fair value of the Company’s long-term debt and interest rate swap are quoted at Level 2.
●
Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. Level 3 assets and liabilities include financial instruments whose value is determined using pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies, or other valuation techniques, as well as instruments for which the determination of fair value requires significant management judgment or estimation.
As of September 30, 2025 and
December 31, 2024, the Company believes the fair value of its financial instruments, such as, accounts receivable, long-term debt, the
line of credit, and accounts payable approximate their carrying amounts.
Stock-based Compensation
The authoritative guidance
for stock compensation requires that companies estimate the fair value of share-based payment awards on the date of the grant using an
option-pricing model. The associated cost is recognized over the period during which an employee or director is required to provide service
in exchange for the award.
Translation of Foreign Financial Statements
The financial statements of
the foreign subsidiaries of the Company have been translated into U.S. dollars. All assets and liabilities have been translated at current
rates of exchange in effect at the end of the period. Income and expense items have been translated at the average exchange rates for
the year or the applicable interim period. The gains or losses that result from this process are recorded as a separate component of other
accumulated comprehensive income until the entity is sold or substantially liquidated.
Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Comprehensive income (loss)
consists of net loss and other comprehensive income related to changes in the cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment.
Business Combinations, Goodwill, and Intangible
Assets
The authoritative guidance
for business combinations specifies the criteria for recognizing and reporting intangible assets apart from goodwill. The Company records
the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations at their respective fair values at the date of acquisition, with
any excess purchase price recorded as goodwill. Goodwill is an asset representing the future economic benefits arising from other assets
acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. Intangible assets consist of client
relationships, customer lists, distribution partner relationships, software, technology, non-compete agreements and trademarks that are
initially measured at fair value. At the time of the business combination, trademarks may be considered an indefinite-lived asset and,
as such, are not amortized as there may be no foreseeable limit to cash flows generated from them. For the Newswire acquisition, the Company
originally determined the trademarks acquired were considered a definite lived asset which will be amortized over a period of 15 years,
however upon the re-brand of the Company to ACCESS Newswire and subsequent review of the trademarks associated with Newswire, determined
the life to be 5 years remaining. The goodwill and intangible assets are assessed annually for impairment, or whenever conditions indicate
the asset may be impaired, and any such impairment will be recognized in the period identified. The client relationships ( 5 - 10 years),
customer lists ( 3 years), distribution partner relationships ( 10 years), non-compete agreements ( 5 years) and software and technology
( 3 - 7 years) are amortized over their estimated useful lives.
12
Advertising
The Company expenses advertising
as incurred. During the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2025, advertising expense was $ 248,000 and $ 879,000 , respectively.
Additionally, during the nine-month period ended September 30, 2025, the Company incurred $ 132,000 in costs associated with its corporate
re-brand. During the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2024, advertising expense was $ 255,000 and $ 1,033,000 , respectively.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of September 30,
2025, we had $ 3,261,000
in cash and cash equivalents and $ 4,137,000
in net accounts receivable. Current liabilities from continuing operations as of September 30, 2025, totaled $ 10,847,000
including the current portion of our long-term debt, accounts payable, deferred revenue, accrued payroll liabilities, income taxes
payable, current portion of lease liabilities and other accrued expenses.
As of September 30,
2025, our current liabilities from continuing operations exceeded our current assets from continuing operations by $ 1,846,000 .
While our current liabilities from continuing operations exceed current assets from continuing operations, we believe our ability to
renegotiate our Credit Agreement (see Note 8 below) and ability to continue to generate cash will benefit us in the future.
Accounting
Pronouncements Not Yet Effective
In December 2023, the FASB
issued ASU 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures”, which will require the Company to
disclose specified additional information in its income tax rate reconciliation and provide additional information for reconciling items
that meet a quantitative threshold. ASU 2023-09 will also require the Company to disaggregate its income taxes paid disclosure by federal,
state and foreign taxes, with further disaggregation required for significant individual jurisdictions. ASU 2023-09 is effective for the
Company for the year ending December 31, 2025. The guidance allows for adoption using either a prospective or retrospective transition
method. The Company does not believe the adoption of this standard will have a significant impact on the Company’s financial position,
results of operations or cash flows, however, is evaluating the impact that the updated standard will have on its financial statement
disclosures.
In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03,
Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses. This update requires enhanced disclosures of certain costs and expenses in the notes to the
financial statements. This update is applicable to all public entities and is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15,
2026, and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption is permitted. The amendments in this update should be applied
prospectively; however, retrospective application is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the new accounting guidance
will have on its disclosures.
Note 3: Discontinued Operations
On February 28, 2025 (the
“Closing Date”), the Company and Direct Transfer, LLC, its wholly owned subsidiary entered into and closed an Asset Purchase
Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with Equiniti Trust Company, LLC (the “Buyer”). Pursuant to, and subject
to the terms and conditions of, the Purchase Agreement, the Buyer purchased certain assets related to the Company’s compliance business
(the “Purchased Assets”). The Purchased Assets consisted of certain accounts receivable, prepaid assets, contracts and intellectual
property, among other things, related to the Company’s services of providing i) disclosure software and services for financial reporting,
ii) stock transfer services, iii) annual meeting, print and shareholder distribution and fulfillment services and iv) virtual annual meeting
services (but not the intellectual property relating to the virtual annual meeting services). Revenue related to these services was previously
included in the Company’s “compliance revenue” stream as reported with the SEC in previous filings, except revenue related
to virtual annual meeting services, which was previously reported in “communications revenue” stream in previous SEC filings.
Additionally, revenue related to providing SEDAR services and revenue related to our whistleblower hotline, which was previously reported
as “compliance revenue” was retained by the Company. The Buyer assumed certain liabilities related to the Purchased Assets,
which included certain accounts payable, accrued liabilities and deferred revenue.
13
The
Company reviewed ASC 205-20-45, which provides guidance over the disposal of a component of an entity and determined that the criteria
were met to classify the assets of the compliance business as held-for-sale as of December 31, 2024. Further guidance states that once
a group of assets are determined to be held-for-sale, then they should be recorded as discontinued operations in the financial statements
of the entity.
Performance obligations of
contracts included in discontinued operations include providing subscriptions to certain modules of our compliance software or other stand-ready
obligations to deliver services and annual report printing and distribution. Additionally, services are provided on a per project
basis. Set up fees for disclosure services are considered a separate performance obligation and are satisfied upfront. Set up fees for
the transfer agent module and investor relations content management module are immaterial. For service contracts that include stand ready
obligations, revenue is recognized evenly over the contract period. For all other services delivered on a per project or event basis,
the revenue is recognized at the completion of the event. The Company believes recognizing revenue for subscriptions and stand ready obligations
using a time-based measure of progress, best reflects the Company’s performance in satisfying the obligations.
As
of the Closing Date, there was $ 1,227,000 of gross accounts receivable that did not transfer to the Buyer as a result of the Purchase
Agreement. The following table sets forth the assets and liabilities included in discontinued operations as of September 30, 2025 and
December 31, 2024 as presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands):
Schedule of discontinued operations of assets and liabilities
September 30, 2025
December 31, 2024
Accounts Receivable (net of provision for credit losses of $ 1,016 and $ 559 as of
September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024
$ –
$ 1,321
Other current assets
–
17
Total current assets
–
1,338
Goodwill
–
2,885
Intangible Assets (net of accumulated amortization $ 5,265 as of December 31, 2024)
–
637
Other non-current assets
–
55
Total assets
$ –
$ 4,915
Accounts Payable
$ –
$ 107
Accrued Expenses
–
168
Deferred Revenue
–
618
Total liabilities
$ –
$ 893
14
The
following table sets forth the details of income from discontinued operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025
and 2024 as presented in the Consolidated Statement of Operations (in thousands):
Schedule of income from discontinued operations
For the Three Months Ended
For the Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
September 30,
September 30,
2025
2024
2025
2024
Revenues
$ –
$ 1,315
$ 650
$ 4,371
Cost of revenues
–
371
315
1,294
Gross profit
–
944
335
3,077
Operating costs and expenses:
General and administrative
–
116
560
438
Sales and marketing expenses
–
26
17
78
Depreciation and amortization
–
42
28
126
Total operating costs and expenses
–
184
605
642
Operating income (loss)
–
760
( 270 )
2,435
Interest income
–
5
8
22
Other income
–
–
8,974
–
Income before taxes
–
765
8,712
2,457
Income tax expense
–
361
2,796
719
Net income from continuing discontinued
$ –
$ 404
$ 5,916
$ 1,738
The
following table presents the significant non-cash items related to discontinued operations for the nine-month periods ended September
30, 2025 and 2024 that are included in the accompanying statement of cash flows (in thousands):
Adjustments
to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Schedule of reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities
September 30, 2025
September 30, 2024
Depreciation and amortization
$ 28
$ 126
Provision for credit loses
420
135
Stock-based compensation expense
78
63
Gain on disposal of business
8,974
–
Note 4: Equity
Dividends
The Company did not pay
any dividends during the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2025 and 2024.
Preferred stock and common stock
There were no issuances
of preferred stock or common stock during the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2025 and 2024, other than stock awarded
to employees and the Board of Directors.
15
2023 Equity Incentive Plan
On June 7, 2023, the shareholders
of the Company approved the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2023 Plan”). Under the terms of the 2023 Plan, the Company
is authorized to issue incentive awards for common stock up to 300,000 shares to employees and other personnel. The awards may be in the
form of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance awards. The 2023
Plan is effective through April 1, 2033. As of September 30, 2025, there are 358,416 shares which remain to be granted under the 2023
Plan, including 123,076 shares assumed under the Company’s previous 2014 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended.
The following table summarizes
information about stock options outstanding and exercisable at September 30, 2025:
Schedule of stock options outstanding and exercisable
Options Outstanding
Options Exercisable
Exercise Price Range
Number
Weighted Average
Remaining Contractual
Life (in Years)
Weighted Average
Exercise Price
Number
$ 0.01 - 8.00
5,000
0.14
$ 6.80
5,000
$ 8.01 - 11.00
1,000
3.75
$ 10.75
1,000
$ 11.01 - 16.00
10,000
3.41
$ 13.21
10,000
$ 16.01 - 27.00
30,000
7.26
$ 26.98
15,000
$ 27.01 - 27.71
12,750
6.30
$ 27.71
12,750
Total
58,750
5.73
$ 22.80
43,750
As of September 30, 2025,
the Company had unrecognized stock compensation related to the options of $ 131,000 , which will be recognized through 2027.
During the nine-month
period ended September 30, 2025, the Company granted 7,662
restricted stock units to its Board of Directors which vest at the earlier of June 13, 2026, or the Company’s 2026 annual
meeting. The average grant date fair value of these grants was $ 11.75 . No
restricted stock units were granted during the three-month period ended September 30, 2025. During the three and nine-month periods
ended September 30, 2024, the Company granted 11,166
and 43,666
restricted stock units, respectively, to members of the Company’s Board of Directors, employees and contractors which vest at
various intervals over 3
years. The average grant date fair value of these grants was $ 8.06
and $ 12.41
per share during the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2024, respectively.
During the nine-month period
ended September 30, 2025, 30,083 restricted stock units with an intrinsic value of $ 15.63 , vested. During the nine-month period ended
September 30, 2024, 16,499 restricted stock units with an intrinsic value of $ 19.95 , vested. No restricted stock units vested during the
three-month periods ended September 30, 2025 and 2024. As of September 30, 2025, there was $ 347,000 of unrecognized compensation cost
related to our unvested restricted stock units, which will be recognized through 2027.
Note 5: Income Taxes
The Company recognized an
income tax expense of $ 67,000 and benefit of $ 127,000 for the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2025, respectively, compared
to income tax benefits of $ 347,000 and $ 642,000 for the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2024. At the end of each interim
period, the Company estimates the effective tax rate expected to be applicable for the full fiscal year and this rate is applied to the
results for the year-to-date period, and then adjusted for any discrete period items. For the three and nine-month periods ended September
30, 2025 and 2024, the variance between our effective tax rate and the U.S. statutory rate of 21 % is primarily attributable to state income
tax, a benefit related to the Foreign Derived Intangible Income ("FDII") deduction and a lower statutory tax rate applied to
the Company's Canadian income. This is partially offset by additional expense associated with vesting of stock-based compensation awards.
16
The One Big Beautiful Bill
Act (or “OBBB Act”), enacted on July 4, 2025, permits the deduction of certain U.S. research and development expenditures
incurred in tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2025. However, expenditures attributable to research and development conducted
outside the U.S. must continue to be capitalized and amortized over fifteen years. The OBBB Act also provides the option to accelerate
the amortization of any remaining unamortized U.S. research and development expenditures incurred in tax years beginning on or after January
1, 2022, and before January 1, 2025, over a one or two year period beginning with the first taxable year beginning after December 31,
2024. While the Company currently does not anticipate the OBBB Act will have a material impact on its estimated annual effective tax rate
in 2025, the Company will continue to assess its impact.
The OBBB Act also enacted
changes to rules governing global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI) and foreign-derived intangible income (FDII). Those changes will
go into effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025; and thus do not impact current financial statements.
Under US GAAP, the effects
of the changes in tax laws are recognized in the period in which the tax laws are enacted. Accordingly, the Company has reflected the
estimated impact of provisions of the OBBB Act in the Company’s financial statements for the three and nine months ended September
30, 2025.
Note 6: Leases
Leasing activity generally
consists of office leases. In March 2019, a lease was signed to move the corporate headquarters to Raleigh, North Carolina. The lease
had a lease commencement date of October 2, 2019 and expires December 31, 2027. Minimum lease payments are $ 2,997,000 , not including a
tenant improvement allowance of $ 488,000 , which is included in fixed assets as of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024. The Company
recognized a ROU asset and corresponding lease liability of $ 2,596,000 , which represents the present value of minimum lease payments discounted
at 3.77 %, the Company’s incremental borrowing rate at lease inception.
Lease liabilities totaled
$ 804,000
as of September 30, 2025. The current portion of this liability of $ 396,000
is included in Accrued expenses on the Consolidated balance sheets and the long-term portion of $ 408,000
is included in Lease liabilities on the Consolidated balance sheets. Rent expense consists of both operating lease expense from amortization
of our ROU assets as well as variable lease expense which consists of non-lease components of office leases (i.e. common area maintenance)
or rent expense associated with short-term leases. The components of lease expense were as follows (in thousands):
Schedule of lease expense
For the Three Months Ended
For the Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
September 30,
September 30,
2025
2024
2025
2024
Lease expense
Operating lease expense
$ 76
$ 76
$ 228
$ 228
Variable lease expense
17
18
48
50
Total lease expense
$ 93
$ 94
$ 276
$ 278
The weighted-average remaining
non-cancelable lease term for our operating leases was 2.25
years as of September 30, 2025. As of September 30, 2025, the weighted-average discount rate used to determine the lease liability was
3.77 %. The future minimum
lease payments to be made under non-cancelable operating leases on September 30, 2025, are as follows (in thousands):
Schedule of future lease payments of operating leases
Year Ended December 31:
2025
$ 100
2026
401
2027
412
Total lease payments
913
Present value adjustment
( 109 )
Lease liability
$ 804
We have performed an evaluation
of our other contracts with customers and suppliers in accordance with Topic 842 and have determined that, except for the leases described
above, none of our contracts contain a lease.
17
Note 7: Segment Reporting
Operating segments are components
of an enterprise about which separate financial information is available and is evaluated periodically by management, namely the Chief
Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) of an organization, in order to determine operating and resource allocation decisions.
By this definition, the Company has identified its Chief Executive Officer as the CODM. The Company considers itself to be in a single
reportable segment under the authoritative guidance for segment reporting, specifically a communications company for publicly traded
and private companies. The CODM uses operating income to evaluate our capital allocation, which could be re-investing income back into
the Company, executing a share-repurchase, paying dividends or acquiring other entities. Operating income is used to monitor budget versus
actual results. The CODM also uses operating income in competitive analysis by benchmarking to the Company’s competitors. The competitive
analysis along with the monitoring of budgeted versus actual results are used in assessing performance of the Company. Below provides
a breakdown of costs and expenses of our one operating unit (in thousands):
Schedule of segment reporting
For the Three Months Ended
For the Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
September 30,
September 30,
2025
2024
2025
2024
Revenues
$ 5,723
$ 5,639
$ 16,820
$ 17,231
Cost of revenues
Costs to deliver products
810
643
2,309
1,940
Employee costs
470
635
1,263
1,858
Teleconference costs
98
56
192
169
Amortization of capitalized software
64
60
209
160
Other segment costs
13
17
21
45
Total cost of revenue
1,455
1,411
3,994
4,172
Operating costs and expenses:
Employee costs
1,730
1,824
5,134
6,327
Consultants and professional services
529
750
1,800
2,298
Depreciation and amortization
658
676
1,993
2,032
Advertising
248
255
879
1,033
Provision for credit losses
80
283
636
773
Software licensing
189
225
648
726
Stock compensation
201
241
593
399
Hosting
147
140
418
374
Merchant and bank fees
115
117
333
358
Capitalized Software
–
( 137 )
( 23 )
( 537 )
Acquisition/integration and other non-recurring costs
214
168
667
362
Rent
93
94
276
278
Other operating expenses (1)
248
196
582
633
Total operating costs and expenses
4,452
4,832
13,936
15,056
Operating loss
$ ( 184 )
$ ( 604 )
$ ( 1,110 )
$ ( 1,997 )
(1) Other operating expenses include insurance, travel, reseller commissions, tradeshow expense and other miscellaneous selling, general
and administrative expenses
18
Note 8: Credit Agreement
On March 20, 2023 (the “Closing
Date”), the Company entered into a $ 25 million Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with Pinnacle Bank (“Pinnacle”).
Initially, the Credit Agreement provided for the following: (i) term loan facility in an aggregate principal amount of $ 20 million (the
“Term Loan”), and (ii) revolving line of credit in an up to aggregate principal amount of $ 5 million (the “Revolving
LOC”), subject to an 85% limit based on the current eligible accounts receivable (as defined in the Credit Agreement).
Pursuant to the terms of
the Credit Agreement, the per annum interest rate of the Term Loan is variable based on the one-month secured overnight financing rate
(“SOFR”) plus 2.35%, subject to a minimum SOFR of 2.00%. However, the Term Loan issued on the Closing Date has a per annum
interest rate of 6.217 %, which was fixed with respect to the entire principal amount as a result of an interest rate swap agreement entered
into between the Company and Pinnacle on the Closing Date in accordance with the terms of the Credit Agreement.
Effective June 25, 2024,
the aggregate principal amount of the Revolving LOC was reduced to $ 1,500,000 . The Company currently has no plans to utilize the Revolving
LOC but may do so in the future. If the Company does utilize any funds under the Revolving LOC, the funds will bear interest at a per
annum rate equal to the then current SOFR plus 2.05%. Effective June 25, 2024, Pinnacle’s commitment to fund under the Revolving
LOC was amended to terminate on June 30, 2025, unless terminated earlier pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement. The Company terminated
its existing $3,000,000 unsecured line of credit with Fifth Third Bank immediately prior to the Closing Date. As of September 30, 2025,
there was no outstanding balance under the Revolving LOC and the interest rate was 6.36%.
On
February 28, 2025 and in connection with the Purchased Assets transaction described above, the Company and each of its wholly-owned subsidiaries
entered into a Third Modification to Credit Agreement and Partial Release (the “Third Modification to Credit Agreement”) with
Pinnacle with respect to the Credit Agreement.
Pursuant
to the terms of the Third Modification to Credit Agreement and a subsequent amendment, the Company and Pinnacle agreed to the following:
(i) to pay down the current principal balance of the Term Loan (as defined in the Credit Agreement) by $ 12,000,000 as of the closing of
the Purchased Assets transaction such that the current principal balance was reduced from $15,333,333 to $ 3,333,333 ; (ii) beginning on
March 1, 2025, to reduce the monthly principal payments due by the Company to Pinnacle under the Term Loan from $333,333 to $72,464; (iii)
to amend the financial covenants set forth in the Credit Agreement, as amended; and (iv) to release the Liens (as defined in the Credit
Agreement) relating to the Purchased Assets.
The Credit Agreement, as
amended, contains the following financial covenants:
As Amended
Fiscal Quarter
Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio
Each fiscal quarter ending on or after June 30, 2025
1:2:1.0
Additionally, the Company
is required to maintain unrestricted liquidity, as follows.
Leverage Ratio
Unrestricted Liquidity
If the Leverage Ratio is less than or equal to 1.5:1.00
$ 1,500,000
If the Leverage Ratio is greater than 1.5:1.00 but less than or equal to
1.75:1.00
$ 1,000,000
If the Leverage Ratio is greater than 1.75:1.00
$ 500,000
19
The Credit Agreement also
contains customary affirmative covenants for a transaction of this nature, including among other things, covenants relating to: maintenance
of adequate financial and accounting books and records, delivery of financial statements and other information, preservation of existence
of the Company and subsidiaries, payment of taxes and claims, compliance with laws, maintenance of insurance, foreign qualification, use
of proceeds, cash management system, maintenance of properties, and conduct of business.
The Credit Agreement also
contains customary negative covenants for a transaction of this nature, including, among other things, covenants relating to debt, liens,
investments, negative pledges, dividends and other debt payments, restriction on fundamental changes, sale of assets, transactions with
affiliates, restrictive agreements, and changes in fiscal year.
The Credit Agreement also
contains various Events of Default (subject to certain grace periods, to the extent applicable), including among other things, Events
of Default for the nonpayment of principal, interest or fees; breach of certain covenants; inaccuracy of the representations or warranties
in any material respect; bankruptcy or insolvency; dissolution or change of control; certain unsatisfied judgments; defaults under material
agreements; certain unfunded liabilities under employee benefit plans; certain unsatisfied judgments; certain ERISA violations; and the
invalidity or unenforceability of the Credit Agreement. If an Event of Default occurs, the Company may be required to repay all amounts
outstanding under the Credit Agreement. The Term Loan and any advances under the Revolving LOC are secured by a first priority lien and
security interest to the benefit of Pinnacle in the Event of Default on all of the Company’s current or future assets and each of
the Guarantor’s current or future assets.
Note 9: Interest Rate Swap
The Company entered into an
interest rate swap agreement to convert its interest rate exposure from variable rate to fixed rate to control cash outflows related to
interest on its variable rate debt. The Company originally had $ 20,000,000 of notional amount interest rate swap agreement, which amortized
in-line with its long-term Credit Agreement. Under the swap agreement, the Company pays a fixed rate of interest at 6.217 % and receives
an average variable rate of SOFR + 2.35% adjusted monthly. As of September 30, 2025, the variable rate was 6.66 %.
The carrying amount for the
Company’s derivative financial instrument is the estimated fair value of the financial instrument. The Company’s derivative
is not exchange listed and therefore the fair value is estimated under a mark-to-market approach using an analytics model that is a readily
observable market input. This model reflects the contractual terms of the derivative, such as notional value and expiration date, as well
as market-based observables including interest rates, yield curves, and the credit quality of the counterparty. The model also incorporates
the Company’s creditworthiness in order to appropriately reflect non-performance risk. Inputs to the derivative pricing model are
generally observable and do not contain a high level of subjectivity, and accordingly, the Company’s derivative is classified within
Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. While the Company believes its estimate results in a reasonable reflection of the fair value of the
instrument, the estimated value may not be representative of actual value that could have been realized or that will be realized in the
near future.
In accounting for the interest
rate swap, the Company has determined it does not qualify for hedge accounting. The fair value of the swap agreement as of September
30, 2025 was a liability of $ 20,000 and December 31, 2024 was an asset of $ 60,000 and is included in either Other long-term assets or
liabilities, accordingly, in the Consolidated balance sheets. The fair value of the interest rate swap agreement excludes accrued interest
and takes into consideration current interest rates and current likelihood of the swap counterparty’s compliance with its contractual
obligations. As a result of the interest rate swap, the Company recognized a net unrealized loss of $ 1,000 and $ 80,000 during the three
and nine months ended September 30, 2025, respectively, compared to a net unrealized loss of $ 343,000 and $ 124,000 during the three and
nine months ended September 30, 2024, which are included in Other expense in the Consolidated statements of operations.
20
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.