Idaho Copper Corp 10-K

Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATION. The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and the notes to those financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report. This discussion and analysis below include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors described in the “Risk Factors” section that could cause actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward- looking statements as a result of various factors. Additionally, our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any period in the future. We caution you to read the “Forward Looking Statements” section of our Annual Report. Nature of Operations The Company is in the process of exploring its mineral right interests in the United States and at the date of these consolidated financial statements, has not yet determined whether any of its mineral properties contain economically recoverable mineral reserves. Accordingly, the carrying amount of mineral right interests represents cumulative expenditures incurred to date and does not necessarily reflect present or future values. The recovery of these costs is dependent upon the discovery of economically recoverable mineral reserves and the ability of the Company to obtain the necessary financing to complete their exploration and development and to resolve any environmental, regulatory, or other constraints. Uncertainty also exists with respect to the recoverability of the carrying value of certain mineral right interests. The ability of the Company to realize its investment in resource properties is contingent upon the maintenance and integrity of the Company’s title to such properties. Mining Operations To determine material mining operations in accordance with subpart 1300 of SEC Regulation S-K, management considered both quantitative and qualitative factors, assessed in the context of the Company’s overall business and financial condition. The Company concluded that, as of the date of the filing of this Report, its sole material mining operation is the CuMo Project. The Company will update its assessment of individual material mines on an annual basis. The information relating to such sole material mining operation is contained in the technical report summary (“ TRS ”) relating to the CuMo Project prepared in compliance with the Item 601(b)(96) and subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K. Reference should be made to the full text of the TRS, a copy of which was filed as Exhibit 96.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K, dated January 27, 2023. Pursuant to Item 1302(b)(5) of Regulation S-K (17 C.F.R. §229.1302(b)(5)), the Company states that the TRS was prepared by Shaun M. Dykes, M. Sc. (Eng), P.Geo of Geologic Systems, Ltd. Mr. Dykes is also serving as a technical advisor to the registrant. Mr. Dykes meets the qualifications specified under the definition of “qualified person” under Item 1300 of Regulation S-K. The CuMo Project currently consists of one hundred and twenty-six (126) federal unpatented lode mining claims, and six (6) patented mining claims. In total, the project comprises approximately 2,640 acres. The unpatented lode mining claims and patented claims are situated in an unorganized mining district, in Boise County, Idaho, spanning Sections in Township 7N and 8N, Range 5E and 6E, Boise Meridian. No assurances can be given that any of these plans will come to fruition or that if implemented they will necessarily yield positive results. 14 Independent Valuation On March 3, 2023, an independent valuation firm issued a valuation of the assets, specifically the CuMo project in Boise County, Idaho, acquired by the Company in the ICUMO transaction. The CuMo project is a molybdenum-copper deposit that will be developed as an open pit mining operation. The estimate fair value of the assets was $23,919,754. Exchange Transaction As a result of the Exchange, which was consummated January 23, 2023, we are no longer a shell company. However, for the fiscal year ended as of December 31, 2022, we were a shell company and did not generate any revenues. The Report of our independent registered public accountants on our financial statements for the year ended January 31, 2024 states that these conditions, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Results of Operations The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the years ended January 31, 2024, and 2023, and related management discussion herein. Our consolidated financial statements are stated in U.S. Dollars and are prepared in accordance with US GAAP. For the Year Ended January 31, 2024 Compared to the Year Ended January 31, 2023 Revenue The Company did not have revenues for the year ended January 31, 2024 or January 31, 2023. Operating expenses The Company had operating expenses of $3,004,684 for the year ended January 31, 2024, compared to $4,152,885 for the year ended January 31, 2023, comprised of the following categories: 2024 2023 $ Change % Change Professional fees $ 524,931 $ 240,324 284,607 118 % Payroll and related expenses 318,561 963,055 (644,494 ) -67 % Rent expense 42,000 42,000 - 0 % Stock-based stock compensation 2,043,909 2,769,292 (725,383 ) - 26 % Other general and administrative expenses 75,283 138,214 (62,931 ) -46 % $ 3,004,684 $ 4,152,885 Professional fees increased due to increases in costs associated with being a fully reporting public company. Payroll and related expenses decreased due to cash salary reductions associated with our officers during as compared to the prior period. Stock-based compensation decreased due to a reduction in equity-based compensation as management continues to work to reduce dilution of existing shareholders. Additionally, the prior year amount included $1.7 million of expense related to costs associated with the issuance of warrants associated with the extinguishment of ICUMO debt which was replaced by debt and warrants of the Company. General and administrative costs increased due to increased in the Company’s activity generally as it continues to seek the development of its existing mining claims. Loss from operations The Company had a loss from operations of $3,004,684 for the year ended January 31, 2024, compared to $4,152,885 for the year ended January 31, 2023. Other Income / Expenses The Company had $707,363 in other expenses for the year ended January 31, 2024, compared to net expenses of $146,585 for the year ended January 31, 2023. Net loss The Company had a net loss of $3,712,047 for the year ended January 31, 2024, compared to $4,299,470 for the year ended January 31, 2023. Liquidity and Capital Resources As of January 31, 2024, we had current assets of $51,770 and liabilities of $6,212,379, and our working capital deficit was $1,868,607. We do not have sufficient resources to effectuate our business. We expect to incur expenses without revenues during the next twelve months of operations. We estimate that these expenses will be comprised primarily of general expenses including overhead, legal and accounting fees. To maintain our plan of growth, we need to raise a minimum of an additional $750,000. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. 15 We will have to raise funds to pay for our expenses. We may have to borrow money from shareholders or issue debt or equity or enter into a strategic arrangement with a third party. There can be no assurance that additional capital will be available to us. We currently have no arrangements or understandings with any person to obtain funds through bank loans, lines of credit or any other sources. Since we have no such arrangements or plans currently in effect, our inability to raise funds for our operations will have a severe negative impact on our ability to remain a viable company. We currently have no external sources of liquidity such as arrangements with credit institutions or off-balance sheet arrangements that will have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition or immediate access to capital. Cash Flows Operating Activities For the year ended January 31, 2024, net cash used in operating activities was $868,427 compared to $147,574 for the year ended January 31, 2023. Investing Activities For the years ended January 31, 2024, and 2023, we reported no cash provided by our investing activities. Financing Activities For the year ended January 31, 2024, we had cash provided by financing activities of $467,200, related to proceeds from convertible notes payable and the sale of preferred stock. For the year ended January 31, 2023, we had cash provided by financing activities of $361,000, related to proceeds from notes payable. Critical Accounting Policies Our financial statements and accompanying notes have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis. 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, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. We regularly evaluate the accounting policies and estimates that we use to prepare our financial statements. A complete summary of these policies is included in the notes to our financial statements. In general, management’s estimates are based on historical experience, on information from third party professionals, and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the facts and circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates made by management. The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with US GAAP, which contemplates our continuation as a going concern. The Company has no revenue and has incurred losses to date of $31,600,305. In addition, the Company’s current liabilities exceed its current assets by $1,868,607. The Company intends on financing its future development activities and its working capital needs largely from the sale of public equity securities with some additional funding from other traditional financing sources, including term notes until such time that funds provided by operations are sufficient to fund working capital requirements. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue operating as a going concern. The Company’s ability to continue our operations as a going concern, realize the carrying value of our assets, and discharge our liabilities in the normal course of business is dependent upon our ability to raise capital sufficient to fund its commitments and ongoing losses, and ultimately generate profitable operations. Contractual Obligations We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and are not required to provide the information under this item. Off Balance Sheet Items Under SEC regulations, we are required to disclose off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, such as changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that are material to investors. An off-balance sheet arrangement means a transaction, agreement, or contractual arrangement to which any entity that is not consolidated with us is a party, under which we have: ● any obligation under certain guarantee contracts, ● any retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to an unconsolidated entity or similar arrangement that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support to that entity for such assets, ● any obligation under a contract that would be accounted for as a derivative instrument, except that it is both indexed to our stock and classified in shareholder equity in our statement of financial position, and 16 ● any obligation arising out of a material variable interest held by us in an unconsolidated entity that provides financing, liquidity, market risk or credit risk support to us, or engages in leasing, hedging or research and development services with us. We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that we are required to disclose pursuant to these regulations. In the ordinary course of business, we enter into operating lease commitments, purchase commitments and other contractual obligations. These transactions are recognized in our financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. Going Concern We incurred net losses of $3,712,047 for the year ended January 31, 2024. We had an accumulated deficit of $31,600,305 and working capital deficit of $1,868,607 as of January 31, 2024. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The continuation of the Company as a going concern through the next twelve months is dependent upon the continued financial support from its stockholders or external financing. There can be no assurances to that effect, nor assurance that we will be successful in securing sufficient funds to sustain the operations. These financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effect on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classifications of liabilities that may result from the outcome of these uncertainties. We believe that the actions presently being taken to obtain additional funding and implement its strategic plan provides the opportunity for the Company to continue as a going concern. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingencies at the date of the financial statements and the reported amount of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from those estimates. Exploration Stage Company The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles related to accounting and reporting by exploration stage companies. An exploration stage company is one in which planned principal operations have not commenced or if its operations have commenced, there has been no significant revenues there from. Property and Equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Major improvements and betterments are capitalized. Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life. At the time of retirement or other disposition of property and equipment, the cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is reflected in the statements of operations as other gain or loss, net. The processing plant and other machinery are depreciated over an estimated useful life of ten years; vehicles are depreciated over an estimated life of five years; and computer and other office equipment over an estimated useful life of five years. Mineral Properties Costs of exploration, carrying and retaining unproven mineral lease properties are expensed as incurred. Mineral property acquisition costs, including licenses and lease payments, are capitalized. Although we have taken steps to verify title to mineral properties in which it has an interest, these procedures do not guarantee our rights. Such properties may be subject to prior agreements or transfers and title may be affected by undetected defects. Impairment losses are recorded on mineral properties used in operations when indicators of impairment are present and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the assets’ carrying amount. As of January 31, 2024, we did not recognize any impairment losses related to mineral properties held. 17 Impairment of Intangible Assets with Indefinite Useful Lives We account for intangible assets in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 350, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (“ASC 350”). ASC 350 requires that intangible assets with indefinite useful lives no longer be amortized, but instead be evaluated for impairment at least annually. On an annual basis, in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, we review our intangible assets with indefinite useful lives for impairment by first assessing qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances makes it more-likely-than-not that the fair value of an intangible asset is less than its carrying amount. If it is determined that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of an intangible asset is less than its carrying amount, the intangible asset is further tested for impairment by comparing the carrying amount to its estimated fair value using a discounted cash flow. Impairment, if any, is measured as the amount by which an indefinite-lived intangible asset’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value. Application of impairment tests requires significant management judgment, including the determination of fair value of each indefinite-lived intangible asset. Judgment applied when performing the qualitative analysis includes consideration of macroeconomic, industry and market conditions, overall financial performance of the entity, composition, or strategy changes affecting the recoverability of asset groups. Judgments applied when performing the quantitative analysis includes estimating future cash flows, determining appropriate discount rates and making other assumptions. Changes in these judgments, estimates and assumptions could materially affect the determination of fair value for each indefinite-lived intangible asset. Impairment of Long-Lived Assets For long-lived assets, such as property and equipment and intangible assets subject to amortization, we continually monitor events and changes in circumstances that could indicate carrying amounts of long-lived assets may not be recoverable. When such events or changes in circumstances are present, we assess the recoverability of long-lived assets by determining whether the carrying value of such assets will be recovered through undiscounted expected future cash flows. If the total of the future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of those assets, we recognize an impairment loss based on the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or the fair value less costs to sell. Recently Adopted Accounting Policies In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06, Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity , to address the complexity in accounting for certain financial instruments with characteristics of liabilities and equity. This ASU significantly changes the guidance on the issuer’s accounting for convertible instruments and the guidance on the derivative scope exception for contracts in an entity’s own equity so that fewer conversion features will require separate recognition, and fewer freestanding instruments, like warrants with require liability treatment. ASU 2020-06 is effective for smaller reporting companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023. The Company is still considering the effect of this. Management does not believe any other recently issued but not yet effective accounting pronouncement, if adopted, would have a material impact on the Company’s present or future financial statements. 18 Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK. Not applicable.