DSS, INC. 10-K

ITEM 7 - MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The SEC encourages companies to disclose forward-looking information so that investors can better understand a company’s future prospects and make informed investment decisions. Forward-looking statements that may appear in this Annual Report, including without limitation, statements related to the Company’s plans, strategies, objectives, expectations, intentions, and adequacy of resources, are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act and contain the words “believes,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends” and similar words and phrases. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results projected in any forward-looking statement. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this Annual Report, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Investors should consult all the information set forth in this Annual Report and the other information set forth from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including our reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. The following discussion and analysis provides information that our management believes is relevant to an assessment and understanding of our results of operations and financial condition. The discussion should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and footnotes included in Item 8 of this Annual Report. Overview DSS, Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, referred to herein as “DSS,” “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company”) currently operates nine (9) distinct business lines with operations and locations around the globe. These business lines are: (1) Product Packaging, (2) Biotechnology, (3) Direct, (4) Commercial Lending, (5) Securities and Investment Management, (6) Alternative Trading (7) Digital Transformation, (8) Secure Living, and (9) Alternative Energy. Each of these business lines are in different stages of development, growth, and income generation. Our divisions, their business lines, subsidiaries, and operating territories: (1) Our Product Packaging line is led by Premier Packaging Corporation, Inc. (“Premier”), a New York corporation. Premier operates in the paper board and fiber based folding carton, consumer product packaging, and document security printing markets. It markets, manufactures, and sells sophisticated custom folding cartons, mailers, photo sleeves and complex 3-dimensional direct mail solutions. Premier is currently located in its new facility in Rochester, NY, and primarily serves the US market. (2) The Biotechnology business line was created to invest in or acquire companies in the BioHealth and BioMedical fields, including businesses focused on the advancement of drug discovery and prevention, inhibition, and treatment of neurological, oncological, and immune related diseases. This division is also targeting unmet, urgent medical needs, and is developing open-air defense initiatives, which curb transmission of air-borne infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and influenza. (3) Direct, led by the holding corporation, Decentralized Sharing Systems, Inc. (“Decentralized”) provides services to assist companies in the emerging growth “Gig” business model of peer-to-peer decentralized sharing marketplaces. Direct specializes in marketing and distributing its products and services through its subsidiary and partner network, using the popular gig economic marketing strategy as a form of direct marketing. Direct’s products include, among other things, nutritional and personal care products sold throughout North America, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Eastern Europe. (4) Our Commercial Lending business division, driven by American Pacific Bancorp (“APB”), is organized for the purposes of being a financial network holding company, focused on acquiring equity positions in (i) undervalued commercial bank(s), bank holding companies and nonbanking licensed financial companies operating in the United States, South East Asia, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, and (ii) companies engaged in—nonbanking activities closely related to banking, including loan syndication services, mortgage banking, trust and escrow services, banking technology, loan servicing, equipment leasing, problem asset management, SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) consulting services, and advisory capital raising services. (5) Securities and Investment Management was established to develop and/or acquire assets in the securities trading or management arena, and to pursue, among other product and service lines, broker dealers, and mutual funds management. Also in this segment is the Company’s real estate investment trust (“REIT”), organized for the purposes of acquiring hospitals and other acute or post-acute care centers from leading clinical operators with dominant market share in secondary and tertiary markets, and leasing each property to a single operator under a triple-net lease. the REIT was formed to originate, acquire, and lease a credit-centric portfolio of licensed medical real estate. (6) Alternative Trading was established to develop and/or acquire assets and investments in the securities trading and/or funds management arena. Alt. Trading, in partnership with recognized global leaders in alternative trading systems, intends to own and operate in the US a single or multiple vertical digital asset exchanges for securities, tokenized assets, utility tokens, and cryptocurrency via an alternative trading platform using blockchain technology. The scope of services within this section is planned to include asset issuance and allocation (securities and cryptocurrency), FPO, IPO, ITO, PPO, and UTO listings on a primary market(s), asset digitization/tokenization (securities, currency, and cryptocurrency), and the listing and trading of digital assets (securities and cryptocurrency) on a secondary market(s). (7) Digital Transformation was established to be a Preferred Technology Partner and Application Development Solution for mid cap brands in various industries including the direct selling and affiliate marketing sector. Digital improves marketing, communications and operations processes with custom software development and implementation. (8) The Secure Living division has developed a plan for fully sustainable, secure, connected, and healthy living communities with homes incorporating advanced technology, energy efficiency, and quality of life living environments both for new construction and renovations for single and multi-family residential housing. (9) The Alternative Energy group was established to help lead the Company’s future in the clean energy business that focuses on environmentally responsible and sustainable measures. Alset Energy, Inc, the holding company for this group, and its wholly owned subsidiary, Alset Solar, Inc., pursue utility-scale solar farms to serve US regional power grids and to provide underutilized properties with small microgrids for independent energy. On March 3, 2020, the Company, via its subsidiary DSS Securities, entered into a share subscription agreement and loan arrangement with LiquidValue Asset Management Pte Ltd., AMRE Asset Management, Inc. and American Medical REIT Inc. under which it acquired a 52.5% controlling ownership interest in AMRE Asset Management Inc. (“AAMI”) which currently has a 93% equity interest in American Medical REIT Inc. (“AMRE”). AAMI is a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) management company that sets the strategic vision and formulate investment strategy for AMRE. It manages the REIT’s assets and liabilities and provides recommendations to AMRE on acquisition and divestments in accordance with the investment strategies. AMRE is a Maryland corporation, organized for the purposes of acquiring hospitals and other acute or post-acute care centers from leading clinical operators with dominant market share in secondary and tertiary markets, and leasing each property to a single operator under a triple-net lease. AMRE was formed to originate, acquire, and lease a credit-centric portfolio of licensed medical real estate. AMRE is planned to qualify as a Real Estate Investment Trust for federal income tax purposes, which will provide. AMRE’s investors the opportunity for direct ownership of Class A licensed medical real estate. On June 18, 2021, DSS Securities, entered into a stock purchase agreement with AMRE to acquire 264,525 Class A Common Shares of AMRE at a per share price of $10, for a total consideration of $2,645,250. The additional 264,525 Class A Common Shares acquired increases the Company’s total equity interest in AMRE to approximately 93%. 26 On August 21, 2020, the Company, completed its acquisition of Impact BioMedical, Inc. (“Impact BioMedical”), pursuant to a Share Exchange Agreement by and among the Company, DSS BioHealth Security, Inc. (“DSS BioHealth”), Alset International Limited (formally Singapore eDevelopment Ltd.), and Global Biomedical Pte Ltd. (“GBM”), which was previously approved by the Company’s shareholders (the “Share Exchange”). Under the terms of the Share Exchange, the Company issued 483,334 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.02 per share, nominally valued at $6.48 per share, and 46,868 newly issued shares of the Company’s Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series A Preferred Stock”). As a result of the Share Exchange, Impact BioMedical is now a wholly owned subsidiary of DSS BioHealth, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary. Impact BioMedical strives to leverage its scientific know-how and intellectual property rights to provide solutions that have been plaguing the biomedical field for decades. By tapping into the scientific expertise of its partners, Impact BioMedical has undertook a concerted effort in the research and development (“R&D”), drug discovery and development for the prevention, inhibition, and treatment of neurological, oncological and immune related diseases. In August 2020, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, DSS Securities, Inc. entered into a corporate venture to form and operate a real estate title agency, under the name and flagging of Alset Title Company, Inc, a Texas corporation (“ATC”). DSS Securities, Inc. shall own 70% of this venture with the other two shareholders being attorneys necessary to the state application and permitting process. Effective December 9, 2020, Impact BioMedical entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with BioMed Technologies Asia Pacific Holdings Limited (“BioMed”), which is focused on manufacturing natural probiotics. Under the terms of this distribution agreement, Impact BioMedical will directly market, advertise, promote, distribute and sell certain BioMed products to resellers. The products to be distributed by Impact BioMedical include BioMed’s PGut Premium ProbioticsTM, PGut Allergy ProbioticsTM, PGut SupremeSlim ProbioticsTM, PGut Kids ProbioticsTM, and PGut Baby ProbioticsTM. Under the terms of the ten-year distribution agreement, Impact BioMedical will have exclusive rights to distribute the products within the United States, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea and non-exclusive distribution rights in all other countries. On February 8, 2021, DSS Securities announced that it entered into a joint venture (“JV”) with Coinstreet Partners (“Coinstreet”), a global decentralized digital investment banking group and digital asset financial service firm, and GSX Group (“GSX”), a global digital exchange ecosystem for the issuance, trading, and settlement of tokenized securities, using its proprietary blockchain solution. The JV leverages the operational strengths and assets of three key leaders in their field, combining traditional capital market experience, Fintech innovations, and business networks from three continents, North America, Europe, and Asia, to capitalize on unique digital asset opportunities. The JV reported that it intended to first pursue a digital securities exchange license in the US. Moving forward, this JV will be the key operational company building and operating a digital securities exchange that utilizes the GSX STACS blockchain technology, serving corporate issuers and investors in the sector. This JV is currently in the planning stages. On February 25, 2021, DSS Securities announced its acquisition of an equity interest in WestPark Capital, Inc.(“WestPark”) and an investment in BMI Capital International LLC (“BMICI”). DSS Securities executed two separate transactions that were designed to grow the securities division by signing a binding note and stock exchange letter of intent to own 7.5% of the issued and outstanding shares of WestPark and acquiring 24.9% of BMICI through a purchase agreement. WestPark is a full-service investment banking and securities brokerage firm which serves the needs of both private and public companies worldwide, as well as individual and institutional investors. BMI is a private investment bank specializing in corporate finance advising, raising equity, and venture services, providing a global “one-stop” corporate consultancy to listed companies. From corporate finance to professional valuation, corporate communications to event management, BMICI services companies in the US, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Canada, and Australia. 27 On March 1, 2021, Decentralized Sharing Systems, Inc. (“Decentralized”) announced that it increased its investment in Sharing Services Global Corporation (“Sharing Services” or “SHRG”), a publicly traded company dedicated to maximizing shareholder value through the acquisition and development of innovative companies, products, and technologies in the direct selling industry, through a $30 million convertible promissory note dated April 5, 2021. Decentralized’s financing was made as an investment that would help accelerate Sharing Services sales and growth, as well as international expansion, with the expectation that such capital reserves would help make Sharing Services a dominant player in the global marketplace over the next two years. It was reported that the new $30 million investment would have the potential to exponentially increase Sharing Services sales channels and substantially expand its product portfolio, and to position Sharing Services to capitalize on consolidation and roll up opportunities of other direct selling companies. In the joint announcement, Sharing Services reported that the additional funding would now allow it to accelerate its global expansion with a direct focus on the Asian markets, and specifically in countries such as South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. In accordance with the April 5, 2021, convertible promissory note, SHRG issued to the Company 27,000,000 shares of its Class A Common Stock, including 15,000,000 shares in payment of the loan origination fee and 12,000,000 shares in prepayment of interest for the first year. On December 23, 2021, a wholly owned subsidiary of DSS entered into a Stock Purchase and Share Subscription Agreement with SHRG, which provided for an investment of up to $3,000,000 by DSS into SHRG in exchange of an aggregate of 50,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock and warrants to purchase up to 50,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock. As of December 31, 2021, the Company held 141,450,978 class A common shares equating to a 57.7% ownership interest in SHRG with aggregate fair value of the Company’s investment in SHRG at December 31, 2021, of approximately $12,731,000. The Company, via three (3) of the Company’s existing board members, currently holds four (4) of the five (5) SHRG board of director seats. Mr. John “JT” Thatch, DSS’s Lead Independent Director and as well the CEO of SHRG is on the SHRG Board, along with Mr. Heng Fai Ambrose Chan, DSS’s Executive Chairman of the board of directors (joined the SHRG Board effective May 4, 2020), and Mr. Frank D. Heuszel, the CEO of the Company (joined the SHRG Board effective September 29, 2020). On March 15, 2021, the Company, through one of its subsidiaries, DSS BioMedical International, Inc. entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”) with Vivacitas Oncology Inc. (“Vivacitas”), to purchase 500,000 shares of its common stock at the per share price of $1.00, with an option to purchase 1,500,000 additional shares at the per share price of $1.00. In addition, under the terms of the Agreement, the Company will be allocated two seats on the board of Vivacitas. On March 18, 2021, the Company entered into an agreement with Alset EHome International, Inc. (“Seller”) to acquire the Seller’s wholly owned subsidiary Impact Oncology PTE Ltd for the purchase price of $2,480,000 to effectively purchase ownership of 2,480,000 shares of common stock of Vivacitas. This agreement includes an option to purchase an additional 250,000 shares of common stock. As a result of these On April 21, 2021, the Company announced its wholly owned subsidiary, Premier Packaging Corporation’s intentions to relocate from its current 48,000 square-foot manufacturing facility from Victor, NY to a new 105,000 square-foot facility in the Town of Henrietta, NY approximately 15 miles from its Victor location by the end of 2021. In connection with this relocation, Premier Packaging has entered into an agreement to sell its current Victor location and closed on this transaction on March 18, 2022. On May 13, 2021, Sentinel Brokers, LLC., a subsidiary of the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement (“Sentinel Agreement”) to acquire a 24.9% equity position of Sentinel Brokers Company, Inc. (“Sentinel”), a company registered in the state of New York, for the purchase price of $300,000. Under the terms of this agreement, the Company has the option to purchase an additional 50.1% of the outstanding Class A Common Shares. Upon the exercising of this option, but no earlier than one year following the effective date the Sentinel Agreement, Sentinel has the option to sell the remaining 25% to the Company. In consideration of purchase price investment in Sentinel, the Company is entitled to an additional 50.1% of the net profits of Sentinel On May 19, 2021, the Company announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, DSS PureAir, Inc., a Texas corporation (“DSS PureAir”), closed on a Securities Purchase Agreement with Puradigm LLC, a Nevada limited liability corporation (“Puradigm”). Pursuant to the terms of the Securities Purchase Agreement, DSS PureAir agreed to provide Puradigm a secured convertible promissory note in the maximum principal amount of $5,000,000.00 (the “Puradigm Note”). The Puradigm Note has a two-year term with interest at 6.65% payable quarterly. All, or part of the Puradigm Note principal balance can be converted at the sole discretion of DSS PureAir for up to an 18% membership interest in Puradigm LLC. The Puradigm Note is secured by all the assets of Puradigm under a security agreement with Puradigm. 28 On June 18, 2021, AMRE Shelton, LLC., (“AMRE Shelton”) a subsidiary of AMRE financed the purchase of a 40,000 square foot, 2.0 story, Class A+ multi-tenant medical office building located on a 13.62-acre site in Shelton, Connecticut (See Note 7). This property was appraised at approximately $7,150,000, of which $4,965,000 and $1,600,000 was allocated to the facility and land respectively. Also include in the value of the property is $585,000 of intangible assets with an estimated useful life of approximately 4 years. Contained within the sale-purchase agreement for this facility, is a $1,500,000 earnout due to the seller if certain criteria are met. As of December 31, 2021, no liability has been recorded for this earnout as management determined it is currently remote. On November 4, 2021, AMRE LifeCare Portfolio, LLC. (“AMRE LifeCare”), a subsidiary of AMRE, acquired three medical facilities located in Fort Worth, Texas, Plano, Texas, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for a purchase price of $62,000,000. These facilities are tenanted and operated by LifeCare Hospitals, a specialty hospital operator with a focus on long-term acute and critical care. The medical facilities acquired by AMRE are currently under an 18-year lease with eleven years remaining and an option to renew for an additional five years. These facilities have a total capacity of 195 hospital beds spanning a gross floor area of approximately 320,000 square feet. This property was appraised at approximately $61,601,000, of which $33,600,000 and $12,100,000 was allocated to the facility and land respectively. Also include in the value of the property is $15,901,000 of intangible assets with estimated useful lives ranging from 1 to 11 years. On December 21, 2021, AMRE Winter Haven, LLC. (“AMRE Winter Haven”), a subsidiary of AMRE, acquired a medical facility located in Winter Haven, Florida for a purchase price of $4,500,000. The purchase price has been allocated as $3,200,000, $1,000,000, and $222,000 for the facility, land and site and tenant improvements respectively. Also include in the value of the property is $29,000 of intangible assets with an estimated useful life of approximating 5 years. All assets were allocated on a relative fair value basis. On September 9, 2021, the Company finalized a stock purchase agreement (the “SPA”) with American Pacific Bancorp (“APB”), which provided for an investment of $40,000,200 by the Company into APB for an aggregate of 6,666,700 shares of the APB’s Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share. Subject to the terms and conditions contained in the SPA, the shares issued at a purchase price of $6.00 per share. As a result of this transaction, DSS became the majority owner of APB. APB is organized for the purposes of being a financial network holding company, focused providing commercial loans and on acquiring equity positions in (i) undervalued commercial bank(s), bank holding companies and nonbanking licensed financial companies operating in the United States, South East Asia, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, and (ii) companies engaged in—nonbanking activities closely related to banking, including loan syndication services, mortgage banking, trust and escrow services, banking technology, loan servicing, equipment leasing, problem asset management, SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) consulting, and advisory capital raising services. From this financial platform, the Company shall provide an integrated suite of financial services for businesses that shall include commercial business lines of credit, land development financing, inventory financing, third party loan servicing, and services that address the financial needs of the world Gig Economy. On September 13, 2021, the Company finalized a shareholder agreement between its subsidiary, DSS Financial Management, Inc. (“DFMI”) and HR1 Holdings Limited (“HR1”), a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, for the purpose to operate a vehicle for private and institutional investors seeking a highly liquid investment fund with attractive risk adjusted returns relative to market unpredictability and volatility. Under the terms of this agreement, 4000 shares or 40% of the Company’s subsidiary Liquid Asset Limited Management Limited (“LVAM”), a Hong Kong company was transferred to HR1 whereas at the conclusion of the transaction DFMI would own 60% of LVAM and HR1 would own 40%. LVAM executes within reliable platforms and broad market access and uses proprietary systems and algorithms to trade liquid exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), stocks, futures or crypto. Aimed at providing consistent returns while offering the unique ability to liquidate the portfolio within 5 to 10 minutes under normal market conditions, LVAM provides an array of advanced tools and products enabling customers to explore multiple opportunities, strengthen and diversify their portfolios, and meet their individual investing goals. On April 7th, 2021, the Company entered into a transfer and assignment agreement (“RIA Agreement”) between DSS Securities, Inc. (“DSSS”) and AmericaFirst Capital Management, LLC (“Advisor”), a California limited liability company and the registered investment advisor (“RIA”) to all the funds within the AmericaFirst Quantitative Funds Trust (“Trust”). In September of 2021, with the approval of the Trust’s Board of Trustees and its shareholders, and with the consideration of $600,000 paid, DSSS became the new registered investment advisor to the Trust. Upon the completion of the transfer, the Trust was renamed to the DSS AmericaFirst Quantitative Trust. The DSS AmericaFirst Quantitative Trust is a Delaware business trust established in 2012. The Trust currently consists of 4 mutual funds managed by DSS Wealth Management, Inc.: The DSS AmericaFirst Income Trends Fund, DSS AmericaFirst Defensive Growth Fund, DSS AmericaFirst Risk-On Risk-Off Fund, and DSS AmericaFirst Large Cap Buyback Fund. The funds seek to outperform their respective benchmark indices by applying a quantitative rules-based approach to security selection. The DSS AmericaFirst Quantitative Funds is a suite of mutual funds managed by DSS Wealth Management, Inc. that will expand into numerous investment platforms including additional mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, unit investment trusts and closed-end funds. We see substantial growth opportunities in each of these platforms as we are committed to building and expanding upon an experienced distribution infrastructure. For DSSS services rendered in its role as RIA, the Trust shall pay a fee for each fund calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets. The $600,000 consideration given is recorded as an Other intangible asset, net on the Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2021. As the RIA Agreement has no defined period, this asset has been deemed an infinite life asset and no amortization has been taken. On December 23, 2021, DSS purchased 50,000,000 shares at $0.06 per share of Sharing Services Global Corporation (“SHRG”) via a private placement. With this purchase, DSS increased its ownership of voting shares from approximately 47% of SHRG to approximately 58%. SHRG aims to build shareholder value by developing or acquiring businesses that increase the Company’s product and services portfolio, business competencies and geographic reach. Currently, the Company, through its subsidiaries, markets and distributes its health and wellness and other products primarily in the United States, Canada, and the Asia Pacific region using a direct selling business model. The Company markets its products and services through its independent sales force, using its proprietary websites, including: www.elevacity.com and www.thehappyco.com. The Company, headquartered in Plano, Texas, was incorporated in the State of Nevada on April 24, 2015, and is an emerging growth company. The Company’s Common Stock is traded, under the symbol “SHRG,” in the OTCQB Market, an over-the-counter trading platforms market operated by OTC Markets Group Inc. 29 Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak The COVID-19 pandemic has created global economic turmoil and has potentially permanently impacted how many businesses operate and how individuals will socialize and shop in the future. The effect of the economic shutdown has impacted our business lines differently, some more severely than others. In most cases, we believe the negative economic trends and reduced sales will recover over time. Additionally, it is reasonably possible that estimates made in the financial statements have been, or will be, materially and adversely impacted in the near term as a result of these conditions, including losses on inventory; impairment losses related to goodwill and other long-lived assets and current obligations. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND 2020 Revenue Year ended December 31, 2021 Year ended December 31, 2020 % Change Revenue Printed products $ 15,539,000 $ 13,040,000 19 % Rental income 1,203,000 - NA Management fee income 24,000 - NA Net investment income 250,000 - NA Direct marketing 3,259,000 2,326,000 40 % Total Revenue $ 20,275,000 $ 15,366,000 32 % Revenue - For the year ended December 31, 2021, revenue increased 32% to approximately $20.3 million as compared to revenues of approximately $15.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Printed products sales, which include sales of packaging and printing products, increased 19% in 2021 as compared to 2020. The increases in sales were due primarily to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 as key customers saw a decline in business. In 2021, those key customers returned to pre-pandemic numbers. Net investment income, Rental income and Management fee income, $250,000, $1,203,000 and $24,000 respectively, represent new revenue streams for the Company and are associated with our Securities and Commercial Lending business segments. The Company’s Direct Marketing revenues increased 40% in 2021 as compared to 2020 due primarily to increase sales in our Asian market. Costs and Expenses Year ended December 31, 2021 Year ended December 31, 2020 % Change Costs and expenses Costs of revenue, exclusive of depreciation and amortization $ 12,271,000 $ 11,011,000 11 % Sales, general and administrative compensation 12,764,000 7,053,000 81 % Depreciation and amortization 4,322,000 1,068,000 305 % Professional fees 5,774,000 3,343,000 73 % Stock based compensation 46,000 163,000 -72 % Sales and marketing 3,579,000 2,700,000 33 % Rent and utilities 240,000 208,000 15 % Research and development 1,080,000 210,000 414 % Other operating expenses 1,608,000 1,040,000 55 % Total costs and expenses $ 41,684,000 $ 26,796,000 56 % 30 Costs of revenue, exclusive of depreciation and amortization includes all direct costs of the Company’s printed products, including its packaging and printing sales and its direct marketing sales, materials, direct labor, transportation, and manufacturing facility costs. In addition, this category includes all direct costs associated with the Company’s technology sales, services and licensing including hardware and software that are resold, third-party fees, and fees paid to inventors or others as a result of technology licenses or settlements, if any. Costs of revenue increased 11% in 2021 as compared to 2020, primarily due the increase price of labor, paper and other raw materials associated with our printing and packaging division as well as cost associated with direct marketing product manufacturing and procurement. Sales, general and administrative compensation costs, increased 81% in 2021 as compared to 2020, primarily due a bonus of approximately $7.9 million accrued for Mr. Heng Fai Ambrose Chan, in accordance with the terms of his employment contract as an executive of the Company’s DSS Cyber Security Pte. Ltd subsidiary as compared to $4.3 million accrued in 2020. Mr. Chan is also the Company’s largest shareholder and Chairman of the Board of Directors. Depreciation and amortization include the depreciation of machinery and equipment used for production, depreciation of office equipment and building and leasehold improvements, amortization of software, and amortization of acquired intangible assets such as customer lists, trademarks, non-competition agreements and patents, and internally developed patent assets. Also included is the depreciation of the buildings acquired and amortization of intangible assets included in real estate acquisitions made by our REIT business line. Depreciation and amortization expense increased by 305% during 2021, as compared to 2020, primarily due to beginning the amortization of the intangible assets obtained as part of the Impact BioMedical acquisition in January 2021 (approximately $93,000 per month) and other acquisitions made during 2021 as well as the 2020 expiration of the non-compete agreement with a former executive, and a large 10-year asset becoming fully depreciated. Professional fees increased 73% in 2021 as compared to 2020, primarily due to an increase in legal fees associated with the direct marketing division, due diligence fees, as well as costs associated with acquisitions. Stock based compensation includes expense charges for all stock-based awards to employees, directors, and consultants. Such awards include option grants, warrant grants, and restricted stock awards. Stock-based compensation costs decreased 72% in 2021 as compared to 2020 due to the expiration of several warrants and options during 2021. Also, one-time stock grants that took place in 2020 to directors, certain officers, and consultants with no similar offerings or grants in 2021. Sales and marketing costs, which includes internet and trade publication advertising, travel and entertainment costs, sales-broker commissions, and trade show participation expenses, increased 33% during 2021 as compared to 2020, primarily due to increased direct marketing distributor commissions as well as increased commissions incurred at our printing and packing division Rent and utilities increased 15% during 2021 as compared to 2020 due to a new lease in Houston, Texas. Research and development costs consist primarily of third-party research costs and consulting costs. During the year ended December 31, 2021, Research and development costs increased 414% as compared to the same period in 2020 primarily due to the acquisition of Impact Biomedical, Inc. in August of 2020 and the related costs for continued research and development of the acquired product formulations as well as development of new technologies. Other operating expenses consist primarily of equipment maintenance and repairs, office supplies, IT support, bad debt expense, insurance costs, and corporate travel. Other operating expenses increased 55% in 2021 as compared to 2020 primarily due to increased software costs associated with enhancements to the Company’s ERP system as well as new software implement as part of the Company’s Direct Marketing segment and increased D&O insurance. 31 Other Income and Expense Year ended December 31, 2021 Year ended December 31, 2020 % Change Other Income (Expense) Interest Income $ 4,556,000 $ 69,000 6,503 % Interest Expense (196,000 ) (183,000 ) 7 % Other income 825,000 1,000 82,400 % (Loss) gain on investments (12,035,000 ) 10,609,000 -213 % (Loss) gain from equity method investment (9,939,000 ) 604,000 -1,727 % Gain on extinguishment of debt 116,000 622,000 -81 % Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt discount - (8,000 ) -100 % Total other income $ (16,673,000 ) $ 11,714,000 242 % Interest income increased 6,503%, during the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to the same period in 2020, due to interest recognized on the Company’s money markets, notes receivable, and the accretion of the discount on convertible notes receivable. Interest expense increased 7% during the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to the same period in 2020, due to increases in debt balances. Other income represents recognition of amortization of note origination fees. (Loss) gain on investments is recognized on the change in fair market value of warrants in SHRG ($8.9) million, Alset International Limited ($1.9) million and other marketable securities ($1.2) million for the year 2021, as compared to SHRG $7.1 million on related warrants, Alset International Limited $3.4 million and other marketable securities $0.1 million for the year 2020. (Loss) gain from equity method investment represents the Company’s prorated portion of earnings for its investments accounted for under the equity method for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. See Note 6. Gain on extinguishment of debt is associated funds received by AAMI in April 2020 from the SBA Paycheck Protection Program of $116,000. As of January 8, 2021, this note was forgiven in full. Amortized debt discount decreased 100% during the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to the same period in 2020, due to the balance of debt issue costs being fully expensed in 2020. 32 Liquidity and Capital Resources The Company has historically met its liquidity and capital requirements primarily through the sale of its equity securities and debt financings. As of December 31, 2021, the Company had cash of approximately $56.6 million. As of December 31, 2021, the Company believes that it has sufficient cash to meet its cash requirements for at least the next 12 months from the filing date of this Annual Report. In addition, the Company believes that it will have access to sources of capital from the sale of its equity securities and debt financings. Operating Cash Flow - During 2021, the Company expended approximately $9.0 million for operations, which generally reflected by fluctuations in accounts receivable, inventory, and prepaid and other current assets, accrued expenses and other liabilities. Investing Cash Flow - During 2021, the Company expended approximately $122.0 million in investing activities. This includes $56.8 million in investments in real estate associated with its REIT business line. In addition, the Company expended approximately $21.5 million on purchases of investments and marketable securities, $18.1 million on the purchase of intangible assets and $11.6 million on investments in notes receivable. Financing Cash Flows - During 2021, the Company generated $179.2 million from financing activities, which includes $121.7 million from new issuances of common stock and $60.8 million from the borrowings of long-term debt. This is offset by principal payments on debt of approximately $1.9 million. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have, or are reasonably likely to have, an effect on our financial condition, financial statements, revenues or expenses. Inflation Although our operations are influenced by general economic conditions, we do not believe that inflation had a material effect on our results of operations during 2021 or 2020 as we are generally able to pass the increase in our material and labor costs to our customers or absorb them as we improve the efficiency of our operations. Critical Accounting Policies The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make judgments, assumptions and estimates that affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. The Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 describe the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements. Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Fair Value Measurement Topic of the FASB ASC establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). These tiers include: ● Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets. ● Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable such as quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and ● Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions, such as valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable. 33 The carrying amounts reported in the balance sheet of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, prepaids, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate fair value because of the immediate or short-term maturity of these financial instruments. Marketable securities classify as a Level 1 fair value financial instrument. The fair value of notes receivable approximates their carrying value as the stated or discounted rates of the notes do reflect recent market conditions. The fair value of revolving credit lines notes payable and long-term debt approximates their carrying value as the stated or discounted rates of the debt reflect recent market conditions. The fair value of investments where the fair value is not considered readily determinable, are carried at cost. Investments – Investments in equity securities with a readily determinable fair value, not accounted for under the equity method, are recorded at that value with unrealized gains and losses included in earnings. For equity securities without a readily determinable fair value, the investment is recorded at cost, less any impairment, plus or minus adjustments related to observable transactions for the same or similar securities, with unrealized gains and losses included in earnings. For equity method investments, the Company regularly reviews its investments to determine whether there is a decline in fair value below book value. If there is a decline that is other-than-temporary, the investment is written down to fair value. See Note 6 for further discussion on investments. Related Party Liabilities - On April 1, 2020 the Company’s HWH World, Inc subsidiary has a service agreement with HWH Korea, a subsidiary of Alset International Limited (“Alset Intl.”) (formally Singapore eDevelopment Limited). The Chairman of the Company, Mr. Heng Fai Ambrose Chan, is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Alset Intl. Mr. Chan is also the majority shareholder of Alset Intl as well as the largest shareholder of the Company, beneficially owning approximately 31.3% of DSS. The Company also owns approximately 127,179,000 shares of Alset Intl, a company publicly listed on the Singapore Exchange Limited. This service agreement will allow HWH Korea to utilize the Company’s merchant account in connection with their direct marketing network with periodic remittance of the cash collected to them for a fee of 2.5% of amounts collected. As of December 31, 2021, the Company had collected approximately $0 as compared to $1,100,000 as of December 31, 2020, on behalf of HWH Korea, which is included in Accrued expenses and deferred revenue on the consolidated balance sheet. There were no amounts outstanding to this related party at December 31, 2021. Revenue - The Company recognizes its products and services revenue based on when the title passes to the customer or when the service is completed and accepted by the customer. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for shipped product or service provided. Sales and other taxes billed and collected from customers are excluded from revenue. The Company recognizes rental income associated with its REIT, net of amortization of favorable/unfavorable lease terms relative to market, and includes rental abatements and contractual fixed increases attributable to operating leases, where collection has been considered probable, on a straight-line basis over the term of the related lease. The Company recognizes management fee income from its investment banking line of business as interest owed to the Company occurs. The Company generates revenue from its direct marketing line of business primarily through internet sales and recognizes revenue as items are shipped. As of December 31, 2021, the Company had no unsatisfied performance obligations for contracts with an original expected duration of greater than one year. Pursuant to Topic 606, the Company has applied the practical expedient with respect to disclosure of the deferral and future expected timing of revenue recognition for transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations. The Company elected the practical expedient allowing it to not recognize as a contract asset the commission paid to its salesforce on the sale of its products as an incremental cost of obtaining a contract with a customer but rather recognize such commission as expense when incurred as the amortization period of the asset that the Company would have otherwise recognized is one year or less. Acquisitions - In January 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2017-01, Business Combinations (“Topic 805”): Clarifying the Definition of a Business (“ASU 2017-01”). The guidance is intended to assist entities with evaluating whether a set of transferred assets and activities is a business. Under this guidance, an entity first determines whether substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets. If this threshold is met, the set is not a business. If the threshold is not met, the entity then evaluates whether the set meets the requirement that a business include, at a minimum, an input and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to create outputs. See Note 7 regarding the acquisitions. 34 Business combinations and non-controlling interests are recorded in accordance with FASB ASC 805 Business Combinations. Under the guidance, the assets and liabilities of the acquired business are recorded at their fair values at the date of acquisition and all acquisition costs are expensed as incurred. The excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair values is recorded as goodwill. If the fair value of the assets acquired exceeds the purchase price and the liabilities assumed, then a gain on acquisition is recorded. The application of business combination accounting requires the use of significant estimates and assumptions. Acquisition of assets are recorded at their relative fair value based on total accumulated costs of the acquisition. Direct acquisition-related costs are capitalized as a component of the acquired assets. This includes all costs related to finding, analyzing and negotiating a transaction. The allocation of the purchase price is an area that requires judgment and significant estimates. Tangible and intangible assets include land, building and improvements, furniture, fixtures and equipment, acquired above market and below market leases, in-place lease value (if applicable). Acquisition-date fair values of assets and assumed liabilities are determined based on replacement costs, appraised values, and estimated fair values using methods similar to those used by independent appraisers and that use appropriate discount and/or capitalization rates and available market information. Discontinued Operations – On April 20, 2020, the Company executed a nonbinding letter of intent with a perspective buyer for the sale of certain assets of its plastic printing business line, which it operated under Plastic Printing Professionals, Inc. (“DSS Plastics”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. That sale was consummated and closed on August 14, 2020. The remaining assets of DSS Plastics were either sold, separately disposed, or retained by other existing DSS businesses lines. Accordingly, the operations of DSS Plastics have been discontinued. Based on the magnitude of DSS Plastics’ historical revenue to the Company and because the Company has exited the production of laminated and surface printed cards, this sale represented a significant strategic shift that has a material effect on the Company’s operations and financial results. Accordingly, the Company has applied discontinued operations treatment for this sale as required by Accounting Standards Codification 210-05—Discontinued Operations. The major classes of assets and liabilities of DSS Plastics are classified as Held For Sale – Discontinued Operations on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and the operating results of the discontinued operations is reflected on the Consolidated Statements of Operations as Loss from Discontinued Operations. See Note 16. On May 7, 2021, the Company completed the sale of 100% of the capital stock of DSS Digital Inc. (“DSS Digital”), the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, which researched, developed, marketed, and sold the Company’s digital products worldwide. Based on the magnitude of DSS Digital’s historical revenue to the Company and because the Company has exited the brand authentication services, functional anti-counterfeiting technology and technologies to satisfy commercial and consumer product needs for branding, intelligent packaging, and marketing, this sale represented a significant strategic shift that has a material effect on the Company’s operations and financial results. Accordingly, the Company has applied discontinued operations treatment for this sale as required by Accounting Standards Codification 210-05—Discontinued Operations. See Note 16. ITEM 7A - QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK Not applicable. 35