Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Item 2. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
BACKGROUND
The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries (together, the "Company", "Firm", "Parent", "we", "our" or "us"). The Company's condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto which appear elsewhere in this quarterly report.
Oppenheimer Holdings Inc., through its operating subsidiaries, is a leading middle market investment bank and full service broker-dealer that is engaged in a broad range of activities in the securities industry, including retail securities brokerage, institutional sales and trading, market-making, research, investment banking (both corporate and public finance), investment advisory and asset management services and trust services. Its principal subsidiaries are Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. ("Oppenheimer") and Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. ("OAM"). As of June 30, 2024, we provided our services from 88 offices in 25 states located throughout the United States and offices in Puerto Rico, Tel Aviv, Israel, Hong Kong, China, London, England, St. Helier, Isle of Jersey, Portugal and Geneva, Switzerland. The Company provides investment advisory services through OAM and Oppenheimer Investment Management LLC ("OIM") and Oppenheimer's financial advisor directed programs. At June 30, 2024, client assets under management ("AUM") totaled $47.5 billion. AUM includes the total market value of client investments in discretionary and non-discretionary advisory programs as well as the net asset value of private placements of alternative investments offered by and held by clients of the Firm. Client assets under administration ("CAUA") as of June 30, 2024 totaled $126.0 billion. CAUA includes AUM and the other assets held for which the Firm provides services. We also provide trust services and products through Oppenheimer Trust Company of Delaware and limited discount brokerage services through Freedom Investments, Inc. ("Freedom"). Through OPY Credit Corp., we conduct our secondary trading activities related to the purchase and sale of loans, primarily on a riskless principal basis. At June 30, 2024, the Company employed 3,062 employees (2,932 full-time, 70 part-time and 60 summer interns), of whom 934 were financial advisors.
Outlook
We are focused on growing our private client and asset management businesses through strategic additions of experienced financial advisors in our existing branch system and employment of experienced money management personnel in our asset management business as well as deploying our capital for expansion through targeted acquisitions. We are increasingly creating and investing in private market opportunities on our own behalf and on behalf of qualified clients. We are also focused on opportunities in our capital market businesses, including integrating new technology platforms to expand the suite of services offered to our clients and onboarding experienced personnel and/or small units that will improve our ability to attract institutional clients in both equities and fixed income without significantly raising our risk profile. In investment banking, we are committed to growing our footprint by adding experienced bankers within our existing industry practices as well as new industry practices where we believe we can be successful.
We continuously invest in and improve our technology platform to support client service and to remain competitive, while continuously managing expenses. The Company's long-term growth plan is to continue to expand existing offices by hiring experienced professionals as well as expand through the purchase of operating branch offices from other broker-dealers or the opening of new branch offices in attractive locations, and to continue to grow and develop the existing trading, investment banking, investment advisory and other divisions. We are committed to continuing to improve our capabilities to ensure compliance with industry regulations, support client service and expand our wealth management and capital markets capabilities. We recognize the importance of compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and are committed to performing rigorous and ongoing assessments of our compliance and risk management effort, and investing in people and programs, while providing a platform with first class investment programs and services.
The Company also reviews its full service business model to determine the opportunities available to build or acquire closely related businesses in areas where others have shown some success. Equally important is the search for viable acquisition candidates. Our long-term intention is to pursue growth by acquisition where we can find a comfortable match in terms of corporate goals and personnel at a price that would provide our shareholders with incremental value. We review potential acquisition opportunities from time to time with the aim of fulfilling the Company's strategic goals, while evaluating and managing our existing businesses. In addition, the Company may from time to time make acquisition of 100% of a business or make minority private investments out of excess capital in allied or unrelated
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businesses with the goal of either syndicating the investment to eligible clients or retaining ownership because we believe them to be an attractive investment.
Recently our stock has experienced an unusual amount of volatility. We are unaware of any reason or circumstance for such volatility.
Impact of Change in Short-term Interest Rates
At both meetings in the second quarter of 2024, the Federal Reserve (the “FED”) unanimously decided to hold the target federal funds rate steady at 5.25% to 5.50% – representing seven consecutive meetings with no target rate change due to uncertainty towards achieving the FED’s 2% inflation objective. The FED’s median forecast currently projects one rate decrease during 2024, though this is subject to change.
Potential decreases to the federal funds rate may result in reduced interest-based revenues although any future federal funds rate increases may improve these revenues. While decreases in interest rates will lower fees the Company earns from FDIC insured deposits of clients through a program offered by the Company, such decreases may be offset to a degree if the cash sweep balances increase as clients find fewer higher-yielding alternatives to deploy these balances. Future rate decreases will also reduce the rates the Company charges on margin balances which will have a negative impact on our earnings.
Israel-Hamas War
On October 7, 2023, Hamas initiated an unprovoked invasion of Israel from the Gaza Strip, resulting in thousands of casualties. Israel formally declared war on Hamas in response to the attack and initiated several military operations in an effort to clear militants from the area. The war has displaced hundreds of thousands from their homes and many are now without food, water or electricity. There remains a risk that the conflict could expand into a wider regional war, which could have an adverse impact on the worldwide economy, financial markets and thus on our business. At this time, the conflict has not yet had a material impact on our business operations in Israel or elsewhere.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Firm was profitable for the second quarter of 2024 during a mostly favorable business environment. During the quarter, continued investor interest in artificial intelligence ("AI") stocks allowed all major indices to reach fresh records, amid continuing concerns about high interest rates and weakening employment data. Strong equity markets provided a backdrop for greater retail trading activity and drove our AUM to yet another new record, benefiting both our transaction driven revenues and AUM-based advisory fees.
The elevated interest rate environment resulted in improved interest revenue though the high interest rates also contributed to a significant decline in our FDIC sweep balances and related fees as clients sought higher returns elsewhere. The environment was also less favorable for our investment banking business, which saw less capital market activity when compared to the prior quarter.
While we are somewhat disappointed in our earnings for the quarter, they were particularly impacted by the lack of follow through in underwriting revenue after a strong first quarter. We continue to believe that our investment in senior personnel will pay off in future quarters as those markets strongly re-open. Results from the Wealth Management business continue to be strong amidst the background of a very strong equity market.
The Company ended the quarter with a strong balance sheet and record book value per share levels. We remain focused on both attracting new financial advisors and retaining existing advisors and in attracting qualified professionals to our investment banking platform and building our Equity and Fixed Income Groups in order to position us well for growth as we move into the second half of 2024.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The Company reported net income of $10.3 million or $0.99 basic earnings per share for the second quarter of 2024, compared with a net loss of $(9.4) million or $(0.85) per share for the second quarter of 2023. Revenue for the second quarter of 2024 was $330.6 million, an increase of 8.0% , compared to revenue of $306.2 million for the second quarter of 2023.
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(Expressed in thousands, except Per Share Amounts or otherwise indicated)
2Q-2024 2Q-2023 Change % Change
Revenue $ 330,589 $ 306,189 $ 24,400 8.0
Compensation expense $ 220,727 $ 187,224 $ 33,503 17.9
Non-compensation expense $ 93,997 $ 130,664 $ (36,667) (28.1)
Pre-tax Income (Loss) $ 15,865 $ (11,699) $ 27,564 *
Income taxes provision (benefit) $ 5,599 $ (2,131) $ 7,730 *
Net Income (Loss) (1)
$ 10,266 $ (9,400) $ 19,666 *
Earnings per share (basic) (1)
$ 0.99 $ (0.85) $ 1.84 *
Earnings per share (diluted) (1)
$ 0.92 $ (0.85) $ 1.77 *
Book Value Per Share $ 78.63 $ 71.77 $ 6.86 9.6
Tangible Book Value Per Share (2)
$ 61.56 $ 56.29 $ 5.27 9.4
Class A Shares Outstanding 10,227,845 10,884,575 (656,730) (6.0)
AUA ($ billions) $ 126.0 $ 113.2 $ 12.8 11.3
AUM ($ billions) $ 47.5 $ 41.2 $ 6.3 15.3
(1) Attributable to Oppenheimer Holdings Inc.
(2) Represents book value less goodwill and intangible assets divided by number of shares outstanding.
*Percentage not meaningful
Highlights
• Increased revenue for the second quarter of 2024 was primarily driven by significantly higher advisory fees attributable to a rise in billable assets under management ("AUM") as well as improved investment banking and interest revenues.
• Assets under administration and under management were both at record levels at June 30, 2024, benefiting from market appreciation and positive net asset flows.
• Compensation expenses increased from the prior year quarter largely as a result of higher incentive compensation expenses, share-based compensation costs and production-related expenses.
• Non-compensation expenses decreased from the prior year quarter primarily due to lower legal costs partially offset by higher interest expense.
• Book value and tangible book value per share reached new record highs as a result of positive earnings.
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BUSINESS SEGMENTS
The table below presents information about the reported revenue and pre-tax income (loss) of the Company's reportable business segments for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023:
(Expressed in thousands)
For the Three Months Ended June 30, For the Six Months Ended June 30,
2024 2023 % Change 2024 2023 % Change
Revenue
Private Client $ 208,701 $ 201,245 3.7 $ 421,734 $ 404,666 4.2
Asset Management 25,825 22,198 16.3 50,753 46,157 10.0
Capital Markets 92,141 79,582 15.8 204,224 169,864 20.2
Corporate/Other 3,922 3,164 24.0 7,016 7,181 (2.3)
Total $ 330,589 $ 306,189 8.0 $ 683,727 $ 627,868 8.9
Pre-Tax Income (Loss)
Private Client $ 55,537 $ 20,794 167.1 $ 123,688 $ 75,250 64.4
Asset Management 8,694 6,533 33.1 16,328 13,014 25.5
Capital Markets (21,775) (14,051) 55.0 (28,477) (29,528) (3.6)
Corporate/Other (26,591) (24,975) 6.5 (58,219) (51,386) 13.3
Total $ 15,865 $ (11,699) * $ 53,320 $ 7,350 *
*Percentage not meaningful
Private Client
Private Client reported revenue for the current quarter of $208.7 million, 3.7% higher compared with a year ago mostly due to higher advisory fees driven by appreciation in AUM and an increase in commission revenue. Pre-tax income of $55.5 million in the current quarter resulted in a pre-tax margin of 26.6%. Financial advisor headcount at the end of the current quarter was 934 compared to 964 at the end of the second quarter of 2023.
('000s unless otherwise indicated)
2Q-2024 2Q-2023 Change % Change
Revenue $ 208,701 $ 201,245 $ 7,456 3.7
Commissions $ 52,872 $ 45,377 $ 7,495 16.5
Advisory fee revenue $ 90,946 $ 78,811 $ 12,135 15.4
Bank deposit sweep income $ 34,847 $ 44,060 $ (9,213) (20.9)
Interest $ 21,626 $ 22,403 $ (777) (3.5)
Other $ 8,410 $ 10,594 $ (2,184) (20.6)
Total Expenses $ 153,164 $ 180,451 $ (27,287) (15.1)
Compensation $ 117,419 $ 99,528 $ 17,891 18.0
Non-compensation $ 35,745 $ 80,923 $ (45,178) (55.8)
Pre-tax Income $ 55,537 $ 20,794 $ 34,743 167.1
Compensation Ratio 56.3 % 49.5 % 6.8 % 13.7
Non-compensation Ratio 17.1 % 40.2 % (23.1) % (57.5)
Pre-tax Margin 26.6 % 10.3 % 16.3 % 158.3
Asset Under Administration (billions) $ 126.0 $ 113.2 $ 12.8 11.3
Cash Sweep Balances (billions) $ 2.9 $ 3.9 $ (1.0) (25.6)
• Retail commissions increased 16.5% from a year ago primarily due to higher retail trading activity
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• Advisory fees increased 15.4% due to higher AUM during the billing period for the current quarter when compared to the second quarter of last year
• Bank deposit sweep income decreased $9.2 million from a year ago due to lower cash sweep balances
• Interest revenue decreased modestly from the prior year period due to lower stock borrow income
• Other revenue decreased from a year ago primarily due to smaller movements in the cash surrender value of Company-owned life insurance policies, which fluctuates based on changes in the fair value of the policies' underlying investments
• Compensation expenses increased 18.0% from a year ago primarily due to higher production related and share-based compensation expenses
• Non-compensation expenses decreased 55.8% from a year ago primarily due to lower legal costs
Asset Management
Asset Management reported revenue for the current quarter of $25.8 million, 16.3% higher compared with a year ago. Pre-tax income was $8.7 million, an increase of 33.1% compared with the prior year period.
('000s unless otherwise indicated) 2Q-2024 2Q-2023 Change % Change
Revenue $ 25,826 $ 22,198 $ 3,628 16.3
Advisory fee revenue $ 26,241 $ 22,196 $ 4,045 18.2
Other $ (415) $ 2 $ (417) *
Total Expenses $ 17,132 $ 15,664 $ 1,468 9.4
Compensation $ 6,120 $ 6,283 $ (163) (2.6)
Non-compensation $ 11,012 $ 9,381 $ 1,631 17.4
Pre-tax Income $ 8,694 $ 6,534 $ 2,160 33.1
Compensation Ratio 23.7 % 28.3 % (4.6) % (16.3)
Non-compensation Ratio 42.6 % 42.3 % 0.3 % 0.7
Pre-tax Margin 33.7 % 29.4 % 4.3 % 14.6
AUM (billions) $ 47.5 $ 41.2 $ 6.3 15.3
*Percentage not meaningful
• Advisory fee revenue increased 18.2% from a year ago due to increased management fees resulting from the higher net value of billable AUM during the current quarter
• AUM increased to $47.5 billion at June 30, 2024, a new record high, which is the basis for advisory fee billings for July 2024
• The increase in AUM was comprised of higher asset values of $6.1 billion on existing client holdings and a net contribution of $0.2 billion in new client assets
• Compensation expenses were down 2.6% from a year ago primarily resulting from decreases in incentive compensation
• Non-compensation expenses were up 17.4% when compared to the prior year period mostly due to higher external portfolio management costs which are directly related to the increase in AUM
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The following table provides a breakdown of the change in assets under management for the three months ended June 30, 2024:
(Expressed in millions)
For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2024
Fund Type Beginning Balance Contributions Redemptions/Profit Distribution Appreciation (Depreciation) Ending Balance
Traditional (1)
$ 40,492 $ 2,282 $ (2,223) $ 706 $ 41,257
Institutional Fixed Income (2)
865 23 (24) 6 870
Alternative Investments:
Hedge funds (3)
3,831 38 (29) 153 3,993
Private Equity Funds (4)
1,095 61 (5) (18) 1,133
Portfolio Enhancement Program (5)
300 — (32) — 268
$ 46,583 $ 2,404 $ (2,313) $ 847 $ 47,521
(1) Traditional investments include Unified Managed Accounts, third party investment managers, mutual funds and/or exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and Oppenheimer financial adviser managed advisory programs, as well as Oppenheimer Asset Management taxable and tax-exempt portfolio management strategies.
(2) Institutional fixed income provides solutions to institutional investors including: Taft-Hartley Funds,
Public Pension Funds, Corporate Pension Funds, and Foundations and Endowments.
(3) Hedge funds represent strategies in areas including global equities, fixed income, diversifying
strategies, credit, real estate and special opportunities
(4) Private equity funds represent single strategy, multi-strategy or direct investments in private investments across various sectors.
(5) The portfolio enhancement program sells uncovered, out-of-money puts and calls on the S&P 500 Index. The program is intended to be market neutral and uncorrelated to the index. Valuation is based on collateral requirements for a series of contracts representing the investment strategy.
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Capital Markets
Capital Markets reported revenue for the current quarter of $92.1 million, 15.8% higher when compared with the prior year period. Pre-tax loss was $21.8 million, compared with pre-tax loss of $14.1 million a year ago.
('000s) 2Q-2024 2Q-2023 Change % Change
Revenues $ 92,141 $ 79,582 $ 12,559 15.8
Investment Banking $ 26,699 $ 18,749 $ 7,950 42.4
Advisory fees $ 12,290 $ 10,945 $ 1,345 12.3
Equities underwriting $ 11,208 $ 5,478 $ 5,730 104.6
Fixed income underwriting $ 2,815 $ 1,867 $ 948 50.8
Other $ 386 $ 459 $ (73) (15.9)
Sales and Trading $ 64,766 $ 60,216 $ 4,550 7.6
Equities $ 33,250 $ 34,453 $ (1,203) (3.5)
Fixed Income $ 31,516 $ 25,763 $ 5,753 22.3
Other $ 676 $ 617 $ 59 9.6
Total Expenses $ 113,916 $ 93,633 $ 20,283 21.7
Compensation $ 73,290 $ 61,255 $ 12,035 19.6
Non-compensation $ 40,626 $ 32,378 $ 8,248 25.5
Pre-tax Loss $ (21,775) $ (14,051) $ (7,724) *
Compensation Ratio 79.5 % 77.0 % 2.5 % 3.2
Non-compensation Ratio 44.1 % 40.7 % 3.4 % 8.4
Pre-tax Margin (23.6) % (17.7) % (5.9) % 33.3
*Percentage not meaningful
• Advisory fees earned from investment banking activities increased 12.3% compared with a year ago due to higher M&A volumes
• Equity underwriting fees increased 104.6% when compared with a year ago due to higher new issuance volumes
• Fixed income underwriting fees were modestly higher than the prior year period
• Equities sales and trading revenue was relatively flat when compared with the prior year period
• Fixed income sales and trading revenue increased 22.3% compared with a year ago primarily due to an increase in trading income attributable to higher interest rates and volumes
• Compensation expenses increased 19.6% compared with a year ago primarily due to costs associated with opportunistic new hires and higher incentive compensation
• Non-compensation expenses were 25.5% higher than a year ago primarily due to an increase in interest expense in financing trading inventories
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The Company's condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Reference is also made to the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto found in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
The Company's accounting policies are essential to understanding and interpreting the financial results reported on the condensed consolidated financial statements. The significant accounting policies used in the preparation of the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements are summarized in note 2 to those statements and the notes
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thereto found in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. Certain of those policies are considered to be particularly important to the presentation of the Company's financial results because they require management to make difficult, complex or subjective judgments, often as a result of matters that are inherently uncertain.
During the six months ended June 30, 2024, there were no material changes to matters discussed under the heading "Critical Accounting Polices" in Part II, Item 7 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
At June 30, 2024, total assets increased by 13.5% from December 31, 2023. The Company satisfies its need for short-term financing from internally generated funds and collateralized and uncollateralized borrowings, consisting primarily of bank call loans, stock loans, and uncommitted lines of credit. We finance our trading in government securities through the use of securities sold under repurchase agreements. We met our longer-term capital needs through the issuance of the 5.50% Senior Secured Notes due 2025 (see "Senior Secured Notes" below). Oppenheimer has arrangements with banks for borrowings on a fully collateralized basis. The amount of Oppenheimer's bank borrowings fluctuates in response to changes in the level of the Company's securities inventories and customer margin debt, changes in notes receivable from employees, investment in furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements, and changes in stock loan balances and financing through repurchase agreements. At June 30, 2024, the Company had bank call loans of $218.8 million compared to zero at December 31, 2023. The Company also has some availability of short-term bank financing on an unsecured basis.
The Company's overseas subsidiaries, Oppenheimer Europe Ltd. and Oppenheimer Investments Asia Limited, are subject to local regulatory capital requirements that restrict our ability to utilize their capital for other purposes.
The regulatory capital requirements for Oppenheimer Europe Ltd. and Oppenheimer Investments Asia Limited were $6.1 million and $384,170, respectively, at June 30, 2024. The liquid assets at Oppenheimer Europe Ltd. are primarily comprised of cash deposits in bank accounts.
The liquid assets at Oppenheimer Investments Asia Limited are primarily comprised of investments in U.S. Treasuries and cash deposits in bank accounts. Any transfer of these liquid assets from Oppenheimer Europe Ltd. and Oppenheimer Investments Asia Limited to the Company or its other subsidiaries would be limited by regulatory capital requirements.
The Company permanently reinvests eligible earnings of its foreign subsidiaries and, accordingly, does not accrue any U.S. income taxes that would arise if these earnings were repatriated. The unrecognized deferred tax liability associated with the outside basis difference of its foreign subsidiaries is estimated at $3.4 million for those subsidiaries. We have continued to reinvest permanently the excess earnings of Oppenheimer Israel (OPCO) Ltd. in its own business and in the businesses in Europe and Asia to support business initiatives in those regions. We will continue to review our historical treatment of these earnings to determine whether our historical practice will continue or whether a change is warranted.
Senior Secured Notes
On September 22, 2020, in a private offering, we issued $125.0 million aggregate principal amount of 5.50% Senior Secured Notes due 2025 (the "Unregistered Notes") under an indenture at an issue price of 100% of the principal amount. Interest on the Unregistered Notes was payable semi-annually on April 1st and October 1st. On November 23, 2020, we completed an exchange offer in which we exchanged 99.8% of our Unregistered Notes for a like principal amount of notes with identical terms (the "Notes"), except that such new Notes have been registered under the Securities Act. We did not receive any proceeds in the exchange offer. See note 11 to the condensed consolidated financial statements appearing in Item 1 for further discussion .
During the first quarter of 2023, the Company repurchased and subsequently cancelled $1.0 million of the Notes, recognizing a small extinguishment gain. As of June 30, 2024, $113.05 million aggregate principal amount of the Notes remains outstanding. The Notes first become callable at par in October 2024 and subject to the Company’s liquidity needs could be called.
The Notes are jointly and severally and fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior secured basis by E.A. Viner International Co. and Viner Finance Inc. (together, the "Subsidiary Guarantors"), unless released as described below.
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Each of the Subsidiary Guarantors is 100% owned by the Parent. The Indenture for the Notes contains covenants with restrictions which are discussed in note 11.
The guarantees are senior secured obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor. The guarantees rank:
• effectively senior in right of payment to all unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of such guarantor, to the extent of the value of the collateral owned by such Subsidiary Guarantor (and, to the extent of any unsecured remainder after payment of the value of the collateral, rank equally in right of payment with such unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of such Subsidiary Guarantor);
• senior in right of payment to any subordinated debt of such guarantor; and
• secured on a first-priority basis by the collateral, subject to certain exceptions and permitted liens, and it is intended that pari passu lien indebtedness, if any, will be secured on an equal and ratable basis.
Each subsidiary guarantee is limited so that it does not constitute a fraudulent conveyance under applicable law, which may reduce the Subsidiary Guarantors' obligations under the guarantee. There are no externally imposed restrictions on transfers of assets between the Company and its subsidiaries.
Each Subsidiary Guarantor will be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged upon the sale, exchange or transfer of the capital stock of a Subsidiary Guarantor and the Subsidiary Guarantor ceasing to be a direct or indirect subsidiary of the Parent if such sale does not constitute an asset sale under the Indenture for the Notes or does not constitute an asset sale effected in compliance with the asset sale and merger covenants of the Indenture for the Notes; a Subsidiary Guarantor being dissolved or liquidated; a Subsidiary Guarantor being designated unrestricted in compliance with the applicable provisions of the Notes; or the exercise by the Parent of its legal defeasance option or covenant defeasance option or the discharge of the Parent's obligations under the Indenture for the Notes in accordance with the terms of such Indenture.
The following tables present the selected financial information as of June 30, 2024 and for the six months ended June 30, 2024 for the Parent and Subsidiary Guarantors.
(Expressed in thousands) As of
June 30, 2024
Total Assets $ 2,200,064
Due From Non-Guarantor Subsidiary 15,748
Total Liabilities 583,736
Due To Non-Guarantor Subsidiary 6,119
For the Six Months Ended
June 30, 2024
Total Revenue $ 5,179
Pre-Tax (Loss) (487)
Net (Loss) (92)
S&P’s Corporate Family rating and rating on the Notes is a 'BB-' with a stable outlook. Moody’s Corporate Family rating and the rating on the Notes is a “Ba3” with a stable outlook.
Liquidity
For the most part, the Company's assets consist of cash and cash equivalents and assets that it can readily convert into cash. The receivable from brokers, dealers and clearing organizations represents deposits for securities borrowed transactions, margin deposits and current transactions awaiting settlement. The receivable from customers represents margin balances and amounts due on transactions awaiting settlement. Our receivables are, for the most part, collateralized by marketable securities. Our collateral maintenance policies and procedures are designed to limit our exposure to credit risk. Securities owned are mainly comprised of actively traded readily marketable securities. We issued $2.0 million in forgivable notes (which are inherently illiquid) to employees for the three months ended June 30, 2024 ($1.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023) as upfront or backend inducements to commence or continue employment as the case may be. The amount of funds allocated to such inducements will vary with hiring activity.
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We satisfy our need for short-term liquidity from internally generated funds, collateralized and uncollateralized bank borrowings, stock loans and repurchase agreements. Bank borrowings are, in most cases, collateralized by Firm and customer securities.
We obtain short-term borrowings primarily through bank call loans. Bank call loans are generally payable on demand and bear interest at various rates. At June 30, 2024, the Company had $218.8 million of bank call loans (zero at December 31, 2023). The average daily bank loan outstanding for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 was $148.7 million and $103.3 million, respectively ($77.8 million and $67.7 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023). The largest daily bank loans outstanding for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 were $258.7 million and $258.7 million, respectively ($153.3 million and $167.3 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023).
At June 30, 2024, securities loan balances totaled $247.2 million ($285.0 million at December 31, 2023 and $336.5 million at June 30, 2023). The average daily securities loan balance outstanding for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 were $286.7 million and $295.0 million, respectively ($362.9 million and $352.1 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023). The largest daily stock loan balance for both of the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 was $336.0 million ($391.5 million for both of the three and six months ended June 30, 2023).
We finance our government trading operations through the use of securities purchased under reverse repurchase agreements and repurchase agreements. Except as described below, repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements, primarily involving government and agency securities, are carried at amounts at which securities subsequently will be resold or reacquired as specified in the respective agreements and include accrued interest.
Repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements are presented on a net-by-counterparty basis, when the repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements are executed with the same counterparty, have the same explicit settlement date, are executed in accordance with a master netting arrangement, the securities underlying the repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements exist in "book entry" form and certain other requirements are met.
At June 30, 2024, the gross balances of reverse repurchase agreements and repurchase agreements were $27.6 million and $846.3 million, respectively. The average daily balance of reverse repurchase agreements and repurchase agreements on a gross basis for the three months ended June 30, 2024 was $27.5 million and $845.9 million, respectively ($146.8 million and $501.8 million, respectively, for the three months ended June 30, 2023). The largest amount of reverse repurchase agreements and repurchase agreements outstanding on a gross basis during the three months ended June 30, 2024 was $671.2 million and $976.8 million, respectively ($392.1 million and $782.1 million, respectively, for the three months ended June 30, 2023).
Liquidity Management
We manage our liquidity to meet our current obligations and upcoming liquidity needs as well as to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Our liquidity needs may be affected by market conditions, increased inventory positions, business expansion and other unanticipated occurrences. In the event that existing financial resources do not satisfy our liquidity needs, we may have to seek additional external financing. The availability of such additional external financing may depend on market factors outside our control.
We have Company-owned life insurance policies which are utilized to fund certain non-qualified deferred compensation plans. Certain policies which could provide additional liquidity if needed had a cash surrender value of $94.6 million as of June 30, 2024.
We regularly review our sources of liquidity and financing and conduct internal stress analyses to determine the impact on the Company of events that could remove sources of liquidity or financing and to plan actions the Company could take in the case of such an eventuality. Regulators are increasingly focused on liquidity management and we anticipate both new rules regarding the management of our day-to-day liquidity as well as increased regulatory scrutiny of the compliance with any such rules. Should a disruption occur in our liquidity and financing sources, we have plans that we believe would result in a reduction of assets through liquidation that would significantly reduce the Company's need for external financing.
Our primary long-term cash requirements include $112.8 million principal outstanding, net of debt issuance costs as of June 30, 2024 under our Senior Secured Notes (due in 2025) and $172.6 million of operating lease obligations. The Notes first become callable at par in October 2024, and subject to the Company’s liquidity needs could be called. The
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total cash requirement for interest expense related to the Notes and operating lease obligations is estimated to be approximately $9.2 million for the remainder of 2024.
Funding Risk
(Expressed in thousands)
For the Six Months Ended June 30,
2024 2023
Cash used in operating activities $ (194,314) $ (150,811)
Cash used in investing activities (1,415) (9,179)
Cash provided by financing activities 200,108 76,971
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 4,379 $ (83,019)
Management believes that funds from operations, combined with our capital base and available credit facilities, are sufficient for our liquidity needs for the foreseeable future. Under some circumstances, banks including those on whom we rely may back away from providing funding to the securities industry. Such a development might impact our ability to finance our day-to-day activities or increase the costs to acquire funding. We may or may not be able to pass such increased funding costs on to our clients.
During periods of high volatility, we have seen increased calls for deposits of collateral to offset perceived risk between the Company's settlement liability to industry clearinghouses such as the Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”) and National Securities Clearing Corp. (“NSCC”) as well as more stringent collateral arrangements with our bank lenders. All such requirements have been and will be met in the ordinary course with available collateral.
CYBERSECURITY
Cybersecurity presents significant challenges to the business community in general, including to the financial services industry. Increasingly, bad actors, both domestic and international, attempt to steal personal data and/or interrupt the normal functioning of businesses through accessing individuals' and companies' files and equipment connected to the internet. Recent incidents have reflected the increasing sophistication of intruders and their intent to steal personally identifiable information as well as funds and securities. These intruders sometimes use instructions that are seemingly from authorized parties but in fact, are from parties intent on attempting to steal. In other instances these intruders attempt to bypass normal safeguards and disrupt or steal significant amounts of information and then either release it to the Internet or hold it for ransom. Regulators are increasingly requiring companies to provide heightened levels of sophisticated defenses. The Company maintains processes and systems with an aim to preventing any such attack from disrupting its services to clients as well as to prevent any loss of data concerning its clients, their financial affairs, as well as Company privileged information.
Our management is actively involved in the oversight of our cybersecurity risk management program. We have devoted significant financial and personnel resources to implement and maintain security measures to meet regulatory requirements and customer expectations. We have incorporated cybersecurity processes to assess, identify and manage risks from cybersecurity threats into our overall risk assessment process. The Company maintains a cybersecurity program that is designed to identify, protect from, detect, respond to, and recover from cybersecurity threats and risks, and protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of its information systems, including the information residing on such systems. The National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework helps the Company inform its cybersecurity agenda and prioritize its cybersecurity activities. The Company takes a risk-based approach to cybersecurity, which begins with the identification and evaluation of cybersecurity risks or threats that could affect the Company’s operations, finances, legal or regulatory compliance, or reputation. The Company has processes in place for assessing, identifying and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats along with risk assessment procedures designed to allow such processes to remain responsive to emerging risks. Our processes include, but are not limited to, the following:
• we engage third-party cybersecurity firms and tools to assist with network monitoring, endpoint protection, vulnerability assessments and penetration testing;
• we engage cyber security consultants, auditors, and other third parties to assess and enhance our cybersecurity practices, such as to perform tabletop exercises and evaluate our cyber processes including an assessment of our incident response procedures. Identified risks are formally tracked until mitigated or eliminated;
• we perform regular scanning of our systems to identify and resolve critical vulnerabilities;
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• we provide periodic training and testing, including phishing tests, to help our employees understand cybersecurity risks and their responsibility in mitigating those risks; and
• we insure against potential losses from cyber incidents by maintaining cybersecurity insurance.
We have a written incident response plan that identifies the steps to be taken in response to a cybersecurity incident that includes investigation, escalation and remediation provisions. The incident response plan includes standard processes for reporting and escalating cybersecurity incidents to senior management.
We have processes to evaluate third party service providers and vendors that have access to sensitive systems and Company and customer data, which may include the use of cybersecurity questionnaires and due diligence procedures such as assessments of that service provider’s cybersecurity posture.
Management’s Role
Management has implemented risk management structures, policies and procedures, and manages our risk exposure on a day-to-day basis. The Company has a dedicated cybersecurity organization within its technology department that focuses on current and emerging cybersecurity matters. The Company’s cybersecurity function is led by the Company’s Chief Information Officer ("CIO") and the Company’s Chief Information Security Officer ("CISO"), which reports to the Company’s CIO. The CIO and his direct reports, including the CISO, discuss action items related to risks at a standing monthly meeting. The CISO and many members of his team have multiple decades of cybersecurity related experience. Risk reporting is provided at monthly meetings of the Firm’s cross-business Cybersecurity Committee and periodic presentations to the Firm’s Risk Management Committee, at which many members of the Company’s senior management are present.
The CEO meets regularly with the CIO to discuss cybersecurity threats and existing and potentially new technology systems including those related to cybersecurity. The CIO and CISO have a standing monthly meeting with the President and General Counsel to discuss potential vulnerabilities in the cyber environment. The President formerly ran the Information Technology Department at the Firm and as a result has significant systems experience including experience related to cybersecurity.
Board Oversight
The Board of Directors, both directly and through the Audit Committee, oversees Management’s responsibility of ensuring proper functioning of our cybersecurity risk management program. In particular, the Audit Committee assists the Board in its oversight of management’s responsibility to assess, manage and mitigate cybersecurity risks. The Audit Committee receives a cybersecurity update at each regular meeting of the Board covering cybersecurity risks, cybersecurity staffing and staff development including certifications and training. These updates are given either in person by the CIO and CISO or in written presentations created by them.
As of the date of this filing, the Company has not identified any cybersecurity threats that have materially affected or are reasonably anticipated to have a material effect on the Company’s business strategy, results of operations or financial condition. Although the Company has not experienced cybersecurity incidents that are individually, or in the aggregate, material, the Company has experienced cyberattacks in the past, which the Company believes have thus far been mitigated by preventative, detective, and responsive measures put in place by the Company. Given the continuing reports of cyber incidents in general, we believe that the Company will most likely continue to be a target of cybersecurity attacks by bad actors. There is no guarantee that the Company will be able to prevent any or all such attacks.
REGULATORY MATTERS AND DEVELOPMENTS
Regulation Best Interest (U.S.)
On June 5, 2019, the SEC adopted Regulation Best Interest (“Reg BI”) as Rule 151-1 under the Exchange Act. Reg BI imposes a federal standard of conduct on registered broker-dealers and their associated persons when dealing with retail clients and requires that a broker-dealer and its representatives act in the best interest of clients and not place its own interests ahead of the customer’s interests. Reg BI does not define the term “best interest” but instead sets forth four distinct obligations disclosure, care, conflict of interest and compliance that a broker-dealer must satisfy in each transaction. Compliance with Reg BI became effective on June 30, 2020. In addition to adopting Reg BI, the SEC adopted rules (i) requiring broker-dealers and investment advisers to provide a written relationship summary to each client, and (ii) clarifying certain interpretations under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 including but not limited to
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when a broker-dealer's activity is considered “solely incidental” to its broker-dealer business and is, therefore, not considered investment advisory activity (collectively, the “Reg BI Rules”).
Reg BI requires enhanced documentation for recommendations of securities transactions to broker-dealer retail clients as well as the cessation of certain practices and limitations on certain kinds of transactions previously conducted in the normal course of business. The rules and processes required under Reg BI limit revenue and involve increased costs, including, but not limited to, compliance costs associated with enhanced technology as well as increased litigation risks. The Company made significant structural, technological and operational changes to our business practices to comply with the requirements of the Reg BI Rules and it is likely that additional changes may be necessary to continue to comply as more experience with the Reg BI Rules is gained. Regulators have commenced in-depth reviews of the industry’s compliance with the requirements of Reg BI, including that of the Company.
On December 18, 2020, the Department of Labor ("DOL") published its final prohibited transaction exemption (“PTE”) addressing investment advice for fiduciaries of ERISA plans and IRAs. Similar to the proposal the DOL released in June of 2020, the final exemption takes a principles-based (rather than a prescriptive) approach to resolving conflicts that arise under ERISA when an investment advice fiduciary, its affiliate or a related party is paid certain types of compensation (such as commissions, trailing fees or revenue-sharing) or engages in certain principal transactions. The final exemption should provide a new and more flexible approach to ERISA compliance for certain types of transactions, which financial institutions may choose to utilize in place of other existing exemptions. Like the proposal (but in contrast to the precursor rule the DOL finalized in April 2016 that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit later vacated in June 2018), the final exemption does not materially change the scope of fiduciary activities under ERISA, with the exception of including certain rollover-related advice as fiduciary advice. The effective date for compliance with the PTE was February 1, 2022. The Company believes many of the steps taken by the Company to achieve compliance with the Reg BI Rules have enabled and will enable the Company to comply with the PTE. The Company implemented certain additional processes to accompany the actions taken to comply with the Reg BI Rules in order to ensure full compliance with the PTE.
Regulatory Environment
See the discussion of the regulatory environment in which we operate and the impact on our operations of certain rules and regulations in Item 1 “Business - Regulation” in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 for additional information.
Oppenheimer and many of its affiliates are each subject to various regulatory capital requirements. As of June 30, 2024, all of our active regulated domestic and international subsidiaries had net capital in excess of minimum requirements. See note 15 to the condensed consolidated financial statements in Item 1 for further information on regulatory capital requirements.
FACTORS AFFECTING "FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS"
From time to time, the Company may publish or make oral statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which provides a safe harbor for forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may relate to such matters as anticipated financial performance, future revenues, earnings, liabilities or expenses, business prospects, projected ventures, new products, anticipated market performance, and similar matters. The Company cautions readers that a variety of factors could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the Company’s forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, include, but are not limited to: (i) transaction volume in the securities markets, (ii) the volatility of the securities markets, (iii) fluctuations in interest rates, (iv) changes in regulatory requirements that could affect the cost and method of doing business, (v) general economic conditions, both domestic and international, including inflation, recession, and changes in consumer confidence and spending, (vi) competition from existing financial institutions, new entrants and other participants in the securities markets and financial services industry, (vii) potential cybersecurity threats and attacks, (viii) legal developments affecting the litigation experience of the securities industry and the Company, (ix) changes in foreign, federal and state tax laws that could affect the popularity of products sold by the Company or impose taxes on securities transactions, (x) the adoption and implementation of the SEC’s “Regulation Best Interest” and other regulations adopted in recent years, (xi) war, terrorist acts and nuclear confrontation as well as political unrest, including events relating to the Israel-Hamas war and related unrest in the Middle East and Russia's invasion of Ukraine and related Western sanctions, (xii) the Company’s ability to achieve its business plan, (xiii) the effects of the economy on the Company’s ability to find and maintain financing options and liquidity, (xiv) credit, operational, legal and regulatory risks, (xv) risks related to foreign operations, including those in the United Kingdom which may be affected by Britain’s January 2020 exit from the EU (“Brexit”) and economic uncertainty in the UK, EU and elsewhere, (xvi) the effect of technological innovation on the
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financial services industry and securities business, (xvii) risks related to election results, Congressional gridlock, political and social unrest, government shutdowns and investigations, trade wars, bank failures, changes in or uncertainty surrounding regulation, and the potential for default by the U.S. government on the nation's debt, (xviii) risks related to changes in capital requirements under international standards that may cause banks to back away from providing funding to the securities industry, and (xix) risks related to the COVID-19 Pandemic’s impact on the U.S. and global economies including supply chain disruptions, and Federal, state and local governmental responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic. There can be no assurance that the Company has correctly or completely identified and assessed all of the factors affecting the Company's business. See “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
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Item 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
During the six months ended June 30, 2024, there were no material changes to the information contained in Part II, Item 7A of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
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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.