UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 10-Q
(Mark One)
☒ QUARTERLY
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2025
OR
☐ TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the transition period from to
Commission file number 0-5703
Siebert
Financial Corp.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
New York 11-1796714
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization) (I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
653 Collins Avenue , Miami Beach , FL 33139
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
(310) 385-1861
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
(Former
Name, Former Address and Former Fiscal Year, if Changed Since Last Report)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each
class
Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock - $0.01 par value SIEB The Nasdaq Capital Market
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant:
(1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”)
during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject
to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes
☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405
of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Yes
☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company.
See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,”
and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐ Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☒ Smaller reporting company ☒
Emerging growth company ☐
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes
☐ No ☒
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of
each of the issuer’s classes of common equity, as of the latest practicable date: As of May 13, 2025, there were 41,409,936 issued
and 40,409,936 shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock.
SIEBERT FINANCIAL CORP.
INDEX
PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
1
ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
1
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
2
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
3
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
4
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
5
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
22
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
29
ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
30
PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
31
ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
31
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
31
ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
31
ITEM 3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES
31
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
31
ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION
31
ITEM 6. EXHIBITS
32
SIGNATURES
33
i
Forward-Looking Statements
For
purposes of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (“Report”), the terms “Siebert,” “Company,” “we,”
“us” and “our” refer to Siebert Financial Corp., and its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries collectively,
unless the context otherwise requires.
The
statements contained throughout this Report, that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are
“forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements may appear throughout this Report, including in Item 2 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operations.” Forward-looking statements include statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words “may,”
“could,” “would,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,”
“plan,” “estimate,” “target,” “project,” “intend” and similar words or expressions.
In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are
forward-looking statements.
These
forward-looking statements, which reflect our beliefs, objectives, and expectations as of the date hereof, are based on the best judgement
of management. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. Such forward-looking statements are subject
to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated
in such statements, including the following: economic, social and political conditions, global economic downturns, including those resulting
from extraordinary events; changes and volatility in tariffs and trade policies; securities industry risks; interest rate risks; liquidity
risks; credit risk with clients and counterparties; risk of liability for errors in clearing functions; systemic risk; systems failures,
delays and capacity constraints; network security risks; competition; reliance on external service providers; new laws and regulations
affecting our business; net capital requirements; extensive regulation, regulatory uncertainties and legal matters; failure to maintain
relationships with employees, customers, business partners or governmental entities; the inability to achieve synergies or to implement
integration plans and other consequences associated with risks and uncertainties detailed in Part I, Item 1A – “ Risk
Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, (“2024 Form 10-K”), and our other
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
We
caution that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive, and new factors may emerge, or changes to the foregoing factors may occur,
that could impact our business. The forward-looking statements are based upon management’s beliefs and assumptions and are made
as of the date of this Report. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to
publicly update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required
by the federal securities laws.
ii
PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SIEBERT FINANCIAL CORP. & SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
March 31,
2025
(unaudited)
December 31,
2024
ASSETS
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 25,713,000
$ 32,629,000
Cash and securities segregated for regulatory purposes; (Cash of $ 107.1 million,
securities with a fair value of $ 44.4 million as of March 31, 2025; Cash of $ 135.8
million, securities with a fair value of $ 68.8 million as of December 31, 2024)
151,448,000
204,587,000
Receivables from customers
79,576,000
84,367,000
Receivables from broker-dealers and clearing organizations
4,771,000
3,920,000
Receivables from non-customers
802,000
607,000
Other receivables
2,904,000
2,744,000
Prepaid expenses and other assets
2,720,000
2,257,000
Securities borrowed
207,591,000
139,040,000
Securities owned, at fair value
29,364,000
21,385,000
Total Current assets
504,889,000
491,536,000
Deposits with broker-dealers and clearing organizations
5,599,000
4,227,000
Property, office facilities, and equipment, net
10,211,000
10,245,000
Software, net
5,651,000
4,836,000
Other intangible assets, net
648,000
697,000
Lease right-of-use assets
2,229,000
2,390,000
Deferred tax assets
2,641,000
3,418,000
Goodwill
2,319,000
2,319,000
Total Assets
$ 534,187,000
$ 519,668,000
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities
Current liabilities
Payables to customers
$ 206,922,000
$ 227,129,000
Payables to non-customers
2,656,000
3,297,000
Drafts payable
1,055,000
1,331,000
Payables to broker-dealers and clearing organizations
1,291,000
444,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
4,810,000
5,240,000
Taxes payable
3,241,000
2,183,000
Securities loaned
210,688,000
184,962,000
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value
142,000
26,000
Current portion of lease liabilities
1,092,000
886,000
Current portion of long-term debt
89,000
88,000
Current portion of deferred contract incentive
283,000
496,000
Current portion of contract termination liability
1,709,000
1,748,000
Total Current liabilities
433,978,000
427,830,000
Lease liabilities, less current portion
1,416,000
1,787,000
Long-term debt, less current portion
4,116,000
4,140,000
Contract termination liability, less current portion
405,000
819,000
Total Liabilities
439,915,000
434,576,000
Commitments and Contingencies
Equity
Stockholders’ equity
Common stock, $ .01 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 41,357,936 shares issued and 40,357,936 shares outstanding as of March 31, 2025, respectively. 41,120,936 shares issued and 40,120,936 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2024, respectively.
414,000
412,000
Treasury stock, at cost; 1,000,000 shares held as of both March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024
( 2,510,000 )
( 2,510,000 )
Additional paid-in capital
46,642,000
46,090,000
Retained earnings
48,758,000
40,094,000
Total Stockholders’ equity
93,304,000
84,086,000
Noncontrolling interests
968,000
1,006,000
Total Equity
94,272,000
85,092,000
Total Liabilities and Equity
$ 534,187,000
$ 519,668,000
Numbers are rounded for presentation purposes.
See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
- 1 -
SIEBERT FINANCIAL CORP. & SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2025
2024
Revenue
Commissions and fees
$ 2,102,000
$ 2,300,000
Interest, marketing and distribution fees
6,945,000
8,763,000
Principal transactions and proprietary trading
12,961,000
3,506,000
Market making
552,000
672,000
Stock borrow / stock loan
4,837,000
4,098,000
Advisory fees
748,000
490,000
Other income
774,000
627,000
Total Revenue
28,919,000
20,456,000
Expenses
Employee compensation and benefits
11,922,000
10,376,000
Clearing fees, including execution costs
454,000
428,000
Technology and communications
1,105,000
876,000
Other general and administrative
1,509,000
1,029,000
Data processing
949,000
751,000
Rent and occupancy
467,000
497,000
Professional fees
1,359,000
1,037,000
Depreciation and amortization
415,000
255,000
Interest expense
89,000
51,000
Advertising and promotion
154,000
54,000
Total Expenses
18,423,000
15,354,000
Operating income
10,496,000
5,102,000
Income before provision for income taxes
10,496,000
5,102,000
Provision for income taxes
1,835,000
1,415,000
Net income
8,661,000
3,687,000
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests
( 3,000 )
( 1,000 )
Net income available to common stockholders
$ 8,664,000
$ 3,688,000
Net income available to common stockholders per share of common stock
Basic and diluted
$ 0.22
$ 0.09
Weighted average shares outstanding
Basic and diluted
40,192,036
39,769,398
Numbers are rounded for presentation purposes.
See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
- 2 -
SIEBERT FINANCIAL CORP. & SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
(unaudited)
Common Stock
Treasury Stock
Number of Shares Issued
$.01 Par Value
Number
of Shares
Amount
Additional Paid-In Capital
Retained Earnings
Total Stockholders’ Equity
Noncontrolling Interest
Total Equity
Balance – January 1, 2024
40,580,936
$ 406,000
1,000,000
$ ( 2,510,000 )
$ 45,016,000
$ 26,808,000
$ 69,720,000
$ 989,000
$ 70,709,000
Transaction with J2 Financial
200,000
2,000
—
—
348,000
—
350,000
—
350,000
Share-based compensation
50,000
1,000
—
—
84,000
—
85,000
—
85,000
Net income (loss)
—
—
—
—
—
3,688,000
3,688,000
( 1,000 )
3,687,000
Balance – March 31, 2024
40,830,936
$ 409,000
1,000,000
$ ( 2,510,000 )
$ 45,448,000
$ 30,496,000
$ 73,843,000
$ 988,000
$ 74,831,000
Common Stock
Treasury Stock
Number of Shares Issued
$.01 Par Value
Number
of Shares
Amount
Additional Paid-In Capital
Retained Earnings
Total Stockholders’ Equity
Noncontrolling Interest
Total Equity
Balance – January 1, 2025
41,120,936
$ 412,000
1,000,000
$ ( 2,510,000 )
$ 46,090,000
$ 40,094,000
$ 84,086,000
$ 1,006,000
$ 85,092,000
Share-based compensation
237,000
2,000
—
—
552,000
—
554,000
—
554,000
RISE Cash Distribution
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
( 35,000 )
( 35,000 )
Net income (loss)
—
—
—
—
—
8,664,000
8,664,000
( 3,000 )
8,661,000
Balance – March 31, 2025
41,357,936
$ 414,000
1,000,000
$ ( 2,510,000 )
$ 46,642,000
$ 48,758,000
$ 93,304,000
$ 968,000
$ 94,272,000
Numbers are rounded for presentation purposes.
See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
- 3 -
SIEBERT FINANCIAL CORP. & SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2025
2024
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
Net income
$ 8,661,000
$ 3,687,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities:
Deferred income tax expense
777,000
384,000
Depreciation and amortization
415,000
255,000
Share-based compensation (1)
554,000
85,000
Interest related to contract termination liability payment
50,000
10,000
Changes in
Securities segregated for regulatory purposes
$ 24,389,000
$ 15,075,000
Receivables from customers
4,791,000
( 1,904,000 )
Receivables from non-customers
( 195,000 )
( 405,000 )
Receivables from and deposits with broker-dealers and clearing organizations
( 2,223,000 )
( 5,458,000 )
Securities borrowed
( 68,551,000 )
11,039,000
Securities owned, at fair value
( 7,979,000 )
( 1,232,000 )
Prepaid expenses and other assets
( 623,000 )
( 328,000 )
Payables to customers
( 20,207,000 )
( 41,438,000 )
Payables to non-customers
( 641,000 )
36,000
Drafts payable
( 276,000 )
108,000
Payables to broker-dealers and clearing organizations
847,000
1,522,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
( 430,000 )
1,227,000
Securities loaned
25,726,000
( 29,959,000 )
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value
116,000
( 1,000 )
Net lease liabilities
( 4,000 )
15,000
Taxes payable
1,058,000
1,029,000
NFS business development credits
( 213,000 )
( 213,000 )
Contract termination liability payment
( 503,000 )
( 500,000 )
Net cash used in operating activities
( 34,461,000 )
( 46,966,000 )
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Purchase of office facilities and equipment
( 63,000 )
( 28,000 )
Purchase of software
( 940,000 )
( 877,000 )
Additions to property, office facilities, and equipment
( 144,000 )
( 821,000 )
Transaction with J2 Financial
—
( 35,000 )
Net cash used in investing activities
( 1,147,000 )
( 1,761,000 )
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
Draws on bank loans
—
4,800,000
RISE cash distribution
( 35,000 )
—
Repayments of long-term debt
( 23,000 )
( 21,000 )
Net cash (used in) / provided by financing activities
( 58,000 )
4,779,000
Net change in cash and cash equivalents, and cash segregated for regulatory purposes
( 35,666,000 )
( 43,948,000 )
Cash and cash equivalents, and cash segregated for regulatory purposes - beginning of period
168,458,000
164,537,000
Cash and cash equivalents, and cash segregated for regulatory purposes - end of period
$ 132,792,000
$ 120,589,000
Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and cash and securities segregated for regulatory purposes
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period
$ 25,713,000
$ 2,856,000
Cash segregated for regulatory purposes - end of period
107,079,000
117,733,000
Cash and cash equivalents, and cash segregated for regulatory purposes - end of period
$ 132,792,000
$ 120,589,000
Supplemental cash flow information
Cash paid during the period for income taxes
$ —
$ 2,000
Cash paid during the period for interest
$ 39,000
$ 41,000
Non-cash investing and financing activities
Transaction
with J2 Financial (2)
$ —
$ 350,000
Numbers are rounded for presentation purposes.
See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
(1) Refer to Note 18 – Employee Benefit Plans for further
detail.
(2) Refer to Note 10 – Software, Net in the Company’s
2024 10-K for further information.
- 4 -
SIEBERT FINANCIAL CORP. & SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(unaudited)
1. Organization and Basis of Presentation
Organization
Siebert Financial Corp., a
New York corporation, incorporated in 1934, is a holding company that conducts the following lines of business through its wholly-owned
and majority-owned subsidiaries:
● Muriel Siebert & Co., LLC (“MSCO”) provides retail
brokerage and investment banking services. MSCO is a Delaware corporation and broker-dealer registered with the SEC under the Exchange
Act and the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936, and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), the New York
Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”), and the National Futures Association
(“NFA”).
● Siebert AdvisorNXT, LLC (“SNXT”) provides investment advisory services. SNXT is a New York
corporation registered with the SEC as a Registered Investment Advisor (“RIA”) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
● Park Wilshire Companies, Inc. (“PW”) provides insurance services. PW is a Texas corporation
and licensed insurance agency.
● Siebert Technologies, LLC (“STCH”) provides technology development. STCH is a Nevada limited
liability company.
● RISE Financial Services, LLC (“RISE”) is a Delaware limited liability company and a broker-dealer
registered with the SEC and NFA.
● StockCross Digital Solutions, Ltd. (“STXD”) is an inactive subsidiary headquartered in Bermuda.
● Gebbia Entertainment, LLC (“GE”) is a Florida limited liability
company and provides media entertainment services and serves as the in-house marketing and advertising function for Siebert.
For
purposes of this Report on Form 10-Q, the terms “Siebert,” “Company,” “we,” “us,” and
“our” refer to Siebert Financial Corp., MSCO, SNXT, PW, STCH, RISE, STXD, and GE collectively, unless the context otherwise
requires.
Effective
January 1, 2024, MSCO changed its name from Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc. to Muriel Siebert & Co., LLC, and SNXT changed its name
to from Siebert AdvisorNXT, Inc. to Siebert AdvisorNXT, LLC with their tax status changing from C-Corporations to LLCs under state law.
The Company is headquartered
in Miami Beach, FL with primary operations in Florida, New York, and California. The Company has 12 branch offices throughout the U.S.
and clients around the world. The Company’s SEC filings are available through the Company’s website at www.siebert.com, where
investors can obtain copies of the Company’s public filings free of charge. The Company’s common stock, par value $ .01 per
share, trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “SIEB.”
The Company engages in a single
line of business as a securities broker-dealer, providing comprehensive brokerage services including custody and clearing of retail accounts,
insurance and advisory services, principal transaction and proprietary trading, market making, and securities lending. The Company currently
has no other reportable segments. All of the Company’s revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 were derived from its
operations in the U.S.
The
Company has evaluated the impact of its recent acquisition of GE on its consolidated financial statements and has determined that the
acquisition is immaterial. As of March 31, 2025, the Company operates as a single reportable segment based on the factors related to management’s
decision-making framework as well as management evaluating performance and allocating resources based on assessments of the Company from
a consolidated perspective. Management will continue to monitor the financial significance of the GE acquisition and may report additional
segments in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) ASC Topic 280 – “Improvements
to Reportable Segment Disclosures” (“Topic 280”).
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited
condensed consolidated financial statements (“financial statements”) of the Company have been prepared on the accrual basis
of accounting in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“GAAP”) for interim financial information
with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes
required by GAAP for complete annual financial statements. The U.S. dollar is the functional currency of the Company and numbers are rounded
for presentation purposes.
In the opinion of management,
the financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring entries) necessary to fairly present such interim results.
Interim results are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations which may be expected for a full year or any subsequent period.
These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto in the Company’s 2024 Form
10-K.
- 5 -
Reclassification
Certain amounts for the three
months ended March 31, 2024 and certain cash flows within the Investing Activities section have been reclassified to conform to the presentation
of the current period. The reclassification has not materially impacted the Company’s financial statements, and did not result in
a change in total revenue, net income or cash flows from operations or investing activities for the periods presented.
Principles of Consolidation
The
financial statements include the accounts of Siebert and its wholly-owned and majority-owned consolidated subsidiaries. Upon consolidation,
all intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated. The Company’s ownership in RISE was 68 % as of both March 31, 2025 and
December 31, 2024. Refer to Note 5 – RISE in the Company’s 2024 Form 10-K for further information.
For
consolidated subsidiaries that are not wholly-owned, the third-party holdings of equity interests are referred to as noncontrolling interests.
The net income or loss attributable to noncontrolling interests for such subsidiaries is presented as net income or loss attributable
to noncontrolling interests in the statements of operations. The portion of total equity that is attributable to noncontrolling interests
for such subsidiaries is presented as noncontrolling interests in the statements of financial condition.
For
investments in entities in which the Company does not have a controlling financial interest but has significant influence over its operating
and financial decisions, the Company applies the equity method of accounting with net income and losses recorded in earnings of equity
method investment in related party.
Significant Accounting Policies
The Company’s significant
accounting policies are included in Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Company’s 2024 Form 10-K. During
the three months ended March 31, 2025, there were no significant changes made to the Company’s significant accounting policies.
Except as set forth below, those policies were unchanged during the three months ended March 31, 2025.
Restricted Equity Securities
During
the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Company participated in a private placement and acquired restricted shares of a private U.S.
company in 2025 (the “Investment in Equity Security”). These shares are subject to restrictions on transferability and did
not have a readily determinable fair value at the time of acquisition.
Accordingly,
the Company accounted for the investment at cost, in accordance with ASC 321-10-35-2, Investments – Equity Securities: Subsequent
Measurement, using the measurement alternative under ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments – Overall (Subtopic 825-10).
On March 31, 2025, the issuer completed its initial public offering,
and the Company’s restricted shares converted into restricted publicly traded shares as part of the IPO process. These shares remain
subject to resale restrictions until such resale is registered with the SEC or an exemption from such registration requirement becomes
available.
In accordance with ASC 321, once observable events indicate that fair
value is readily determinable, the measurement alternative must be discontinued. As a result of the IPO, the Company began measuring the
investment at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in earnings on a recurring basis.
Additionally, the Company applied ASU 2022-03, Fair Value Measurement
(Topic 820): Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions, which clarifies that contractual sale
restrictions are not considered in fair value measurements under ASC 820. However, a discount for lack of marketability may still be considered
if it reflects assumptions that market participants would use. In this case, the Company has not applied a discount solely for the period
prior to the initial public offering, but did apply a discount subsequent to the initial public offering, including a 40 % discount as
of March 31, 2025 as indicated in Note 4 – Fair Value Measurement.
The investment is classified as a Level 3 asset in the fair value hierarchy
due to the use of significant unobservable inputs in the valuation.
Refer
to Note 4 – Fair Value Measurements for additional details.
2. New Accounting Standards
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
In
December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, “Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures” (“ASU 2023-09”). The ASU
is intended to enhance the transparency and decision usefulness of income tax disclosures. The amendments in the ASU address investor
requests for enhanced income tax information primarily through changes to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid information. ASU
2023-09 will be effective for the Company for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, though early adoption is permitted. The
Company is still evaluating the presentational effect that ASU 2023-09 will have on its consolidated financial statements, but the Company
expects considerable changes to its income tax footnote.
- 6 -
In
November 2024, the FASB issued ASU “2024-03”, “Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation
Disclosures” (“ASU 2024-03”). The ASU is intended to enhance the transparency and decision usefulness of income statement
expense disclosures by requiring greater disaggregation of certain expense categories. ASU 2024-03 will be effective for us for annual
periods beginning after December 15, 2025, though early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact that ASU 2024-03
will have on our consolidated financial statements and we anticipate the amendments will require significant changes to our expense disclosures.
Accounting Standards Adopted in Fiscal 2025
The
Company did not adopt any new accounting standards during the three months ended March 31, 2025. In addition, the Company has evaluated
other recently issued accounting standards and does not believe that any of these standards will have a material impact on the Company’s
financial statements and related disclosures as of March 31, 2025.
3. Receivables From,
Payables To, and Deposits With Broker-Dealers and Clearing Organizations
Amounts receivable from, payables
to, and deposits with broker-dealers and clearing organizations consisted of the following as of the periods indicated:
As of
March 31,
2025
As of
December 31,
2024
Receivables from and deposits with broker-dealers and clearing organizations
DTCC / OCC / NSCC (1)
$ 7,647,000
$ 5,777,000
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (“GSCO”)
53,000
50,000
National Financial Services, LLC (“NFS”)
2,482,000
2,102,000
Securities fail-to-deliver
113,000
90,000
Globalshares
75,000
68,000
Other receivables
—
60,000
Total Receivables from and deposits with broker-dealers and clearing organizations
$ 10,370,000
$ 8,147,000
Payables to broker-dealers and clearing organizations
Securities fail-to-receive
$ 845,000
$ 439,000
Payables to broker-dealers
446,000
5,000
Total Payables to broker-dealers and clearing organizations
$ 1,291,000
$ 444,000
(1) Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation is referred to as
(“DTCC”), Options Clearing Corporation is referred to as (“OCC”), and National Securities Clearing Corporation
is referred to as (“NSCC”).
Under the DTCC shareholders’
agreement, MSCO is required to participate in the DTCC common stock mandatory purchase. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, MSCO
had shares of DTCC common stock valued at approximately $ 1.1 M which is included within the line item “Deposits with broker-dealers
and clearing organizations” on the statements of financial condition.
In September 2022, MSCO and
RISE entered into a clearing agreement whereby RISE would introduce clients to MSCO. Refer to Note 19 – Related Party Disclosures
for more detail.
4. Fair Value Measurements
Overview
ASC 820 defines fair value,
establishes a framework for measuring fair value as well as a hierarchy of fair value inputs. Refer to the below as well as Note 2 –
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Company’s 2024 Form 10-K for further information regarding fair value hierarchy,
valuation techniques and other items related to fair value measurements.
- 7 -
Financial Assets and
Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
The
tables below present, by level within the fair value hierarchy, financial assets and liabilities, measured at fair value on a recurring
basis for the periods indicated. As required by ASC Topic 820, financial assets and financial liabilities are classified in their entirety
based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the respective fair value measurement.
As of March 31, 2025
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
Assets
Cash and securities segregated for regulatory purposes
U.S. government securities
$ 44,369,000
$ —
$ —
$ 44,369,000
Securities owned, at fair value
U.S. government securities
$ 17,271,000
$ —
$ —
$ 17,271,000
Certificates of deposit
—
141,000
—
141,000
Municipal securities
—
117,000
—
117,000
Corporate bonds
—
16,000
—
16,000
Unit investment trust
—
229,000
—
229,000
Options
1,000
—
—
1,000
Equity securities
667,000
89,000
10,833,000
11,589,000
Total Securities owned, at fair value
$ 17,939,000
$ 592,000
$ 10,833,000
$ 29,364,000
Liabilities
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value
Equity securities
$ 78,000
$ —
$ —
$ 78,000
Options
64,000
—
—
64,000
Total Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value
$ 142,000
$ —
$ —
$ 142,000
As of December 31, 2024
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
Assets
Cash and securities segregated for regulatory purposes
U.S. government securities
$
68,758,000
$
—
$
—
$
68,758,000
Securities owned, at fair value
U.S. government securities
$ 20,086,000
$ —
$ —
$ 20,086,000
Certificates of deposit
—
112,000
—
112,000
Corporate bonds
—
2,000
—
2,000
Options
58,000
—
—
58,000
Equity securities
1,055,000
72,000
—
1,127,000
Total Securities owned, at fair value
$ 21,199,000
$ 186,000
$ —
$ 21,385,000
Liabilities
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value
Equity securities
$ 1,000
$ —
$ —
$ 1,000
Options
25,000
25,000
Total Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value
$ 26,000
$ —
$ —
$ 26,000
- 8 -
The
Company had U.S. government securities with the market values and maturity dates for the periods indicated below.
As of
March 31,
2025
Maturing in 2025
$ 48,367,000
Maturing in 2026
13,063,000
Accrued interest
210,000
Total Market value
$ 61,640,000
As of
December 31,
2024
Maturing in 2025
$ 80,739,000
Maturing in 2026
8,019,000
Accrued interest
86,000
Total Market value
$ 88,844,000
Level
3 Instrument
The Company valued the Investment in Equity Security using a Finnerty
option-pricing model. A 45-day expected holding period and 120 % expected volatility yielded approximately a 40 % discount for a lack of
marketability which reflects market-participant pricing for the typical reversion of IPOs with 500 % day-one gains, meme-stock volatility
premiums, and the issuer’s outstanding high-stakes litigation.
The following table provides
a reconciliation of our Level 3 assets, which are valued using significant unobservable inputs. These assets are measured at fair value
based on internally developed models, with adjustments reflecting market conditions and management’s best estimates. There were
no transfers in or out of Level 3 assets for the three months ended March 31, 2025. The table below outlines changes in Level 3 assets
for the reporting period, including purchases, sales, and unrealized gains or losses:
As of and for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2025
Category
Opening
Balance
Purchases
Sales
Transfers
In / Out
Unrealized
Gains / (Losses)
Closing
Balance
Equity Security Investment
$ —
$ 1,600,000
$ —
$ —
$ 9,233,000
$ 10,833,000
For
the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Company recorded an unrealized gain of approximately $ 9.2 million in relation to the Investment
in Equity Security. However, due to the volatility of the price of the shares, which has declined significantly since March 31, 2025,
management is uncertain as to the total unrealized or realized gain or loss that will be recognized from the Investment in Equity Security.
Solely for illustrative purposes, on May 7, 2025, the closing share price of the Investment in Equity Security fell to $ 25.24 per share,
compared with $ 83.51 per share ($ 50.11 per share after the 40 % discount) as of March 31, 2025. Had the Company sold its shares on May
7, 2025, the total gain would have been approximately $ 3.9 million, instead of the $ 9.2 million unrealized gain recognized during the
three months ended March 31, 2025. Because the decline reflects conditions arising after March 31, 2025, no adjustment has been made to
the accompanying financial statements. The potential change in the market value of the Investment in Equity Security may materially impact
the results of future periods.
- 9 -
Financial Assets and
Liabilities Not Carried at Fair Value
Financial assets and liabilities
not measured at fair value are recorded at carrying value, which approximates fair value either due to their short-term nature, or in
the case of long-term assets or liabilities, management has determined the difference in the carrying value and fair value is immaterial.
The tables below represents financial instruments in which the ending balances as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 are not carried
at fair value in the statements of financial condition:
As of March 31, 2025
Carrying Value
Fair Value
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Financial assets, not measured at fair value
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 25,713,000
$ 25,713,000
$ 25,713,000
$ —
$ —
Cash – segregated for regulatory purposes
107,079,000
107,079,000
107,079,000
—
—
Securities borrowed
207,591,000
207,591,000
—
207,591,000
—
Receivables from customers
79,576,000
79,576,000
—
79,576,000
—
Receivables from non-customers
802,000
802,000
—
802,000
—
Receivables from broker-dealers and clearing
organizations
4,771,000
4,771,000
—
4,771,000
—
Other receivables
2,904,000
2,904,000
—
2,904,000
—
Deposits with broker-dealers and
clearing organizations
5,599,000
5,599,000
—
5,599,000
—
Total financial assets, not measured at fair value
$ 434,035,000
$ 434,035,000
$ 132,792,000
$ 301,243,000
$ —
Financial liabilities, not measured at fair value
Securities loaned
$ 210,688,000
$ 210,688,000
$ —
$ 210,688,000
$ —
Payables to customers
206,922,000
206,922,000
—
206,922,000
—
Payables to non-customers
2,656,000
2,656,000
—
2,656,000
—
Drafts payable
1,055,000
1,055,000
—
1,055,000
—
Payables to broker-dealers and clearing organizations
1,291,000
1,291,000
—
1,291,000
—
Deferred contract incentive
283,000
283,000
—
283,000
—
Long-term debt
4,205,000
4,205,000
—
4,205,000
—
Contract termination liability
2,114,000
2,114,000
—
2,114,000
—
Total financial liabilities, not measured at fair value
$ 429,214,000
$ 429,214,000
$ —
$ 429,214,000
$ —
As of December 31, 2024
Carrying Value
Fair Value
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Financial assets, not measured at fair value
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 32,629,000
$ 32,629,000
$ 32,629,000
$ —
$ —
Cash – segregated for regulatory purposes
135,829,000
135,829,000
135,829,000
—
—
Securities borrowed
139,040,000
139,040,000
—
139,040,000
—
Receivables from customers
84,367,000
84,367,000
—
84,367,000
—
Receivables from non-customers
607,000
607,000
—
607,000
—
Receivables from broker-dealers and clearing organizations
3,920,000
3,920,000
—
3,920,000
—
Other receivables
2,744,000
2,744,000
—
2,744,000
—
Deposits with broker-dealers and clearing organizations
4,227,000
4,227,000
—
4,227,000
—
Total financial assets, not measured at fair value
$ 403,363,000
$ 403,363,000
$ 168,458,000
$ 234,905,000
$ —
Financial liabilities, not measured at fair value
Securities loaned
$ 184,962,000
$ 184,962,000
$ —
$ 184,962,000
$ —
Payables to customers
227,129,000
227,129,000
—
227,129,000
—
Payables to non-customers
3,297,000
3,297,000
—
3,297,000
—
Drafts payable
1,331,000
1,331,000
—
1,331,000
—
Payables to broker-dealers and clearing organizations
444,000
444,000
—
444,000
—
Deferred contract incentive
496,000
496,000
—
496,000
—
Long-term debt
4,228,000
4,228,000
—
4,228,000
—
Contract termination liability
2,567,000
2,567,000
—
2,567,000
—
Total financial liabilities, not measured at fair value
$ 424,454,000
$ 424,454,000
$ —
$ 424,454,000
$ —
- 10 -
5. Property, Office Facilities, and Equipment,
Net
Property, office facilities,
and equipment consisted of the following as of the periods indicated:
As of
March 31,
2025
As of
December 31,
2024
Property
$ 6,815,000
$ 6,815,000
Office facilities
4,333,000
4,165,000
Equipment
984,000
945,000
Total Property, office facilities, and equipment
12,132,000
11,925,000
Less accumulated depreciation
( 1,921,000 )
( 1,680,000 )
Total Property, office facilities, and equipment, net
$ 10,211,000
$ 10,245,000
Total depreciation expense
for property, office facilities, and equipment was $ 242,000 and $ 146,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
The
Company invested $ 99,000 to build out its office in Omaha, Nebraska, for the three months ended March 31, 2024. The Company invested $ 23,000
and $ 664,000 to build out the New York office space in the World Financial Center for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024,
respectively. Depreciation expense commenced in March 2024, when the New York office space was placed into service.
Miami Office Building
On
December 30, 2021, the Company purchased an office building located at 653 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL (“Miami office building”).
The Miami office building contains approximately 12,000 square feet of office space and serves as the headquarters of the Company.
The
Company invested $ 120,000 and $ 58,000 in the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, to build out the Miami office building.
Depreciation expense commenced in April 2023 when the Miami office building was completed and placed in service.
6. Software, Net
Software consisted of the
following as of the periods indicated:
As of
March 31, 2025
As of
December 31,
2024
Software
$ 1,881,000
$ 1,774,000
Retail Platform
4,926,000
4,093,000
Total Software
6,807,000
5,867,000
Less accumulated amortization – Software
( 1,156,000 )
( 1,031,000 )
Total Software, net
$ 5,651,000
$ 4,836,000
The Company contracted with
a technology vendor in the fourth quarter of 2023 to support the development of the Retail Platform, supplementing its internal technology
resources. The total software development cost related to the Retail Platform was $ 4,926,000 as of March 31, 2025, all of which was
capitalized. Amortization for the Retail Platform will commence once it is placed in service, which is expected to be in the second quarter
of 2025.
- 11 -
Total amortization of software
was $ 125,000 and $ 109,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
As of March 31, 2025, the
Company estimates the following future amortization of software assets:
Year
Amount
2025
$ 913,000
2026
1,235,000
2027
1,046,000
2028
983,000
2029 and after
1,474,000
Total
$ 5,651,000
7. Leases
As
of March 31, 2025, all of the Company’s leases are classified as operating and primarily consist of office space leases expiring
in 2025 through 2029. The Company elected not to include short-term leases (i.e., leases with initial terms of less than twelve months),
or equipment leases (deemed immaterial) on the statements of financial condition. The Company leases some miscellaneous office equipment,
but they are immaterial and therefore the Company records the costs associated with this office equipment on the statements of operations
rather than capitalizing them as lease right-of-use assets. The balance of the lease right-of-use assets and lease liabilities are displayed
on the statements of financial condition and the below tables display further detail on the Company’s leases.
Lease Term and Discount Rate As of
March 31, 2025
As of
December 31,
2024
Weighted average remaining lease term – operating leases (in years) 3.2 3.3
Weighted average discount rate – operating leases 7.4 % 7.3 %
Three Months Ended
March 31, 2025
2025
2024
Operating lease cost
$ 270,000
$ 283,000
Short-term lease cost
100,000
160,000
Variable lease cost
97,000
54,000
Total Rent and occupancy
$ 467,000
$ 497,000
Operating cash flows from operating leases
$ 267,000
$ 269,000
Operating leases
$ —
$ —
Lease Commitments
Future annual minimum payments
for operating leases with initial terms of greater than one year as of March 31, 2025 were as follows:
Year
Amount
2025
$ 781,000
2026
855,000
2027
613,000
2028
522,000
2029
58,000
Remaining balance of lease payments
2,829,000
Less: difference between undiscounted cash flows and discounted cash flows
321,000
Lease liabilities
$ 2,508,000
- 12 -
8. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net
Goodwill
As of March 31, 2025 and December
31, 2024, the Company’s carrying amount of goodwill was both $ 2,319,000 . As of March 31, 2025, $ 1,989,000 of the Company’s
carrying amount of goodwill came from the Company’s acquisition of RISE and $ 330,000 came from the Company’s acquisition of
GE. As of March 31, 2025, management concluded that there have been no impairments to the carrying value of the Company’s goodwill
and no impairment charges related to goodwill were recognized during the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024. Refer to Note 2 –
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Company’s 2024 Form 10-K for further information.
Other Intangible Assets, Net
As a result of the Company’s
acquisition of GE, the Company acquired intangible assets consisting of GE artist contracts, the fair value of which were $ 778,000 as
of the acquisition date. Amortization commenced upon acquisition and is recognized over its estimated useful life of 4 years. Amortization
expense for the intangible asset totaled $ 48,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2025.
As of March 31, 2025, the
Company estimates the following future amortization of other intangible assets:
Year
Amount
2025
$ 146,000
2026
194,000
2027
194,000
2028
114,000
Total
$ 648,000
9. Long-Term Debt
Mortgage with East
West Bank
Overview
On
December 30, 2021, the Company purchased the Miami office building for approximately $ 6.8 million, and the Company entered into a mortgage
with East West Bancorp, Inc. (“East West Bank”) for approximately $ 4 million to finance part of the purchase of the Miami
office building as well as $ 338,000 to finance part of the build out of the Miami office building. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31,
2024, the Company’s outstanding balance of the mortgage was $ 4,205,000 and $ 4,228,000 , respectively.
The Company’s obligations
under the mortgage are secured by a lien on the Miami office building and the term of the loan is ten years . The repayment schedule
will utilize a 30-year amortization period, with a balloon on the remaining amount due at the end of ten years. The interest rate
is 3.6 % for the first 7 years, and thereafter the interest rate shall be at the prime rate as reported by the Wall Street Journal,
provided that the minimum interest rate on any term loan will not be less than 3.6 %. As part of the agreement, the Company must maintain
a debt service coverage ratio of 1.4 to 1. The loan is subject to a prepayment penalty over the first five years which is calculated
as a percentage of the principal amount outstanding at the time of prepayment. This percentage is 5% in the first year and decreases
by 1% each year thereafter, with the prepayment penalty ending after 5 years. As of March 31, 2025, the Company was in compliance with
all of its covenants related to this agreement.
Remaining Payments
Future
remaining annual minimum principal payments for the mortgage with East West Bank as of March 31, 2025 were as follows:
Year
Amount
2025
$
65,000
2026
91,000
2027
95,000
2028
98,000
2029
112,000
Thereafter
3,744,000
Total
$
4,205,000
- 13 -
The
interest expense related to this mortgage was $ 38,000 and $ 39,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2025, and 2024, respectively. As
of March 31, 2025, the interest rate for this mortgage was 3.6 %.
10. Deferred Contract Incentive
Effective
August 1, 2021, MSCO entered into an amendment to its clearing agreement with NFS that, among other things, extended the term of the arrangement
for an additional four-year period commencing on August 1, 2021 and ending July 31, 2025.
As part of this agreement,
the Company received a one-time business development credit of $ 3 million from NFS, and NFS will pay the Company four annual credits of
$ 100,000 , which are recorded in the line item “Deferred contract incentive” on the statements of financial condition. Annual
credits shall be paid on the anniversary of the date on which the first credit was paid. The business development credit and annual credits
will be recognized as contra expense over four years and one year , respectively, in the line item “Clearing fees, including execution
costs” on the statements of operations. The amendment also provides for an early termination fee if the Company chooses to end its
agreement before the end of the contract term.
In relation to this agreement,
the Company recognized $ 213,000 in contra expense for both the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024. As of March 31, 2025 and December
31, 2024, the balance of the deferred contract incentive was $ 0.3 million and $ 0.5 million, respectively.
11. Revenue Recognition
Refer to Note 2 – Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies in Company’s 2024 Form 10-K for detail on the Company’s primary sources of revenue and
the corresponding accounting treatment. There were no significant changes to the accounting policies for revenue recognition and except
as set forth below, those policies were unchanged during the three months ended March 31, 2025.
Principal Transactions and Proprietary Trading
The Company continuously invests
in treasury bill and treasury notes as part of its normal operations to meet deposit requirements, which are primarily in the line item
“Cash and securities segregated for regulatory purposes” on the statements of financial condition, in order to enhance
its yield on its excess 15c3-3 deposits. In 2025, the Company acquired the Investment in Equity Security and the unrealized gain related
to this investment is included in the “Unrealized gain on investment in equity security” line in the table below. Refer to
Note 1 – Organization and Basis of Presentation, Note 4 – Fair Value Measurements, and Item 2. – Management’s
Discussions and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for further detail.
Restricted Equity Securities
The
following table represents detail related to principal transactions and proprietary trading.
Three Months Ended March 31,
2025
2024
Increase (Decrease)
Principal transactions and proprietary trading
Realized and unrealized gain on primarily riskless principal transactions
$ 3,712,000
$ 3,443,000
$ 269,000
Unrealized gain on investment in equity security
9,233,000
—
9,233,000
Realized and unrealized gain on portfolio of U.S. government securities
16,000
63,000
( 47,000 )
Total Principal transactions and proprietary trading
$ 12,961,000
$ 3,506,000
$ 9,455,000
Disaggregation of
Revenue
The
Company generated a significant portion of its revenue from financial instruments comprising of margin revenue, securities lending, principal
transactions and proprietary trading, and interest revenue. These net interest and other revenues are not within the scope of FASB ASC
Topic 606 – “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“Topic 606”), because they are generated
from financial instruments covered by various other areas of GAAP. Market making activities are not within the scope of Topic 606, as
they do not meet the definition of a contract with a customer under the standard. Consequently, revenue and expenses related to market
making activity are accounted for separately and not included in the revenue figures presented in accordance with Topic 606.
The
Company also has fee revenue and transaction revenue which are within the scope of Topic 606. Revenue from contracts with customers includes
commission income charged to retail clients for executing transactions, markups on riskless principal transactions charged to retail clients
for executing transactions, distribution income received from mutual funds for client transactions, stock locate fees charged to counterparties
for providing locate services, payment for order flow received for executing transactions, and administrative fees to retail clients including
for maintenance and other ancillary services. Under Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, requires that an entity recognize
revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity
expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance requires an entity to follow a five-step model to (a) identify
the contract(s) with a customer, (b) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (c) determine the transaction price, (d) allocate
the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (e) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance
obligation. In determining the transaction price, an entity may include variable consideration only to the extent that it is probable
that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized would not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable
consideration is resolved.
- 14 -
The
table below presents detailed information on the Company’s recognition of revenue from contracts with customers as well as revenues
from financial instruments, which are outside the scope of Topic 606, by major types of services for the periods indicated.
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2025
2024
Revenues from Contracts with Customers
Principal transactions and proprietary trading
Riskless principal transactions with customers
$ 3,740,000
$ 3,562,000
Commissions and fees
Brokerage commissions
1,543,000
1,892,000
Distribution fees
357,000
325,000
Insurance
commissions
202,000
82,000
Stock borrow / stock loan
Retail fees (rebates)
6,000
( 9,000 )
Stock locate services
4,032,000
3,598,000
Other income
Administrative fees
528,000
342,000
Payment for order flow
246,000
295,000
Other commissions
—
( 9,000 )
Advisory fees
748,000
490,000
Total Revenues from contracts with customers
$ 11,402,000
$ 10,568,000
Revenue outside the scope of Topic 606
Principal transactions and proprietary trading
Proprietary trading
( 12,000 )
( 56,000 )
Principal transactions - equity investment
9,233,000
—
Interest, marketing and distribution fees
Margin interest
3,395,000
3,976,000
Interest income
3,050,000
4,281,000
Marking and distribution fees
500,000
506,000
Stock borrow / stock loan
Stock rebate revenue
799,000
509,000
Market making
552,000
672,000
Total Revenue Outside the Scope of Topic 606
17,517,000
9,888,000
Total Revenue
$ 28,919,000
$ 20,456,000
- 15 -
12. Income Taxes
The Company’s provision
for income taxes consists of federal and state taxes, as applicable, in amounts necessary to align the Company’s year-to-date tax
provision with the effective rate that it expects to achieve for the full year. Each quarter the Company updates its estimate of the annual
effective tax rate and records cumulative adjustments as necessary. As of March 31, 2025, the Company has concluded that its deferred
tax assets are realizable on a more-likely-than-not basis with the exception of investments that are expected to generate capital losses
when realized.
For the three months ended
March 31, 2025, the Company recorded an income tax provision of $ 1,835,000 on pre-tax book income of $ 10,496,000 . The effective tax rate
for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was 17 %. The effective tax rate differs from the federal statutory rate of 21 % primarily related
to the Company’s ability to utilize certain deferred tax assets for capital loss carryforwards to offset expected capital gains
on its Investment in Equity Security. These capital loss carryforwards were not previously realizable on a more-likely-than-not basis
and the Company has reversed a portion of its valuation allowance resulting in an income tax benefit.
For the three months ended
March 31, 2024, the Company recorded an income tax provision of $ 1,415,000 on pre-tax book income of $ 5,102,000 . The effective tax rate
for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was 28 %. The effective tax rate differs from the federal statutory rate of 21 % primarily related
to certain permanent tax differences and state and local taxes.
As of both March 31, 2025
and December 31, 2024, the Company recorded an uncertain tax position of $ 1,354,000 related to various tax matters, which is included
in the line item “Taxes payable” in the statements of financial condition.
13. Capital Requirements
MSCO
Net Capital
MSCO is subject to the Uniform
Net Capital Rules of the SEC (Rule 15c3-1) of the Exchange Act. Under the alternate method permitted by this rule, net capital, as defined,
shall not be less than the lower of $ 1 million or 2 % of aggregate debit items arising from customer transactions. As of March 31, 2025,
MSCO’s net capital was $ 62.3 million, which was approximately $ 60.4 million in excess of its required net capital of $ 1.9 million,
and its percentage of aggregate debit balances to net capital was 65.53 %.
As of December 31, 2024, MSCO’s
net capital was $ 63.9 million, which was approximately $ 62.0 million in excess of its required net capital of $ 1.9 million, and its percentage
of aggregate debit balances to net capital was 65.84 %.
Special Reserve Account
MSCO is subject to Customer
Protection Rule 15c3-3 which requires segregation of funds in a special reserve account for the exclusive benefit of customers. As of
March 31, 2025, MSCO had cash and securities deposits of $ 150.2 million (cash of $ 105.8 million, securities with a fair value of $ 44.4
million) in the special reserve accounts which was $ 14.3 million in excess of the deposit requirement of $ 135.9 million. MSCO had no adjustments
for deposit(s) and / or withdrawal(s) made on April 1, 2025.
As
of December 31, 2024, MSCO had cash and securities deposits of $ 203.3 million (cash of $ 134.5 million, securities with a fair
value of $ 68.8 million) in the special reserve accounts which was $ 9.5 million in excess of the deposit requirement of $ 193.8
million. After adjustments for deposit(s) and / or withdrawal(s) made on January 2, 2025, MSCO had $ 1.7 million in excess of the
deposit requirement.
As
of March 31, 2025, the Company was subject to the PAB Account Rule 15c3-3 of the SEC which requires segregation of funds in a special
reserve account for the exclusive benefit of proprietary accounts of introducing broker-dealers. As of March 31, 2025, the Company had
$ 1.3 million in the special reserve account which was approximately $ 0.2 million in excess of the deposit requirement of approximately
$ 1.1 million. The Company made no subsequent deposits or withdrawals on April 1, 2025.
As
of December 31, 2024, the Company had $ 1.3 million in the special reserve account which was approximately $ 0.1 million in excess of the
deposit requirement of approximately $ 1.2 million. The Company made no subsequent deposits or withdrawals on January 2, 2025.
- 16 -
RISE
Net Capital
RISE, as a member of FINRA,
is subject to the SEC Uniform Net Capital Rule 15c3-1. This rule requires the maintenance of minimum net capital and that the ratio of
aggregate indebtedness to net capital, both as defined, shall not exceed 15 to 1 and that equity capital may not be withdrawn, or cash
dividends paid if the resulting net capital ratio would exceed 10 to 1. RISE is also subject to the CFTC’s minimum financial requirements
which require that RISE maintain net capital, as defined, equal to the greater of its requirements under Regulation 1.17 under the Commodity
Exchange Act or Rule 15c3-1.
As of March 31, 2025, RISE’s
regulatory net capital was approximately $ 1.2 million which was $ 0.9 million in excess of its minimum requirement of $ 250,000 under 15c3-1.
As of December 31, 2024, RISE’s regulatory net capital was approximately $ 1.3 million which was $ 1.0 million in excess of its minimum
requirement of $ 250,000 under 15c3-1.
14. Financial Instruments with Off-Balance
Sheet Risk
The Company enters into various
transactions to meet the needs of customers, conduct trading activities, and manage market risks and is, therefore, subject to varying
degrees of market and credit risk. Refer to the below as well as Note 19 – Financial Instruments with Off-Balance Sheet Risk in
the Company’s 2024 Form 10-K for further information.
As
of March 31, 2025, the Company had margin loans extended to its customers of approximately $ 390.1 million, of which $ 79.6 million is within
the line item “Receivables from customers” on the statements of financial condition. As of December 31, 2024, the Company
had margin loans extended to its customers of approximately $ 403.8 million, of which $ 84.4 million is in the line item “Receivables
from customers” on the statements of financial condition. There were no material losses for unsettled customer transactions for
the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.
The following table presents
information about the Company’s securities borrowing and lending activity depicting the potential effect of rights of setoff between
these recognized assets and liabilities.
As of March 31, 2025
Gross Amounts
of Recognized
Assets and
Liabilities
Gross Amounts Offset
in the Consolidated
Statements of
Financial Condition 1
Net Amounts Presented in the
Consolidated
Statements of
Financial Condition
FMV
- Collateral Received or Pledged 2
Net Amount 3
Assets
Securities borrowed
$ 207,591,000
$ —
$ 207,591,000
$ 197,710,000
$ 9,881,000
Liabilities
Securities loaned
$ 210,688,000
$ —
$ 210,688,000
$ 200,536,000
$ 10,152,000
As of December 31, 2024
Gross Amounts
of Recognized Assets and
Liabilities
Gross Amounts Offset
in the Consolidated
Statements of
Financial Condition 1
Net Amounts Presented in the
Consolidated
Statements of
Financial Condition
FMV -
Collateral Received or Pledged 2
Net Amount 3
Assets
Securities borrowed
$ 139,040,000
$ —
$ 139,040,000
$ 126,484,000
$ 12,556,000
Liabilities
Securities loaned
$ 184,962,000
$ —
$ 184,962,000
$ 170,780,000
$ 14,182,000
(1) Amounts represent recognized assets and liabilities that are
subject to enforceable master agreements with rights of setoff. The Company did not net any securities borrowed or securities loaned
as of March 31, 2025 or December 31, 2024.
(2) Represents the fair value of collateral the Company had received
or pledged under enforceable master agreements.
(3) Represents the total contract value as presented in the financial
statements less the fair market value of the collateral received or pledged.
- 17 -
15. Earnings Per Common Share
The following table sets forth
the computation of basic and diluted earnings per common share for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2025
2024
Net income
$ 8,661,000
$ 3,687,000
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests
( 3,000 )
( 1,000 )
Net income available to common stockholders
$ 8,664,000
$ 3,688,000
Weighted-average common shares outstanding - basic
40,192,036
39,769,398
Dilutive effect of unvested shares
42,988
—
Weighted-average common shares used to compute diluted loss per share
40,235,024
39,769,398
Net income per share attributable to common stockholders:
Basic
$ 0.22
$ 0.09
Diluted
$ 0.22
$ 0.09
Basic earnings per common
share is calculated by dividing net income attributable to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding
during the period. Diluted earnings per common share is calculated by adjusting the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding
for the potential dilutive effect of securities, if applicable. For the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Company had 300,000 antidilutive
shares outstanding. The Company had no anti-dilutive shares outstanding as of December 31, 2024.
16. Commitments, Contingencies, and Other
Legal and Regulatory Matters
In the normal course of business,
the Company may be subject to various proceedings and claims arising from its business activities, including lawsuits, arbitration claims
and regulatory matters. The Company is also involved in other reviews, investigations and proceedings by governmental and self-regulatory
organizations regarding the business, which may result in adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties, injunctions and other relief.
In many cases, however, it is inherently difficult to determine whether any loss is probable or reasonably possible or to estimate the
amount or range of any potential loss, particularly where proceedings may be in relatively early stages. In the Company’s opinion,
based on currently available information, the ultimate resolution of current matters will not have a material adverse impact on the Company’s
financial position and results of operations as of March 31, 2025. However, resolution of one or more of these matters may have a material
effect on the results of operations in any future period, depending upon the ultimate resolution of those matters and depending upon the
level of income for such period.
Overnight Financing
As
of both March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, MSCO had an available line of credit for short term overnight demand borrowing with BMO
Harris Bank (“BMO Harris”) of up to $ 25 million. As of those dates, MSCO had no outstanding loan balance and there were no
commitment fees or other restrictions on the line of credit. The Company utilizes customer or firm securities as a pledge for short-term
borrowing needs.
The
interest expense for this credit line was $ 1,000 and $ 2,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. There were
no fees related to this line of credit for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.
Credit Agreement
On August 15, 2024, the Company
entered into a Loan and Security Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with East West Bank (the “Lender”), a California
banking corporation, dated as of July 29, 2024. The Credit Agreement provides for a revolving credit facility of up to $ 20,000,000 . The
initial term of the Credit Agreement is two years. The Company may use any borrowings under the Credit Agreement for acquisitions, stock
buybacks, and for general corporate purposes in an amount not to exceed $ 10,000,000 . Obligations under the Credit Agreement shall be guaranteed
by John J. Gebbia, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Gloria E. Gebbia, a Director of the Company, and John J. Gebbia and Gloria
E. Gebbia, as co-trustees of the John and Gloria Living Trust.
Borrowings under the Credit
Agreement bears interest on the outstanding daily balance at a rate of interest per annum equal to the greater of: (a) the one-month Term
Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“Term SOFR”), as administered by CME Group Benchmark Administration plus 3.15 % and (b) 7.50 %.
The origination fee is equal to one half of one percent ( 0.50 %) of the $ 20,000,000 revolver cap. The Credit Agreement contains customary
affirmative covenants and negative covenants and requires the Company to maintain a minimum debt service coverage ratio of not less than
1.35:1.00 and minimum net capital of $ 43,000,000 .
- 18 -
BMO Credit Agreement
On November 22, 2024, MSCO
entered into a Credit Agreement (the “BMO Credit Agreement”) with BMO Bank N.A. (the “Lender”), a national banking
association. The BMO Credit Agreement provides for a revolving credit facility of up to $ 20,000,000 . The Company may use any borrowings
under the BMO Credit Agreement to finance NSCC Deposit Requirements (other than an Adequate Assurance Deposit) and withdrawals from a
Reserve Account. As part of the agreement, the Company entered into a Parent Guaranty agreement guaranteeing repayment of any debt issued
to MSCO.
Borrowings under the BMO Credit
Agreement bears interest on the outstanding daily balance at a rate of interest per annum equal 2.5 % plus the greater of: (a) Term SOFR
for such day plus 0.11448 % and (b) Federal Funds Target Range – Upper Limit and (c) 0.25 %. The annual commitment fee is equal to
one half of one percent ( 0.50 %) of the average daily unused portion of the commitment of $ 20,000,000 . The BMO Credit Agreement contains
customary affirmative covenants and negative covenants and requires MSCO maintain minimum total regulatory capital of $ 45,000,000 , excess
net capital of 20,000,000 , assets to total regulatory capital ratio of not more than 5.0 to 1.0, and a minimum liquidity ratio of not
less than 1.0 . The Company satisfied its condition precedent to deliver a legal option to the Lender on December 18, 2024.
There was no interest expense
for the BMO Credit Agreement for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024. The fee for this credit line was $23,000 for the three
months ended March 31, 2025 and there was no fee expense for the three months ended March 31, 2024.
NFS Contract
Effective
August 1, 2021, MSCO entered into an amendment to its clearing agreement with NFS that, among other things, extends the term of the arrangement
for an additional four-year period commencing on August 1, 2021 and ending July 31, 2025. If the Company chooses to exit this agreement
before the end of the contract term, the Company is under the obligation to pay an early termination fee upon occurrence pursuant to the
table below:
Date of Termination
Early
Termination
Fee
Prior to August 1, 2025
$ 3,250,000
For the three months ended
March 31, 2025 and 2024, there has been no expense recognized for any early termination fees. The Company believes that it is unlikely
it will have to make material payments related to early termination fees and has not recorded any contingent liability in the financial
statements related to this arrangement.
Technology Vendor
The
Company has entered into agreements with technology vendors for software development related to its Retail Platform. As of March 31, 2025,
the Company incurred costs of approximately $ 4.1 million for these vendors.
General Contingencies
The
Company’s general contingencies are included in Note 21 –
Commitments, Contingencies, and Other in the Company’s 2024 Form 10-K. Other than the below, there have been no material updates
to the Company’s general contingencies during the three months ended March 31, 2025.
The
Company is self-insured with respect to employee health claims. As part of this plan, the Company recognized expenses of $ 385,000 and
$ 394,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
The
Company had an accrual of $ 102,000 and $ 76,000 as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively, which represents the estimate
of future expense to be recognized for claims incurred during the periods.
The
Company believes that its present insurance coverage and reserves are sufficient to cover currently estimated exposures, but there can
be no assurance that the Company will not incur liabilities in excess of recorded reserves or in excess of its insurance limits.
17. Segment Reporting
The
Company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Parent and is engaged in a single line of business as a securities broker-dealer
providing comprehensive brokerage services including custody and clearance of retail accounts, principal transaction and proprietary trading,
market making, and securities lending. The Company’s CODM, its Chief Financial Officer, reviews operating and financial information
of the Company as a whole as presented on the statements of operations as well as the financial table in Note 11 – Revenue Recognition,
and uses net income as the key measure to evaluate the results of the business, predominately in the forecasting process, to manage the
Company. The CODM has determined that all activities contribute to the core brokerage business and the Company operates as a single reportable
segment. The Company’s operations constitute a single operating segment and therefore, a single reportable segment, because the
CODM manages the business activities using information of the Company as a whole. The accounting policies used to measure the profit and
loss of the segment are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies.
- 19 -
18. Employee Benefit Plans
The Company sponsors a defined-contribution
retirement plan under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code that covers substantially all employees (“401(k) plan”).
Participant contributions to the 401(k) plan are voluntary and are subject to certain limitations. The Company may also make discretionary
contributions to the plan. For 401(k) employee contribution matching, the Company incurred expense of $ 152,000 and $ 135,000 for the three
months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
On
September 17, 2021, the Company’s shareholders approved the Siebert Financial Corp. 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).
The Plan provides for the grant of stock options, restricted stock, and other equity awards of the Company’s common stock to employees,
officers, consultants, directors, affiliates and other service providers of the Company. There were 3 million shares reserved under the
Plan and 1,152,000 and 2,214,000 and shares remained as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively.
The
table below presents the Plan awards granted and the related fair values for the three months ended March 31, 2025.
Shares
Weighted- Average
Grant Date Fair Value
Nonvested as of December 31, 2024
150,000
$ 1.65
Forfeited
( 50,000 )
1.65
Granted
1,112,000
2.69
Vested
( 237,000 )
2.27
Nonvested as of March, 2025
975,000
$ 2.69
As
of March 31, 2025, there was $ 2,483,000 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested shares granted. The cost is expected
to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.1 years.
The
Company recognized stock-based compensation expense of $ 554,000 and $ 85,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
$ 554,000 and $ 62,000 of this expense is included in the line item “Employee compensation and benefits” for the three months
ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. $ 0 and $ 23,000 of this expense is fully capitalized within the line item “Software,
net” in the consolidated statements of financial condition.
19. Related Party Disclosures
KCA
KCA
owns a license from the Muriel Siebert Estate / Foundation to use the names “Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc.” and “Siebert”
within business activities, which expires in 2025. For the use of these names, KCA passed through to the Company its cost of $ 0 and $ 15,000
for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Other than the above arrangements,
KCA has earned no profit for providing any services to the Company as KCA passed through any revenue or expenses to the Company’s
subsidiaries for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.
PW
PW
brokers the insurance policies for related parties. Revenue for PW from related parties was $ 6,000 and $ 4,000 for the three months ended
March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
- 20 -
Gloria E. Gebbia,
John J. Gebbia, and Gebbia Family Members
The
three sons of Gloria E. Gebbia and John J. Gebbia hold executive positions within the Company’s subsidiaries and their compensation
was in aggregate $ 872,000 and $ 793,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Part of their compensation includes
payments related to key revenue streams.
On
May 22, 2023, Gloria E. Gebbia issued a warrant to BCW Securities LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, to purchase 403,780 shares
of common stock of the Company held by Gloria E. Gebbia at an exercise price of $ 2.15 per share. Refer to Note 6 - Kakaopay Transaction
in the Company’s 2024 Form 10-K for further information.
Gebbia Sullivan County Land Trust
The Company operates on a
month-to-month lease agreement for its branch office in Omaha, Nebraska with the Gebbia Sullivan County Land Trust, the trustee of which
is a member of the Gebbia Family. For both the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, rent expense was $ 15,000 for this branch office.
The Company has completed
construction of its branch office in Omaha, Nebraska. Refer to Note 5 – Property, Office Facilities, and Equipment, net for further
detail.
Credit Agreement
On August 15, 2024, the Company
entered into the Credit Agreement with the Lender whereby John J. Gebbia and Gloria E. Gebbia, along with the John and Gloria Living Trust,
are guaranteeing the Company’s obligations under the Credit Agreement with the Lender. Refer to Note 16 - Commitments, Contingencies,
and Other for more information.
Gebbia Entertainment, LLC
On
August 12, 2024, the Company acquired 100 % of GE, a music and entertainment company owned by John J. Gebbia, Gloria E. Gebbia, and David
Gebbia. Refer to Note 3 – Business Combinations in the Company’s 2024 Form 10-K for further information.
Kakaopay and Affiliates
On April 27, 2023, the Company
entered into the First Tranche Stock Purchase Agreement, pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue to Kakaopay the First Tranche Shares
at a per share price of Two Dollars Fifteen Cents ($ 2.15 ). Refer to Note 6 – Kakaopay Transaction in the Company’s 2024 Form
10-K for further information.
MSCO
entered into an agreement whereby it would provide an omnibus trading account for Kakaopay’s subsidiary, Kakao Pay Securities Corp.,
and provide trade execution services to Kakao Pay Securities Corp., subject to compliance with applicable U.S. laws, rules and regulations.
RISE
In
September 2022, MSCO and RISE entered into a clearing arrangement whereby RISE would introduce clients to MSCO. As part of the agreement,
RISE deposited a clearing fund escrow deposit of $ 50,000 to MSCO, and had excess cash of approximately $ 1.1 million and $ 1.2 million in
its brokerage account at MSCO as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. The resulting assets of RISE and liabilities of
MSCO are eliminated in consolidation.
20. Subsequent Events
The Company has evaluated
events that have occurred subsequent to March 31, 2025 and through May 13, 2025, the date of the filing of this Report.
On April 14, 2025, the Company completed a minority investment of $ 1
million in cash in exchange for equity in a technology company. The investment was made to further the Company’s strategic initiatives
in technology and customer acquisition.
Based on the Company’s assessment, other than the event above, there have been no material subsequent events
that occurred during such period that would require disclosure in this Report or would be required to be recognized in the financial statements
as of March 31, 2025.
- 21 -
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND
ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The
following discussion provides a narrative of our financial performance and condition that should be read in conjunction with the accompanying
financial statements and related notes included under Part I, Item 1 of this Report. In addition to our historical consolidated financial
information, the following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates, and beliefs. Our actual results
could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences
include those discussed below and elsewhere in our 2024 Form 10-K, particularly in Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors.
Overview
We
are a financial services company and provide a wide variety of financial services to our clients. We operate in business lines such as
retail brokerage, investment advisory, insurance, and technology development through our wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries.
Results
in the businesses in which we operate are highly correlated to general economic conditions and, more specifically, to the direction of
the U.S. equity and fixed-income markets. Market volatility, overall market conditions, interest rates, economic, political, and regulatory
trends, and industry competition are among the factors which could affect us and which are unpredictable and beyond our control. These
factors affect the financial decisions made by market participants who include investors and competitors, impacting their level of participation
in the financial markets. In addition, in periods of reduced financial market activity, profitability is likely to be adversely affected
because certain expenses remain relatively fixed, including salaries and related costs, as well as portions of communications costs and
occupancy expenses. Accordingly, earnings for any period should not be considered representative of earnings to be expected for any other
period.
Financial Overview
In
the first quarter of 2025, earnings per share were $0.22, compared to earnings per share of $0.09 in the first quarter of 2024. In the
first quarter of 2025, our net revenues were $28.9 million and operating income before taxes was $10.5 million, compared to net revenues
of $20.5 million and operating income before taxes of $5.1 million in the first quarter of 2024.
Financial
highlights as of March 31, 2025:
● Principal transactions increased by 270% to $12.9 million compared to the prior-year quarter
● Stock borrow / stock loan increased by 18% to 4.8 million compared to the prior-year quarter
● Advisory fees increased by 53% to $0.7 million compared to the prior-year quarter
Investment in Equity Security
During the three months
ended March 31, 2025, Siebert acquired the Investment in Equity Security in connection with a private placement from a private U.S company
that subsequently completed an initial public offering. These shares are subject to resale restrictions until they are registered with
the SEC or an exemption from such registration requirements becomes available. The date of the registration of such resale is uncertain
as of the date of this Report.
Siebert valued the restricted
shares of the Investment in Equity Security using a Finnerty option-pricing model including a discount of approximately 40% which included
the lack of marketability and other factors. Refer to Note 4 – Fair Value Measurements for additional details.
For
the three months ended March 31, 2025, Siebert recorded an unrealized gain of approximately $9.2 million in relation to the Investment
in Equity Security. However, due to the volatility of the price of the shares, which has declined significantly since March 31, 2025,
we are uncertain as to the total unrealized or realized gain or loss that will be recognized from the Investment in Equity Security. Solely
for illustrative purposes, on May 7, 2025, the closing share price of the Investment in Equity Security fell to $25.24 per share, compared
with $83.51 per share ($50.11 per share after the 40% discount) as of March 31, 2025. Had the Company sold its shares on May 7, 2025,
the total gain would have been approximately $3.9 million, instead of the $9.2 million unrealized gain recognized during the three months
ended March 31, 2025. Because the decline reflects conditions arising after March 31, 2025, no adjustment has been made to the accompanying
financial statements. The potential change in the market value of the Investment in Equity Security may materially impact the results
of future periods.
- 22 -
Trends and Key Factors
Affecting our Operations
Market Risk
Market
risk is our risk of loss resulting from the impact of changes in market prices on our trading inventory and investment positions. We have
exposure to market risk primarily through our broker-dealer trading operations. Through our broker-dealer subsidiary, we trade debt obligations
and equity securities and maintain trading inventories to ensure availability of securities to facilitate client transactions. Inventory
levels may fluctuate daily as a result of client demand. Our primary market risks relate to interest rates and equity prices. Equity risk
results from changes in prices of equity securities, affecting the value of the equity securities and other instruments that derive their
value from a particular stock.
We
may enter into underwriting commitments and, as a result, we may be subject to market risk on any unsold securities issued in the offerings
to which we are committed. Risk exposure is controlled by limiting our participation, the transaction size, or through the syndication
process.
Interest Rates
We are exposed to market risk
from changes in interest rates. Such changes in interest rates primarily impact revenue from interest, marketing, and distribution fees.
We primarily earn interest, marketing and distribution fees from margin interest charged on clients’ margin balances, interest on
cash and securities segregated for regulatory purposes, and distribution fees from money market mutual funds in clients’ accounts.
Securities segregated for regulatory purposes consist solely of U.S. government securities. If prices of U.S. government securities within
our portfolio decline, we anticipate the impact to be temporary as we intend to hold these securities to maturity. We seek to mitigate
this risk by managing the average maturities of our U.S. government securities portfolio and setting risk parameters for securities owned,
at fair value.
The following table presents
simulated changes to net interest revenue over the next 12 months beginning as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, of a gradual increase
or decrease in market interest rates relative to prevailing market rates at the end of each reporting period:
As of
March 31, 2025
December 31, 2024
Increase of 200 basis points
31 %
32 %
Increase of 100 basis points
15 %
18 %
Increase of 50 basis points
8 %
11 %
Decrease of 50 basis points
(7 )%
(4 )%
Decrease of 100 basis points
(15 )%
(11 )%
Decrease of 200 basis points
(30 )%
(26 )%
The difference in our simulated
incremental increases and decreases in the market interest rates as of March 31, 2025 compared to December 31, 2024 is primarily due to
an increase in the proportion of segregated cash to segregated securities and an increase in the proportion of margin debit balances to
cash credit balances.
Technology Initiatives
At the end of 2023, we hired
new technology personnel, changed our primary software development vendor, and made investments in technology development.
Some of these technology investments
include the development of a Siebert mobile retail trading application, online platform for our retail customer base and corporate services
clients, as well as upgrades to our technological and operational infrastructure to support these platforms and future growth. We believe
that these ongoing investments in technology will be key in meeting the needs of our retail customers, correspondent clearing, corporate
services as well as our expansion into new markets and demographics.
- 23 -
Client Account and Activity Metrics
The following tables set forth
metrics we use in analyzing our client account and activity trends for the periods indicated.
Client Account Metrics– Retail Customers
As of
March 31,
2025
December 31,
2024
Retail customer net worth (in billions)
$ 16.1
$ 18.0
Retail customer margin debit balances (in billions)
$ 0.4
$ 0.4
Retail customer credit balances (in billions)
$ 0.4
$ 0.4
Retail customer money market fund value (in billions)
$ 0.9
$ 0.8
Retail customer accounts
161,767
160,054
● Retail customer net worth represents the total value of securities and cash in the retail customer accounts
after deducting margin debits
● Retail customer margin debit balances represent credit extended to our customers to finance their purchases
against current positions
● Retail customer credit balances represent client cash held in brokerage accounts
● Retail customer money market fund value represents all retail customers accounts invested in money market
funds
● Retail customer accounts represent the number of retail customers
Statements of Operations and Financial Condition
Statements of Operations for the Three Months
Ended March 31, 2025 and 2024
Revenue
Commissions and fees for the
three months ended March 31, 2025 were $2,102,000 and decreased by $198,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily
due to market conditions.
Interest, marketing and distribution
fees for the three months ended March 31, 2025 were $6,945,000 and decreased by $1,818,000 from the corresponding period in the prior
year primarily due to a decline in interest rates and change in customer asset mix.
Principal transactions and
proprietary trading for the three months ended March 31, 2025 were $12,961,000 and increased by $9,455,000 from the corresponding period
in the prior year, primarily due to the factors discussed below.
The increase in realized and
unrealized gain on primarily riskless principal transactions was primarily due to the Company’s Investment in Equity Security. The
income related to this investment is included in the “Unrealized gain on investment in equity security” line in the securities
table below. Refer to Note 4 – Fair Value Measurement for additional detail.
Below is a summary of the
change in the principal transactions and proprietary trading line item for the periods presented.
Three Months Ended March 31,
2025
2024
Increase (Decrease)
Principal transactions and proprietary trading
Realized and unrealized gain on primarily riskless principal transactions
$ 3,712,000
$ 3,443,000
$ 269,000
Unrealized gain on investment in equity security
9,233,000
—
9,233,000
Realized and unrealized gain on portfolio of U.S. government securities
16,000
63,000
(47,000 )
Total Principal transactions and proprietary trading
$ 12,961,000
$ 3,506,000
$ 9,455,000
Market making for the three
months ended March 31, 2025 was $552,000 and decreased by $120,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to market
conditions.
Stock borrow / stock loan
for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was $4,837,000 and increased by $739,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily
due to growth in stock locate services and securities lending businesses.
- 24 -
Advisory fees for the three
months ended March 31, 2025 were $748,000 and increased by $258,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to
growth in platform assets.
Other income for the three
months ended March 31, 2025 was 774,000 and increased by $147,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to fees
related to administrative services.
Operating Expenses
Employee compensation and
benefits for the three months ended March 31, 2025 were $11,992,000 and increased by $1,546,000 from the corresponding period in the
prior year, primarily due to an increase in commission payouts and equity compensation, as well
as additional personnel related to technology initiatives, and new business lines including our investment banking division.
Clearing fees, including execution
costs for the three months ended March 31, 2025 were $454,000 and increased by $26,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year.
Technology and communications
expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2025 were $1,105,000 and increased by $229,000 from the corresponding period in the prior
year, primarily due to an expansion of technological infrastructure.
Other general and administrative
expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2025 were $1,509,000 and increased by $480,000 from the corresponding period in the prior
year primarily due to fees related to expansion into new businesses.
Data processing expenses for
the three months ended March 31, 2025 were $949,000 and increased by $198,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily
due to increased market activities.
Rent and occupancy expenses
for the three months ended March 31, 2025 were $467,000 and decreased by $30,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year.
Professional fees for the
three months ended March 31, 2025 were $1,359,000 and increased by $322,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year primarily
due to the establishment of the investment advisory committee.
Depreciation and amortization
expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2025 were $415,000 and increased by $160,000 from the corresponding period in the prior
year, primarily due to an increase in depreciation related to the expansion of the technology infrastructure.
Interest expense for the three
months ended March 31, 2025 was $89,000 and increased by $38,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year.
Advertising and promotion
expense for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was $154,000 and increased by $100,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year,
primarily due to an increase in marketing initiatives.
Provision For (Benefit From) Income Taxes
The
provision from income taxes for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was $1,835,000 and increased by $420,000 from the corresponding
period in the prior year. The change from the corresponding period in the prior year is primarily due to an increase in pre-tax earnings
in the first quarter of 2025. Refer to Note 12 – Income Taxes for additional detail.
Net Income (Loss)
Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests
As
further discussed in Note 1 – Organization and Basis of Presentation, we consolidate RISE’s financial results into our financial
statements and reflect the portion of RISE not held by Siebert as a noncontrolling interest in our financial statements. The net loss
attributable to noncontrolling interests for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was $3,000 and increased by $2,000 from the corresponding
period in the prior year.
Statements of Financial Condition As of
March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024
Assets
Assets as of March 31, 2025
were $534,187,000 and decreased by $14,519,000 from December 31, 2024, primarily due to a decrease in securities borrowed.
Liabilities
Liabilities as of March 31,
2025 were $439,915,000 and increased by $5,339,000 from December 31, 2024, primarily due to an increase in securities loaned partially
offset by a decrease in payables to customers.
- 25 -
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Overview
As
of March 31, 2025, a significant portion of our assets were liquid in nature, providing us with flexibility in financing our business.
A significant portion of our assets not held by customers or used for stock borrow / stock loan consisted primarily of cash and cash equivalents,
securities owned, at fair value, which are marked-to-market daily, and receivables from and deposits with broker-dealers and clearing
organizations.
We
expect to use our available cash, cash equivalents, and potential future borrowings under our debt agreements and potential issuance of
new debt or equity, to support and invest in our core business, including investing in new ways to serve our customers, potentially seeking
strategic acquisitions to leverage existing capabilities, and for general capital needs (including capital, deposit, and collateral requirements
imposed by regulators and SROs).
Based
on our current level of operations, we believe our available cash, available lines of credit, overall access to capital markets, and cash
provided by operations will be adequate to meet our current liquidity needs for the foreseeable future. As of the date of this Report,
other than the items detailed in the section below, there are no known or material events that would require us to use large amounts of
our liquid assets to cover expenses.
Kakaopay
The
net capital infusion from Kakaopay to Siebert from the First Tranche transaction was approximately $14.8 million after the issuance cost.
This capital is currently being used to enhance our regulatory capital, and is primarily invested in U.S. government securities and is
in the line item “Securities owned, at fair value” on the statements of financial condition. Refer to Note 6 –
Kakaopay Transaction in our 2024 Form 10-K for further detail.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Our
cash and cash equivalents were $25.7 million and $32.6 million as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively.
Credit Agreement
On
August 15, 2024, we entered into the Credit Agreement with East West Bank providing a $20 million revolving credit facility, which offers
substantial financial flexibility to support our strategic initiatives. This credit facility allows the Company to fund acquisitions,
execute stock buybacks, and meet general corporate needs up to $10 million, ensuring access to capital for both growth and operational
purposes. The two-year term of the Credit Agreement, combined with a competitive interest rate structure that is tied to either the one-month
Term SOFR plus 3.15% or a minimum of 7.50%, provides a stable and predictable financing source. The personal guarantees provided by key
executives, John J. Gebbia and Gloria E. Gebbia, and their trust, further strengthen the Company’s borrowing position and help secure
favorable terms.
BMO Credit Agreement
On
November 22, 2024, MSCO entered into a Credit Agreement (the “BMO Credit Agreement”) with BMO Harris Bank (“BMO Harris”).
The BMO Credit Agreement provides for a revolving credit facility of up to $20,000,000. We may use any borrowings under the BMO Credit
Agreement to finance NSCC Deposit Requirements (other than an Adequate Assurance Deposit) and withdrawals from a Reserve Account. As part
of the agreement, we entered into a Parent Guaranty agreement guaranteeing repayment of any debt issued to MSCO.
Borrowings under the BMO Credit
Agreement bears interest on the outstanding daily balance at a rate of interest per annum equal 2.5% plus the greater of: (a) Term SOFR
for such day plus 0.11448% and (b) Federal Funds Target Range – Upper Limit and (c) 0.25%. The annual commitment fee is equal to
one half of one percent (0.50%) of the average daily unused portion of the commitment of $20,000,000. The BMO Credit Agreement contains
customary affirmative covenants and negative covenants and requires MSCO maintain minimum total regulatory capital of $45,000,000, excess
net capital of 20,000,000, assets to total regulatory capital ratio of not more than 5.0 to 1.0, and a minimum liquidity ratio of not
less than 1.0.
Debt Agreements
We
have $4.2 million outstanding on our mortgage with East West Bank and an unutilized line of credit for short term overnight demand borrowing
of up to $25 million with BMO Harris as of March 31, 2025. As of March 31, 2025, we were in compliance with all covenants related to our
mortgage agreement.
- 26 -
Cash Requirements
The
following table summarizes our short- and long-term material cash requirements as of March 31, 2025.
Payments Due By Period
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
Thereafter
Total
Operating lease commitments
$ 781,000
$ 855,000
$ 613,000
$ 522,000
$ 58,000
$ —
$ 2,829,000
Kakaopay fee (1)
1,500,000
1,000,000
—
—
—
—
2,500,000
Mortgage with East West Bank (2)
65,000
91,000
95,000
98,000
112,000
3,744,000
4,205,000
Technology vendors (3)
383,000
—
—
—
—
—
383,000
Broadridge contract (4)
306,000
170,000
—
—
—
—
476,000
Total
$ 3,035,000
$ 2,116,000
$ 708,000
$ 620,000
$ 170,000
$ 3,744,000
$ 10,393,000
(1) Pursuant to the Settlement
Agreement with Kakaopay, we will pay Kakaopay a fee of $5 million payable in ten quarterly installments that began in the first quarter
of 2024. Refer to Note 6 – Kakaopay Transaction in our 2024 Form 10-K for further detail.
(2) On December 30, 2021, we purchased the Miami office building
and financed part of the purchase price with a mortgage with East West Bank.
(3) We have entered into agreements with technology vendors for
certain development projects related to our Retail Platform. As of March 31, 2025, we have incurred approximately $4.1 million out of
the $4.4 million total budget for these vendors.
(4) In June 2023, we entered into an amendment to its service agreement
with Broadridge Securities Processing Solutions, LLC with a total minimum expense of approximately $1.2 million for this arrangement.
Net Capital, Reserve
Accounts, Segregation of Funds, and Other Regulatory Requirements
MSCO
is subject to the Uniform Net Capital Rules of the SEC (Rule 15c3-1) and the Customer Protection Rule (15c3-3) of the Exchange Act and
maintains capital and segregated cash reserves in excess of regulatory requirements. Requirements under these regulations may vary; however,
MSCO has adequate reserves and contingency funding plans in place to sufficiently meet any regulatory requirements. In addition to net
capital requirements, as a self-clearing broker-dealer, MSCO is subject to cash deposit and collateral requirements with clearing houses,
such as the DTCC and OCC, which may fluctuate significantly from time to time based upon the nature and size of clients’ trading
activity and market volatility. RISE, as a member of FINRA, is subject to the SEC Uniform Net Capital Rule 15c3-1 and the corresponding
regulatory capital requirements.
MSCO can transfer funds to
Siebert as long as MSCO maintains its liquidity and regulatory capital requirements. RISE can transfer funds to its shareholders, of which
Siebert is entitled to its proportional ownership interest, as long as RISE maintains its liquidity and regulatory capital requirements.
For the three ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, MSCO and RISE had sufficient net capital to meet their respective liquidity and regulatory
capital requirements. Refer to Note 13 – Capital Requirements for more detail about our capital requirements.
Cash Flows
Cash
used in operating activities consisted of net income adjusted for certain non-cash items. Net operating assets and liabilities at any
specific point in time are subject to many variables, including variability in customer activity, the timing of cash receipts and payments,
and vendor payment terms. The total changes in our statements of cash flows, especially our operating cash flow, are not necessarily indicative
of the ongoing results of our business as we have customer assets and liabilities on our statements of financial condition.
For
the three months ended March 31, 2025, cash used in operating activities decreased by $12.5 million compared to the prior year period,
which was primarily driven by net change in securities loaned, securities borrowed and payables to customers.
For
the three months ended March 31, 2025, cash used in investing activities decreased by $0.6 million compared to the prior year period,
which was primarily driven by the New York office build out occurring in the prior year period.
For the three months ended
March 31, 2025, cash flows used in financing activities decreased by $4.8 million compared to 2024, which was primarily driven by the
draws on the bank loan occurring in the prior year period.
- 27 -
Long Term Contracts
Effective
August 1, 2021, MSCO entered into an amendment to its clearing agreement with NFS that, among other things, extends the term of their
arrangement for an additional four-year period commencing on August 1, 2021 and ending July 31, 2025. As part of this agreement, we received
a one-time business development credit of $3 million, and NFS will pay us four annual credits of $100,000 over the term of the agreement.
The amendment also provides for an early termination fee; however, as of March 31, 2025, we do not expect to terminate the contract with
NFS before the end of the contract term. Refer to Note 10 – Deferred Contract Incentive and Note 16 – Commitments, Contingencies
and Other for additional detail.
Effective
June 2023, MSCO entered into an amendment to its service agreement with Broadridge Securities Processing Solutions, LLC that, among other
things, extends the term of their arrangement for a five-year period ending June 2028, with an option to terminate after three years.
The total minimum expense for this arrangement is estimated at approximately $1.2 million over the duration of the contract.
Off-Balance Sheet
Arrangements
We
enter into various transactions to meet the needs of customers, conduct trading activities, and manage market risks and are, therefore,
subject to varying degrees of market and credit risk. In the normal course of business, our customer activities involve the execution,
settlement, and financing of various customer securities transactions. These activities may expose us to off-balance sheet risk in the
event the customer or other broker is unable to fulfill their contracted obligations and we are forced to purchase or sell the financial
instrument underlying the contract at a loss. There were no material losses for unsettled customer transactions for the three months ended
March 31, 2025 and 2024. Refer to Note 14 – Financial Instruments with Off-Balance Sheet Risk for additional detail.
Uncertain Tax Positions
We
account for uncertain tax positions in accordance with the authoritative guidance issued under ASC 740-10, which addresses the determination
of whether tax benefits claimed or expected to be claimed on a tax return should be recorded in the financial statements. We may recognize
the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination
by the taxing authorities based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from
such position should be measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon
ultimate settlement. ASC 740-10 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim
periods and disclosure requirements.
We recognize interest and
penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits on the provision for income taxes line on the statements of operations. Accrued interest
and penalties would be included on the related tax liability line on the statements of financial condition.
As of both March 31, 2025
and December 31, 2024, the Company recorded an uncertain tax position of $1,354,000 related to various tax matters, which is included
in the line item “Taxes payable” in the statements of financial condition.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Certain of our accounting
policies that involve a higher degree of judgment and complexity are discussed in Part I, Item 2 – Management’s Discussion
and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2024 Form 10-K. As of March 31, 2025, there have been
no changes to our critical accounting policies or estimates.
New Accounting Standards
In December 2023, the FASB
issued ASU 2023-09, “Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures” (“ASU 2023-09”). The ASU is intended to enhance the
transparency and decision usefulness of income tax disclosures. The amendments in the ASU address investor requests for enhanced income
tax information primarily through changes to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid information. ASU 2023-09 will be effective
for us for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, though early adoption is permitted. We are still evaluating the presentational
effect that ASU 2023-09 will have on our consolidated financial statements, but we expect considerable changes to our income tax footnote.
In
November 2024, the FASB issued ASU “2024-03”, “Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation
Disclosures” (“ASU 2024-03”). The ASU is intended to enhance the transparency and decision usefulness of income statement
expense disclosures by requiring greater disaggregation of certain expense categories. ASU 2024-03 will be effective for us for annual
periods beginning after December 15, 2025, though early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact that ASU 2024-03
will have on our consolidated financial statements and we anticipate the amendments will require significant changes to our expense disclosures.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Refer
to Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies for information regarding new Accounting
Standards Updates (“ASU”s) issued by the FASB.
- 28 -
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES
ABOUT MARKET RISK
Financial Instruments Held For Trading Purposes
We do not directly engage
in derivative transactions, have no interest in any special purpose entity and have no liabilities, contingent or otherwise, for the debt
of another entity.
Financial Instruments Held For Purposes Other
Than Trading
We generally invest our cash
and cash equivalents temporarily in dollar denominated bank account(s). These investments are not subject to material changes in value
due to interest rate movements.
We invest cash and securities
segregated for regulatory purposes in dollar denominated bank accounts which are not subject to material changes in value due to interest
rate movements. We also invest cash and securities segregated for regulatory purposes and securities owned, at fair value in U.S. government
securities which may be subject to material changes in value due to interest rate movements. Securities owned, at fair value invested
in U.S. government securities are generally purchased to enhance yields on required regulatory deposits. While the value of the government
securities may be subject to material changes in value, we believe any reduction in value would be temporary since the securities would
mature at par value.
As
noted in Item 2, Siebert valued the restricted shares of the Investment in Equity Security using a Finnerty option-pricing model, including
a discount of approximately 40%, which included the lack of marketability and other factors. For the three months ended March 31, 2025,
Siebert recorded an unrealized gain of approximately $9.2 million in relation to the Investment in Equity Security. However, due to the
volatility of the price of the shares, which has declined significantly since March 31, 2025, we are uncertain as to the total unrealized
or realized gain or loss that will be recognized from the Investment in Equity Security. Solely for illustrative purposes, on May 7, 2025,
the closing share price of the Investment in Equity Security fell to $25.24 per share, compared with $83.51 per share ($50.11 per share
after the 40% discount) as of March 31, 2025. Had the Company sold its shares on May 7, 2025, the total gain would have been approximately
$3.9 million, instead of the $9.2 million unrealized gain recognized during the three months ended March 31, 2025. Because the decline
reflects conditions arising after March 31, 2025, no adjustment has been made to the accompanying financial statements. The potential
change in the market value of the Investment in Equity Security may materially impact the results of future periods.
Customer transactions are
cleared through clearing brokers on a fully disclosed basis and are also self-cleared by MSCO. If customers do not fulfill their contractual
obligations any loss incurred in connection with the purchase or sale of securities at prevailing market prices to satisfy customer obligations
may be incurred by Siebert. We regularly monitor the activity in customer accounts for compliance with margin requirements. We are exposed
to the risk of loss on unsettled customer transactions if customers and other counterparties are unable to fulfill their contractual obligations.
There were no material losses for unsettled customer transactions in the last five years.
See
Item 2. – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Trends and Key Factors Affecting
our Operations of this Report for our quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk.
- 29 -
ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Disclosure Controls
and Procedures
We
carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and
our Executive Vice President / Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and
procedures as of the end of the period covered by this Report pursuant to Rule 13a-15(e) or Rule 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange
of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Based on its evaluation, our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and
our Executive Vice President / Chief Financial Officer, concluded that as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report, our
disclosure controls and procedures were effective.
Changes in Internal
Control over Financial Reporting
There
were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the most recently completed fiscal quarter that materially affected,
or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting
- 30 -
PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
In the normal course of business,
we may be subject to various proceedings and claims arising from our business activities, including lawsuits, arbitration claims and regulatory
matters. We are also involved in other reviews, investigations and proceedings by governmental and self-regulatory organizations regarding
the business, which may result in adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties, injunctions and other relief. In many cases, however,
it is inherently difficult to determine whether any loss is probable or reasonably possible or to estimate the amount or range of any
potential loss, particularly where proceedings may be in relatively early stages. In our opinion, based on currently available information,
the ultimate resolution of current matters will not have a material adverse impact on our financial position and results of operations.
However, resolution of one or more of these matters may have a material effect on the results of operations in any future period, depending
upon the ultimate resolution of those matters and depending upon the level of income for such period.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
In addition to the other information set forth in this Report, investors
should carefully consider the risk factors discussed in Part I, Item 1A - Risk Factors in our 2024 Form 10-K. Each of such risk factors
could materially affect our business, financial position, and results of operations. Except for the additional risk factor noted below,
as of the date of this Report, there have been no material changes from the risk factors disclosed in our 2024 Form 10-K.
The
total unrealized or realized gain or loss that will be recognized from the Investment in Equity Security is uncertain, and the potential
change in the market value of the Investment in Equity Security, which has declined significantly since March 31, 2025, may materially
impact the results of future periods.
During the three months ended March 31, 2025, Siebert acquired the
Investment in Equity Security in connection with a private placement from a private U.S company that subsequently completed an initial
public offering. These shares are subject to resale restrictions until the sale is registered with the SEC or an exemption from such registration
requirements becomes available. The date of the registration of such resale is uncertain as of the date of this Report.
Siebert valued the restricted shares of the Investment in Equity Security
using a Finnerty option-pricing model, including a discount of approximately 40%, which included the lack of marketability and other factors.
Refer to Note 4 – Fair Value Measurements for additional details.
For the three months ended March 31, 2025, Siebert recorded an unrealized
gain of approximately $9.2 million in relation to the Investment in Equity Security. However, due to the volatility of the price of the
shares, which has declined significantly since March 31, 2025, we are uncertain as to the total unrealized or realized gain or loss that
will be recognized from the Investment in Equity Security. Solely for illustrative purposes, on May 7, 2025, the closing share price of
the Investment in Equity Security fell to $25.24 per share, compared with $83.51 per share ($50.11 per share after the 40% discount) as
of March 31, 2025. Had the Company sold its shares on May 7, 2025, the total gain would have been approximately $3.9 million, instead
of the $9.2 million unrealized gain recognized during the three months ended March 31, 2025. Because the decline reflects conditions arising
after March 31, 2025, no adjustment has been made to the accompanying financial statements. The potential change in the market value of
the Investment in Equity Security may materially impact the results of future periods.
ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
AND USE OF PROCEEDS
None.
ITEM 3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES
None.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION
None
of our directors or officers adopted , modified or terminated a Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement or a non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement
during the three months ended March 31, 2025, as such terms are defined under Item 408(a) of Regulation S-K.
- 31 -
ITEM 6. EXHIBITS
Exhibit No.
Description of Document
31.1**
Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2**
Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.1**#
Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.2**#
Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
101.INS
Inline XBRL Instance Document (the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document).
101.SCH
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.
101.CAL
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.
101.DEF
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.
101.LAB
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.
101.PRE
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.
104
Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded with Inline XBRL document).
** Filed herewith
# This certification is deemed not filed for purposes of Section 18
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act), or otherwise subject to the liability of that section, nor shall it
be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act.
- 32 -
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto
duly authorized.
SIEBERT FINANCIAL CORP.
By:
/s/ John J. Gebbia
John J. Gebbia
Chief Executive Officer
(Principal executive officer)
By:
/s/ Andrew H. Reich
Andrew H. Reich
Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial
Officer, and Secretary
(Principal financial and accounting officer)
Dated: May 13, 2025
- 33 -
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.