Item 1A. Risk Factors
ITEM
1A. RISK FACTORS
Regulatory
Risks
Legislation
has and may continue to result in changes to rules and regulations applicable to our business, which may negatively impact our business
and financial results.
New
laws, rules, regulations and guidance, or changes in the interpretation and enforcement of existing federal, state, foreign and SRO laws,
rules, regulations and guidance may directly affect our business and the profitability of Siebert or the operation of specific business
lines. In addition, new and changing laws, rules, regulation and guidance could result in limitations on the lines of business we conduct,
modifications to our business practices, more stringent capital and liquidity requirements or other costs and could limit our ability
to return capital to stockholders.
The
Dodd-Frank Act, enacted in 2010, required many federal agencies to adopt new rules and regulations applicable to the financial services
industry and called for many studies regarding various industry practices. In particular, the Dodd-Frank Act gave the SEC discretion
to adopt rules regarding standards of conduct for broker-dealers providing investment advice to retail customers.
The
rules and interpretations adopted by the SEC in June 2019 include Regulation Best Interest and the Form CRS Relationship Summary, which
are intended to enhance the quality and transparency of retail investors’ relationships with broker-dealers and investment advisers.
Regulation Best Interest enhances the broker-dealer standard of conduct beyond existing suitability obligations, requiring compliance
with disclosure, care, conflict of interest and compliance obligations. The regulation requires that a broker-dealer or natural person
who is an associated person of the broker-dealer shall act in the best interest of the retail customer at the time it makes a recommendation
of any securities transaction or investment strategy involving securities, prioritizing the interests of the customer above any interests
of the broker-dealer or its associated persons. Among other things, this requires the broker-dealer to mitigate conflicts of interest
arising from financial incentives in selling securities products.
The
new rules and processes related thereto have and will most likely continue to involve increased costs, including, but not limited to,
compliance costs associated with new or enhanced technology. In addition to the foregoing laws affecting regulation of our industry,
Congress is considering various proposals to increase taxation relating to investments, which may adversely impact the volume of trading
and other transactions from which we derive our revenue.
It
is not possible to determine the extent of the impact of any new laws, regulations or initiatives that may be imposed, or whether any
existing proposals will become law. Conformance with any new laws or regulations could make compliance more difficult and expensive and
affect the manner in which we conduct business.
We
are subject to extensive government regulation and to third party litigation risk and regulatory risk which could result in significant
liabilities and reputational harm which, in turn, could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial
condition.
Our
business is subject to extensive regulation in the U.S., at both the federal and state level. We are also subject to regulation by SROs
and other regulatory bodies in the U.S., such as the SEC, the NYSE, FINRA, MSRB, the CFTC and the NFA. MSCO is registered as a broker-dealer
in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, and RISE is registered as a broker-dealer in 7 states and territories. The regulations
to which MSCO and RISE are subject as broker-dealers cover all aspects of the securities business including training of personnel, sales
methods, trading practices, uses and safe keeping of customers’ funds and securities, capital structure, record keeping, fee arrangements,
disclosure and the conduct of directors, officers and employees.
SNXT
is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC under the Advisers Act, and its business is highly regulated. The Advisers Act imposes
numerous obligations on RIAs, including fiduciary, record keeping, operational and disclosure obligations. Moreover, the Advisers Act
grants broad administrative powers to regulatory agencies such as the SEC to regulate investment advisory businesses. If the SEC or other
government agencies believe that SNXT has failed to comply with applicable laws or regulations, these agencies have the power to impose
fines, suspensions of a registrant and individual employees or other sanctions, which could include revocation of SNXT’s registration
under the Advisers Act. SNXT is also subject to the provisions and regulations of ERISA, to the extent that SNXT acts as a “fiduciary”
under ERISA with respect to certain of its clients. ERISA and the applicable provisions of the federal tax laws impose a number of duties
on persons who are fiduciaries under ERISA and prohibit certain transactions involving the assets of each ERISA plan which is a client,
as well as certain transactions by the fiduciaries (and certain other related parties) to such plans. Our subsidiaries, RISE and MSCO,
are also regulated by the NFA and function as a registered introducing broker.
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The
laws, rules and regulations, as well as governmental policies and accounting principles, governing our business and the financial services
and banking industries generally have changed significantly over recent years and are expected to continue to do so. We cannot predict
which changes in laws, rules, regulations, governmental policies or accounting principles will be adopted. Any changes in the laws, rules,
regulations, governmental policies or accounting principles relating to our business could materially and adversely affect our business,
results of operations and financial condition.
Additionally,
like other participants in the financial services industry, we and our subsidiaries face the risks of lawsuits from clients and regulatory
proceedings against us. The outcome of regulatory proceedings and client lawsuits is uncertain and difficult to predict. An adverse resolution
of any regulatory proceeding or client lawsuit against us could result in substantial costs or reputational harm to us. Further, any
such proceedings or lawsuits could have an adverse effect on our ability to retain key registered representatives, investment advisers
and wealth managers, and to retain existing clients or attract new clients, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Refer to Item 3 – Legal Proceedings for additional detail.
We
are subject to net capital requirements.
The
SEC, FINRA, and various other securities and commodities exchanges and other regulatory bodies in the U.S. have rules with respect to
net capital requirements which affect us. These rules have the effect of requiring that at least a substantial portion of a broker-dealer’s
assets be kept in cash or highly liquid investments. Our compliance with the net capital requirements could limit operations that require
intensive use of capital, such as underwriting or trading activities. These rules could also restrict our ability to withdraw our capital,
even in circumstances where we have more than the minimum amount of required capital, which, in turn, could limit our ability to implement
growth strategies. In addition, a change in such rules, or the imposition of new rules, affecting the scope, coverage, calculation or
amount of such net capital requirements, or a significant operating loss or any unusually large charge against net capital, could have
similar adverse effects.
Risks
Related to Our Technology and Information Systems
We
rely on information processing and communications systems to process and record our transactions.
Our
operations rely heavily on information processing and communications systems. Our system for processing securities transactions is highly
automated. Failure of our information processing or communications systems for a significant period of time could limit our ability to
process a large volume of transactions accurately and rapidly. This could cause us to be unable to satisfy our obligations to customers
and other securities firms and could result in regulatory violations. External events, such as an earthquake, terrorist attack or power
failure, loss of external information feeds, such as security price information, as well as internal malfunctions such as those that
could occur during the implementation of system modifications, could render part or all of these systems inoperative.
We
rely on third-party platforms for information and communications systems.
We
rely heavily on our data technology platforms and the platforms provided by our clearing agents. These platforms offer interfaces to
our clearing service providers’ computing systems where customer account records are kept and are accessible through our data technology
platforms. Our systems also utilize browser-based access and other types of data communications.
Our
data technology platforms offer services used in direct relation to customer activities as well as support for corporate use. Some of
these services include email and messaging, market data systems and third-party trading systems, business productivity tools and customer
relationship management systems. Our data network is designed with redundancies in case a significant business disruption occurs.
We
also rely on third parties that provide data center facilities, infrastructure, back-office systems for clearance, settlement and accounting,
customer relationship management, compliance and risk software and systems, website functionality and access, databases, data center
facilities and cloud computing, all of which are critical to our operations. To ensure reliability and to conform to regulatory requirements
related to business continuity, we maintain backup systems and backup data, leverage cloud-based technology, and have a full-time offsite
disaster recovery site to ensure business continuity during a potential wide-spread disruption. However, despite the preventive and protective
measures in place, in the event of a wide-spread disruption of our systems or those of the third-parties upon whom we rely, our ability
to satisfy the obligations to customers and other securities firms may be significantly hampered or completely disrupted.
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Failure
to protect client data or prevent breaches of our information systems could expose us to liability or reputational damage.
We
are dependent on information technology networks and systems to securely process, transmit and store electronic information and to communicate
among our branch offices and with our clients and vendors. As the breadth and complexity of this infrastructure continues to grow, the
potential risk of security breaches and cyber-attacks increases. As a financial services company, we are continuously subject to cyber-attacks
by third parties. Any such security breach could lead to shutdowns or disruptions of our systems and potential unauthorized disclosure
of confidential information. In addition, vulnerabilities of our external service providers and other third parties could pose security
risks to client information. The secure transmission of confidential information over public networks is also a critical element of our
operations.
In
providing services to clients, we manage, utilize and store sensitive and confidential client data, including personal data. As a result,
we are subject to numerous laws and regulations designed to protect this information, such as U.S. federal and state laws governing the
protection of personally identifiable information. These laws and regulations are increasing in complexity and number, changing frequently
and sometimes conflict. If any person, including any of our employees, negligently disregards or intentionally breaches our established
controls with respect to client data, or otherwise mismanages or misappropriates that data, we could be subject to significant monetary
damages, regulatory enforcement actions, fines and/or criminal prosecution in one or more jurisdictions. Unauthorized disclosure of sensitive
or confidential client data, whether through systems failure, employee negligence, fraud or misappropriation, could damage our reputation
and cause us to lose clients. Similarly, unauthorized access to or through our information systems, whether by our employees or third
parties, including a cyber-attack by third parties who may deploy viruses, worms or other malicious software programs, could result in
negative publicity, significant remediation costs, legal liability, and damage to our reputation and could have a material adverse effect
on our results of operations.
We
have purchased liability insurance and cybersecurity insurance with a coverage limit of $15 million and a deductible of $250,000 to mitigate
the financial impact of potential cyber-attacks. However, our insurance may not be sufficient in type or amount to fully cover claims
arising from security breaches, cyber-attacks, and other related incidents.
We
may be exposed to damage to our business or our reputation by cybersecurity breaches.
As
the world becomes more interconnected through the use of the internet and users rely more extensively on the internet and the cloud for
the transmission and storage of data, such information becomes more susceptible to incursion by hackers and other parties intent on stealing
or destroying data on which we or our customers rely. We face an evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats in which hackers use a complex
array of means to perpetrate cyber-attacks, including the use of stolen access credentials, malware, ransomware, phishing, structured
query language injection attacks, and distributed denial-of-service attacks, among other means. These cybersecurity incidents have increased
in number and severity, and it is expected that these trends will continue. Should we be affected by such an incident, we may incur substantial
costs and suffer other negative consequences, which may include:
● Remediation
costs, such as liability for stolen assets or information, repairs of system damage, and
incentives to customers or business partners in an effort to maintain relationships after
an attack;
● Increased
cybersecurity protection costs, which may include the costs of making organizational changes,
deploying additional personnel and protection technologies, training employees, and engaging
third party experts and consultants;
● Lost
revenues resulting from the unauthorized use of proprietary information or the failure to
retain or attract customers following an attack;
● Litigation
and legal risks, including regulatory actions by state and federal regulators; and
● Loss
of reputation.
Increasingly,
intruders attempt to steal significant amounts of data, including personally identifiable data and either hold such data for ransom or
release it onto the internet, exposing our clients to financial or other harm and thereby significantly increasing our liability in such
cases. Our regulators have introduced programs to review our protections against such incidents which, if they determined that our systems
do not reasonably protect our clients’ assets and their data, could result in enforcement activity and sanctions.
We
have and continue to introduce systems and software to prevent any such incidents and review and increase our defenses to such issues
through the use of various services, programs and outside vendors. We contract cybersecurity consultants and also review and revise our
cybersecurity policy to ensure that it remains up to date. It is impossible, however, for us to know when or if such incidents may arise
or the business impact of any such incident.
As
a result of such risks, we have and are likely to incur significant costs in preparing our infrastructure and maintaining it to resist
any such attacks.
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An
increase in volume on our systems or other events could cause them to malfunction.
Most
of our trade orders are received and processed electronically. This method of trading is heavily dependent on the integrity of the electronic
systems supporting it. While we have never experienced a significant failure of our trading systems, heavy stress placed on our systems
during peak trading times could cause our systems to operate at unacceptably low speeds or fail altogether. Any significant degradation
or failure of our systems or the systems of third parties involved in the trading process (e.g., online and internet service providers,
record keeping and data processing functions performed by third parties, and third party software), even for a short time, could cause
customers to suffer delays in trading. These delays could cause substantial losses for customers and could subject us to claims from
these customers for losses. There can be no assurance that our network structure will operate appropriately in the event of a subsystem,
component or software failure. In addition, we cannot assure that we will be able to prevent an extended systems failure in the event
of a power or telecommunications failure, an earthquake, terrorist attack, fire or any act of God. Any systems failure that causes interruptions
in our operations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.
Rapid
market or technological changes may render our technology obsolete or decrease the attractiveness of our products and services to our
clients.
We
must continue to enhance and improve our technology and electronic services and expect to increase investments in our own technology.
The electronic financial services industry is characterized by significant structural changes, increasingly complex systems and infrastructures,
changes in clients’ needs and preferences, and new business models. If new industry standards and practices emerge and our competitors
release new technology before us, our existing technology, systems and electronic trading services may become obsolete, or our existing
business may be harmed.
Our
future success will depend on our ability to:
● Enhance
our existing products and services;
● Develop
and/or license new products and technologies that address the increasingly sophisticated
and varied needs of our clients and prospective clients;
● Continue
to attract highly-skilled technology personnel; and
● Respond
to technological advances and emerging industry standards and practices on a cost-effective
and timely basis.
Developing
our electronic services, our implementation and utilization of our robo-advisor and other technology entails significant technical and
business risks. We may use new technologies ineffectively or we may fail to adapt our electronic trading platform, information databases
and network infrastructure to client requirements or emerging industry standards. If we face material delays in introducing new services,
products and enhancements, our clients may forgo the use of our products and use those of our competitors.
Further,
the adoption of new internet, networking or telecommunications technologies may require us to devote substantial resources to modify
and adapt our services. We cannot assure that we will be able to successfully implement new technologies or adapt our proprietary technology
and transaction-processing systems to client requirements or emerging industry standards. We cannot assure that we will be able to respond
in a timely manner to changing market conditions or client requirements.
Risks
Related to Our Business Operations
Potential
strategic acquisitions and other business growth could increase costs and regulatory and integration risks.
Acquisitions
involve risks that could adversely affect our business. We may pursue acquisitions of businesses and technologies. Acquisitions and other
transactions entail numerous risks, including:
● Difficulties
in the integration of acquired operations, services and products;
● Failure
to achieve expected synergies;
● Diversion
of management’s attention from other business concerns;
● Assumption
of unknown material liabilities of acquired companies;
● Amortization
of acquired intangible assets, which could reduce future reported earnings;
● Potential
loss of clients or key employees of acquired companies; and
● Dilution
to existing stockholders.
As
part of our growth strategy, we regularly consider and from time to time engage in discussions and negotiations regarding transactions
such as acquisitions, mergers, combinations and partnerships within our industry. The purchase price for possible acquisitions could
be paid in cash, through the issuance of our common stock or other securities, borrowings or a combination of these methods.
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Our
transactions are typically subject to closing conditions including regulatory approvals and the absence of material adverse changes in
the business, operations or financial condition of the entity or part of an entity being acquired or sold. To the extent we enter into
an agreement to buy or sell an entity or part of an entity, there can be no guarantee that the transaction will close when expected or
at all. If a material transaction does not close our stock price could decline.
We
cannot be certain that we will be able to identify, consummate and successfully integrate acquisitions, and no assurance can be given
with respect to the timing, likelihood or business effect of any possible transaction. For example, we could begin negotiations that
we subsequently decide to suspend or terminate for a variety of reasons. However, opportunities may arise that we will evaluate and any
transactions that we consummate would involve risks and uncertainties to us. These risks could cause the failure of any anticipated benefits
of an acquisition to be realized, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations
and prospects.
We
depend on our ability to attract and retain key personnel.
We
are dependent upon our key personnel for our success and the loss of the services of any of these individuals could significantly harm
our business, financial condition and operating results.
We
do not own the Muriel Siebert and Siebert names, but we may use them as part of our corporate name pursuant to a license agreement. Use
of the names by other parties or the expiration or termination of our license agreement may harm our business.
We
have entered into a license agreement with the Muriel Siebert Estate / Foundation under which we have a license to use the “Muriel
Siebert” and “Siebert” name until December 2026. In the event that the license agreement is terminated, or if the license
agreement is not renewed or extended beyond 2026, we may be required to change our name and cease using the name. Any of these events
could disrupt our recognition in the marketplace and otherwise harm our business.
Our
customers may fail to pay us.
A
principal credit risk to which we are exposed on a regular basis is that our customers may fail to pay for their purchases or fail to
maintain the minimum required collateral for amounts borrowed against securities positions maintained by them. We cannot assure that
our practices and/or the policies and procedures we have established will be adequate to prevent a significant credit loss.
Our
advisory services subject us to additional risks.
We
provide investment advisory services to investors. Through our RIA, SNXT, we offer robo-advisory and investment services. The risks associated
with these investment advisory activities include those arising from possible conflicts of interest, unsuitable investment recommendations,
inadequate due diligence, inadequate disclosure and fraud. Realization of these risks could lead to liability for client losses, regulatory
fines, civil penalties and harm to our reputation and business.
New
lines of business or new products and services may subject us to additional risks.
We may pursue new lines of
business or offer new products and services within existing lines of business, such as Investment banking, GM or Siebert Crypto. Significant
time and resources may be invested in developing and marketing new lines of business and/or new products and services. Initial timetables
for the development and introduction of new lines of business and/or new products or services may not be achieved and price and profitability
targets may not prove feasible. Furthermore, customers may fail to accept the new products and services. External factors, such as compliance
with regulations, competitive alternatives, and shifting market preferences may also impact the successful implementation of a new line
of business or a new product or service. Furthermore, the burden on management and information technology of introducing any new line
of business and/or new product or service could have a significant impact on the effectiveness of our system of internal controls. Failure
to successfully manage these risks and costs in the development and implementation of new lines of business or new products or services
could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
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Risks
Related to Our Common Stock
There
may be a limited public market for our common stock; Volatility.
14,441,440 shares of our common stock, or approximately 35.3% of our
shares of our common stock outstanding, are currently held by non-affiliates as of March 24, 2026. A stock with a small number of shares
held by non-affiliates, known as the “float,” will generally be more volatile than a stock with a large float. Although our
common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market, there can be no assurance that an active public market will continue.
Our
principal shareholder has significant influence over us.
Gloria
E. Gebbia, who is a director of Siebert, the managing member of Kennedy Cabot Acquisition, LLC (“KCA”) and the spouse of
Siebert’s Chief Executive Officer, has, along with other family members, the power to nominate six directors to the Board of Directors
and owns approximately 42% of our common stock as of December 31, 2025. As a result, they have significant influence on matters submitted
to a vote of shareholders.
Future
sales of our common stock in the public market could cause the market price of our common stock to drop significantly, even if our business
is doing well.
Sales
of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market by new issuances or through sales by existing shareholders,
or the perception in the market that we or the holders of a large number of shares intend to sell shares, could reduce the market price
of our common stock and make it more difficult for investors to sell common stock at a time and price that investors deem appropriate.
On
April 27, 2023, Siebert entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (the “First Tranche Stock Purchase Agreement”) with Kakaopay
Corporation (“Kakaopay”), a company established under the Laws of the Republic of Korea, pursuant to which Siebert issued
to Kakaopay 8,075,607 shares of Siebert’s common stock, currently represents 20% of the outstanding equity securities of Siebert.
The First Tranche closed on May 18, 2023 and, in connection therewith, we entered into a Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement, dated
as of May 19, 2023 (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), with Kakaopay. In accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement
and the Settlement Agreement (as defined below), we filed a registration statement with the SEC registering these shares for resale.
The number of shares of common stock could be significant in relation to our currently outstanding common stock and the historical trading
volume of our common stock. The sale by Kakaopay of all or a significant portion of the shares of common stock could have a material
adverse effect on the market price of our common stock. In addition, the perception in the public markets that Kakaopay might sell all
or a portion of the shares of common stock could also, in and of itself, have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common
stock.
The
price of our common stock in the public markets has experienced, and may in the future experience, extreme volatility due to a variety
of factors, many of which are beyond our control.
Since
our common stock started trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market, our common stock has been relatively thinly traded and at times been subject
to price volatility. The average daily trading volume from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025 was approximately 64,709 shares.
We
believe that the trading price of our common stock has at times been influenced by trading factors other than industry or Company-specific
fundamentals, including, without limitation, the sentiment of retail investors (including as may be expressed on financial trading and
other social media sites), speculation in the press, in the investment community, or on the internet, including on online forums and
social media, about Siebert, our industry or our security’s access to margin debt, trading in options and other derivatives on
our common stock, and the amount and status of short interest in our securities (including a “short squeeze”). A “short
squeeze” is a technical market condition that occurs when the price of a stock increases substantially, forcing market participants
who had taken a position that its price would fall (i.e., who had sold the stock “short”), to buy it, which in turn may create
significant, short-term demand for the stock not for fundamental reasons, but rather due to the need for such market participants to
acquire the stock in order to forestall the risk of even greater losses. A “short squeeze” condition in the market for a
stock can lead to short-term conditions involving very high volatility and trading that may or may not track fundamental valuation models.
As
a result of the foregoing, investors in our common stock may be subject to the risk of significant, short-term price volatility of our
common stock and the trading price of our common stock could decline for reasons unrelated to our business, financial condition, or results
of operations. Further, in the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a particular company’s
securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against these companies. If any of the foregoing occurs, it
could cause our stock price to fall and may expose us to lawsuits that, even if unsuccessful, could be costly to defend and a distraction
to management.
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Our
future ability to pay dividends to holders of our common stock is subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors and will be limited
by our ability to generate sufficient earnings and cash flows.
We
did not pay any dividends in 2025 or 2024. Payment of future cash dividends on our common stock will depend on our ability to generate
earnings and cash flows. However, sufficient cash may not be available to pay such dividends. Payment of future dividends, if any, will
be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon a number of factors that the Board of Directors deems relevant, including
future earnings, the success of our business activities, capital requirements, the general financial condition and future prospects of
our business and general business conditions. If we are unable to generate sufficient earnings and cash flows from our business, we may
not be able to pay dividends on our common stock.
Our
ability to pay cash dividends on our common stock is also dependent on the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or capital distributions
to Siebert. MSCO and RISE are subject to various regulatory requirements relating to liquidity, capital standards and the use of client
funds and securities, which may limit funds available for payments to Siebert. The ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or capital
distributions to Siebert may also be subject to regulatory approval.
Risks
Related to Our Industry and Market
Securities
market volatility and other securities industry risk could adversely affect our business.
Most
of our revenues are derived from our securities brokerage business. Like other businesses operating in the securities industry, our business
is directly affected by volatile trading markets, fluctuations in the volume of market activity, economic and political conditions, upward
and downward trends in business and finance at large, legislation and regulation affecting the national and international business and
financial communities, currency values, inflation, market conditions, the availability and cost of short-term or long-term funding and
capital, the credit capacity or perceived credit-worthiness of the securities industry in the marketplace and the level and volatility
of interest rates. We also face risks relating to losses resulting from the ownership of securities, counterparty failure to meet commitments,
customer fraud, employee fraud, issuer fraud, errors and misconduct, failures in connection with the processing of securities transactions
and litigation. A reduction in our revenues or a loss resulting from our ownership of securities or sales or trading of securities could
have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, as a result of these risks,
our revenues and operating results may be subject to significant fluctuations from quarter to quarter and from year to year.
Interest
rate changes could affect our profitability.
The
direction and level of interest rates are important factors in our earnings. Our earnings are affected by the difference between the
interest rates earned on interest-earning assets such as loans and investment securities and interest rates paid on interest-bearing
liabilities such as deposits and borrowings. Decreases in interest rates negatively impact our revenue by reducing the margin and other
interest income, as well as distribution fees received from money market securities. Lower rates can compress net interest margins, impacting
the profitability of our interest-earning assets and affecting overall revenue.
As
the U.S. economy navigates a period of stabilization, inflation remains elevated, and the Federal Reserve may raise, maintain or lower
rates in the future in response to evolving economic conditions. While we believe the current interest rate environment may present challenges,
a decrease in rates could reduce our interest revenue if yields on interest-earning assets decline without a corresponding decrease in
our funding costs, compress net interest margins if competitive pressures prevent us from lowering deposit rates, and impact market conditions
by reducing trading volumes, spreads, and demand for certain brokerage products.
A
prolonged economic slowdown, volatility in the markets, a recession, and uncertainty in the markets could impair our business and harm
our operating results.
Our
businesses are, and will continue to be, susceptible to economic slowdowns, recessions and volatility in the markets, which may lead
to financial losses for our customers, and a decrease in revenues and operating results. In addition, global macroeconomic conditions
and U.S. financial markets remain vulnerable to the potential risks posed by exogenous shocks, which could include, among other things,
political and financial uncertainty in the U.S. and the European Union, renewed concern about China’s economy, geopolitical conflicts,
complications involving terrorism and armed conflicts around the world, or other challenges to global trade or travel. More generally,
because our business is closely correlated to the macroeconomic outlook, a significant deterioration in that outlook or an exogenous
shock would likely have an immediate negative impact on our overall results of operations.
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There
is intense competition in the brokerage industry.
We
encounter significant competition from full-commission, no commission, online and other discount brokerage firms, as well as from financial
institutions, mutual fund sponsors, venture-backed technology and cryptocurrency firms, and other organizations. Over the past several
years, price wars and lower or no commission rates in the discount brokerage business in general have strengthened our competitors. In
addition, while the decline of commissions has been ongoing for decades, some of our competitors charging zero commissions on trades
could potentially have an adverse effect on our commission revenue.
The
securities brokerage industry has experienced significant consolidation, which may continue in the future, likely increasing competitive
pressures in the industry. Consolidation could enable other firms to offer a broader range of products and services than we do, or offer
them on better terms, such as higher interest rates paid on cash held in client accounts. We believe that such changes in the industry
will continue to strengthen existing competitors and attract additional competitors such as banks, insurance companies, providers of
online financial and information services, and others. Many of these competitors are larger, more diversified, have greater capital resources,
and offer a wider range of services and financial products than we do. We compete with a wide variety of vendors of financial services
for the same customers. Many of these competitors conduct extensive marketing campaigns and may have or achieve exceptional market name
recognition. We may not be able to compete effectively with current or future competitors with stronger capital positions, greater name
recognition or who partner or combine with other larger firms.
Some
competitors in the discount brokerage business offer services which we may not offer. In addition, some competitors have continued to
offer zero commission execution fees that are lower than some of our published rates. Industry-wide changes in trading practices are
expected to cause continuing pressure on fees earned by discount brokers for the sale of order flow. Continued or increased competition
from ultra-low costs, flat-fee brokers and broader service offerings from other discount brokers could limit our growth or lead to a
decline in our customer base which would adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Further, if we
are not able to update or adapt our products and services to take advantage of the latest technologies and standards, or are otherwise
unable to offer services to mobile and desktop computing platforms to a growing self-directed investor market, it could have a material
adverse effect on our ability to compete.
Lower
price levels in the securities markets may reduce our profitability.
Lower
price levels of securities may result in (i) reduced volumes of securities, options and futures transactions, with a consequent reduction
in our commission revenues, and (ii) losses from declines in the market value of securities we hold in investment. In periods of low
volume, our levels of profitability are further adversely affected because certain of our expenses remain relatively fixed. Sudden sharp
declines in market values of securities and the failure of issuers and counterparties to perform their obligations can result in illiquid
markets which, in turn, may result in us having difficulty selling securities. Such negative market conditions, if prolonged, may lower
our revenues. A reduction in our revenues could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The
soundness of other financial institutions and intermediaries affects us.
We
face the risk of operational failure, termination or capacity constraints of any of the clearing agents, exchanges, clearing houses or
other financial intermediaries that we use to facilitate our securities transactions. As a result of the consolidation over the years
of clearing agents, exchanges and clearing houses, our exposure to certain financial intermediaries has increased and could affect our
ability to find adequate and cost-effective alternatives should the need arise. Any failure, termination or constraint of these intermediaries
could adversely affect our ability to execute transactions, service our clients and manage our exposure to risk.
Our
ability to engage in routine trading and funding transactions could be adversely affected by the actions and commercial soundness of
other financial institutions. Financial services institutions are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, funding, and counterparties
or other relationships. We have exposure to many different industries and counterparties, and we routinely execute transactions with
counterparties in the financial industry, including brokers and dealers, commercial banks, investment banks, mortgage originators and
other institutional clients. As a result, defaults by, or even rumors or questions about the financial condition of, one or more financial
services institutions, or the financial services industry generally, have historically led to market-wide liquidity problems and could
lead to losses or defaults by us or by other institutions. Many of these transactions expose us to credit risk in the event of default
of our counterparty or client. In addition, our credit risk may be exacerbated when the collateral held by us cannot be realized or is
liquidated at prices insufficient to recover the full amount of the loan or derivative exposure due us. Although we have not suffered
any material or significant losses as a result of the failure of any financial counterparty, any such losses in the future may materially
adversely affect our results of operations.
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