Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Our Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) is intended to provide a reader of our financial statements with a narrative from the perspective of management on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and certain other factors that may affect our future results. In addition, unless expressly stated otherwise, the comparisons presented in this MD&A refer to the same period in the prior year. Our MD&A is presented in seven sections:
·
Overview
·
Portfolio and Investment Activity
·
Results of Operations
·
Financial Condition
·
Critical Accounting Estimates
·
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
·
Forward Looking Statements
OVERVIEW
Mill City Ventures III, Ltd. was incorporated in the State of Minnesota on January 10, 2006. In this report, we generally refer to Mill City Ventures III, Ltd. in the first person “we.” On occasion, we refer to our company in the third person as “Mill City Ventures” or the “company.”
We are engaged in the business of providing short-term non-bank lending and specialty finance solutions to companies and individuals, generally on a secured basis. The loans we provide typically have maturities that are nine months or shorter, highly illiquid, and ordinarily involve a pledge of collateral or, in the case of loans made to companies, personal guarantees by the principals of the borrower. Our loans may be made for real estate acquisitions, renovation and sale, or other projects relating to real estate, title loans, inventory needs, inventory financing, solve for short-term liquidity needs, or for other similar purposes. We intend to remain opportunistic, however, and may occasionally engage in transactions that involve our acquisition of other rights (such as stock, warrants or other equity-linked investments) or that are structured differently or uniquely. Our business objective is to generate revenues from the interest and fees we charge, and capital appreciation from any related investments we make.
Our principal sources of income are interest and fees associated with our loans such as origination fees, closing fees or exit fees. In connection with the short-term non-bank specialty finance loans we provide, we may receive reimbursement of legal costs associated with loan documentation. We occasionally derive income from dividends paid on equity securities we hold from time to time, or from the sale of our equity securities. Our statement of operations also reflect increases and decreases in the carrying value of our assets and investments (i.e., unrealized appreciation and depreciation). Our principal expenses relate to operating expenses, the largest components of which are generally professional fees, payroll, occupancy, and insurance expenses.
Our MD&A should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as well as our reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other publicly available information. All amounts herein are unaudited. In addition, the following discussion of our results of operations and financial condition should be read in the context of this overview.
PORTFOLIO AND INVESTMENT ACTIVITY
During the six months ended June 30, 2023, we made $8,900,500 of investment portfolio and had $9,149,194 of redemptions and repayments, resulting in net investments at amortized cost of $16,552,481 at the end of the period.
During the six months ended June 30, 2022, we made $9,103,580 of investment portfolio and had $7,977,898 of redemptions and repayments, resulting in net investments at amortized cost of $15,191,759 at the end of that period.
Our portfolio composition by major class, based on fair value at June 30, 2023, was as follows:
Investments at
Fair Value
Percentage of
Fair Value
Short-term Non-banking Loans
$ 15,240,303
92.2 %
Equity/Other
1,288,122
7.8
Total
$ 16,528,425
100.0 %
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Our operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and June 30, 2022 were as follows:
For the Three Months Ended June 30,
For the Six Months Ended June 30,
2023
2022
2023
2022
Investment Income:
$ 907,502
$ 1,236,505
$ 1,771,530
$ 2,236,711
Operating Expenses:
(570,045 )
(502,255 )
(2,461,862 )
(1,048,073 )
Net Investment Gain (Loss)
$ 337,457
$ 734,250
$ (690,332 )
$ 1,188,638
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Investment Income
We generate revenue primarily in the form of interest income derived from the short-term non-banking loans we provide, together with fees we charge in connection with those loans, such as commitment, origination, structuring, diligence, or consulting fees. Any such fees will be recognized as earned. In some cases, the interest payable to us on the short-term loans we provide may accrue or be paid in the form of additional debt. The principal amount of the debt instruments, together with any accrued but unpaid interest thereon, will generally become due at the maturity date of those debt instruments. On occasion, we may also generate revenue from dividends and capital gains on equity investments we make, if any, or on warrants or other equity interests that we may acquire.
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, our total investment income was $907,502 and $1,771,530, respectively For the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 our total investment income was $1,236,505 and $2,236,711, respectively. The decrease is due to a decrease in our short-term non-bank lending activity. Our loan portfolio generates interest income, with an average rate on the loans of 17.6%.
Professional Fees
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, we had $287,325 and $417,176 professional fees expense, respectively. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, we had $197,591 and $392,989 professional fees expense, respectively. The increase is due to the costs incurred to amend our Form 10K filing for December 31, 2022.
Payroll and Directors Fees
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, we had $147,161 and $1,277,600 of payroll expense, respectively, and we had $30,000 and $562,968 of directors fees, respectively. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, we had $114,542 and $310,984 of payroll expense, respectively, and we had $87,073 and $117,073 of directors fees, respectively. The increase in the current period was due in large part to the company’s issuance of 870,000 10-year options to directors, officers and consultants in November and December 2022 (which were issued subject to shareholder approval). On January 20, 2023 company shareholders approved the options and the related incentive plan at a special meeting held for that purpose. These options generated a noncash expense of $1,460,209.
Interest Expense
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, we had $43,333 and $78,000 of interest expense, respectively. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, we had $47,794 and $117,853 of interest expense, respectively. The decrease is due less borrowing on the line of credit during the current period.
Net Realized Gain (Loss) from Investments
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, we had $94,569 and $94,569, respectively, of sales of investments and $5,109,625 and 9,054,625, respectively, of repayments on short-term loans, resulting in $41,371 of realized gains and $558,629 of realized losses, respectively. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, we had $0 and $552,898, respectively, of sales of investments and $6,825,000 and 7,425,000, respectively, of repayments on short-term loans, resulting in $5,750 of realized losses and $133,020 of realized gains, respectively.
Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on Investments
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, our investments had $21,107 of unrealized depreciation and $627,316 of unrealized appreciation, respectively. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, our investments had $5,750 of unrealized appreciation and $16,297 of unrealized depreciation, respectively.
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Changes in Net Assets from Operations
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, we recorded a net increase in net assets from operations of $70,721 and a net decrease in net assets from operations of $647,323, respectively. Based on the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, our per-share net increase in net assets from operations was $0.01 and our per share net decrease in net assets from operations was $0.10, respectively. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, we recorded a net increase in net assets from operations of $518,008 and $930,119, respectively. Based on the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, our per-share net increase in net assets from operations was $0.11 and $0.19, respectively.
Cash Flows for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2023 and 2022
The level of cash flows used in or provided by operating activities is affected primarily by our provision of short-term loans, purchases of other investments, redemptions and repayments of our loans or investments, and other related factors. For the six months ended June 30, 2023, net cash provided in operating activities was $11,886. Cash flows provided in operating activities for the six months ended June 30, 2023 were primarily related to the funding of our short-term loans and purchases of investments aggregating $8,900,500, offset mostly by redemptions and repayments of short-term loans and investments totaling $9,149,194. For the six months ended June 30, 2022, net cash used in operating activities was $3,381,576. Cash flows used in operating activities for the six months ended June 30, 2022 were primarily related to the funding of our short-term loans and purchases of investments aggregating $9,103,580, offset mostly by redemptions and repayments of short-term loans and investments totaling $7,977,898.
FINANCIAL CONDITION
As of June 30, 2023, we had cash of $1,101,527, an increase of $11,886 from December 31, 2022. The primary use of our existing funds and any funds raised in the future is expected to be for our investments in portfolio companies or for other general corporate purposes, including paying for operating expenses or debt service to the extent we borrow or issue senior securities. Pending investment in portfolio companies, our investments may consist of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment, which we refer to collectively as “temporary investments.”
On August 9, 2022, we effected a stock combination (reverse stock split) of our common shares on a 1-for-2.25 basis such that every 2.25 shares of common stock issued and outstanding on that date were combined into one share of common stock. Any fractional share resulting from the reverse stock split was rounded up to the nearest whole share. The reverse stock split was approved by our Board of Directors in accordance with Minnesota law, and resulted in a proportionate reduction in the number of authorized shares of capital stock available for issuance under our articles of incorporation. On a post-reverse-split basis, we are authorized to issue up to 111,111,111 shares of capital stock.
On August 11, 2022, we completed a public offer and sale of 1,250,000 common shares pursuant to a registration statement filed with the SEC and declared effective on August 9, 2022. We sold these shares at $4.00 per share, resulting in gross proceeds of $5,000,000. As part of the registered public offering, we granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to 187,500 additional common shares at the offering price, less underwriting discounts, which option was not exercised. In connection with the offering, we issued the underwriter a five-year warrant to purchase up to 75,000 common shares at the per-share price of $5.00. Our net proceeds after the payment of underwriting discounts, underwriting expenses, and offering-related expenses we incurred were otherwise obligated to pay, were approximately $4,041,000.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
Our financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP, which requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Critical accounting policies are those that require the application of management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments, often because of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain and that may change in subsequent periods.
In preparing the financial statements, management will make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. In preparing the financial statements, management also will utilize available information, including our past history, industry standards and the current economic environment, among other factors, in forming its estimates and judgments, giving due consideration to materiality. Actual results will almost certainly differ from these estimates. In addition, other companies may utilize different estimates, which may impact the comparability of our results of operations to those of companies in similar businesses. As our expected operating results occur, we will describe additional critical accounting policies in the notes to our financial statements. Our most critical accounting policies relate to the valuation of our portfolio investments, and revenue recognition. For more information, refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.
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OFF-BALANCE-SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
During the six months ended June 30, 2023, we did not engage in any off-balance sheet arrangements as described in Item 303(a)(4) of Regulation S-K.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Some of the statements made in this section of our report are forward-looking statements based on our management’s current expectations for our company. These expectations involve assumptions and are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or our future financial performance, and can ordinarily be identified by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “targets,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar words. Important assumptions include our ability to identify and consummate new investments, achieve certain margins and levels of profitability, the availability of any needed additional capital, and the ability to maintain compliance with regulations applicable to us. Some of the forward-looking statements contained in this report relate to, and are based our current assumptions regarding, the following:
·
our future operating results;
·
the success of our investments;
·
our relationships with third parties;
·
the dependence of our success on the general economy and its impact on the industries in which we invest;
·
the ability of our portfolio companies to achieve their objectives;
·
our expected financings and investments;
·
our regulatory structure and tax treatment;
·
the adequacy of our cash resources and working capital; and
·
the timing of cash flows, if any, we receive from our investments.
The foregoing list is not exhaustive. For a more complete summary of the risks and uncertainties facing our company and its business and relating to our forward-looking statements, please refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on April 17, 2023 (related to our year ended December 31, 2022) and in particular the section thereof entitled “Risk Factors.” Because of the significant uncertainties inherent in forward-looking statements pertaining to our company, the inclusion of those statements should not be regarded as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that our objectives, plans, expectations or projections that are contained in this filing will be achieved in any specified time frame, if ever. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this filing. The forward-looking statements made in this report relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made, and are excluded from the safe harbor protection provided by Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
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.