Forge Global Holdings, Inc.(以下簡稱「公司」,前稱Motiv Capital Corp)是一家總部位於加利福尼亞州舊金山的金融服務平台。該公司提供可信賴的交易平台、專有數據和見解,以指導投資策略,同時提供託管服務,幫助企業、股東、機構和合格投資者自信地在私人市場中進行交易和規劃。公司的規模化和一體化業務模式位於私人市場生態系統的核心,它相信可以創造持續的競爭優勢,推動客戶參與私人市場以及公司的增長。 交易平台、專有數據和信息,以指導投資策略,以及提供託管服務,幫助公司、股東、機構和認證投資者自信地在私人市場中進行交易和規劃。公司的規模化和一體化業務模式位於私人市場生態系統的核心,公司相信這創造了持久的競爭優勢,促使客戶參與私人市場以及公司的增長。
2022年3月21日(「截止日期」),公司根據2021年9月13日協議和合並計劃(「合併協議」)的條款,完成了由Motive Capital Corp(2020年作爲開曼群島豁免公司(「MOTV」)註冊的空白支票公司(「MOTV」)、特拉華州公司和MOTV的全資子公司FGI Merger Sub Inc. 之間的業務合併(定義見下文)(「Merger Sub」)和特拉華州的一家公司Forge Global, Inc.(「Legacy Forge」)。根據合併協議,在業務合併完成前的截止日期,MOTV將其註冊管轄權從開曼群島更改爲特拉華州,並將其公司名稱更改爲 「Forge Global Holdings, Inc.」(「馴養」)。在截止日期,Merger Sub與Legacy Forge合併併入Legacy Forge(「合併」),Legacy Forge作爲公司的直接全資子公司(連同合併、國內化以及合併協議中考慮的其他交易,即 「業務合併」)在合併中倖存下來。此次合併被視爲反向資本重組,就會計目的而言,Legacy Forge是會計收購方,MOTV是被收購的公司。合併前的股份和每股普通股淨虧損被追溯重報爲反映合併協議確定的兌換率(「交換率」)的股份(Legacy Forge A類普通股的每股已發行股份均被交換爲 3.122931 公司普通股,包括Legacy Forge的所有優先股,這些優先股在合併前不久轉換爲Legacy Forge的A類普通股)。參見 注3,「大寫」 以獲取更多信息。
•Total Custodial Accounts are defined as our customers’ custodial accounts that are established on our platform and billable. These relate to our Custodial Administration fees revenue stream and are an important measure of our business as the number of Total Custodial Accounts is an indicator of our future revenues from certain account maintenance, transaction, and cash administration fees.
•Assets Under Custody is the reported value of all client holdings held under our agreements, including cash submitted to us by the responsible party. These assets can be held at various financial institutions, issuers, and in our vault. As the custodian of the accounts, we collect all interest and dividends, handle all fees and transactions, and any other considerations for the assets concerned. Our fees are earned from the overall maintenance activities of all assets and are not charged on the basis of the dollar value of Assets Under Custody, but we believe that Assets Under Custody is a useful metric for assessing the relative size and scope of our business.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to our financial results determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"), we present Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure. We use Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate our ongoing operations and for internal planning and forecasting purposes. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA, when taken together with the corresponding GAAP financial measure, provides meaningful supplemental information regarding our performance by excluding specific financial items that have less bearing on our core operating performance. We consider Adjusted EBITDA to be an important measure because it helps illustrate underlying trends in our business and our historical operating performance on a more consistent basis.
However, non-GAAP financial information is presented for supplemental informational purposes only, has limitations as an analytical tool, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for financial information presented in accordance with GAAP. In addition, other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures differently or may use other measures to evaluate their performance, all of which could reduce the usefulness of Adjusted EBITDA as a tool for comparison. A reconciliation is provided below for Adjusted EBITDA to net loss, the most directly comparable financial measure stated in accordance with GAAP. Investors are encouraged to review Adjusted EBITDA and the reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net loss, and not to rely on any single financial measure to evaluate our business.
We define Adjusted EBITDA as net loss attributable to Forge Global Holdings, Inc., adjusted to exclude: (i) net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest, (ii) provision for income taxes, (iii) interest (income) expense, net, (iv) depreciation and amortization, (v) share-based compensation expense, (vi) change in fair value of warrant liabilities, and (vii) other significant gains, losses, and expenses such as impairments or acquisition-related transaction costs that we believe are not indicative of our ongoing results.
The following table reconciles net loss attributable to Forge Global Holdings, Inc. to our Adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented (in thousands):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30, 2024
June 30, 2024
September 30, 2024
September 30, 2023
Net loss attributable to Forge Global Holdings, Inc.
$
(18,342)
$
(13,724)
$
(50,690)
$
(64,425)
Add:
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest
(502)
(316)
(1,188)
(893)
Provision for income taxes
298
258
772
769
Interest (income) expense, net
(1,307)
(1,495)
(4,511)
(4,553)
Depreciation and amortization
1,748
1,781
5,345
5,246
Share-based compensation expense
7,622
7,859
24,948
25,443
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities
(931)
(2,280)
(7,659)
2,715
Impairment of right-of-use assets
—
—
186
—
Loss on impairment of long lived assets
—
—
—
536
Adjusted EBITDA
$
(11,414)
$
(7,917)
$
(32,797)
$
(35,162)
Some of the limitations of Adjusted EBITDA include: (i) Adjusted EBITDA does not properly reflect capital commitments to be paid in the future, and (ii) although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the underlying assets may need to be replaced and Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect these capital expenditures. In evaluating Adjusted EBITDA, be aware that in the future we will incur expenses similar to the adjustments in this presentation. Our presentation of Adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by these expenses or any unusual or non-recurring items. We compensate for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP items excluded from Adjusted EBITDA. When evaluating our performance, consider Adjusted EBITDA in addition to, and not a substitute for, other financial performance measures, including our net loss and other GAAP results.
Basis of Presentation
The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included elsewhere in this Report include our accounts and accounts of our consolidated subsidiaries and were prepared in accordance with GAAP.
Components of Results of Operations
Revenue
We generate revenue from providing private market services, which include fees charged for private placements on our platform, and fees charged for account and asset management to customers.
We categorize our services into the following categories:
Marketplace revenue — We maintain a platform which generates revenues through our Forge Markets offering with volume-based fees sourced from institutions, individual investors, and private equity holders. Marketplace revenue represents fees charged by us for executing a private placement on our platform. We earn agency marketplace revenue in non-underwritten transactions, such as private placements of equity securities. We receive marketplace revenue on these transactions and believe that our trade execution performance obligation is completed upon the placement and consummation of a transaction and, as such, revenue is earned on the transaction date with no further obligation to the customer at that time. We enter into arrangements with individual accredited customers or Investment Funds to execute private placements in the secondary market. Revenues generated from our data solutions are classified as part of marketplace revenue in our unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations (see Subscription Fees below).
Custodial administration fees — We generate revenue from account maintenance fees, asset fees, transaction fees, and cash administration fees. The cash administration fees are based on prevailing interest rates and customer cash balances, and currently make up the majority of custodial administration fee revenue. With respect to the account maintenance fees, we
assess a flat quarterly fee per account, with additional fees based on the number and types of assets held and the number and type of transactions executed. The account revenues depend on the number of Total Custodial Accounts, which include accounts customers opened directly with us and the activity within these accounts as well as accounts we custody on behalf of partners. Revenues from custodial administration fees are recognized either over time as underlying performance obligations are met and day-to-day maintenance activities are performed for custodial accounts, or at a point in time upon completion of transactions requested by custodial account holders.
Subscription Fees — We generate revenues through our Forge Data offerings with subscription fees earned from our data products, including Forge Intelligence and Forge Pro, and subscription fees earned from our private company solutions. Subscription fees for the periods presented were included as part of marketplace revenue in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations.
Transaction-based expenses
Transaction-based expenses represent fees incurred to support placement activities. These include, but are not limited to, third-party broker fees, transfer fees, fund management, and fund and trade settlement.
Compensation and benefits
Compensation and benefits expense is our most significant operating expense and includes employee wages, bonuses, share-based compensation, severance costs, benefits, and employer taxes. The incentive component of our compensation and benefits expense consists of amounts paid on the achievement of sales targets and discretionary bonuses, which are based on both our financial performance and individual employee performance.
Professional services
Professional services expense includes fees for accounting, tax, auditing, consulting, and legal.
Advertising and market development
Advertising and market development is an important driver of our value and we intend to continue making meaningful investments in the Forge brand and growth marketing. This includes brand advertising, thought leadership, content marketing, public relations, partnerships, and other strategies that amplify our brand. We have a rigorous approach to measuring customer lifetime value and optimizing our customer acquisition investments according to market dynamics and effective return on investment ("ROI"). We manage our discretionary expenses in growth marketing in real-time, as audience-specific dynamics show positive ROI.
Rent and occupancy
Rent and occupancy expense is related to our leased property and includes rent, maintenance, real estate taxes, utilities, and other related costs.
Technology and communications
Technology and communications consist of costs for our hosting fees paid to third-party data centers, software subscriptions, software development engineers, and maintenance of our computer hardware and software required to support our technology and cybersecurity. Technology and communications also include costs for network connections for our electronic platforms and telecommunications.
General and administrative
General and administrative includes corporate insurance, travel and entertainment, reserves for contingent losses, including allowances for bad debts and legal proceedings, and other general and administrative costs.
Depreciation and amortization is attributable to property and equipment, intangible assets, and capitalized internal-use software.
Interest income
Interest income primarily includes interest income earned on our cash, cash equivalents, and term deposits.
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities
Changes in the fair value of warrant liabilitiesare related to warrant liabilities that are marked-to-market each reporting period with the change in fair value recorded in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations until the warrants are exercised, expire, or other facts and circumstances that could lead the warrant liabilities to be reclassified to stockholders’ equity occur.
Other income (expenses), net
Other income (expenses), net, includesother non-operating income and expenditures and sublease income.
Provision for income taxes
Income tax expense consists of federal, state, and foreign income taxes. We maintain a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets net of deferred tax liabilities, with the exception of certain indefinite-lived liabilities, as we have concluded it is not more likely than not that we will realize our net deferred tax assets.
Results of Operations
The following table sets forth our unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations for the interim periods indicated (in thousands):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30, 2024
June 30, 2024
September 30, 2024
September 30, 2023
Total revenues, less transaction-based expenses
$
19,143
$
22,026
$
60,382
$
50,512
Operating expenses:
Compensation and benefits
28,750
28,784
87,377
78,566
Other
11,296
10,893
36,569
38,980
Total operating expenses
40,046
39,677
123,946
117,546
Operating loss
$
(20,903)
$
(17,651)
$
(63,564)
$
(67,034)
Total interest and other income
2,357
3,869
12,458
2,485
Loss before provision for income taxes
$
(18,546)
$
(13,782)
$
(51,106)
$
(64,549)
Provision for income taxes
298
258
772
769
Net loss
$
(18,844)
$
(14,040)
$
(51,878)
$
(65,318)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest
(502)
(316)
(1,188)
(893)
Net loss attributable to Forge Global Holdings, Inc.
Comparison of Three Months Ended September 30, 2024 and June 30, 2024
Total revenues, less transaction-based expenses, decreased $2.9 million, or 13%.
Marketplace revenue decreased $3.0 million, or 25%, driven by a 21% decrease in volume along with a 10 basis point decrease in net take rate to 2.6% for the three months ended September 30, 2024. Third quarter transactional volume is historically influenced by seasonal investment behavior in the summer months. Net take rate in the three months ended September 30, 2024 was lower due to large block transactions executed at lower net take rates.
Custodial administration fees decreased by $0.1 million, or 1%. Average cash deposits were down slightly in the three months ended September 30, 2024, with slightly lower interest rates leading to lower revenue for cash administration services. Total custodial accounts increased 3%, to 2,281,976, as of September 30, 2024.
Comparison of Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023
Total revenues, less transaction-based expenses, increased $9.9 million, or 20%.
Marketplace revenue increased $11.3 million, or 64%, driven by a 99% increase in trade volume partially offset by a 60 basis point decrease in net take rate to 2.8%. Net take rate in the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was lower due to large block transactions executed at lower net take rates.
Custodial administration fees decreased by $1.3 million, or 4%, driven by declining cash deposits offset in part by rate increases.
Compensation and benefits
Three Months Ended
QoQ
Nine Months Ended
YoY
(in thousands)
September 30, 2024
June 30, 2024
Change
% Change
September 30, 2024
September 30, 2023
Change
% Change
Salary
$
16,176
$
14,472
$
1,704
12%
$
45,520
$
40,453
$
5,067
13%
Incentive compensation and other bonus
3,279
4,843
(1,564)
(32)%
12,058
7,995
4,063
51%
Share-based compensation
7,622
7,859
(237)
(3)%
24,948
25,443
(495)
(2)%
Benefits and other
1,673
1,610
63
4%
4,851
4,675
176
4%
Total compensation and benefits
$
28,750
$
28,784
$
(34)
—%
$
87,377
$
78,566
$
8,811
11%
Comparison of Three Months Ended September 30, 2024 and June 30, 2024
Compensation and benefits remained flat for the quarter.
Salary expense increased $1.7 million primarily due to higher severance costs as the Company continues to align headcount to current and future business needs.
Incentive compensation and other bonus expense decreased $1.6 million primarily due to lower commissions related to decreased trading volume and marketplace revenue and lower discretionary bonus accruals.
Comparison of Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023
Compensation and benefits expense increased $8.8 million, or 11%.
Salary expense increased $5.1 million due to the impact of annual increases, employer paid payroll-related taxes, and higher severance costs.
Incentive compensation and other bonus expense increased $4.1 million primarily driven by higher commissions in connection with the increase in marketplace revenue and higher discretionary bonus accruals.
Other operating expenses
Three Months Ended
QoQ
Nine Months Ended
YoY
(in thousands)
September 30, 2024
June 30, 2024
Change
% Change
September 30, 2024
September 30, 2023
Change
% Change
Professional services
$
2,435
$
1,605
$
830
52
%
$
6,257
$
8,884
$
(2,627)
(30)
%
Advertising and market development
1,015
1,243
(228)
(18)
%
3,348
2,463
885
36
%
Rent and occupancy
1,036
1,107
(71)
(6)
%
3,278
3,616
(338)
(9)
%
Technology and communications
3,185
2,649
536
20
%
8,894
10,628
(1,734)
(16)
%
General and administrative
1,877
2,508
(631)
(25)
%
9,447
8,143
1,304
16
%
Depreciation and amortization
1,748
1,781
(33)
100
(2)
%
5,345
5,246
99
2
%
Total other operating expenses
$
11,296
$
10,893
$
403
4
%
$
36,569
$
38,980
$
(2,411)
(6)
%
Comparison of Three Months Ended September 30, 2024 and June 30, 2024
Other operating expenses increased $0.4 million, or 4%.
Other operating expenses in the three months ended September 30, 2024 increased due to the timing of certain accounting services and legal matters, recorded in professional services, and increased software development expense, recorded in technology and communications. These increases were partially offset by lower travel related expenses, recorded in general and administrative, and timing driven reductions in advertising and market development costs.
Comparison of Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023
Other operating expenses decreased $2.4 million, or 6%.
Other operating expenses in the nine months ended September 30, 2024, include certain non-recurring charges, including $2.8 million related to litigation accruals, recorded in general and administrative expenses, and an impairment of $0.2 million in connection with the Company's right-of-use asset, recorded in rent and occupancy expense. The nine months ended September 30, 2023 include certain non-recurring charges, including $1.5 million related to litigation accruals and capitalized software impairment losses of $0.5 million, recorded in general and administrative expenses. Cost containment efforts resulted in decreases of $2.6 million in professional services, $1.6 million in third-party software engineer expense, recorded in technology and communication expense, $0.5 million in rent expense, recorded in rent and occupancy expense, from rationalization of the Company's office space needs, and $1.1 million in company liability insurance costs, recorded in general and administrative expense. These savings were partially offset by increases in advertising and market development expenses and travel costs, recorded in general and administrative expense, as the Company moves to a hybrid workplace and more in-office activities.
Comparison of Three Months Ended September 30, 2024 and June 30, 2024
Total interest and other income (expenses) decreased $1.5 million, or 39%, primarily from the change of $1.3 million in the fair value of warrant liabilities during the three months ended September 30, 2024. Changes in the fair value of warrant liabilities are primarily driven by changes in the closing price of the Company's stock on the valuation date and the stock price volatility assumption. Declining interest income is the result of lower average cash balances.
Comparison of Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023
Total interest and other income (expenses) increased $10.0 million, primarily from the favorable change of $10.4 million in the fair value of warrant liabilities.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
To date, we have financed our operations primarily through revenue from operations, issuances of securities, issuances of debt, and proceeds from the Business Combination. Our primary requirements for liquidity and capital are to finance working capital, capital expenditures, and investments in business acquisitions.
As of September 30, 2024, our principal source of liquidity is our cash and cash equivalents balance of $114.5 million. Since our inception, we have generated operating losses as reflected in our accumulated deficit. We had an accumulated deficit of $331.3 million as of September 30, 2024.
We believe our existing cash and cash equivalents as of September 30, 2024 will be sufficient to meet our operating working capital and capital expenditure requirements for at least twelve months from the date of this Report. Our future financing and capital requirements will depend on many factors including our growth rate, the timing and extent of spending to support development of our platform, and the expansion of sales and marketing activities. Although we currently are not a party to any agreement and do not have any understanding with any third parties with respect to potential investments in, or acquisitions of, businesses or technologies, we may enter into these types of arrangements in the future, which could also require us to seek additional equity or debt financing. Additional funds may not be available on terms favorable to us or at all.
We intend to continue to make investments in product development, sales efforts, and additional general and administrative costs. We expect to continue to maintain financing flexibility in the current market conditions. As a result, we may require additional capital resources to execute strategic initiatives to grow our business.
We may be required to seek additional equity or debt financing. In the event that additional financing is required from outside sources, we may not be able to raise it on terms acceptable to us or at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital when desired, our business, results of operations, and financial condition would be materially and adversely affected.
The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods presented (in thousands):
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2024
2023
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities
$
(32,633)
$
(34,884)
Investing activities
$
5,719
$
(3,293)
Financing activities
$
(3,370)
$
(204)
Operating Activities
Cash used in operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 of $32.6 million was primarily driven by our net loss of $51.9 million, adjusted for non-cash charges of $25.0 million and net cash outflows of $5.8 million in connection with changes in our operating assets and liabilities. Non-cash charges primarily consisted of share-based compensation of $24.9 million, a decrease in the fair value of warrant liabilities of $7.7 million, and depreciation and amortization of $5.3 million. The main driver of the cash outflows from the changes in operating assets and liabilities was related to an increase in prepaid expenses and other assets of $2.2 million attributable to payment of annual corporate insurance premiums and legal defense costs recoverable under an indemnification claim and a decrease in operating lease liabilities of $1.8 million.
Cash used in operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 of $34.9 million was primarily related to our net loss of $65.3 million, adjusted for non-cash charges of $36.8 million, and net cash outflows of $6.4 million related to changes in our operating assets and liabilities. Non-cash charges primarily consisted of share-based compensation of $25.4 million, depreciation and amortization of $5.2 million, and change in fair value of warrant liabilities of $2.7 million. The main driver of the cash outflows from the changes in operating assets and liabilities were driven by a decrease in accrued compensation and benefits of $4.5 million attributable to the payments made during the nine months ended September 30, 2023, for incentive compensation related to the prior year.
Investing Activities
Cash provided by investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 of $5.7 million was primarily cash received for the maturity of term deposits. Cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 of $3.3 million was primarily cash paid for the purchase of term deposits.
Financing Activities
Cash used in financing activities was $3.4 million and $0.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively, which consisted primarily of cash paid related to net share settlements of equity awards.
Contractual Obligations
Our contractual obligations have not changed materially outside of the normal course of business as disclosed in our Annual Report, except as described in Note 8, "Commitments and Contingencies" to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Report.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Refer to Note 14, "Related Party Transactions" to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Report.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our audited annual consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. We base our estimates on historical experience, current business factors, and various other assumptions that we believe are necessary to consider forming a basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities, the recorded amounts of revenue and expenses, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We are subject to uncertainties such as the impact of future events, economic and political factors, and changes in our business environment; therefore, actual results could differ from these estimates. Accordingly, the accounting estimates used in the preparation of our audited annual consolidated financial statements will change as new events occur, as more experience is acquired, as additional information is obtained and as our operating environment changes. Changes in estimates are made when circumstances warrant. Such changes in estimates and refinements in estimation methodologies are reflected in reported results of operations; if material, the effects of changes in estimates are disclosed in the notes to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates and assumptions. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. The most significant judgments, estimates, and assumptions relate to the critical accounting policies.
There have been no material changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates as compared to those described in the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” set forth in our Annual Report.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See the section titled "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" in Note 2 of our Annual Report.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and are not required to provide the information otherwise required under this item.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)). Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that such disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this Report and designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the requisite time periods specified in the applicable rules and forms, and that it is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There have not been any changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the period covered by this Report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Inherent Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls
Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, do not expect that our disclosure controls or our internal control over financial reporting will prevent all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the
benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of a simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the controls. The design of any system of controls is also based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions; over time, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
Information regarding legal proceedings is available in Note 8, "Commitments and Contingencies", to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in this Report.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
There have been no material changes from the risk factors previously described in the section titled "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in our Annual Report, other than as set forth below.
Changes and complexities in tax laws, incomplete filings, differences in interpretation of tax laws and regulations, and proposed legislation that would impose taxes on certain financial transactions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We operate in multiple jurisdictions and are subject to tax laws and regulations of the U.S. federal, state, and local and non-U.S. governments. U.S. federal, state, and local and non-U.S. tax laws and regulations are complex and subject to change (possibly with retroactive effect) and to varying interpretations. U.S. federal, state, and local and non-U.S. tax authorities may interpret tax laws and regulations differently than we do and challenge tax positions that we have taken. This may result in differences in the treatment of revenues, deductions, credits and/or differences in the timing of these items. The differences in treatment may result in payment of additional taxes, interest, or penalties that could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Further, future changes to U.S. federal, state, and local and non-U.S. tax laws and regulations could increase our tax obligations in jurisdictions where we do business or require us to change the manner in which we conduct some aspects of our business.
In addition, we are required to file extensive informational returns and forms to various tax authorities in connection with our custodial and trading solutions. If such filings are incomplete or untimely, we may be subjected to fines or penalties if we do not meet the requirements of reasonable cause, safe harbor, or other relief as may be provided by the relevant tax authorities. In October 2024, we self-identified a failure to submit certain informational filings to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) in connection with our custodial solutions. At this time, we are unable to determine if we will be subject to any fines or penalties due to these incomplete filings, the amount of any potential fines or penalties, and whether such amount, if any, could materially affect our financial condition and operations.
On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”) was enacted in the United States, which introduced, among other provisions, a new minimum corporate income tax on certain large corporations, an excise tax of 1% on certain share repurchases by corporations, and increased funding for the IRS. Both the minimum corporate income tax and share repurchase excise tax do not currently apply to us, nor do we expect them to apply to us in the foreseeable future. However, changes in our business and any future regulations or other guidance on the interpretation and application of these provisions, may result in additional taxes payable by us, which could materially and adversely affect our financial results and operations.
We have in the past recorded, and may in the future record, significant valuation allowances on our deferred tax assets, which may have a material impact on our results of operations and cause fluctuations in such results. As of December 31, 2023, we had a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets in the United States and in other countries. Our net deferred tax assets relate predominantly to the U.S. federal and state tax jurisdictions. The need for a valuation allowance requires an assessment of both positive and negative evidence when determining whether it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets are recoverable; such assessment is required on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis. In making such an assessment, significant weight is given to evidence that can be objectively verified. We continue to monitor the likelihood that we will be able to recover our deferred tax assets in the future. Future adjustments in our valuation allowance may be required. The recording of any future increases in our valuation allowance could have a material impact on our reported results, and both the recording and release of the valuation allowance could cause fluctuations in our quarterly and annual results of operations.
In addition, under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), a corporation that undergoes an “ownership change” is subject to limitations on its ability to utilize its net operating loss carryforwards ("NOLs") to offset future taxable income. Future changes in our stock ownership as well as other changes that may be outside
of our control, could result in additional ownership changes under Section 382 of the Code. Our NOLs may also be impaired under similar provisions of state law. Further, additional changes to federal or state tax laws or technical guidance relating to such laws that would further reduce the corporate tax rate could operate to effectively reduce or eliminate the value of any deferred tax asset. Our tax attributes as of December 31, 2023 may expire unutilized or underutilized, which could prevent us from offsetting future taxable income.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
None.
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
None.
Item 5. Other Information
Securities Trading Plans of Directors and Executive Officers
During the three months ended September 30, 2024, no director or officer, as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act, adopted or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or a “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement,” each as defined in Regulation S-K Item 408.
Item 6. Exhibits
The exhibits listed in the accompanying Exhibit Index are filed or incorporated by reference as part of this Report.
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).
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).
Filed herewith
+ Certain of the information, exhibits and schedules, as applicable, to this Exhibit have been omitted in accordance with Regulation S-K Item 601. The registrant agrees to furnish a copy with all omitted information, exhibits and schedules, as applicable, to the SEC upon its request.
# Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan, contract or arrangement.
* The certifications furnished in Exhibit 32.1 hereto are deemed to accompany this Report and will not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such certifications will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, except to the extent that the registrant specifically incorporates it by reference.
Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.