UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
 
FORM 10-Q
 
(Mark One)

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
 
For the quarterly period ended
September 30, 20182019
OR 
 
OR
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from ____________________________ to __________________________
 
Commission file number
0-5703
 
Siebert Financial Corp.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
 
New York
11-1796714
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or
Organization)
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
 
120 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
(212) 644-2400
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
 
(Former Name, Former Address and Former Fiscal Year, if Changed Since Last Report)
 
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each classTrading Symbol(s)Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock - $0.01 par valueSIEBThe Nasdaq Capital Market


Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
 
Yes No
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).
 
Yes No


 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer
Accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer
Smaller reporting company
 
Emerging growth company
 
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
 
Yes No
 
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common equity, as of the latest practicable date: As of November 14, 2018,13, 2019, there were 27,157,188 shares of ourthe registrant’s common stock par value $.01 per share outstanding.



Unless expressly otherwise indicated or the context requires otherwise, the terms “Siebert,” “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” in this document refer to Siebert Financial Corp., a New York corporation, and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The term “MSCO” shall refer to Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc., a Delaware corporation and registered broker-dealer, the term “NXT” shall refer to Siebert AdvisorNXT, Inc., a New York corporation registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as a Registered Investment Advisor, the term “PWC” shall refer to Park Wilshire Companies Inc., a Texas corporation and licensed insurance agency, and the term “KCAT” shall refer to KCA Technologies, LLC, a Nevada limited liability company and owner of certain intellectual property and related computer software for optimizing investment portfolios (“robo technology”). MSCO, NXT, PWC, and KCAT are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company.
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” below and elsewhere in this report, as well as oral statements that may be made by us or by our officers, directors or employees acting on our behalf, that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and known and unknown factors that could cause our actual results to be materially different from our historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: changes in general economic and market conditions; changes and prospects for changes in interest rates; fluctuations in volume and prices of securities; changes in demand for brokerage services; competition from brokerage or other financial institutions, including the offer of broader services; competition from electronic discount brokerage firms offering greater discounts on commissions than we offer; the prevalence of a flat fee environment; our customers’ methods of placing trades; computer and telephone system failures; our level of spending on advertising and promotion; trading errors and the possibility of losses from customer non-payment of amounts due; other increases in expenses; and changes in net capital or other regulatory requirements. We undertake no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements which may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date when such statements were made, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. An investment in Siebert involves various risks, including those mentioned above and those which are detailed from time to time in our SEC filings.
1

 
Part
SIEBERT FINANCIAL CORP.

INDEX

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PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
 
ItemITEM 1. Financial StatementsFINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
Siebert Financial Corp.SIEBERT FINANCIAL CORP. & SubsidiariesSUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial ConditionCONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 September 30, 2019  December 31, 2018 
 (unaudited)    (unaudited)    
ASSETS            
Cash and cash equivalents $7,341,000  $3,765,000  
$
4,231,000
  
$
7,229,000
 
Receivables from brokers  2,177,000   1,396,000 
Deferred tax asset  1,393,000    
Receivables from clearing and other brokers  
2,436,000
   
2,030,000
 
Escrow deposit  
2,000,000
   
 
Receivable from related party  1,000,000   283,000   
1,000,000
   
1,000,000
 
Software  678,000    
Receivable from lessors  
   
171,000
 
Other receivables  
103,000
   
96,000
 
Prepaid expenses and other assets  
302,000
   
470,000
 
Furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements, net  528,000   347,000   
1,000,000
   
468,000
 
Prepaid expenses and other assets  376,000   234,000 
Securities owned, at fair value      
Software, net  
1,806,000
   
1,137,000
 
Lease right-of-use assets  
2,501,000
   
 
Equity method investment in related party  
3,509,000
   
 
Deferred tax assets  
5,105,000
   
5,576,000
 
 $13,493,000  $6,025,000  
$
23,993,000
  
$
18,177,000
 
                
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY                
Liabilities:                
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 
$
744,000
  
$
699,000
 
Due to clearing brokers and related parties  
27,000
   
133,000
 
Income taxes payable $908,000  $125,000   
38,000
   
 
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities  761,000   561,000 
Due to related party     127,000 
Lease incentive obligation  
   
171,000
 
Lease liabilities  
2,817,000
   
 
Other liabilities  
91,000
   
 
  1,669,000   813,000   
3,717,000
   
1,003,000
 
                
Commitments and Contingencies                
Stockholders’ equity:                
Common stock, $.01 par value; 49,000,0000 shares authorized, 27,157,188 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017  271,000   271,000 
Common stock, $.01 par value; 49,000,000 shares authorized, 27,157,188 shares
issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018
  
271,000
   
271,000
 
Additional paid-in capital  7,641,000   7,641,000   
7,641,000
   
7,641,000
 
Retained earnings/(Accumulated deficit)  3,912,000   (2,700,000)
Retained earnings  
12,364,000
   
9,262,000
 
  11,824,000   5,212,000   
20,276,000
   
17,174,000
 
                
 $13,493,000  $6,025,000  
$
23,993,000
  
$
18,177,000
 
 
Numbers are rounded for presentation purposes. See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements. 
 
2- 1 -


Siebert Financial Corp.SIEBERT FINANCIAL CORP. & Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(unaudited)SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
  
Three Months Ended
September 30,
  
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
  2018   2017   2018   2017  
             
Revenue:            
Margin interest, marketing and distribution fees $2,731,000  $1,850,000  $7,953,000  $4,477,000 
Principal transactions  2,634,000   154,000   7,838,000   360,000 
Commissions and fees  2,465,000   1,077,000   7,651,000   3,295,000 
Interest  34,000   4,000   69,000   9,000 
Advisory fees  20,000   4,000   38,000   16,000 
Total Revenue  7,884,000   3,089,000   23,549,000   8,157,000 
                 
Expenses:                
Employee compensation and benefits  3,668,000   1,031,000   10,619,000   3,069,000 
Other general and administrative  650,000   275,000   1,874,000   1,020,000 
Clearing fees, including floor brokerage  631,000   252,000   2,212,000   819,000 
Professional fees  477,000   372,000   1,572,000   1,265,000 
Occupancy  248,000   86,000   737,000   306,000 
Communications  120,000   56,000   369,000   192,000 
Advertising and promotion  6,000   16,000   40,000   61,000 
Total Expenses  5,800,000   2,088,000   17,423,000   6,732,000 
                 
Income before (benefit) from income taxes  2,084,000   1,001,000   6,126,000   1,425,000 
(Benefit) from income taxes  (1,035,000)     (485,000)   
Net Income $3,119,000  $1,001,000  $6,611,000  $1,425,000 
                 
Net income per share of common stock                
Basic and diluted $.11  $.05  $.24  $.06 
                 
Weighted average shares outstanding                
Basic and diluted  27,157,188   22,085,126   27,157,188   22,085,126 
(unaudited)

  
Three Months Ended
September 30,
  
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
  2019  2018  2019  2018 
Revenue:
            
Margin interest, marketing and distribution fees 
$
2,944,000
  
$
2,731,000
  
$
8,499,000
  
$
7,953,000
 
Commissions and fees  
1,925,000
   
2,347,000
   
6,030,000
   
7,380,000
 
Principal transactions  
2,041,000
   
2,634,000
   
5,479,000
   
7,838,000
 
Advisory fees  
211,000
   
138,000
   
572,000
   
309,000
 
Interest  
23,000
   
34,000
   
54,000
   
69,000
 
Total Revenue
  
7,144,000
   
7,884,000
   
20,634,000
   
23,549,000
 
                 
Expenses:
                
Employee compensation and benefits  
3,157,000
   
3,668,000
   
8,882,000
   
10,619,000
 
Clearing fees, including execution costs  
617,000
   
631,000
   
1,849,000
   
2,212,000
 
Professional fees  
439,000
   
477,000
   
1,388,000
   
1,572,000
 
Other general and administrative  
589,000
   
501,000
   
1,861,000
   
1,360,000
 
Technology and communications  
291,000
   
228,000
   
800,000
   
792,000
 
Rent and occupancy  
380,000
   
248,000
   
995,000
   
737,000
 
Depreciation and amortization  
244,000
   
41,000
   
670,000
   
91,000
 
Advertising and promotion  
   
6,000
   
   
40,000
 
Total Expenses
  
5,717,000
   
5,800,000
   
16,445,000
   
17,423,000
 
                 
Earnings of equity method investment in related party
  
30,000
   
   
84,000
   
 
                 
Income before provision (benefit) for (from) income taxes
  
1,457,000
   
2,084,000
   
4,273,000
   
6,126,000
 
Provision (benefit) for (from) income taxes  
353,000
   
(1,035,000
)
  
1,171,000
   
(485,000
)
Net income
 
$
1,104,000
  
$
3,119,000
  
$
3,102,000
  
$
6,611,000
 
                 
Net income per share of common stock
                
Basic and diluted 
$
0.04
  
$
0.11
  
$
0.11
  
$
0.24
 
                 
Weighted average shares outstanding
                
Basic and diluted  
27,157,188
   
27,157,188
   
27,157,188
   
27,157,188
 

Numbers are rounded for presentation purposes. See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

- 2 -


SIEBERT FINANCIAL CORP. & SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(unaudited)

  Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 
  
Number of
Shares Issued
  $.01 Par Value  
Additional
Paid-In Capital
  
Retained
Earnings
  Total 
Balance – January 1, 2019  
27,157,188
  
$
271,000
  
$
7,641,000
  
$
9,262,000
  
$
17,174,000
 
Net income  
-
   
-
   
-
   
1,006,000
   
1,006,000
 
Balance – March 31, 2019  
27,157,188
   
271,000
   
7,641,000
   
10,268,000
   
18,180,000
 
Net income  
-
   
-
   
-
   
992,000
   
992,000
 
Balance – June 30, 2019  
27,157,188
   
271,000
   
7,641,000
   
11,260,000
   
19,172,000
 
Net income  
-
   
-
   
-
   
1,104,000
   
1,104,000
 
Balance – September 30, 2019  
27,157,188
  
$
271,000
  
$
7,641,000
  
$
12,364,000
  
$
20,276,000
 


  Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018 
  
Number of
Shares Issued
  $.01 Par Value  
Additional
Paid-In Capital
  
Retained
Earnings / (Accumulated Deficit)
  Total 
Balance – January 1, 2018  
27,157,188
  
$
271,000
  
$
7,641,000
  
$
(2,700,000
)
 
$
5,212,000
 
Net income  
-
   
-
   
-
   
1,693,000
   
1,693,000
 
Balance – March 31, 2018  
27,157,188
   
271,000
   
7,641,000
   
(1,007,000
)
  
6,905,000
 
Net income  
-
   
-
   
-
   
1,800,000
   
1,800,000
 
Balance – June 30, 2018  
27,157,188
   
271,000
   
7,641,000
   
793,000
   
8,705,000
 
Net income  
-
   
-
   
-
   
3,119,000
   
3,119,000
 
Balance – September 30, 2018  
27,157,188
  
$
271,000
  
$
7,641,000
  
$
3,912,000
  
$
11,824,000
 

Numbers are rounded for presentation purposes. See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
 
- 3 -


Siebert Financial Corp.
SIEBERT FINANCIAL CORP. & Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(unaudited)

 
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
  
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
 2018  2017  2019  2018 
Cash Flows From Operating Activities:            
Net income $6,611,000  $1,425,000  
$
3,102,000
  
$
6,611,000
 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities:                
Reduction in valuation allowance related to deferred tax asset  (1,393,000)   
Deferred income tax expense 
471,000
  
(1,393,000
)
Depreciation and amortization  91,000   90,000   
670,000
   
91,000
 
Earnings of equity method investment in related party 
(84,000
)
 
 
Return on investment in equity method investment in related party  
84,000
   
 
              
Changes in:                
Securities owned, at fair value     92,000 
Receivables from brokers  (781,000)  (494,000)
Receivables from clearing and other brokers 
(406,000
)
 
(781,000
)
Receivable from related party  
   
(717,000
)
Receivable from lessors 
171,000
  
 
Other receivables  
(7,000
)
  
 
Prepaid expenses and other assets  (142,000)  (12,000) 
168,000
  
(142,000
)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities  
45,000
   
200,000
 
Due to clearing brokers and related parties 
(106,000
)
 
(127,000
)
Income taxes payable  784,000      
38,000
   
784,000
 
Due to related party
  (127,000)   
Receivable from related party  (717,000)   
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities  200,000   (266,000)
Lease incentive obligation 
(171,000
)
 
 
Other liabilities  
91,000
   
 
Lease liability  
316,000
  
 
Net cash provided by operating activities  4,526,000   835,000   
4,382,000
   
4,526,000
 
              
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:                
Return of investment in equity method investment in related party 
156,000
  
 
Equity method investment in related party  
(3,665,000
)
  
 
Escrow deposit 
(2,000,000
)
 
 
Purchase of furniture, equipment, and leasehold improvements  (272,000)  (350,000)  
(785,000
)
  
(272,000
)
Software  (678,000)   
Purchase of software  
(1,086,000
)
  
(678,000
)
Net cash used in investing activities  (950,000)  (350,000)  
(7,380,000
)
  
(950,000
)
              
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents  3,576,000   485,000 
Net (decrease) / increase in cash and cash equivalents
  
(2,998,000
)
  
3,576,000
 
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period  3,765,000   2,730,000   
7,229,000
  
3,765,000
 
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period $7,341,000  $3,215,000  
$
4,231,000
  
$
7,341,000
 
        
Supplemental Schedule Of Non-Cash Financing Activities:        
Payment by related party of expenses $  $803,000 
        
Supplemental Cash Flow Information:        
Taxes paid $126,000  $39,000 

Numbers are rounded for presentation purposes. See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

- 4 -

Siebert Financial Corp. & Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018 and 2017

 
1.Business and Basis of Presentation
SIEBERT FINANCIAL CORP. & SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. Organization and Basis of Presentation

Organization

Siebert Financial Corp., a New York corporation incorporated in 1934, is a holding company that conducts its retail discount brokerage business through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc. (“MSCO”), a Delaware corporation and registered broker-dealer, its investment advisory business through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Siebert AdvisorNXT, Inc. (“NXT”SNXT”), a New York corporation registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as a Registered Investment Advisor under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and its insurance business through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Park Wilshire Companies, Inc. (“PWC”), a Texas corporation and licensed insurance agency, and  KCAagency. It also conducts operations through a fourth wholly-owned subsidiary, Siebert Technologies, LLC,LLC. (“KCAT”STCH”), a Nevada limited liability company and ownerdeveloper of certain intellectual property and related computer software for optimizing investment portfolios (“robo technology”).robo-advisory technology. In September 2019, the name of this subsidiary was changed from KCA Technologies, LLC. to Siebert Technologies, LLC. For purposes of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the terms “Siebert,” “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Siebert Financial Corp., MSCO, NXT,SNXT, PWC, and KCATSTCH collectively, unless the context otherwise requires.

Our principal offices are located at 120 Wall Street,As previously reported in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2019 and in a current report on Form 8-K filed on July 19, 2019, the Company signed a binding letter of intent to purchase the remaining 85% of StockCross Financial Services, Inc. (“StockCross”). Upon completion of the transaction, which is pending regulatory approval, the Company will own 100% of StockCross. In addition, as reported in a current report on Form 8-K filed October 3, 2019, the Company entered into an agreement, dated as of September 27, 2019, with, Weeden Investors L.P., a Delaware limited partnership and Weeden Securities Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Sellers”) pursuant to which the Company will acquire all of the Sellers’ member interests in Weeden Prime Services, LLC (“Weeden Prime”), a broker-dealer registered with the SEC offering prime brokerage services. As part of the transaction, the Company deposited $2.0 million in an escrow account pursuant to the agreement. Upon completion of the transaction, which is pending regulatory approval, the $2.0 million held in the escrow account will be part of the purchase price and Weeden Prime will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.

The Company is headquartered in New York, NY, 10005,with primary operations in New Jersey and our phone number is (212) 644-2400. Our Internet address is www.siebertnet.com. OurCalifornia. The Company has 13 offices throughout the U.S. and clients around the world. The Company’s SEC filings are available through ourthe Company’s website at www.siebertnet.com,, where investors are able tocan obtain copies of ourthe Company’s public filings free of charge. OurThe Company’s common stock (“Common Stock”), par value $.01 per share, trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “SIEB.”

The Company primarily operates in the securities brokerage and asset management industry and has no other reportable segments. All of the Company's revenues for the three months ended and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 were derived from its operations in the U.S.
Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements presented herein areof the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“GAAP”) for interim financial information with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete annual financial statements. In the opinion of the Company’s management, the accompanying unaudited and includecondensed consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) whichentries) necessary to fairly present such interim results. Interim results are in the opinion of our management, necessary for a fair presentationnot necessarily indicative of the financial position and results of operations of the interim periods pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States of America (“U.S.”) have been condensedwhich may be expected for a full year or omitted pursuant to the SEC rules and regulations, although the Company believes that the disclosures made are adequate to make the information not misleading. The balance sheet as of December 31, 2017 has been derived from the consolidated statements of financial condition at that date, but does not include all information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements.any subsequent period. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements includedand notes thereto in ourthe Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 20172018 (“20172018 Form 10-K”). DueThe condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Siebert and its wholly-owned subsidiaries and upon consolidation, all intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated. The U.S. dollar is the functional currency of the Company and numbers are rounded for presentation purposes. 

Reclassifications
Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the naturecurrent year’s presentation. The reclassifications consisted of our business, the results of operations for the three monthsbreaking out certain commissions and nine months ended September 30, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of operating results for the full year.
As further disclosed in our 2017 Form 10-K, the Company acquired certain retail broker-dealer assets of StockCross Financial Services, Inc. (“StockCross”), an affiliate of the Company. The impact of this acquisition has resulted in a significant improvement in operations for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2018 as compared to the three months and the nine months ended September 30, 2017.

Recent Developments
As of June 25, 2018, Siebert joined the broad-market Russell 3000® Index. Annual Russell U.S. Indexes reconstitution captures the 4,000 largest U.S. stocks as of May 11, ranking them by total market capitalization. Membership in the Russell 3000® Index, which remains in place for one year, means automatic inclusion in the large-cap Russell 1000® Index or small-cap Russell 2000® Indexfees into advisory fees as well as breaking out certain other general and administrative expenses into technology and communications and depreciation which is consistent with the appropriate growth and value style indexes. Russell U.S. Indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors as the basis for index funds and as benchmarks for active investment strategies and approximately $9 trillion in assets are benchmarked against Russell U.S. Indexes.current year presentation. These reclassifications have no effect on previously reported total revenue, total expenses, or net income.
On August 21, 2018, Siebert acquired all of the issued and outstanding membership interests of KCAT from Kennedy Cabot Acquisition, LLC (“KCA”), a certain related party of Siebert, for approximately $690,000. KCAT is a robo technology company initially tasked with developing a sophisticated robo product for Siebert AdvisorNXT (“Robo Platform”). The Robo Platform provides clients with an automated wealth management solution intended to maximize portfolio returns based on the client’s specific risk tolerance. The Robo Platform utilizes Modern Portfolio Theory to create optimal portfolios for each client by selecting low-cost, well-managed exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) and exchange traded notes (“ETNs”), and automatically rebalances portfolios in light of prevailing market conditions. Within the Robo Platform, the client has the option of using a pure robo track, or can opt for a hybrid approach, which combines the robo track with a traditional wealth manager to help manage their portfolio and make investment recommendations. See footnote 12 for additional information on the KCAT acquisition and the Robo Platform.

- 5 -

2.Per Share Data
Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing net income by
Significant Accounting Policies

The Company’s significant accounting policies are included in Note 2 in the weighted average of the number of outstanding common shares during the period. The Company had net income of $3,119,000 for the three months ended September 30,Company’s 2018 as comparedForm 10-K. There have been no significant changes to net income of $1,001,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2017. The Company had net income of $6,611,000these accounting policies for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 except as compareddescribed in the sections “Equity Method Investments” and the “Note 2 – New Accounting Standards” below.

Equity Method Investments
Investments in which the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence, but does not control, are accounted for under the equity method of accounting and are included in the equity method investment in related party asset in the condensed consolidated statements of financial condition. Under this method of accounting, the Company’s share of the net earnings or losses of the investee is presented before the income before provision (benefit) for (from) income taxes on the condensed consolidated statements of $1,425,000operations.

The Company evaluates its equity method investments whenever events or changes in circumstance indicate that the carrying amounts of such investments may be impaired. If a decline in the value of an equity method investment is determined to be other than temporary, a loss is recorded in earnings in the current period.

2. New Accounting Standards

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

ASU 2016-02 – In February 2016, the FASB established Topic 842, Leases, by issuing Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-02, which requires lessees to recognize leases on-balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. The new standard establishes a right-of-use model that requires a lessee to recognize a lease right-of-use asset and lease liability on the statement of financial condition for all leases with a term longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern and classification of expense recognition in the statement of operations. The new standard is effective for the nine months endedCompany on January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted the new standard on its effective date. A modified retrospective transition approach is required, applying the new standard to all leases existing at the date of initial application. An entity may choose to use either (1) its effective date or (2) the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements as its date of initial application. The Company adopted the new standard on January 1, 2019 and used the effective date as the date of initial application. Consequently, financial information will not be updated and the disclosures required under the new standard will not be provided for dates and periods before January 1, 2019. As of September 30, 2017.2019, the Company recognized lease right-of-use assets of approximately $2.5 million and corresponding lease liabilities of approximately $2.8 million.

3.Net Capital
The new standard provides a number of optional practical expedients in transition. The Company elected the “package of practical expedients,” which permits the Company not to reassess under the new standard the Company’s prior conclusions about lease identification, lease classification and initial direct costs. The Company has not elected the hindsight practical expedient at transition.

The new standard also provides practical expedients for an entity’s ongoing accounting. The Company elected the short-term lease recognition exemption for all leases that qualify. This means, for those leases that qualify, the Company will not recognize lease right-of-use assets or lease liabilities.

ASU 2018-15 – In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract, which requires customers to apply the same criteria for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a cloud computing arrangement that is hosted by the vendor as they would for an arrangement that has a software license. The standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and early adoption is permitted. The standard can be adopted prospectively or retrospectively. The Company is currently evaluating the expected impact of this new standard.

3. Capital Requirements

MSCO is subject to the SEC’s Uniform Net Capital Rule (Rule 15c3-1 or “Uniform Net Capital Rule”), which requires the maintenance of minimum net capital. MSCO has elected to use the alternative method, permitted by the Uniform Net Capital Rule, which requires that MSCO maintain minimum net capital, as defined, equal to the greater of $250,000 or 2% of aggregate debit balances arising from customer transactions, as defined. The Uniform Net Capital Rule also provides that equity capital may not be withdrawn or cash dividends paid if the resulting net capital would be less than 5% of aggregate debits. As of September 30, 2019, MSCO had net capital of approximately $5.7 million, which was approximately $5.4 million in excess of required net capital of $250,000. As of December 31, 2018, MSCO had net capital of $9,701,000 as compared withapproximately $8.9 million, which was approximately $8.7 million in excess of required net capital requirement of $250,000.

- 6 -


MSCO claims exemption from the reserve requirementrequirements under Section 15c3-3(k)the SEC’s Rule 15c-3-3 pursuant to paragraph (k)(2)(ii). as it clears its customer transactions through one unaffiliated and one affiliated clearing firm on a fully disclosed basis.
4.Revenue Recognition

The Company’s cash and cash equivalents are unrestricted and are used to fund working capital needs. The Company’s total assets as of September 30, 2019 were approximately $24.0 million, of which $4.2 million, or approximately 18%, is highly liquid. The Company’s total assets as of December 31, 2018 were approximately $18.2 million, of which $7.2 million, or approximately 40%, is highly liquid.

4. Receivables from and Payable to Brokers, Dealers and Clearing Organizations

The Company evaluates receivables from clearing organizations and other brokers for collectability noting no amount was considered uncollectable as of September 30, 2019 and as of December 31, 2018. No valuation allowance is recognized for receivables from clearing organizations and other brokers as the Company does not have a history of losses from these receivables and does not anticipate losses in the future.

Amounts receivable from / payable to brokers, dealers and clearing organizations consisted of the following as of the periods indicated:

  
As of
September 30, 2019
(unaudited)
  
As of
December 31, 2018
 
Receivables from clearing and other brokers      
National Financial Services (“NFS”) 
$
1,743,000
  
$
1,664,000
 
StockCross  
693,000
   
310,000
 
Other receivables  
   
56,000
 
Total Receivables from clearing and other brokers $2,436,000  $2,030,000 
         
Receivable from related party        
StockCross 
$
1,000,000
  
$
1,000,000
 
Total Receivable from related party $1,000,000  $1,000,000 
         
Due to clearing brokers and related parties        
MSCO 
$
  
$
29,000
 
StockCross  
27,000
   
46,000
 
NFS  
   
58,000
 
Total Due to clearing brokers and related parties $27,000  $133,000 

5. Leases

A lease is defined as a contract, or part of a contract, that conveys the right to control the use of identified property, plant or equipment for a period of time in exchange for consideration. On January 1, 2018, we2019, the Company adopted ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) and all subsequent ASUs that modified Topic 842. For the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”)Company, Topic 606842 affected the accounting treatment for operating lease agreements in which the Company is the lessee.

As of September 30, 2019, the Company rents office space under operating leases expiring in 2019 through 2024, and the Company has no financing leases. The leases call for base rent plus escalations as well as other operating expenses. The following table represents the Company’s lease right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on the condensed consolidated statements of financial condition. The Company elected not to include short-term leases (i.e., leases with initial terms of twelve months or less), or equipment leases (deemed immaterial) on the condensed consolidated statements of financial condition.

  
As of
September 30, 2019
(unaudited)
  
As of
December 31, 2018
 
Assets      
Lease right-of-use assets 
$
2,501,000
   
 
Liabilities        
Lease liabilities 
$
2,817,000
   
 

- 7 -


The calculated amounts of the lease right-of-use assets and lease liabilities in the table above are impacted by applying the modified retrospective method. Results for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2018length of the lease term and the discount rate used to present value the minimum lease payments. As of September 30, 2019, the Company does not believe that any of the renewal options under the existing leases are presented under Topic 606, while prior period amounts are not adjusted andreasonably certain to be exercised; however, the Company will continue to be reportedassess and monitor the lease renewal options on an ongoing basis. The Company also leases some miscellaneous office equipment, but they are immaterial and therefore the Company records the costs associated with this office equipment on the statement of operations rather than capitalizing them as lease right-of-use assets. The Company determined a discount rate of 5.0% would approximate the Company’s cost to obtain financing given its size, growth, and risk profile.

Lease Term and Discount Rate
Weighted average remaining lease term – operating leases (in years)3.5
Weighted average discount rate – operating leases5.0%

The following table represents lease costs and other lease information. The Company has elected the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components, and as such, the variable lease cost primarily represents variable payments such as common area maintenance and utilities which are determined by the leased square footage in proportion to the overall office building.

  
Three Months Ended
September 30, 2019
  
Nine Months Ended
September 30, 2019
 
Operating lease cost 
$
294,000
  
$
624,000
 
Short-term lease cost  
81,000
   
321,000
 
Variable lease cost  
5,000
   
50,000
 
Sublease income  
   
 
Total lease cost 
$
380,000
  
$
995,000
 
         
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities        
Operating cash flows from operating leases $
275,000
  $
632,000
 
         
Lease right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new lease liabilities        
Operating leases 
$
813,000
  
$
3,028,000
 

Lease Commitments

Future annual minimum payments for operating leases with initial terms of greater than one year as of September 30, 2019 were as follows:

Year Amount 
2019 
$
259,000
 
2020  
992,000
 
2021  
759,000
 
2022  
513,000
 
2023  
493,000
 
2024  
56,000
 
Thereafter  
 
Remaining balance of lease payments
  
3,072,000
 
Difference between undiscounted cash flows and
discounted cash flows
  
255,000
 
Lease liabilities $2,817,000 

Rent and related operating expenses were $380,000 and $248,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Rent and related operating expenses were $995,000 and $737,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

 6. Equity Method Investments

In January 2019, the Company purchased approximately 15% of StockCross’ outstanding shares. The number of shares purchased by the Company was 922,875 at a per share price of approximately $3.97. The Company’s ownership in StockCross is accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

- 8 -


In determining whether the investment in StockCross should be accounted for under the equity method of accounting, standardsthe Company considered the guidance under ASC 323, Investments – Equity Method and Joint Ventures. Although the Company maintains approximately 15% ownership interest in StockCross, the Company evaluated the positive evidence related to criteria such as common representation on the board of directors, participation in policy-making processes, material intra-entity transactions, interchange of managerial personnel and technological interdependency of the Company and StockCross. Based on these criteria, the Company determined that it was able to exercise significant influence of StockCross, and therefore the equity method of accounting was used for this transaction.

Under the equity method, the Company recognizes its share of StockCross’ earnings in the earnings of equity method investment in related party line item in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. The Company has elected to classify distributions received from equity method investees using the cumulative earnings approach. For the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2019, the earnings recognized from the Company’s investment in StockCross were $30,000 and $84,000, respectively. This investment is reported in the equity method investment in related party asset in the condensed consolidated statements of financial condition. In September 2019, StockCross made a $1.6 million cash distribution to its shareholders, of which Siebert received $241,000, which reduced the carrying amount of the investment in StockCross. As of September 30, 2019, the carrying amount of the investment in StockCross was approximately $3,509,000.

The Company evaluates its equity method investments for impairment when events or changes indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. If the impairment is determined to be other-than-temporary, the Company will recognize an impairment loss equal to the difference between the expected realizable value and the carrying value of the investment. As of September 30, 2019, the fair value of the investment in StockCross is not estimated because there were no identified events or changes in circumstances that may have a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment and thus, no impairment was recorded.

Below is a table showing illustrating the summary from the condensed consolidated statements of operations for StockCross for the periods indicated (unaudited):

  
Three Months Ended
September 30, 2019
  Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 
Revenue
 $3,757,000  $11,552,000 
Operating income
 $189,000  $747,000 
Net income
 $189,000  $534,000 

7. Commitments, Contingencies, and Other

Legal and Regulatory Matters

The Company is party to certain claims, suits and complaints arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of the Company, all such matters are without merit, or involve amounts which would not have a significant effect on the financial statements of the Company.

General Contingencies

In the normal course of its business, the Company indemnifies and guarantees certain service providers against specified potential losses in connection with their acting as an agent of, or providing services to, the Company. The maximum potential amount of future payments that the Company could be required to make under these indemnifications cannot be estimated. However, the Company believes that it is unlikely it will have to make material payments under these arrangements and has not recorded any contingent liability in the financial statements for these indemnifications.

The Company provides representations and warranties to counterparties in connection with a variety of commercial transactions and occasionally indemnifies them against potential losses caused by the breach of those representations and warranties. The Company may also provide standard indemnifications to some counterparties to protect them in the event additional taxes are owed or payments are withheld, due either to a change in or adverse application of certain tax laws. These indemnifications generally are standard contractual terms and are entered into in the normal course of business. The maximum potential amount of future payments that the Company could be required to make under these indemnifications cannot be estimated. However, the Company believes that it is unlikely it will have to make material payments under these arrangements and has not recorded any contingent liability in the financial statements for these indemnifications.

- 9 -


The Company is self-insured with respect to employee health claims. The Company maintains stop-loss insurance for certain risks and has a health claim reinsurance limit capped at approximately $50,000 per employee. The estimated liability for self-insurance claims is initially recorded in the year in which the event of loss occurs and may be subsequently adjusted based upon new information and cost estimates. Reserves for losses represent estimates of reported losses and estimates of incurred but not reported losses based on past and current experience. Actual claims paid and settled may differ, perhaps significantly, from the provision for losses. This adds uncertainty to the estimated reserves for losses. Accordingly, it is at least possible that the ultimate settlement of losses may vary significantly from the amounts included in the financial statements.

As part of this plan, the Company recognized expenses totaling $136,000 and $374,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The Company recognized expenses totaling $594,000 and $874,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

The Company had an accrual of $48,000 as of September 30, 2019, which represents the historical estimate of future claims to be recognized for claims incurred prior to the period.

The adoptionCompany believes that its present insurance coverage and reserves are sufficient to cover currently estimated exposures, but there can be no assurance that the Company will not incur liabilities in excess of FASB ASC Topic 606 did not have an impact on the recognitionrecorded reserves or in excess of ourits insurance limits.

8. Revenue Recognition

The primary sources of revenue suchfor the Company are as principal transactions,follows: revenue from contracts with customers which includes commissions and fees, principal transactions, and advisory fees as well as other income which includes margin interest, marketing, and distribution fees. The timingrecognition and measurement of recognitionrevenue is based on the assessment of substantially allindividual contract terms. The amount of our remaining revenue was also not impacted,recognized by the Company is based on the consideration specified in contracts with its clients. The Company recognizes revenue when a performance obligation is satisfied over time as the services are performed or at a point in time depending on the nature of the services provided as further detailed below. Significant judgment is required to determine whether performance obligations are satisfied at a point in time or over time; how to allocate transaction prices where multiple performance obligations are identified; when to recognize revenue based on the appropriate measure of the Company’s progress under the contract; and we therefore did not record any cumulative effect adjustmentwhether constraints on variable consideration should be applied due to opening equity.uncertain future events. For the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, there were no costs capitalized related to obtaining or fulfilling a contract with a customer, and thus the Company has no balances for contract assets or contract liabilities.

Categorization of Revenue by Service

The following table presents the major revenue categories and when each category is recognized (unaudited):

  Three Months Ended
September 30,
  
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
  
Revenue Category 2019  2018  2019  2018 
Timing of
Recognition
Trading Execution and Clearing Services                 
Commissions and fees 
$
1,925,000
  
$
2,347,000
  
$
6,030,000
  
$
7,380,000
 
Recorded trade date
Principal transactions  
2,041,000
   
2,634,000
   
5,479,000
   
7,838,000
 
Recorded trade date
Advisory fees and additional income  
234,000
   
172,000
   
626,000
   
378,000
 
Recorded as earned
                       
Other Income                     
Margin interest, marketing and distribution fees
                     
Margin interest  
2,151,000
   
1,943,000
   
6,254,000
   
5,454,000
 
Recorded as earned
12b1 fees  
793,000
   
788,000
   
2,245,000
   
2,499,000
 
Recorded as earned
Total Margin interest, marketing and distribution fees
  
2,944,000
   
2,731,000
   
8,499,000
   
7,953,000
  
                       
Total Revenue $7,144,000  $7,884,000  $20,634,000  $23,549,000  

The following table presents each revenue category and its related performance obligation:

Revenue StreamPerformance Obligation
Commissions and fees, Principal transactions, Advisory fees and additional income
Provide security trading services to customer and act as agent
Margin interest, marketing and distribution feesn/a

6- 10 -


Disaggregation of Revenue – Legacy Siebert vs. StockCross Accounts

Below isThe following table presents a breakdown of the Company’s revenue:revenue between the amounts attributed to the retail customer accounts that were originally part of Siebert (“Legacy Siebert”) vs. the retail customer accounts acquired from StockCross (“StockCross accounts”) (unaudited):

    
Three Months Ended
September 30,
  
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
Revenue StreamStatements of Operations
Classification
 2018  2017  2018  2017 
              
Revenue from Principal transactions:             
Principal transactions – non StockCrossPrincipal transactions $437,000  $154,000  $1,514,000  $360,000 
Principal transactions attributed to assets acquired from StockCrossPrincipal transactions  2,197,000      6,324,000    
Total Revenue from Principal transactions   2,634,000   154,000   7,838,000   360,000 
                  
Revenue from Commissions and fees:                 
Commissions and fees – non StockCrossCommissions and fees  2,068,000   1,077,000   6,185,000   3,295,000 
Commissions and fees attributed to assets acquired from StockCrossCommissions and fees  397,000      1,466,000    
 Total Revenue from Commissions and fees   2,465,000   1,077,000   7,651,000   3,295,000 
                  
Revenue from Margin interest, marketing and distribution fees:                 
Margin interest, marketing and distribution fees – non StockCrossMargin interest, marketing and distribution fees  2,409,000   1,850,000   7,049,000   4,477,000 
Margin interest, marketing and distribution fees attributed to assets acquired from StockCrossMargin interest, marketing and distribution fees  322,000      904,000    
Total Revenue from Margin interest, marketing and distribution fees   2,731,000   1,850,000   7,953,000   4,477,000 
                  
Other Revenue:                 
Interest – non StockCrossInterest  34,000   4,000   69,000   9,000 
Advisory fees – non StockCrossAdvisory fees  20,000   4,000   38,000   16,000 
                  
Total RevenueTotal Revenue $7,884,000  $3,089,000  $23,549,000  $8,157,000 
   
Three Months Ended
September 30,
  
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
  2019  2018  2019  2018 
Revenue from Margin interest, marketing and distribution fees:            
Margin interest, marketing and distribution fees –
Legacy Siebert
 
$
2,566,000
  
$
2,409,000
  
$
7,451,000
  
$
7,049,000
 
Margin interest, marketing and distribution fees –
StockCross accounts
  
378,000
   
322,000
   
1,048,000
   
904,000
 
Total Revenue from Margin interest, marketing and distribution fees
  
2,944,000
   
2,731,000
   
8,499,000
   
7,953,000
 
                 
Revenue from Commissions and fees:                
Commissions and fees – Legacy Siebert  
1,544,000
   
1,950,000
   
5,043,000
   
5,914,000
 
Commissions and fees – StockCross accounts  
381,000
   
397,000
   
987,000
   
1,466,000
 
Total Revenue from Commissions and fees  
1,925,000
   
2,347,000
   
6,030,000
   
7,380,000
 
                 
Revenue from Principal transactions:                
Principal transactions – Legacy Siebert  
582,000
   
437,000
   
1,496,000
   
1,514,000
 
Principal transactions – StockCross accounts  
1,459,000
   
2,197,000
   
3,983,000
   
6,324,000
 
Total Revenue from Principal transactions  
2,041,000
   
2,634,000
   
5,479,000
   
7,838,000
 
                 
Additional Revenue:                
Advisory fees – Legacy Siebert  
211,000
   
138,000
   
572,000
   
309,000
 
Interest – Legacy Siebert  
23,000
   
34,000
   
54,000
   
69,000
 
                 
Total Revenue $7,144,000  $7,884,000  $20,634,000  $23,549,000 

Principal transactions are recorded on a trade-date basis and primarily represent riskless principal transactions in which the Company, after receiving an order, buys or sells securities as principal and at the same time buys or sells the securities with a markup or markdown to complete the order.
Commission and fees, margin interest, marketing and distribution fees, and related clearing expenses are recorded on a trade-date basis. Fees, consisting primarily of revenue participation with the Company’s clearing brokers in distribution fees and interest, are recorded as earned.
Advisory fees are earned typically on a quarterly basis in accordance with the terms of the client agreements.
Interest is recorded on the accrual basis.

5.Fair Value Measurements
FASB ASC 820 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and establishes a hierarchy of fair value inputs. Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. A fair value measurement assumes that the transaction to sell the asset or transfer the liability occurs in the principal market for the asset or liability or, in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market. Valuation techniques that are consistent with the market, income, or cost approach, as specified by FASB ASC 820, are used to measure fair value.9. Provision (Benefit) For (From) Income Taxes

The fair value hierarchy prioritizesProvision (benefit) for (from) income taxes consists of the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels:following:

Level 1 - Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active marketsCurrent income tax expense (benefit), which represents the amount of federal tax and state and local tax currently payable, including interest and penalties and amounts accrued for an identical asset or liability that the Company can assess at the measurement date.unrecognized tax benefits, if any, and;

Level 2 - Inputs other than quoted prices included within level 1 that are observable forDeferred income tax expense (benefit), which represents the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly.net change in the deferred tax assets balance during the year, including any change in the valuation allowance of the deferred tax assets, if any.

Level 3 - Unobservable inputs forFor the asset or liability.
7

The availability of observable inputs can vary from security to securitythree and is affected by a variety of factors, such as the type of security, the liquidity of markets, and other characteristics particular to the security. To the extent that the valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. As such, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in level 3.

The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

Fair value is a market-based measure considered from the perspective of a market participant rather than an entity-specific measure. Therefore, even when market assumptions are not readily available, the Company’s own assumptions are set to reflect those that the Company believes market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date.

A description of the valuation techniques applied to the Company’s major categories of assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis is as follows:

U.S. Government Securities: U.S. government securities are valued using quoted market prices and as such, valuation adjustments are not applied. Accordingly, U.S. government securities are generally categorized in level 1 of the fair value hierarchy.

Municipal Securities: Municipal securities are valued using recently executed transactions, market price quotations (when observable), bond spreads from independent external parties such as vendors and brokers, adjusted for any basis difference between cash and derivative instruments. The spread data used is for the same maturity as the bond. Municipal securities are generally categorized in level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

Corporate Bonds and Convertible Preferred Stock: The fair value of corporate bonds and convertible preferred stock are determined using recently executed transactions, market price quotations (when observable), bond spreads, or credit default swap spreads obtained from independent external parties such as vendors and brokers, adjusted for any basis difference between cash and derivative instruments. The spread data used is for the same maturity as the bond. If the spread data does not reference the issuer, then data that references a comparable issuer is used. When position-specific external price data is not observable, fair value is determined based on either benchmarking to similar instruments or cash flow models with yield curves, bond, or single-name credit default swap spreads and recovery rates as significant inputs. Corporate bonds and convertible preferred stocks are generally categorized in level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.
Exchange-Traded Equity Securities: Exchange-traded equity securities are valued based on quoted prices from the exchange. To the extent these securities are actively traded, valuation adjustments are not applied, and they are categorized in level 1 of the fair value hierarchy; otherwise, they are categorized in level 2 or level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

Certificates of Deposit: Certificates of deposit included in investments are valued at cost, which approximates fair value. These are categorized within segregated investments in level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

Unit Investment Trusts: Units of unit investment trusts are carried at redemption value, which represents fair value. Units of unit investment trusts are categorized in level 1 of the fair value hierarchy.

There were no inventory positions as of September 30, 2018 and as of December 31, 2017.

6.Commitments and Contingencies
Retail customer transactions are cleared, on a fully disclosed basis, through two clearing brokers, one of which is a related party. If customers do not fulfill their contractual obligations, the clearing broker may charge MSCO for any loss incurred in connection with the purchase or sale of securities at prevailing market prices to satisfy the customers’ obligations. MSCO regularly monitors the activity in its customer accounts for compliance with its margin requirement. MSCO is exposed to the risk of loss on unsettled customer transactions if customers fail to fulfill their contractual obligations. There were no material losses for unsettled customer transactions for the nine months ended September 30, 2019, there was no change in the valuation allowance of the historical net operating losses. For the three and nine months ended September 2018, there was a partial release of the valuation allowance of historical net operating losses of approximately $1.4 million.

The change in deferred tax assets for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017.

2019 was due to the utilization of federal and state net operating losses and temporary differences in the depreciation of fixed assets.

8- 11 -

7.Provision for Income Taxes

IncomeThe following table presents the components of provision (benefit) for (from) for income taxes consist offor the following:periods indicated (unaudited):

  
Three Months Ended
September 30,
  
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
  2019  2018  2019  2018 
Current income tax expense (benefit)
            
Federal 
$
161,000
  
$
300,000
  
$
295,000
  
$
847,000
 
State  
223,000
   
58,000
   
405,000
   
61,000
 
   
384,000
   
358,000
   
700,000
   
908,000
 
                 
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)
                
Federal  
(50,000
)
  
(423,000
)
  
261,000
   
(423,000
)
State  
19,000
   
(970,000
)
  
210,000
   
(970,000
)
   
(31,000
)
  
(1,393,000
)
  
471,000
   
(1,393,000
)
                 
Total Provision (Benefit) For (From) Income Taxes $353,000  $(1,035,000) $1,171,000  $(485,000)

  
Three Months Ended
September 30, 2018
  
Nine Months Ended
September 30, 2018
 
Current income taxes      
Federal $300,000  $847,000 
State  58,000   61,000 
   358,000   908,000 
         
Deferred tax benefit        
Federal  (423,000)  (423,000)
State  (970,000)  (970,000)
   (1,393,000)  (1,393,000)
         
Total (Benefit) from income taxes $(1,035,000) $(485,000)
Effective Tax Rate

For interim financial reporting, we estimatethe Company estimates the effective tax rate for tax jurisdictions which is applied to the year to date income before provision (benefit) for (from) income taxes. For the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, the Company’s effective tax rate was 24% and -50%, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, the Company’s effective tax rate was 27% and -8%, respectively.

As of December 31, 2018, the Company recorded an income tax benefit related to the recognition of deferred tax assets of $5,576,000. The increase in the effective tax rate in 2019 was due to an increase in deferred income tax expense corresponding to the decrease in the deferred tax assets. Deferred income tax expense (benefit) was -$31,000 and $471,000 for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively.

10. Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted average of the number of outstanding common shares during the period. The Company had net income of $1,104,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2019 as compared to net income of $3,119,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The Company had net income of $3,102,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 as compared to net income of $6,611,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018.

11. Related Party Disclosures

StockCross

StockCross and the Company are under common ownership and StockCross serves as one of the two clearing brokers for the Company. StockCross has a clearing agreement with MSCO in which StockCross passes through all revenue and charges MSCO for related clearing expenses. Outside of the clearing agreement, MSCO has an expense sharing agreement with StockCross for its Beverly Hills and Jersey City offices and StockCross pays some vendors for miscellaneous expenses which it passes through to MSCO. As of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, MSCO had receivables from StockCross totaling approximately $1.7 million and $1.3 million, respectively, consisting of financing for inventory positions, the net monthly clearing fees StockCross owes MSCO, and a clearing deposit. As of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, MSCO had a payable to StockCross totaling $27,000 and $46,000, respectively. In January 2019, the Company purchased approximately 15% of StockCross’ outstanding shares and in July 2019 the Company entered into a binding letter of intent to purchase the remaining 85% of StockCross. For the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2018, our effective tax rate2019, the earnings recognized from the Company’s 15% investment in StockCross was -50%$30,000 and -8%, respectively, due$84,000, respectively. Please see Item 4. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data – “Note 6 – Equity Method Investments” for additional detail on the transaction with StockCross.

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Kennedy Cabot Acquisition (“KCA”)

KCA is an affiliate of the Company and StockCross. To gain efficiencies and economies of scale with billing and administrative functions, KCA serves as a paymaster for the Company and StockCross for compensation and benefits expenses, the entirety of which KCA passes through to the reversal ofCompany and StockCross proportionally. In addition, KCA has purchased the valuation allowancenaming rights for the deferred tax asset.Company for the Company to use.

     As of September 30, 2018, we adjusted a portion of our valuation allowance against our deferred tax asset arising in U.S. federalPWC

PWC brokers the insurance policies for related parties. Revenue for PWC from related parties was $3,000 and state jurisdictions as the realization of such asset is considered to be more likely than not realizable at this time. As a result, we recognized a net deferred tax asset amounting to approximately $1,393,000 as of September 30, 2018, and our income tax expense decreased $1,393,000$67,000 for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2018. A deferred tax asset of approximately $6,619,000 is reported net of a valuation allowance of $5,226,000.

     In a future period, the Company’s assessment of the realizability of deferred tax assets2019, respectively. Revenue for PWC from related parties was $16,000 and therefore the appropriateness of the valuation allowance could change based on an assessment of all available evidence, both positive and negative, in that future period. If the Company’s conclusion about the realizability of its deferred tax assets and therefore the appropriateness of the valuation allowance changes in a future period, the Company could record an additional substantial tax benefit or expense when that occurs.

     As of September 30, 2018, the Company had federal and state net operating loss carryforwards of $22,657,000 and $15,834,000, respectively, which expire between 2029 and 2036. Utilization of the Company’s net operating loss carryforwards for federal tax purposes and certain state jurisdictions are subject to annual limitations of approximately $900,000 per year under Internal Revenue Code Section 382 due to a previous change in ownership.

     In regard to the effect of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, we determined that the primary change applicable to us will result in lower income tax expense in 2018 as well as subsequent years. The statutory federal income rates in effect of 34% as of December 31, 2017 and 21% in subsequent periods were utilized to calculate the income tax provision and this provision will result in lower income tax expense in 2018 as well as subsequent years. In addition, the change in federal income tax rates affected the valuation of our gross deferred tax asset; however, there was no material impact to the financials as of December 31, 2017 through June 30, 2018 as there was a full valuation allowance during those periods."
The reconciliation between the income tax provision and income taxes computed by applying the statutory federal income tax rate to income before income taxes$61,000 for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2018 is as follows:
  
Three Months Ended
September 30, 2018
  
Nine Months Ended
September 30, 2018
 
Expected income tax at statutory federal tax rate (21%) $438,000  $1,286,000 
Tax amortization of intangible assets  (70,000)  (210,000)
Depreciation  8,000   19,000 
Net operating loss  (47,000)  (141,000)
Temporary differences - charitable contributions  4,000   (57,000)
State taxes  25,000   11,000 
Reversal of valuation allowance  (1,393,000)  (1,393,000)
Total (Benefit) from income taxes $(1,035,000) $(485,000)
The primary item giving rise to the deferred tax asset is as follows:

Net operating loss carryforwards $6,619,000 
Valuation allowance  (5,226,000)
Net deferred tax asset $1,393,000 
As of December 31, 2017, March 31, 2018 and June 30, 2018, the Company’s deferred tax asset was primarily the result of U.S. and state net operating loss carryforwards. A full valuation allowance was recorded against the gross deferred tax asset as of December 31, 2017, March 31, 2018 and June 30, 2018. For the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recorded a net valuation allowance reversal of $1,393,000 related to net operating losses, on the basis of management’s reassessment of the amount of its deferred tax asset that is more likely than not to be realized.

As of each reporting date, management considers new evidence, both positive and negative, that could impact management’s view with regard to future realization of deferred tax assets. As of September 30, 2018, the Company had achieved a full year of positive earnings in 2017 as well as three consecutive quarters of positive earnings in 2018. In addition, the 2018 results included almost a full year of the results post-acquisition of the retail assets from StockCross. Based on our analysis of the positive and negative evidence, management determined that sufficient positive evidence existed as of September 30, 2018 to conclude that a portion of deferred tax asset was realizable. Therefore, we reduced the valuation allowance and income tax expense accordingly.
 8.Non-Recurring Charges
There were no non-recurring charges for the three months ended September 30, 2017. Included in the nine months ended September 30, 2017 is $342,000 primarily due to relocating the firm’s call center and costs associated with staff reductions.

9

9.Related Party Transactions
The Company earned revenue and incurred expenses of $2,916,000 and $307,000, respectively, from StockCross for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The Company earned revenue and incurred expenses of $8,694,000 and $1,271,000, respectively, from StockCross for the nine months ended September 30, 2018.

As12. Subsequent Events

There have been no additional material subsequent events that have occurred during such period that would require disclosure in this report or would be required to be recognized in the financial statements as of September 30, 2018, the Company is owed a receivable from StockCross of $1,625,000. For the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company received $14,000 in commissions and fees for a StockCross insurance policy.2019.

10.Liabilities

Included in the September 30, 2018 condensed consolidated statements of financial condition is $312,000 of commissions payable as part of accounts payable and accrued liabilities.
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11.Leases
In addition to the leases stated in our 2017 Form 10-K, the Company committed to the below lease. The future minimum base rental payments under this operating lease are as follows:

  Total  2019  2020  2021  2022  2023  Later Years 
Jersey City Office $2,212,000  $382,000  $428,000  $441,000  $454,000  $468,000  $39,000 

12.KCAT Acquisition and Software
On August 21, 2018, the Company signed a purchase agreement to acquire from KCA all of the issued and outstanding membership interests of KCAT. The net assets of KCAT included cash and capitalized software related to the Robo Platform. We have concluded that KCAT did not constitute a business in accordance with ASC Topic 805 and thus we accounted for this transaction as an asset acquisition. The majority of the shares of KCA were owned by the same shareholders who owned the majority of the shares of the Company. The Company's Board of Directors unanimously approved the acquisition of KCAT. The acquisition of KCAT was completed on August 21, 2018. The total consideration for the acquisition of KCAT was approximately $690,000. We believe that the Robo Platform will increase the breadth of our product offering and will generate substantial opportunity for the Company by appealing to customers within new demographics.
The software acquired from KCAT is accounted for under ASC Topic 985, Software, and shall be amortized over a 3 year period beginning in Q2 of 2019, the date we estimate the software will launch for commercial purposes.

ItemITEM 2. Management’s DiscussionMANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Forward-Looking Statements

The statements contained in the following MD&A and Analysiselsewhere throughout this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including any documents incorporated by reference, that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Financial Conditionthe U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “estimate,” “target,” “project,” “intend” and Resultssimilar words or expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections, or other characterizations of Operationsfuture events or circumstances are forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements, which reflect our management’s beliefs, objectives, and expectations as of the date hereof, are based on the best judgement of our management. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, including, without limitation, the following: economic, social and political conditions and other securities industry risks; interest rate risks; liquidity risks; credit risk with clients and counterparties; risk of liability for errors in clearing functions; systemic risk; systems failures, delays and capacity constraints; network security risks; competition; reliance on external service providers; new laws and regulations affecting our business; net capital requirements; extensive regulation, regulatory uncertainties and legal matters; failure to maintain relationships with employees, customers, business partners or governmental entities; the inability to achieve synergies or to implement integration plans and other consequences associated with risks and uncertainties detailed in our filings with the SEC, including our most recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q.

 The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date on which the statements were made. We caution that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive, and new factors may emerge, or changes to the foregoing factors may occur, that could impact our business. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by the federal securities laws.

This discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017,on our 2018 Form 10-K, and our condensed consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this Quarterly Report.Report on Form 10-Q.

Business Environment Executive Overview

Our cash is invested primarilyWe operate as a financial services company and provide a wide variety of financial services to our clients. Results in bank accounts with large financial institutions. Our cash and working capital are sufficient to service the firm’s operations.
The following table presents certain metrics for, and as of, various periods within 2018 and 2017,businesses in which we use in evaluating our business.
  Three Months  Nine Months 
  Ended September 30,  Ended September 30, 
Retail Customer Activity 2018  2017  2018  2017 
Total retail trades  82,120   50,025   262,610   155,043 
Average commission per retail trade $23.43  $20.35  $22.87  $20.63 
  As of September 30, 
Retail Customer Metrics  2018  2017 
Retail customer net worth (in billions) $11.7  $7.5 
Retail customer money market fund value (in billions) $0.6  $0.7 
Retail free credit balances (in billions) $0.4  $0.3 
Retail customer margin debit balances (in billions) $0.4  $0.3 
Retail customer accounts with positions  39,247   27,020 
Description
·Total retail trades represents retail trades that generate commissions.
·Average commission per retail trade represents the average commission generated for all types of retail customer trades.
·Retail customer net worth represents the total value of securities and cash in the retail customer accounts before deducting margin debits.
·Retail customer money market fund value represents all retail customers accounts invested in money market funds.
·Retail customer margin debit balances represents credit extendedoperate are highly correlated to our customers to finance their purchases against current positions.
·Retail customer accounts with positions represents retail customers with cash and/or securities in their accounts.
We, like other securities firms, are directly affected by general economic conditions and, more specifically, to the direction of the U.S. equity and fixed-income markets. Market volatility, overall market conditions, including fluctuations in volume and prices of securities, changes and prospects for changes in interest rates, economic, political and demand for brokerageregulatory trends, and advisory services, allindustry competition are among the factors which could affect us and which are unpredictable and beyond our control. These factors affect the financial decisions made by market participants who include investors and competitors, impacting their level of which can affect our relative profitability.participation in the financial markets. In addition, in periods of reduced financial market activity, profitability is likely to be adversely affected because certain expenses remain relatively fixed, such asincluding salaries and related costs, as well as portionsoccupancy expenses and components of communications and occupancy expenses.costs. Accordingly, earnings for any period should not be considered representative of earnings to be expected for any other period.

Significant Event

As reported in a current report on Form 8-K filed October 3, 2019, the Company entered into an agreement to acquire Weeden Prime, a broker-dealer registered with the SEC offering prime brokerage services. Upon completion of the transaction, which is pending regulatory approval, Weeden Prime will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.

10- 14 -


Critical Accounting PoliciesClient Account and Activity Metrics

We generally follow accounting policies standardThe following tables set forth metrics we use in analyzing our client account and activity trends for the periods indicated:

Client Account Metrics

  As of September 30, 
  2019  2018 
Retail customer net worth (in billions) 
$
11.2
  
$
11.7
 
Retail customer margin debit balances (in billions) 
$
0.4
  
$
0.4
 
Retail customer credit balances (in billions) 
$
0.4
  
$
0.4
 
Retail customer money market fund value (in billions) 
$
0.6
  
$
0.6
 
Retail customer accounts  
76,270
   
74,450
 

Retail customer net worth represents the total value of securities and cash in the retail customer accounts before deducting margin debits.
Retail customer margin debit balances represents credit extended to our customers to finance their purchases against current positions.
Retail customer credit balances represents client cash held in brokerage industry and believe that our policies appropriately reflect our financial position and resultsaccounts.
Retail customer money market fund value represents all retail customers accounts invested in money market funds.
Retail customer accounts represents the number of operations. Our management makes significant estimates that affectretail customers. Effective in December 2018, the reported amountsretail customer accounts metric was revised to include all retail accounts regardless of assets, liabilities, revenue, and expenses as well as the related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities included in the financial statements. The estimates relate primarily to revenue and expenses in the normal course of business as to which we receive no confirmations, invoices, or other documentation at the time the books are closed. We use our best judgment, based on our knowledge of these revenue transactions and expenses incurred, to estimate the amount of such revenue and expenses. We are not aware of any material differences between the estimates used in closing our books for the last five years and the actual amounts of revenue and expenses incurred when we subsequently receive the actual confirmations, invoices, or other documentation. Estimates are also used in determining the useful lives of intangible assets and the fair market value of intangible assets. We also estimate the valuation allowance relatingPrior periods have been updated to conform to the deferred tax asset based on more likely than not criteria. Our analysis includes positive and negative evidence available such as past operating history, estimated projected taxable income, industry and economic statistics, and the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Our management believes that its estimates are reasonable.

We are planning to capitalize certain costs related to the development of the Robo Platform upon completion. As indicated in footnote 12, we are in the development and testing phase as there are additional features and functionalities needed to be built out. The types of costs we will capitalize include expenses such as consulting fees for third-party developers working on the project. Costs related to post-implementation activities will be expensed as incurred. Internal-use software is amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the asset, which is expected to be three years.

Significant Events in the Third Quarter of 2018

KCAT Acquisition and Software

Post-acquisition of KCAT and the AdvisorNXT code, we are continuing to enhance and tailor the Robo Platform to fit our strategic needs. As part of the most recent wave of development, our goals were to streamline the online account opening process, build out new automation for money movement, and improve the visuals and branding for a better client experience.

As of the end of this quarter we have met these goals and have successfully launched the Robo Platform with the ability to onboard clients. In addition, we have made significant progress in the development of key algorithms and have remastered the portfolio selection process. The Robo Platform onboarding application is currently located at https://app.advisornxt.com/get-started.

Going forward, we are working on streamlining connectivity between the Robo Platform and the client website, our back office databases, and our clearing providers. In addition, we are continuing to automate trading and back office tasks related to rebalancing client portfolios and processing fees. These improvements will be critical as we continue to scale the Robo Platform and we anticipate the majority of these new features to become fully operational during Q2 of 2019. We are excited to offer our dynamic Robo Platform to our current client base and when the application becomes fully operational, we will implement a strategic plan focused on customer acquisition.

11

Deferred Tax Asset
Deferred income taxes arise from temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements, which will result in taxable or deductible amounts in the future. In evaluating our ability to recover our deferred tax assets within the jurisdiction from which they arise, we considered all available positive and negative evidence, including scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. In projecting future taxable income, we began with historical results and incorporated assumptions about the amount of future state and federal pretax operating income adjusted for items that did not have tax consequences. The assumptions about future taxable income required significant judgment and are consistent with the plans and estimates we use to manage the underlying businesses. In evaluating the objective evidence that historical results provide, we considered three years of cumulative operating loss.
Evaluation of Deferred Tax Asset as of December 31, 2017 through June 30, 2018
We did not recognize a deferred tax asset as of December 31, 2017 through June 30, 2018 based on our analysis of positive and negative evidence available. In assessing the amount to be recorded as a deferred tax asset, we considered the following factors:

Positive Evidence
Positive earnings for 2017.
Preliminary positive earnings for first six months of 2018 and positive projections for the full year.presentation.

Negative EvidenceClient Activity Metrics

  
Three Months Ended
September 30,
  
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
  2019  2018  2019  2018 
Total retail trades  
65,828
   
82,120
   
199,668
   
262,610
 
Average commission per retail trade 
$
17.31
  
$
23.43
  
$
18.40
  
$
22.87
 

Track record of positive earnings in 2018 is limited.Total retail trades represents retail trades that generate commissions.
Significant losses in 2016, 2015, and 2014.
The unpredictable natureAverage commission per retail trade represents the average commission generated for all types of future revenue streams.
The potential correction in the market, which could result in losses to the Company and the inability to use the tax asset.
The uncertainty in the political environment which could result in a change in the tax code that may cause market repercussions.
The effect of the tariffs on the economy.
Increased competitive pressures.
ASC 740-10-30-22(c),  provides examples of positive evidence that might support a conclusion that a valuation allowance is not needed when there is negative evidence. According to ASC 740-10-30-22(c), an example of positive evidence that might overcome negative evidence is "a strong earnings history exclusive of the loss that created the future deductible amount (tax loss carryforward or deductible temporary difference) coupled with evidence indicating that the loss (for example, an unusual, infrequent, or extraordinary item) is an aberration rather than a continuing condition."
In consideration of the guidance shown above, as of December 31, 2017, we believe that the Company did not have enough financial track record to be classified as having a “strong earnings history” as identified above. As of June 30, 2018, we considered the improved operating results post-acquisition of the retail assets from StockCross; however, we still believed that there was not enough financial track record for the Company to be classified as having a “strong earnings history.” In addition, a significant piece of objective negative evidence evaluated was the cumulative loss incurred over the three-year period ended December 31, 2016. Such objective evidence limited the ability to consider other subjective evidence such as our projections for future growth.customer trades.
Accordingly, the positive financial performance was insufficient to outweigh the negative evidence as indicated above, and we concluded, using the more likely than not criteria, that a full valuation allowance for the deferred tax asset was appropriate as of December 31, 2017, March 31, 2018, and June 30, 2018 and the evidence did not support recording a partial valuation allowance.
Evaluation of Deferred Tax Asset as of September 30, 2018
As of September 30, 2018, we recognized a deferred tax asset based on the additional positive evidence available. In assessing the amount to be recorded as a deferred tax asset, we considered the positive and negative evidence referenced above, as well as the below evidence:
Subsequent Positive Evidence
Three quarters of significantly improved operating results in comparison to 2017 and historical years.
Almost a full year of positive earnings post-acquisition of the retail assets from StockCross.
Taxable income of approximately $6 million as of September 30, 2018.
Revised projected taxable income for fiscal year 2018, 2019 and 2020 exceeding original projections performed at the end of 2017.
As of September 30, 2018, we considered the guidance from ASC 740-10-30-22(c) and believed that with three quarters of significantly improved operating results from the acquisition of the retail assets from StockCross, we concluded that the Company had a sufficient track record of positive performance as well as a trend of improving results to be classified as having a “strong earnings history.” While the negative evidence considered as of December 31, 2017 through June 30, 2018 was still relevant, the objective evidence of the Company’s performance during 2018 supported the positive evidence outweighing the negative.
As such, as of September 30, 2018, we believe that it was reasonable to record a deferred tax asset (net of valuation allowance) of approximately $1,393,000 as projected for the next three years. In assessing the amount to be recorded as a deferred tax asset, we concluded that a period not exceeding 3 years was a reasonable projection period due to increasing competitive pressures, regulatory costs, and the volatile political and economic environment.

12

ResultsStatements of Operations
for the Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 Compared to Three Months Ended September 30, 2017

Net Income

Net income for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 was $3,119,000, an increase of $2,118,000$1,104,000, decreasing by $2,015,000 or 212%65% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to the retail assets acquired from StockCross,partial release of the recognitionvaluation allowance of historical net operating losses in the third quarter of 2018 as well as a deferred tax asset,reduction in principal transactions and an increasecommission and fees revenues as a result of slower market conditions in interest bearing earnings.the third quarter of 2019.

Revenue

Total revenue for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 was $7,884,000, an increase of $4,795,000$7,144,000, decreasing by $740,000 or 155%9% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to slower market conditions in the third quarter of 2019 negatively impacting revenue from principal transactions as well as commission and fees. Average commissions per retail assets acquired from StockCross and an increasetrade decreased primarily due to a higher percentage of our clients’ trades receiving reduced commission rates as a result of continued price competition in interest bearing earnings.the industry.

Margin interest, marketing and distribution fees for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 were $2,731,000, an increase of $881,000$2,944,000, increasing by $213,000 or 48%8% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to the retail assets acquired from StockCross and an increasea slight rise in interest rates.

Principal transactions for the three months ended September 30, 2018 were $2,634,000, an increase of $2,480,000 or 1,610% from the corresponding period in 2017 primarily due to the retail assets acquired from StockCross.

Commissions and fees for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 were $2,465,000, an increase of $1,388,000$1,925,000, decreasing by $422,000 or 129%18% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to slower market conditions in the third quarter of 2019 negatively impacting overall demand for retail assets acquired from StockCross.products.

Interest
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Principal transactions for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was $34,000, an increase of $30,0002019 were $2,041,000, decreasing by $593,000 or 750%23% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to increased cash balances.slower market conditions in the third quarter of 2019 negatively impacting overall demand for retail products.

Advisory fees for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 were $20,000, an increase of $16,000$211,000, increasing by $73,000 or 400%53% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to the preliminary launchoverall expansion of the robo technology.advisory business line which included revenue growth related to SNXT’s Robo-Advisor.

Interest for the three months ended September 30, 2019 was $23,000, decreasing by $11,000 or 32% from the corresponding period in 2018, primarily due to lower cash balances.

Operating Expenses

Total expenses for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 were $5,800,000, an increase of $3,712,000$5,717,000, decreasing by $83,000 or 178%1% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to items related to the retail assets acquired from StockCross such as additional personnel and office space requirements.a reduction in miscellaneous expenses.

Employee compensation and benefits for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 were $3,668,000, an increase of $2,637,000$3,157,000, decreasing by $511,000 or 256%14% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to lower commission payouts associated with the decrease in commissions and fees and principal transaction revenues.

Clearing fees, including execution costs for the three months ended September 30, 2019 were $617,000, decreasing by $14,000 or 2% from the corresponding period in 2018, primarily due to the retail assets acquireddecrease in clearing and execution services associated with the lower level of overall client activity.

Professional fees for the three months ended September 30, 2019 were $439,000, decreasing by $38,000 or 8% from StockCross.the corresponding period in 2018, primarily due to a reduction in legal fees.

Other general and administrative expenses for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 were $650,000, an increase of $375,000$589,000, increasing by $88,000 or 136%18% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to incremental office expenses related to the retail assets acquired from StockCross.Miami office.

Clearing fees, including floor brokerageTechnology and communications for the three months ended September 30, 2019 were $291,000, increasing by $63,000 or 28% from the corresponding period in 2018, primarily due to a higher level of technological infrastructure expansion.

Rent and occupancy expenses for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 were $631,000, an increase of $379,000$380,000, increasing by $132,000 or 150%53% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to the retail assets acquiredincrease in rent from StockCross.our office space in Jersey City and Miami.

Professional feesDepreciation and amortization for the three months ended September 30, 2018 were $477,000, an increase of $105,0002019 was $244,000, increasing by $203,000 or 28%495% from the corresponding period in 2017 primarily due to activities and developments related to expanding our business.

Occupancy expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2018, were $248,000, an increase of $162,000 or 188% from the corresponding period in 2017 primarily due to the retail assets acquired from StockCross.

Communications expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2018 were $120,000, an increasedepreciation and amortization of $64,000 or 114% from the corresponding period in 2017 primarily due to the retail assets acquired from StockCross.incremental leasehold improvements and software development assets.

Advertising and promotion expenses for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 were $0, decreasing by $6,000 a decrease of $10,000 or 63% from the corresponding period in 2017.2018, primarily due to the elimination of miscellaneous advertising costs.

Earnings of Equity Method Investment in Related Party

Earnings of equity method investment in related party for the three months ended September 30, 2019 were $30,000 due to the Company recognizing its proportional earnings from StockCross for the three months ended September 30, 2019.

Provision (Benefit) For (From) Income Taxes

Provision (benefit) for (from) income taxes for the three months ended September 30, 20182019 was a credit of $1,035,000, a decrease of $1,035,000$353,000, increasing by $1,388,000 or 134% from the corresponding period in 2017 which consisted of a credit of $1,393,0002018, primarily due to the recognitionpartial release of a deferred tax asset partially offset by income taxesthe valuation allowance of $358,000.
historical net operating losses in the third quarter of 2018.

13

Statements of Operations for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 Compared to Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017

Net Income

Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 was $6,611,000, an increase of $5,186,000$3,102,000, decreasing by $3,509,000 or 364%53% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to a reduction in principal transactions and commission and fees revenues as a result of market volatility in 2019, partially offset by the retail assets acquired from StockCross, the recognition of a deferred tax asset, and an increasedecrease in interest bearing earnings. Included inoperating expenses such as commission payouts related to those revenue streams. In addition, net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 is $342,000 of non-recurring costs primarilydecreased on a comparative basis due to relocating the firm’s call center and costs associated with staff reductions.partial release of the valuation allowance of historical net operating losses in the third quarter of 2018.

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Revenue

Total revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 was $23,549,000, an increase of $15,392,000$20,634,000, decreasing by $2,915,000 or 189%12% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to market volatility in 2019 negatively impacting revenue from principal transactions as well as commission and fees. Average commissions per retail trade decreased primarily due to a higher percentage of our clients’ trades receiving reduced commission rates as a result of continued price competition in the retail assets acquired from StockCross and an increase in interest bearing earnings.industry.

Margin interest, marketing and distribution fees for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 were $7,953,000, an increase of $3,476,000$8,499,000, increasing by $546,000 or 78%7% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to the retail assets acquired from StockCross and an increasea slight rise in interest rates.

Principal transactions for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 were $7,838,000, an increase of $7,478,000 or 2,077% from the corresponding period in 2017 primarily due to the retail assets acquired from StockCross.

Commissions and fees for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 were $7,651,000, an increase of $4,356,000$6,030,000, decreasing by $1,350,000 or 132%18% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to themarket volatility in 2019 negatively impacting overall demand for retail assets acquired from StockCross.products.

InterestPrincipal transactions for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 was $69,000, an increase of $60,0002019 were $5,479,000, decreasing by $2,359,000 or 667%30% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to increased cash balances.market volatility in 2019 negatively impacting overall demand for retail products.

Advisory fees for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 were $38,000, an increase of $22,000$572,000, increasing by $263,000 or 138%85% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to the preliminary launchoverall expansion of the robo technology.advisory business line which included revenue growth related to SNXT’s Robo-Advisor.

Interest for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was $54,000, decreasing by $15,000 or 22% from the corresponding period in 2018, primarily due to lower cash balances.

Operating Expenses

Total expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 were $17,423,000, an increase of $10,691,000$16,445,000, decreasing by $978,000 or 159%6% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to itemsthe lower commission payouts associated with less commissions and fees and principal transactions revenues, partially offset by the increase in other general and administrative expenses related to the retail assets acquired from StockCross suchexpansion of our Jersey City office and the establishment of our Miami office as additional personnelwell as the increase in depreciation and office space requirements.amortization of incremental assets.

Employee compensation and benefits for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 were $10,619,000, an increase of $7,550,000$8,882,000, decreasing by $1,737,000 or 246%16% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to lower commission payouts associated with the decrease in commissions and fees and principal transaction revenues.

Clearing fees, including execution costs for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 were $1,849,000, decreasing by $363,000 or 16% from the corresponding period in 2018, primarily due to the decrease in clearing and execution services associated with the lower level demand for retail assets acquiredproducts.

Professional fees for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 were $1,388,000, decreasing by $184,000 or 12% from StockCross.the corresponding period in 2018, primarily due to a reduction in legal fees.

Other general and administrative expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 were $1,874,000, an increase of $854,000$1,861,000, increasing by $501,000 or 84%37% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to incremental office expenses related to the retail assets acquired from StockCross.expansion of our Jersey City office and the establishment of our Miami office.

Clearing fees, including floor brokerageTechnology and communications for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 were $800,000, increasing by $8,000 or 1% from the corresponding period in 2018.

Rent and occupancy expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 were $2,212,000, an increase of $1,393,000$995,000, increasing by $258,000 or 170%35% from the corresponding period in 20172018, primarily due to the retail assets acquiredincrease in rent from StockCross.our office space in Jersey City and Miami.

Professional feesDepreciation and amortization for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 were $1,572,000, an increase of $307,000$670,000, increasing by $579,000 or 24%636% from the corresponding period in 2017 primarily due to activities and developments related to expanding our business.

Occupancy expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, were $737,000, an increase of $431,000 or 141% from the corresponding period in 2017 primarily due to the retail assets acquired from StockCross.depreciation and amortization of incremental leasehold improvements and software development assets.

Communications expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 were $369,000, an increase of $177,000 or 92% from the corresponding period in 2017 primarily due to the retail assets acquired from StockCross.
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Advertising and promotion expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 were $0, decreasing by $40,000 a decrease of $21,000 or 34% from the corresponding period in 2017.2018, primarily due to the elimination of miscellaneous advertising costs.

Earnings of Equity Method Investment in Related Party

Earnings of equity method investment in related party for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was $84,000 due to the Company recognizing its proportional earnings from StockCross for the nine months ended September 30, 2019.

Provision (Benefit) For (From) Income Taxes

Provision (benefit) for (from) income taxes for the nine months ended September 30, 20182019 was a credit of $485,000, a decrease of $485,000$1,171,000, increasing by $1,656,000 or 341% from the corresponding period in 2017 which consisted of a credit of $1,393,0002018, primarily due to the recognitionpartial release of a deferred tax asset partially offset by income taxesthe valuation allowance of $908,000.
historical net operating losses in the third quarter of 2018.

14Statements of Financial Condition as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018


Assets

Assets as of September 30, 2019 were $23,993,000 and increased by $5,816,000 or 32% from assets as of December 31, 2018, primarily due the lease right-of-use assets recorded per the new lease accounting guidance, an increase in furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements from the development of our technological infrastructure, as well as incremental software development assets. In relation to the purchase of approximately 15% of StockCross’ outstanding shares, there was an increase in the equity method investment in related party asset of approximately $3.7 million and corresponding decrease in cash, with no net change to total assets.

Liabilities

Liabilities as of September 30, 2019 were $3,717,000 and increased by $2,714,000 or 271% from liabilities as of December 31, 2018, primarily due to the lease liabilities recorded per the new lease accounting guidance.

Liquidity and Capital Resources
 
Our working capital is invested in cash and cash equivalents.equivalents are unrestricted and are used to fund our working capital needs. Our total assets as of September 30, 2019 were approximately $24.0 million, of which $4.2 million, or approximately 18% consisted of cash and cash equivalents and were considered highly liquid. Our total assets as of December 31, 2018 were $13,493,000,approximately $18.2 million, of which $7,341,000,$7.2 million, or 54%, isapproximately 40% consisted of cash and cash equivalents and were considered highly liquid.

MSCO is subject to regulatory requirements that are intended to ensure its liquidity and general financial soundness. Under the SEC’sSEC's Uniform Net Capital Rule (Rule 15c3-1 or “Uniform Net Capital Rule”)(Exchange Act Rule 15c3-1), which requiresMSCO is required to maintain, at all times, at least the maintenanceminimum level of net capital required under Rule 15c3-1. Since our aggregate debits may fluctuate significantly, our minimum net capital. capital requirements may also fluctuate significantly from period to period. Siebert may make cash capital contributions to MSCO, if necessary, to meet minimum net capital requirements.

MSCO may not repay any subordinated borrowings, pay cash dividends, or make any unsecured advances or loans to Siebert or employees if such payment would result in a net capital amount of less than (a) 5% of aggregate debit balances or (b) 120% of its minimum dollar requirement.

As of September 30, 2018, MSCO’s regulatory2019, MSCO had net capital was $9,701,000,of approximately $5.7 million, which was $9,451,000approximately $5.4 million in excess of required net capital of $250,000. As of December 31, 2018, MSCO had net capital of approximately $8.9 million, which was approximately $8.7 million in excess of its minimum capital requirement of $250,000.

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Contractual Obligations

Future annual minimum payments for operating leases with initial terms of greater than one year as of September 30, 2019 were as follows:

Year Amount 
2019 
$
259,000
 
2020  
992,000
 
2021  
759,000
 
2022  
513,000
 
2023  
493,000
 
2024  
56,000
 
Thereafter  
 
Remaining balance of lease payments $3,072,000 

There have been no material changes in our contractual obligations outside the ordinary course of business since December 31, 2018.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

Retail customer transactions are cleared through two clearing brokers on a fully disclosed basis. If customers do not fulfill their contractual obligations, the clearing brokers may charge us for any loss incurred in connection with the purchase or sale of securities at prevailing market prices to satisfy customer obligations. We regularly monitor the activity in customer accounts for compliance with margin requirements. We are exposed to the risk of loss on unsettled customer transactions if customers and other counterparties are unable to fulfill their contractual obligations. There were no material losses for unsettled customer transactions in the last five years.

Critical Accounting Policies

On January 1, 2019, we adopted the new standard under ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires lessees to recognize lease on-balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. As of September 30, 2019, the Company recognized lease right-of-use assets of approximately $2.5 million and corresponding lease liabilities of approximately $2.8 million. Please see Item 4. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data – “Note 5 – Leases” for additional detail.

Certain of our accounting policies that involve a higher degree of judgment and complexity are discussed in Part II – Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Critical Accounting Policies in our 2018 Form 10-K. Except as described above, there have been no changes to critical accounting estimates during the nine months ended September 30, 2019.

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ItemITEM 3. QuantitativeQUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

Financial Instruments Held For Trading Purposes

We do not directly engage in derivative transactions, have no interest in any special purpose entity and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Riskhave no liabilities, contingent or otherwise, for the debt of another entity.

Working capital isFinancial Instruments Held For Purposes Other Than Trading

We generally investedinvest our cash and cash equivalents temporarily in dollar denominated bank deposits, which may at times exceed FDIC limits. We haveaccount(s). These investments are not incurred any losses associated with such excess deposits.subject to material changes in value due to interest rate movements.

Retail customer transactions are cleared through two clearing brokers on a fully disclosed basis, through two clearing brokers, one of which is a related party.basis. If customers do not fulfill their contractual obligations, the clearing brokerbrokers may charge MSCOus for any loss incurred in connection with the purchase or sale of securities at prevailing market prices to satisfy the customers’customer obligations. MSCOWe regularly monitorsmonitor the activity in its customer accounts for compliance with its margin requirement. MSCO isrequirements. We are exposed to the risk of loss on unsettled customer transactions if customers failand other counterparties are unable to fulfill their contractual obligations. There were no material losses for unsettled customer transactions forin the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017.last five years.


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ItemITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report pursuant to Rule 13a-15(e) or Rule 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act. Based on that evaluation, our management, including the Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer, concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure that the information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act, is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, and to ensure that information required to be disclosed is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

As a result
Based on its evaluation, our management, including our Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer, concluded that as of the following enhancementsend of the period covered by this report, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

No change in the Company’s reporting process, the issues regarding the historical material weaknesses have been remedied as of September 30, 2018.

We have implemented a number of measures to address the material weaknesses identified in our internal controlscontrol over financial reporting which were disclosed in our 2017 Form 10-K. During the first nine months of 2018, we increased our accounting staff by hiring an individual with appropriate experience applying GAAP technical accounting guidance. We have also engaged an independent CPA/Consultant who has extensive experience in SEC reporting, internal controls, and compliance and has been intimately involved in these areas to remediate the material weaknesses identified. We designed additional controls around identification, documentation and application of technical accounting guidance with particular emphasis on events outside the ordinary course of business. These controls include the implementation of additional supervision and review activities by qualified personnel, the preparation of formal accounting memoranda to support our conclusions on technical accounting matters, and the development and use of checklists and research tools to assist in compliance with GAAP regarding complex accounting issues.

Management concluded that the material weaknesses as(as defined in the 2017 Form 10-K did not have any material effect on the financial statements contained in the Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2018, June 30, 2018, and September 30, 2018.
Except as described above, there were no changes in our internal controls over financial reportingExchange Act Rule 13a-15(f)) was identified during the most recently completed fiscal quarterend of the period covered by this report, that havehas materially affected, or areis reasonably likely to materially affect, ourthe Company’s internal controlscontrol over financial reporting.


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PartPART II - OTHER INFORMATION
 
ItemITEM 1. Legal ProceedingsLEGAL PROCEEDINGS
 
The Company is party to certain claims, suits and complaints arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of our management, all such matters are without merit, or involve amounts which would not have a significant effect on the financial position of the Company.
 

ItemITEM 1A. Risk FactorsRISK FACTORS
 
In addition to the other information set forth in this report, investors should carefully consider the risk factors discussed in Part I - Item 1A - “RiskRisk Factors, in our 20172018 Form 10-K, which could materially affect our business, financial position, and results of operations in addition to the following risk factor which updates and replaces the risk factor captioned “There may be no public market for our common stock” previously disclosed in our 2017 Form 10-K:
operations. There may be no public market for our common stock.
Approximately 6,925,906 shares of our common stock (approximately 25.5% of the total outstanding), are currently held by the public. Although our Common Stock is traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market, there can be no assurance that an active public market will continue.”
Except for the foregoing, there arehave been no material changes from the risk factors set forth in Part I, Item 1A -“Risk Factors,”disclosed in our 20172018 Form 10-K.10-K other than the changes disclosed in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2019.


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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
SIEBERT FINANCIAL CORP.
By:/s/ Andrew H. Reich
Andrew H. Reich
Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer,
Chief Financial Officer, and Secretary
(Principal executive, financial and accounting officer)
Dated:  November 14, 2018

17

Item 5. ExhibitsITEM 6. EXHIBITS
 
Exhibit
No.
Description of Document
   
 
101.INS
101.INS
XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema
101.CAL
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase
101.DEF
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase
101.LAB
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase
101.PRE
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase


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SIGNATURES
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

SIEBERT FINANCIAL CORP.
By:
/s/ Andrew H. Reich
Andrew H. Reich
Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer,
Chief Financial Officer, and Secretary
(Principal executive, financial and accounting officer)
   
101.SCH
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema
101.CALXBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase
101.DEFXBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase
101.LABXBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase
101.PREXBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase
Dated: November 13, 2019


18
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