InPlay Oil (IPOOF) – Another solid quarter with results generally in line with expectations

Friday, August 12, 2022

InPlay Oil (IPOOF)
Another solid quarter with results generally in line with expectations

InPlay Oil is a junior oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in Alberta focused on light oil production. The company operates long-lived, low-decline properties with drilling development and enhanced oil recovery potential as well as undeveloped lands with exploration possibilities. The common shares of InPlay trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol IPO and the OTCQX Exchange under the symbol IPOOF.

Michael Heim, CFA, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

InPlay reported sold 2022-2Q results. Production (9,063 boe/d) was a bit below our expectations due to difficulties trucking out oil due to wet weather (55 boe/d reduction). On the other hand, oil and natural gas pricing was above expectations at C$116.74 (versus our C$105 estimate) and C$7.61 per mcf. (versus our C$6.90 per mcf. estimate). Notably, lifting and operating costs were a modest $12.28/boe down from first quarter LOE of $12.96. The net effect was adjusted fund flow (C$40.9m vs. C$38.7m) and net income (C$29.0m/$0.32 vs. C$27.8m/$0.32) in line with expectations.

Accelerated drilling program is showing signs of success. InPlay drilled five wells during the quarter. Drill time has been reduced to 10-11 days. InPlay did not indicate the cost to drill the wells, but we assume original drilling cost of C$2.5 million may be coming down. The company anticipates drilling three wells in the third quarter despite delays due to wet weather. …

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Harte Hanks (HHS) – A New, Profitable Baseline

Friday, August 12, 2022

Harte Hanks (HHS)
A New, Profitable Baseline

Harte Hanks (NASDAQ: HHS) is a leading global customer experience company whose mission is to partner with clients to provide them with CX strategy, data-driven analytics and actionable insights combined with seamless program execution to better understand, attract, and engage their customers. Using its unparalleled resources and award-winning talent in the areas of Customer Care, Fulfillment and Logistics, and Marketing Services, Harte Hanks has a proven track record of driving results for some of the world’s premier brands including Bank of America, GlaxoSmithKline, Unilever, Pfizer, HBOMax, Volvo, Ford, FedEx, Midea, Sony, and IBM among others. Headquartered in Chelmsford, Massachusetts , Harte Hanks has over 2,500 employees in offices across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific .

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Patrick McCann, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Solid Q2 results. Against difficult earlier comps, the company reported a solid quarter in line with expectations. The weakness in its Customer Care segment due to year earlier Covid related business was largely offset by 24% revenue growth in its Fulfillment & Logistics segment. Adj. EBITDA of $5.2 million was better than our $4.9 million estimate. 

Favorable contract wins. The company has won several contract awards that provides a more constructive view of its second half. The contract wins favorably affect both its Customer Care and Fulfillment & Logistics segments. …

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Euroseas (ESEA) – Smooth Sailing as Euroseas Rides The Tide of Higher Shipping Rates

Friday, August 12, 2022

Euroseas (ESEA)
Smooth Sailing as Euroseas Rides The Tide of Higher Shipping Rates

Euroseas Ltd. was formed on May 5, 2005 under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to consolidate the ship owning interests of the Pittas family of Athens, Greece, which has been in the shipping business over the past 140 years. Euroseas trades on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the ticker ESEA. Euroseas operates in the container shipping market. Euroseas’ operations are managed by Eurobulk Ltd., an ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certified affiliated ship management company, which is responsible for the day-to-day commercial and technical management and operations of the vessels. Euroseas employs its vessels on spot and period charters and through pool arrangements.

Michael Heim, CFA, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Solid top-line growth. Euroseas reported 2022-2Q net revenues of $48.5 million up 165% over the same period last year and modestly ahead of our $44.8 million estimate. Higher results reflect vessel additions (1,487 voyage days versus 1,273) and higher shipping rates (TCE of $33,714 versus $14,853). Operating costs rose modestly. Adjusted EBITDA was $34.2 million up from $10.5 million and slightly above our $33.7 million estimate. Adjusted net income was $29.6 million ($4.08 per diluted) versus $7.6 million ($1.11) and our estimate of $28.8 million ($3.96).

Locked-in rates looking good as shipping rates decline. The company has locked-in rates for 98% of voyage days for the rest of 2022, 78% for 2023 and 54% for 2024. Average TCE rates are near $30,000, which is down from this quarter’s TCE rate but still high relative to historical rates. Eurosea’s largest exposure to spot rates comes largely from ships under construction that will be delivered in 2024. Eurosea’s fleet is getting younger and receives premium pricing. Euroseas locked in a TCE rate of $48,000 for two vessels to be delivered in 2023. High TCE rates should result in strong cash flow and earnings levels for the foreseeable future….

This Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Direct Digital Holdings (DRCT) – A “Colossal” Quarter

Friday, August 12, 2022

Direct Digital Holdings (DRCT)
A “Colossal” Quarter

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Patrick McCann, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Q2 exceeded even our expectations. The company reported Q2 revenue of $21.3 million, 33% above our forecast of $16 million. Adj. EBITDA of $3.6 million topped our estimate of $2.6 million by an impressive 37%. We believe that our estimates were the highest on the Street.

Sell-side growth was “Colossal”. The strong quarter was fueled by better-than-expected growth from Colossus SSP, which constitutes the company’s Sell-side segment. Segment revenue of $11.9 million exceeded our forecast by nearly 76%, marking a 477% increase from the prior year period’s $2.1 million.

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Baudax Bio (BXRX) – Baudax Bio reports 2Q 2022; Headwinds Persist

Friday, August 12, 2022

Baudax Bio (BXRX)
Baudax Bio reports 2Q 2022; Headwinds Persist

Baudax Bio is a pharmaceutical company focused on innovative products for acute care settings. ANJESO is the first and only 24-hour, intravenous (IV) COX-2 preferential non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) for the management of moderate to severe pain. In addition to ANJESO, Baudax Bio has a pipeline of other innovative pharmaceutical assets including two novel neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBs) and a proprietary chemical reversal agent specific to these NMBs. For more information, please visit www.baudaxbio.com.

Gregory Aurand, Senior Research Analyst, Healthcare Services & Medical Devices, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Baudax Bio, Inc. reported 2Q 2022 results yesterday.  While there was a revenue shortfall ($.3 million vs $.77 million expected), overall operating expenses of $7.8 million were below our estimate of $10.4 million due to lower severance costs primarily accrued in 1Q, and lower COGS and SG&A in 2Q, offset a bit by higher contingent consideration to Alkermes and a slight bump up in R&D from trial initiations. GAAP loss per share in 2Q was $(1.05) vs our expected $(1.27).

Feeling the impact of Covid.  Revenues came in light as Covid-related problems, including staffing shortages, continue to restrict usage at hospitals and ASCs, although 2Q hospital usage increased 12% as compared to 1Q 2022 and 2Q revenues increased 49% compared to the year ago period. Vials sold increased 67%. That said, in certain cases, procedure volumes are running as much as 50% below normal periods and are expected to not fully resolve until next year, at the earliest. An expected ramp in ANJESO is expected to be muted well into 2023….

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

One Stop Systems (OSS) – Another Record Revenue Quarter

Friday, August 12, 2022

One Stop Systems (OSS)
Another Record Revenue Quarter

One Stop Systems, Inc. (OSS) designs and manufactures innovative AI Transportable edge computing modules and systems, including ruggedized servers, compute accelerators, expansion systems, flash storage arrays, and Ion Accelerator™ SAN, NAS, and data recording software for AI workflows. These products are used for AI data set capture, training, and large-scale inference in the defense, oil and gas, mining, autonomous vehicles, and rugged entertainment applications. OSS utilizes the power of PCI Express, the latest GPU accelerators and NVMe storage to build award-winning systems, including many industry firsts, for industrial OEMs and government customers. The company enables AI on the Fly® by bringing AI datacenter performance to ‘the edge,’ especially on mobile platforms, and by addressing the entire AI workflow, from high-speed data acquisition to deep learning, training, and inference. OSS products are available directly or through global distributors. For more information, go to www.onestopsystems.com.

Joe Gomes, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Joshua Zoepfel, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

2Q22 Results. One Stop Systems reported another record revenue quarter for 2Q22. Revenue of $18.3 million was up 23% y-o-y and above management’s $17.3 million guide. We had forecast $17.3 million. GAAP EPS of $0.02 per share versus $0.09 last year. Adjusted EPS of $0.04 per share versus $0.04 per share in 2Q21. We had forecast $0.03 and $0.05 respectively.

Disguise, Bressner Driving Results. Once again, OSS’s media and entertainment client, Disguise had a record revenue quarter for OSS, up 135% to $6.4 million, with strong virtual and large gathering revenues. Bressner revenue increased 31% y-o-y to $7.6 million, a record, driven by increased market share….

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Release – (SHWZ) Schwazze Announces Second Quarter Results



Schwazze Announces Second Quarter Results

Research, News, and Market Data on Schwazze

Record Quarterly Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA

Revenue Increases 44% to $44.3 Million Compared to $30.7 Million
in Q2 2021

Adjusted EBITDA of $15 Million, 33.9% of Revenue

Revised Guidance Driven by Short-Term, Challenging Colorado
Market Conditions
Q4 2022 Projected Revenue Annualized Run Rate: $175 Million – $200 Million
Q4 2022 Projected Adjusted EBITDA Annualized Run Rate: $60 Million – $72
Million

Conference Call & Webcast Scheduled for Today – 5:00 pm EDT

DENVER, Aug. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ – Schwazze, (OTCQX: SHWZ) (NEO: SHWZ) (“Schwazze” or the “Company”), today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022 (“Q2 2022”).

Q2 2022 Financial
Summary:

  • Revenues of $44.3 million increased 44% compared to $30.7 million in second quarter ended June 30, 2021 (“Q2 2021”)
  • Retail sales were $38.1 million up 77% when compared to Q2 2021
  • Gross Margin of $25.2 million was up 69% compared to $14.9 million in Q2 2021, this quarter was affected by $0.2M in purchase accounting
  • Net Income was $33.8 million compared to a Net Income of $4.4 million for the same period last year
  • Adjusted EBITDA of $15 million was 33.9% of revenue, compared to $10 million for the same period last year
  • Colorado two year stacked IDs for Q2 2022 compared to Q2 2021 and Q2 2020 for same store sales(1) were 1.8% and one year IDs(1) were (12.7%) comparing Q2 2022 to Q2 2021
    • Average basket size (1) for Q2 2022 was $59.98 down 4.1% compared to Q2 2021
    • Recorded customer visits (1) for Q2 2022 totaled 444,771 down 8.9%, compared to Q2 2021
  • New Mexico two year stacked IDs for Q2 2022 compared to Q2 2021 and Q2 2020 for same store sales(1) were 41.0% and one year IDs(1) were 30.4% comparing Q2 2022 to Q2 2021
    • Average basket size (1) for Q2 2022 was $54.56 down 12.7% compared to Q2 2021
    • Recorded customer visits (1) for Q2 2022 totaled 209,591 up 49.4%, compared to Q2 2021

Accomplishments
Since December 2021, Schwazze has closed acquisitions adding 15 cannabis dispensaries, 10 in New Mexico and five in Colorado as well as four cultivation facilities in New Mexico and one in Colorado and one manufacturing asset in New Mexico.

  • Closed Acquisition of Urban Health & Wellness Assets
  • Listed Common Stock on the NEO Exchange
  • Closed Acquisition of Brow 2 LLC Assets
  • Closed Acquisition of Emerald Fields
  • Added President of New Mexico Division
  • Closed New Mexico Acquisition, Becoming a Regionally Focused MSO
  • Added to Key Senior Leadership Team
  • Closed Acquisition of Drift Assets

Justin Dye, Chairman and CEO of Schwazze stated
, “Similar to the rest of the country, the cannabis industry in
Colorado is also experiencing a slowdown in growth compared to the last couple
of years. Schwazze, however, is demonstrating that our regional strategy, built
on a customer first approach, developing significant scale, building brands and
leveraging data analytics and technology is not only sound but gaining momentum
as demonstrated by revenue and unit sales growth, customer loyalty and by once
again outpacing the legacy market growth by approximately 12%.  We believe
this model will travel well to other states as we find attractive
opportunities. Despite share price weakness driven by broader market
influences, we remain bullish on our business and have conviction that as
Schwazze continues to deliver superior operating results that our shareholders
will be rewarded.”

Justin continued, “As we look to
the future, we expect continued growth in Colorado and New Mexico through both
organic and inorganic means. Our operations continue to mature and gain
momentum, and we firmly believe that we are winning in our markets. Our team
will continue to focus on growing profitably and generating cash flow from
operations.  When positive federal legislation is passed, Schwazze will be
well-positioned as a market leader to take advantage of banking services and
institutional investment.”

Q2 2022 Revenue
Revenues for the three months ended June 30, 2022, totaled $44.3 million, including (i) retail sales of $38.1 million (ii) wholesale sales of $6.1 million and (iii) other operating revenues of $43,750, compared to revenues of $30.7 million, including (i) retail sales of $21.5 million, (ii) wholesale of $9.2 million, and (iii) other operating revenues of $16,844 during the three months ended June 30, 2021, representing an increase of $13.5 million or 44%. This increase was due to increased sale of our products as well as execution of our growth through acquisition initiatives. In the second quarter of 2022, the Company acquired one additional retail dispensary, which generated additional retail revenue. Additionally, recreational marijuana sales became legal in New Mexico in April 2022, which increased sales volume and revenues in New Mexico. Wholesale revenues in Colorado decreased due to increased cultivation capacity in the state resulting in an over-supply of wholesale cannabis materials.

Cost of goods and services for the three months ended June 30, 2022, totaled $19.1 million compared to cost of services of $15.8 million during the three months ended June 30, 2021, representing an increase of $3.3 million or 21%. The increase in cost of goods is driven by the increase in revenue, however not at the same rate. In the quarter, the Company experienced a reduction in costs driven by vertical integration and third-party price negotiations.

Gross profit increased to $25.2 million for Q2 2022 compared to $14.9 million during the same period in 2021. Gross profit margin increased as a percentage of revenue from 48.5% to 56.8%, and net of purchase accounting, the gross margin increased to 57.4%.  This positive result, net of purchase accounting continues to reflect our consolidated purchasing approach, the implementation of our retail playbook, and vertical product sales in New Mexico.

Operating expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2022, totaled $16.1 million, compared to operating expenses of $10.5 million during the three months ended June 30, 2021, representing an increase of $5.6 million or 54%. This increase is due to increased selling, general and administrative expenses, professional service fees, salaries, benefits, and related employment costs driven by growth from acquisitions.

Other income for the three months ended June 30, 2022, totaled $29.2 million compared to $0.2 million during the three months ended June 30, 2021, representing an increase in income of $29 million or 18,435%. The increase in other income is due to the revaluation of the derivative liability related to the Investor Notes, offset by higher interest payments.

The Company generated net income for the three months ended June 30, 2022, of $33.8 million, compared to net income of $4.4 million for the three months ended June 30, 2021.

Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 2022 was $15 million representing 33.9% of revenue, compared to $10 million and 32.6% of revenue for the same period last year. This is derived from Operating Income and adjusting one-time expenses, merger and acquisition and capital raising costs, non-cash related compensation costs, and depreciation and amortization. See the financial table for Adjusted EBITDA below adjustment for details. 

For six months ending June 30, 2022, the Company used cash for operations of ($8.0) million compared to generating cash of $1.4 million for the same period in 2021.  The Company has cash and cash equivalents of $33.9 million at the end of Q2 2022. 

Nancy Huber, CFO for Schwazze commented, ”
During Q2 we focused on completing integration of our acquisitions and
made sure that we used our resources effectively. We are focused on reducing
operating and SG&A expenses and judiciously investing growth capital to
ensure adequate liquidity and profitability despite difficult market conditions
in Colorado, which we believe to be transitory and temporary. Our balance sheet
remains strong, and we have ample liquidity.  We are focused on delivering
positive cash flow net of acquisition costs for the year while driving organic
growth and making smart acquisitions.”

2022 Guidance

The Company has revised its guidance for a fourth-quarter 2022 (Q4 2022) annualized run rate, which excludes transactions that are announced but not closed.  Q4 2022 revenue annualized run rate is projected to be $175 million to $200 million, and the Q4 2022 adjusted EBITDA annualized run rate is projected to be from $60 million to $72 million.  

NOTES:

(1)  Schwazze did not own all the
assets and entities in part of 2021, 2020 and 2019 and is using unaudited
numbers for this comparison.


Adjusted EBITDA represents income (loss) from operations, as reported, before
tax, adjusted to exclude non-recurring items, other non-cash items, including
stock-based compensation expense, depreciation, and amortization, and further
adjusted to remove acquisition and capital raise related costs, and other
one-time expenses, such as severance, retention, and employee relocation. The
Company uses adjusted EBITDA as it believes it better explains the results of
its core business. The Company has not reconciled guidance for adjusted EBITDA
to the corresponding GAAP financial measure because it cannot provide guidance
for the various reconciling items. The Company is unable to provide guidance
for these reconciling items because it cannot determine their probable
significance, as certain items are outside of its control and cannot be
reasonably predicted. Accordingly, a reconciliation to the corresponding GAAP
financial measure is not available without unreasonable effort.

Webcast – August 11,
2022 – 5:00 PM EDT
Investors and stakeholders may participate in the conference call by dialing 416 764 8650 or by dialing North American toll free 1-888-664-6383 or listen to the webcast from the Company’s website at https://ir.schwazze.com The webcast will be available on the Company’s website and on replay until August 18, 2022, and may be accessed by dialing 1-888-390-0541 / # 575833

Following their prepared remarks, Chief Executive Officer, Justin Dye and Chief Financial Officer, Nancy Huber will answer investor questions. Investors may submit questions in advance or during the conference call itself through the weblink: https://app.webinar.net/lwXbZbBZmKN  This weblink has been posted to the Company’s website and will be archived on the website. All Company SEC filings can also be accessed on the Company website at https://ir.schwazze.com/sec-filings

About Schwazze
Schwazze (OTCQX: SHWZ, NEO: SHWZ) is building a premier vertically integrated regional cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico and will continue to take its operating system to other states where it can develop a differentiated regional leadership position. Schwazze is the parent company of a portfolio of leading cannabis businesses and brands spanning seed to sale. The Company is committed to unlocking the full potential of the cannabis plant to improve the human condition. Schwazze is anchored by a high-performance culture that combines customer-centric thinking and data science to test, measure, and drive decisions and outcomes. The Company’s leadership team has deep expertise in retailing, wholesaling, and building consumer brands at Fortune 500 companies as well as in the cannabis sector. Schwazze is passionate about making a difference in our communities, promoting diversity and inclusion, and doing our part to incorporate climate-conscious practices. Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. was Schwazze’s former operating trade name. The corporate entity continues to be named Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. Schwazze derives its name from the pruning technique of a cannabis plant to enhance plant structure and promote healthy growth.

Forward-Looking
Statements
Such forward-looking statements may be preceded by the words “plan,” “will,” “may,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “become,” “build,” “develop,” “expect,” “believe,” “poised,” “project,” “approximate,” “could,” “potential,” or similar expressions as they relate to Schwazze. Forward-looking statements include the guidance provided regarding the Company’s Q4 2022 performance and annual capital spending. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events or performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control and cannot be predicted or quantified. Consequently, actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) our inability to manufacture our products and product candidates on a commercial scale on our own or in collaboration with third parties; (ii) difficulties in obtaining financing on commercially reasonable terms; (iii) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (iv) loss of one or more key executives or scientists; (v) difficulties in securing regulatory approval to market our products and product candidates; (vi) our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy in Colorado and New Mexico and outside the states, (vii) our ability to identify and consummate future acquisitions that meet our criteria, (viii) our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses and realize synergies therefrom, (ix) the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, (x) the timing and extent of governmental stimulus programs, (xi) the uncertainty in the application of federal, state and local laws to our business, and any changes in such laws, and (xii) our ability to achieve the target metrics, including our annualized revenue and EBIDTA run rates set out in our Q4 2022 guidance. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law.

Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/schwazze-announces-second-quarter-results-301604597.html

SOURCE Schwazze

Released August 11,
2022

 


Release – Harte Hanks Generates 180 Percent Increase in Operating income, Delivers $0.52 in EPS for the Second Quarter of 2022



Harte Hanks Generates 180 Percent Increase in Operating income, Delivers $0.52 in EPS for the Second Quarter of 2022

Research, News, and Market Data on Harte Hanks

CHELMSFORD, MA / ACCESSWIRE / August 11, 2022 / Harte Hanks, Inc. (NASDAQ:HHS), a leading global customer experience company focused on bringing companies closer to customers for nearly 100 years, today announced financial results for the second quarter, the period ended June 30, 2022.

Harte Hanks CEO, Brian Linscott, commented: “Harte Hanks delivered solid improvements in EBITDA and Operating Income, even with the expected runoff of certain pandemic-related projects that concluded during the second quarter. Despite the macro-economic environment, demand for customer care and fulfillment and logistics services continues to grow, giving us increasing confidence that we can grow our top-line this year and drive significant improvements in operating income and cash generation for the full-year.”

“In addition to the significant improvement in our operating results, we took steps to streamline our capital structure, eliminating the dilutive impact to common shareholders,” continued Linscott. “We have agreed to repurchase all Preferred Stock currently outstanding, which will provide greater flexibility with our capital to further maximize shareholder value.”

Second Quarter Financial Highlights

  • Revenues decreased by 1.4% to $48.6 million, compared to $49.3 million in the same period in the prior year.
  • Fulfillment & Logistics Services grew 24.3%, partially offsetting declines in customer care and marketing services revenue related to sunsetting pandemic-related projects.
  • Operating income of $4.0 million, compared to operating income of $1.4 million in the same period in the prior year, an increase of 179.5%.
  • Net income of $4.5 million, compared to net income of $10.6 million, inclusive of a $10.0 million non-recurring gain for the extinguishment of the Company’s PPP loan, in the same period in the prior year.
  • Diluted EPS of $0.52 for the second quarter of 2022 vs. $1.27 for the same period in the prior year.
  • EBITDA improved to $4.6 million compared to $2.1 million in the same period in the prior year.[1]

Segment Highlights

  • Customer
    Care, $15.4 million in revenue, 32% of total
     – Revenue decreased by 19.8%, or $3.8 million, from the prior year quarter, and year-over-year EBITDA decreased by 25.6% to $2.5 million from $3.4 million. New business wins for the quarter included:
    • An existing client that leveraged Harte Hanks for its back-office, ticket processing and ticket sharing capabilities has awarded Harte Hanks all of its customer facing functions including phone, email and chat. The growth with this client has been driven by consistent delivery, execution efficiency, and high customer satisfaction scores.
  • Harte Hanks was awarded a new business assignment by a leading employee screening services company to provide a wide scope of B2B sales and marketing support services. Harte Hanks was selected based on its strong track record of providing seamless support and integration with B2B sales operations seeking to accelerate their growth. As part of the program, Harte Hanks will provide our client’s sales team with a range of services to enhance their B2B sales efforts, including new lead generation, appointment setting, education and nurturing, and sales performance tracking.
  • Fulfillment
    & Logistics Services, $19.7 million in revenue, 40% of total
     – Revenue increased by 24.3%, or $3.9 million, compared to the prior year quarter; and year-over-year EBITDA improved 91.7% to $3.2 million from $1.7 million. New business wins for the quarter included:
  • A leading branding company selected Harte Hanks Fulfillment to manage the mass production, kitting, and distribution of 600k+ holiday sample kits for a Fortune 50 retail partner. This new relationship has already led to multiple follow-on production runs across their kitting and fulfillment network, directly supporting additional retailers and national brands looking for innovative ways to get products into the hands of their consumers.
  • An existing Customer Care client leveraged our Fulfillment expertise to build and deliver thousands of promotional kits to ‘High Value Customers’, timed to coincide with and promote their major monthly televised events.
  • Marketing
    Services, $13.5 million in revenue, 28% of total
     – Revenue decreased by 5.3% compared to the prior year quarter but year-over-year EBITDA improved 5.1% to $1.8 million from $1.7 million. New business wins for the quarter included:
  • A regional bank selected Harte Hanks to provide digital media planning and buying, creative, strategy and content development leveraging our strong expertise in this category, effective creative product, and ability to provide the full array of services needed.

Consolidated Second Quarter 2022 Results

Second quarter revenues were $48.6 million, down 1.4% from $49.3 million in the second quarter of 2021. The Company’s Fulfillment & Logistics Services segment grew, largely offsetting declines in Marketing Services and Customer Care.

Second quarter operating income was $4.0 million, compared to operating income of $1.4 million in the second quarter of 2021. The improvement resulted from margin expansion, the elimination of low-margin revenue, and cost-reduction initiatives.

Net income for the quarter was $4.5 million, compared to net income of $10.6 million in the second quarter last year. Last year’s second quarter included a non-recurring $10.0 million gain related to the extinguishment of its PPP loan. Absent this non-operational gain, net income would have been $0.6 million. Income attributable to common stockholders for the second quarter was $3.8 million, or $0.54 per basic share and $0.52 per fully diluted share, compared to net income attributable to common shareholders of $9.1 million, or $1.36 per basic share and $1.27 per fully diluted share during the prior year second quarter.

Consolidated Year-To-Date 2022 Results

Revenues for the first six months of 2022 were $97.6 million, up 5.0% from $93.0 million last year. Year-to-date operating income was $7.9 million, compared to operating income of $0.6 million last year. Net income for the first six months of 2022 was $7.8 million, compared to net income of $8.8 million (inclusive of the $10.0 million gain), last year. Income attributable to common stockholders for the first six months was $6.6 million, or $0.94 per basic share and $0.91 per fully diluted share, compared to net income attributable to common shareholders of $7.4 million, or $1.12 per basic share and $1.05 per fully diluted share.

Balance Sheet and Liquidity

Harte Hanks ended the quarter with $12.9 million in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, compared to $15.1 million at December 31, 2021. At June 30, 2022, the Company had no short-term debt, $10.0 million in long-term debt and $50.7 million in outstanding long-term pension liability. On December 31, 2021, the Company had no short-term debt, $5 million in long-term debt and $52.5 million in outstanding long-term pension liability.

The company anticipates receiving a Federal income tax refund related to a net operating loss (NOL) carryback claim of $7.6 million in 2022 which will further enhance liquidity.

On June 30, 2022, Harte Hanks entered into a share repurchase agreement with Wipro, LLC d/b/a Wipro US Branch IT Services, a Delaware limited liability company (“Wipro”), pursuant to which, Harte Hanks will repurchase all 9,926 shares of the Company’s Series A Convertible Preferred Stock currently outstanding (the “Preferred Stock”) in exchange for (i) a cash payment equal to their liquidation value, or total cash payment of $9.9 million and (ii) 100,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $1.00 per share (the “Common Stock”). Harte Hanks will fund the cash portion of the repurchase consideration with a combination of cash and cash equivalents on hand and borrowings under the Company’s credit facility.

Conference Call Information

The Company will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss these results today at 4:30 p.m. EST. Interested parties may access the webcast at https://investors.hartehanks.com/events or may access the conference call by dialing in the United States (800) 445-7795 or internationally (785) 424-1699 and access code is HARTE.

A replay of the call can also be accessed via phone through August 25, 2022 by dialing (877) 481-4010 from the U.S., or (919) 882-2331 from outside the U.S. The conference call replay passcode is 46246.

About Harte Hanks:

Harte Hanks (NASDAQ:HHS) is a leading global customer experience company whose mission is to partner with clients to provide them with CX strategy, data-driven analytics and actionable insights combined with seamless program execution to better understand, attract and engage their customers.

Using its unparalleled resources and award-winning talent in the areas of Customer Care, Fulfillment and Logistics, and Marketing Services, Harte Hanks has a proven track record of driving results for some of the world’s premier brands, including Bank of America, GlaxoSmithKline, Unilever, Pfizer, HBOMax, Volvo, Ford, FedEx, Midea, Sony and IBM among others. Headquartered in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Harte Hanks has over 2,500 employees in offices across the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

For more information, visit hartehanks.com

As used herein, “Harte Hanks” or “the Company” refers to Harte Hanks, Inc. and/or its applicable operating subsidiaries, as the context may require. Harte Hanks’ logo and name are trademarks of Harte Hanks.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

Our press release and related earnings conference call contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws. All such statements are qualified by this cautionary note, provided pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements other than historical facts are forward-looking and may be identified by words such as “may,” “will,” “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “estimates,” “seeks,” “could,” “intends,” or words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are based on current information, expectations and estimates and involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that are difficult to predict and that could cause actual results to vary materially from what is expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. In that event, our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity could be materially adversely affected and investors in our securities could lose part or all of their investments. These risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors include: (a) local, national and international economic and business conditions, including (i) the outbreak of diseases, such as the COVID-19 coronavirus, which has curtailed travel to and from certain countries and geographic regions, created supply chain disruption and shortages, disrupted business operations and reduced consumer spending, (ii) market conditions that may adversely impact marketing expenditures, (iii) the impact of the Russia/Ukraine conflict on the global economy and our business, including impacts from related sanctions and export controls and (iv) the impact of economic environments and competitive pressures on the financial condition, marketing expenditures and activities of our clients and prospects; (b) the demand for our products and services by clients and prospective clients, including (i) the willingness of existing clients to maintain or increase their spending on products and services that are or remain profitable for us, and (ii) our ability to predict changes in client needs and preferences; (c) economic and other business factors that impact the industry verticals we serve, including competition and consolidation of current and prospective clients, vendors and partners in these verticals; (d) our ability to manage and timely adjust our facilities, capacity, workforce and cost structure to effectively serve our clients; (e) our ability to improve our processes and to provide new products and services in a timely and cost-effective manner though development, license, partnership or acquisition; (f) our ability to protect our facilities against security breaches and other interruptions and to protect sensitive personal information of our clients and their customers; (g) our ability to respond to increasing concern, regulation and legal action over consumer privacy issues, including changing requirements for collection, processing and use of information; (h) the impact of privacy and other regulations, including restrictions on unsolicited marketing communications and other consumer protection laws; (i) fluctuations in fuel prices, paper prices, postal rates and postal delivery schedules; (j) the number of shares, if any, that we may repurchase in connection with our repurchase program; (k) unanticipated developments regarding litigation or other contingent liabilities; (l) our ability to complete anticipated divestitures and reorganizations, including cost-saving initiatives; (m) our ability to realize the expected tax refunds; and (n) other factors discussed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 which was filed on March 21, 2022. The forward-looking statements in this press release and our related earnings conference call are made only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, even if new information becomes available or other events occur in the future.

Supplemental Non-GAAP Financial Measures:

The Company reports its financial results in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). However, the Company may use certain non-GAAP measures of financial performance in order to provide investors with a better understanding of operating results and underlying trends to assess the Company’s performance and liquidity in this press release and our related earnings conference call. We have presented herein a reconciliation of these measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

The Company presents the non-GAAP financial measure “Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)” as a measure useful to both management and investors in their analysis of the Company’s financial results because it facilitates a period-to-period comparison of Operating Revenue and Operating Income (Loss) by excluding restructuring expense, impairment expense and stock-based compensation. The most directly comparable measure for this non-GAAP financial measure is Operating Income (Loss).

The Company presents the non-GAAP financial measure “EBITDA” as a supplemental measure of operating performance in order to provide an improved understanding of underlying performance trends. The Company defines “Adjusted EBITDA” as earnings before interest expense net, income tax expense (benefit) and depreciation expense. The most directly comparable measure for EBITDA is Net Income (Loss). We believe EBITDA is an important performance metric because it facilitates the analysis of our results, exclusive of certain non-cash items, including items which do not directly correlate to our business operations; however, we urge investors to review the reconciliation of non-GAAP EBITDA to the comparable GAAP Net Income (Loss), which is included in this press release, and not to rely on any single financial measure to evaluate the Company’s financial performance.

The use of non-GAAP measures do not serve as a substitute and should not be construed as a substitute for GAAP performance but should provide supplemental information concerning our performance that our investors and we find useful. The Company evaluates its operating performance based on several measures, including this non-GAAP financial measures. The Company believes that the presentation of this non-GAAP financial measures in this press release and earnings conference call presentations are useful supplemental financial measures of operating performance for investors because they facilitate investors’ ability to evaluate the operational strength of the Company’s business. However, there are limitations to the use of this non-GAAP measures, including that they may not be calculated the same by other companies in our industry limiting their use as a tool to compare results. Any supplemental non-GAAP financial measures referred to herein are not calculated in accordance with GAAP and they should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for the most comparable GAAP financial measures.

EBITDA is the Company’s measure of segment profitability.

Investor Relations Contact:

Rob Fink

FNK IR
HHS@fnkir.com
646-809-4048

SOURCE: Harte Hanks, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:
https://www.accesswire.com/711580/Harte-Hanks-Generates-180-Increase-in-Operating-income-Delivers-052-in-EPS-for-the-Second-Quarter-of-2022

Release – Onconova Therapeutics Reports Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results and Provides Business Update



Onconova Therapeutics Reports Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results and Provides Business Update

News and Market Data on Onconova Therapeutics

Conference call and live webcast at 4:30 p.m. ET today

NEWTOWN, Pa., Aug. 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ONTX), (“Onconova”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel products for patients with cancer, today announced financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2022, and provided a business update.

Highlights for the second quarter of 2022 and recent weeks include:

  • Safety data from the ongoing Phase 1 solid tumor trials of narazaciclib in the United States and China continue to be encouraging with the maximum tolerated dose not yet reached in either study. The trial in the United States is currently enrolling its fifth dose escalation cohort, with continuous dosing. The trial in China is also enrolling its fifth dose escalation cohort but once a day on days 1-21 of 28-day cycles. A protocol amendment to enable further dose escalation in the trial in China is being prepared.
  • Data from 
    in
    vitro
     and cell-based assays that suggest narazaciclib’s inhibitory profile may provide safety and efficacy advantages over currently approved CDK4/6 inhibitors were featured in an abstract published at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.
  • Each of rigosertib’s investigator-sponsored trials continues to progress. A Phase 2 trial evaluating rigosertib plus pembrolizumab in patients with checkpoint inhibitor refractory metastatic melanoma is on schedule to be initiated in the second half of 2022. The expansion cohort of the Phase 1/2a trial of rigosertib plus nivolumab in patients with KRAS-mutated non-small cell lung cancer continues to enroll patients, with additional data from the trial expected in Q3 2022. The Phase 2 trial of rigosertib monotherapy in advanced squamous cell carcinoma associated with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa also continues to enroll patients.
  • Mark Guerin was appointed Chief Operating Officer in addition to his role as Chief Financial Officer and Dr. Adar Makovski Silverstein was promoted to Senior Director and Head of Corporate Development.
  • Cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2022 were $46.5 million, which the Company believes will be sufficient to fund ongoing clinical trials and business operations for at least eighteen months.

Management Commentary

“We saw sustained progress across our pipeline over the past months and are well positioned to complete our current Phase 1 trials as we move through the second half of the year,” said Steven M. Fruchtman, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Onconova. “Narazaciclib continues to show a favorable safety profile in its Phase 1 studies, which will be key to informing the design of future trials seeking to address the unmet needs posed by the limitations of currently available CDK4/6 inhibitors. These limitations stem from issues related to safety, tolerability, and primary and acquired drug resistance, which we believe narazaciclib’s differentiated inhibitory profile may overcome. We were pleased to publish preclinical data supporting this hypothesis at the most recent ASCO meeting and look forward to continued efforts to translate these promising findings to the clinic.”

Dr. Fruchtman continued, “Alongside narazaciclib’s advancement, we also made key progress in rigosertib’s investigator-sponsored studies. This includes a Phase 2 trial evaluating rigosertib combined with a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor in checkpoint inhibitor refractory metastatic melanoma which is on schedule to open for enrollment in the second half of 2022. This study seeks to leverage rigosertib’s immunomodulatory effects and is supported by initial data from the ongoing trial of rigosertib plus anti-PD-1 therapy in KRAS-mutated NSCLC. These data provided strong evidence of the studied doublet’s activity in patients who previously failed checkpoint inhibitor therapy, which is a finding we aim to build upon with the presentation of additional data at a medical meeting later this quarter. Data has been presented, which will be updated, demonstrating that responses seen with rigosertib in this setting are agnostic to the type of KRAS mutation present. This upcoming milestone highlights how rigosertib’s investigator-sponsored studies enable the capital efficient pursuit of value creating opportunities to complement our lead narazaciclib program.”

Second Quarter Financial Results

Cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2022, were $46.5 million, compared with $55.1 million as of December 31, 2021. The Company believes that its cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund ongoing clinical trials and business operations for at least eighteen months.

Research and development expenses were $2.0 million for the second quarter of 2022, compared with $1.9 million for the second quarter of 2021.

General and administrative expenses were $2.1 million for the second quarter of 2022, compared with $2.9 million for the second quarter of 2021.

Net loss for the second quarter of 2022 was $4.0 million, or $0.19 per share on 20.9 million weighted shares outstanding, compared with a net loss of $4.2 million, or $0.27 per share for the second quarter of 2021 on 15.8 million weighted shares outstanding.

Conference Call and Webcast

Onconova will host an investment community conference call today beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, during which management will discuss financial results for the second quarter of 2022, provide a business update, and answer questions. Interested parties can participate by dialing (800) 289-0571 (domestic callers) or (856) 344-9290 (international callers) and using conference ID 3600715.

A live webcast of the conference call will be available in the Investors & Media section of the Company’s website at www.onconova.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Onconova website for 90 days following the call.

About Onconova Therapeutics, Inc.

Onconova Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel products for patients with cancer. The Company has proprietary targeted anti-cancer agents designed to disrupt specific cellular pathways that are important for cancer cell proliferation.

Onconova’s novel, proprietary multi-kinase inhibitor narazaciclib (formerly ON 123300) is being evaluated in two separate and complementary Phase 1 dose-escalation and expansion studies. These trials are currently underway in the United States and China.

Onconova’s product candidate rigosertib is being studied in an investigator-sponsored study program, including in a dose-escalation and expansion Phase 1/2a investigator-sponsored study with oral rigosertib in combination with nivolumab for patients with KRAS+ non-small cell lung cancer.

For more information, please visit www.onconova.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and involve risks and uncertainties. These statements relate to Onconova’s expectations regarding the timing of Onconova’s and investigator-initiated clinical development and data presentation plans, and the mechanisms and indications for Onconova’s product candidates. Onconova has attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including “believes,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “may,” “could,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “preliminary,” “encouraging,” “approximately” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes. Although Onconova believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, expectations may prove to have been materially different from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, including the success and timing of Onconova’s clinical trials, investigator-initiated trials and regulatory agency and institutional review board approvals of protocols, Onconova’s collaborations, market conditions and those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Onconova’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Any forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of its date. Onconova undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release to reflect events or circumstances occurring after its date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Company Contact:
Mark Guerin
Onconova Therapeutics, Inc.
267-759-3680

ir@onconova.us
https://www.onconova.com/contact/

Investor Contact:
Bruce Mackle
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
646-889-1200

bmackle@lifesciadvisors.com

 

ONCONOVA
THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Condensed
Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in
thousands)

 

June 30

 

December 31,

 

 

2022

 

 

 

2021

 

Assets

(unaudited)

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

$

46,533

 

 

$

55,070

 

Receivables

 

28

 

 

 

28

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

1,472

 

 

 

332

 

Total current assets

 

48,033

 

 

 

55,430

 

Property and equipment, net

 

31

 

 

 

38

 

Other non-current assets

 

10

 

 

 

10

 

Total assets

$

48,074

 

 

$

55,478

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities and stockholders’ equity

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

Accounts payable

$

3,003

 

 

$

2,757

 

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

 

3,231

 

 

 

3,132

 

Deferred revenue

 

226

 

 

 

226

 

Total current liabilities

 

6,460

 

 

 

6,115

 

Deferred revenue, non-current

 

3,130

 

 

 

3,243

 

Total liabilities

 

9,590

 

 

 

9,358

 

 

 

 

 

Stockholders’ equity:

 

 

 

Preferred stock

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock

 

209

 

 

 

209

 

Additional paid in capital

 

491,181

 

 

 

490,644

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

(41

)

 

 

(14

)

Accumulated deficit

 

(452,865

)

 

 

(444,719

)

Total stockholders’ equity

 

38,484

 

 

 

46,120

 

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

$

48,074

 

 

$

55,478

 

 

 

 

 

 

ONCONOVA
THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Operations

(in
thousands, except share and per share amounts)

 

Three Months Ended June 30,

 

Six months months ended June
30,

 

 

2022

 

 

 

2021

 

 

 

2022

 

 

 

2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

$

57

 

 

$

57

 

 

$

113

 

 

$

113

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

General and administrative

 

2,139

 

 

 

2,850

 

 

 

4,325

 

 

 

5,067

 

Research and development

 

2,038

 

 

 

1,852

 

 

 

4,040

 

 

 

3,789

 

Total operating expenses

 

4,177

 

 

 

4,702

 

 

 

8,365

 

 

 

8,856

 

Loss from operations

 

(4,120

)

 

 

(4,645

)

 

 

(8,252

)

 

 

(8,743

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in fair value of warrant liability

 

 

 

 

427

 

 

 

 

 

 

(209

)

Other income (loss,) net

 

96

 

 

 

(13

)

 

 

106

 

 

 

6

 

Net loss

 

(4,024

)

 

 

(4,231

)

 

 

(8,146

)

 

 

(8,946

)

Net loss per share of common stock, basic and diluted

$

(0.19

)

 

$

(0.27

)

 

$

(0.39

)

 

$

(0.59

)

Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding

 

20,904,085

 

 

 

15,780,863

 

 

 

20,904,085

 

 

 

15,201,719

 


Release – Lineage Cell Therapeutics Reports Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results and Provides Business Update

 



Lineage Cell Therapeutics Reports Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results and Provides Business Update

Research, News, and Market Data on Lineage Cell Therapeutics

  • Advanced RG6501 (OpRegen®)
    Development in Partnership with Roche and Genentech
  • Published OPC1 Phase 1/2a Clinical Study
    Results in Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine
  • Completed Key Activities to Support Planned
    Regulatory Interactions for OPC1 and VAC2
  • Expanded Collaboration with Advanced BioMatrix
    for HyStem
    ® Cell Drug Delivery Technology
  • Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable
    Securities of $72.0 Million as of June 30,
    2022 Expected to Provide Capital Through Q2 2024

CARLSBAD, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aug. 11, 2022– Lineage Cell
Therapeutics, Inc.
 (NYSE American and TASE: LCTX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing allogeneic cell therapies for unmet medical needs, today reported financial and operating results for the second quarter of 2022. Lineage management will host a conference call and webcast today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time/1:30 p.m. Pacific Time to discuss its second quarter 2022 financial and operating results and to provide a business update.

“We are pleased with the progress on RG6501 (OpRegen) product development under our collaboration with Roche and Genentech. During the second quarter this year, we have made progress across multiple functional areas, including clinical, regulatory, and technology transfer activities,” stated Brian M. Culley, Lineage CEO. “As we continue to position Lineage as a leader in regenerative medicine through the transplant of specific cell types, our focus is on completing the necessary clinical, regulatory and related activities which can create value and reduce risk across our portfolio of five cell transplant assets. In particular, our efforts have been focused on preparing for OPC1 and VAC2 regulatory interactions to enable their next phases of clinical testing in spinal cord injury and oncology, respectively. In parallel, we are advancing our auditory neuron and photoreceptor programs through preclinical development activities which are necessary to support initial clinical testing. We believe our disciplined use of capital and our increased strategic business development activities can support multiple years of growth and the achievement of important milestones in the months and years to come.”

Second quarter milestones and activities included:

– RG6501 (OpRegen)

  • Continued execution under our collaboration with Roche and Genentech across multiple functional areas, including:
    • Conducting additional OpRegen manufacturing runs and supporting Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) activities.
    • Continuing technology transfer activities.
    • Actively participating in both Joint Advisory and Joint Manufacturing Committees, forums for discussion and planning with respect to next steps in clinical development and related activities.
  • Continuing long-term follow-up of patients from the Phase 1/2a clinical study of OpRegen:
    • Enrolled patients have continued to do well, supporting multi-year durability of a treatment effect with RG6501 (OpRegen).

– OPC1

  • Results from a Phase 1/2a clinical study in subacute cervical spinal cord injury were 
    published in the 
    Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine;

    • OPC1 has demonstrated an excellent safety profile, and at one-year post-treatment, 96% of patients had recovered one or more levels of neurological function on at least one side of their body, and 32% of patients had recovered two or more levels of neurological function on at least one side of their body.
  • Preclinical testing of a new thaw and inject formulation of OPC1, manufactured via an improved and larger-scale process, has demonstrated functional recovery, improvement in gait coordination and motor performance with a reduction of the area of cavitation.
  • A majority of the verification and validation activities for the novel parenchymal spinal delivery (PSD) system, and its preclinical testing in support of a regulatory submission have been completed.
  • Preclinical activities to support upcoming regulatory interactions are near completion.
  • Engagement with the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), as well as various patient advocacy organizations and patient advocates, is underway.

– VAC2

  • Following technology transfer of the program from Cancer Research UK (CRUK) to Lineage and improvement of manufacturing processes, production scale was increased and accordingly the cost of goods has been reduced significantly, along with marked improvements in the purity and functionality of the manufactured material.
  • CRUK continues to follow patients on the Phase 1 NSCLC clinical study; Lineage has received all necessary clinical information from CRUK required to support U.S., or other, regulatory interactions.

– ANP1 & PNC1

  • Preclinical activities are continuing, including thought leader engagement to support future preclinical testing.

– Business Development

  • Broadened collaboration with Advanced BioMatrix, a division of BICO Group AB (STO: BICO), for the HyStem delivery technology to include clinical/commercial GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) material, increasing the milestone payments and royalty percentages due to Lineage upon ABM reaching certain development milestones and/or product sales.
  • Continued work under our collaboration with our strategic partner, Immunomic Therapeutics (“ITI”); currently awaiting decision on next steps for ITI’s allogeneic cell-based cancer immunotherapy for the treatment of glioblastoma based on the VAC platform.

Some of the key upcoming milestones and activities anticipated
by Lineage include:

– Planned interaction with FDA in Q4 2022 to discuss an OPC1 IND amendment submission to enable clinical performance and safety testing of a novel PSD system.

– A pre-IND regulatory interaction in Q4 2022 to seek feedback on a VAC2 CMC, nonclinical, and clinical package to support U.S. clinical development; pre-IND briefing package submission in Q3 2022.

– Submission of a grant application to the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) for the continued support of the clinical development of OPC1.

– Clinical data update from the ongoing VAC2 Phase 1 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) study, pending release from CRUK.

– Preclinical activities for both the ANP1 and PNC1 programs.

– Additional OPC1 publications, including preclinical study results utilizing a new thaw and inject formulation of OPC1, manufactured via an improved and larger-scale process.

– An additional OPC1 manuscript from a Phase 1/2a clinical study in subacute cervical spinal cord injury, focused on MRI data.

– Evaluation of new partnership opportunities and/or expansion of existing collaborations.

– Continued participation in investor and partnering meetings and medical and industry conferences to broaden awareness of our mission and accomplishments.

Balance Sheet Highlights

Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities totaled $72 million as of June 30, 2022, which is expected to support operations through Q2 2024.

Second Quarter Operating Results

Revenues: Lineage’s revenue is generated primarily from licensing fees, royalties, collaboration revenues, and research grants. Total revenues for the three months ended June 30, 2022 were approximately $4.6 million, a net increase of $4.0 million as compared to $0.5 million for the same period in 2021. The increase was primarily related to licensing fees recognized from deferred revenues in connection with the $50.0 million upfront licensing payment received in the first quarter of 2022 from Roche.

Operating Expenses: Operating expenses are comprised of research and development (“R&D”) expenses and general and administrative (“G&A”) expenses. Total operating expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2022 were $8.6 million, an increase of $1.1 million as compared to $7.5 million for the same period in 2021.

R&D Expenses: R&D expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2022 were $3.3 million, a net increase of $0.4 million as compared to $2.9 million for the same period in 2021. The net increase was driven by $0.1 million in higher OpRegen related expenses to support the Roche Collaboration. Another $0.2 million and $0.1 million of the increase was related to R&D spending on the new auditory neuron and photoreceptor cell therapy programs, respectively.

G&A Expenses: G&A expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2022 were $5.3 million, a net increase of approximately $0.7 million as compared to $4.5 million for the same period in 2021. The increase was primarily attributable to $0.4 million in payroll and related benefits expense, and $0.5 million in share-based compensation, partially offset by $0.2 million in lower investor relations expense.

Loss from Operations: Loss from operations for the three months ended June 30, 2022 was $4.2 million, a decrease of $2.9 million as compared to $7.1 million for the same period in 2021.

Other Income/(Expenses), Net: Other income (expenses), net for the three months ended June 30, 2022 reflected other expense, net of ($2.5) million, compared to other income, net of $2.1 million for the same period in 2021. The net change was primarily driven by exchange rate fluctuations related to Lineage’s international subsidiaries, as well as a decrease in the value of marketable equity securities, and partially offset by the gain on extinguishment of debt from Lineage’s Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness recognized in the prior year’s quarter.

Net Loss Attributable to Lineage: The net loss attributable to Lineage for the three months ended June 30, 2022 was $6.8 million, or $0.04 per share (basic and diluted), compared to a net loss attributable to Lineage of $4.8 million, or $0.03 per share (basic and diluted), for the same period in 2021.

Conference Call and Webcast

Interested parties may access today’s conference call by dialing (800) 715-9871 from the U.S. and Canada and (646) 307-1952 from elsewhere outside the U.S. and Canada and should request the “Lineage Cell Therapeutics Call” or provide conference ID number 6448886. A live webcast of the conference call will be available online in the Investors section of Lineage’s website. A replay of the webcast will be available on Lineage’s website for 30 days and a telephone replay will be available through August 18, 2022, by dialing (800) 770-2030 from the U.S. and Canada and entering conference ID number 6448886.

About Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

Lineage Cell Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel cell therapies for unmet medical needs. Lineage’s programs are based on its robust proprietary cell-based therapy platform and associated in-house development and manufacturing capabilities. With this platform Lineage develops and manufactures specialized, terminally differentiated human cells from its pluripotent and progenitor cell starting materials. These differentiated cells are developed to either replace or support cells that are dysfunctional or absent due to degenerative disease or traumatic injury or administered as a means of helping the body mount an effective immune response to cancer. Lineage’s clinical programs are in markets with billion dollar opportunities and include five allogeneic (“off-the-shelf”) product candidates: (i) OpRegen, a retinal pigment epithelial cell therapy in development for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration, is being developed under a worldwide collaboration with Roche and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group; (ii) OPC1, an oligodendrocyte progenitor cell therapy in Phase 1/2a development for the treatment of acute spinal cord injuries; (iii) VAC2, a dendritic cell therapy produced from Lineage’s VAC technology platform for immuno-oncology and infectious disease, currently in Phase 1 clinical development for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer; (iv) ANP1, an auditory neuronal progenitor cell therapy for the potential treatment of auditory neuropathy; and (v) PNC1, a photoreceptor neural cell therapy for the treatment of vision loss due to photoreceptor dysfunction or damage. For more information, please visit www.lineagecell.com or follow the company on Twitter @LineageCell.

Forward-Looking Statements

Lineage cautions you that all statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, in some cases, can be identified by terms such as “believe,” “aim,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “design,” “intend,” “expect,” “could,” “can,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “seek,” “should,” “would,” “contemplate,” “project,” “target,” “tend to,” or the negative version of these words and similar expressions. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to: our ability to support our operations for at least two years with our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities; our ability to create value and reduce risk across our portfolio; our ability to support multiple years of progress and achieve important milestones; our collaboration and license agreement with Roche and Genentech and the potential to receive milestone and other consideration thereunder; the potential benefits of treatment with OpRegen; the potential future achievements of our clinical and preclinical programs; the timing of anticipated FDA interactions, preclinical activities, clinical trials, and clinical data updates related to our programs, and the submission of a grant application to the CIRM; plans and expectations regarding publications relating to our programs; plans and expectations regarding potential new partnership opportunities and existing collaborations; our ability to broaden awareness of our mission and accomplishments; plans and expectations regarding our products in development. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Lineage’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release, including, but not limited to, the following risks: that we may need to allocate our cash to unexpected events and expenses causing us to use our cash more quickly than expected; that positive findings in early clinical and/or nonclinical studies of a product candidate may not be predictive of success in subsequent clinical and/or nonclinical studies of that candidate; that competing alternative therapies may adversely impact the commercial potential of OpRegen; that Roche and Genentech may not successfully advance OpRegen or be successful in completing further clinical trials for OpRegen and/or obtaining regulatory approval for OpRegen in any particular jurisdiction; that we may not establish new partnerships or expand existing collaborations; that we do not successfully broaden awareness of our mission or accomplishments; that Lineage may not be able to manufacture sufficient clinical quantities of its product candidates in accordance with current good manufacturing practice; and those risks and uncertainties inherent in Lineage’s business and other risks discussed in Lineage’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Lineage’s forward-looking statements are based upon its current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included under the heading “Risk Factors” in Lineage’s periodic reports with the SEC, including Lineage’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC and its other reports, which are available from the SEC’s website. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. Lineage undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.comhttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220811005126/en/

 

Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc. IR
Ioana C. Hone
(
ir@lineagecell.com)
(442) 287-8963

Russo Partners – Media Relations
Nic Johnson or David Schull
Nic.johnson@russopartnersllc.com
David.schull@russopartnersllc.com
(212) 845-4242

Source: Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

 


Inflationary and Deflationary Cryptocurrency Tokens


Image Credit: SUN ZU Lab


What is Tokenomics and Why Does it Matter?

Tokenomics historical perspective. Let’s start this article with the famous experience of Philip II, King of Spain in the 16th century, with the Eldorado discovery and the massive rise in inflation that followed throughout the entirety of Europe!  

In the 16th century, Spain conquered Latin America and discovered an immeasurable wealth within gold and silver mines. The kingdom hit the jackpot, and its financial deficits appeared long behind it. This wasn’t the case, nevertheless, the problem came from the fact that the Crown of Spain was over-indebted to many European creditors, leading the massive silver and gold discoveries to only make a quick passage through Spain before enriching the coffers of its French and Dutch neighbors. The European market ended up being flooded with coins so that the immense Spanish wealth was diminished relative to other European kingdoms.

In the end, the excessive amount of silver and gold imported, and above all distributed, in Europe caused an important devaluation of what Philip II could think of as his Eldorado. A better financial management could have allowed him to preserve his reserves of invaluable minerals and thus be able to develop on a more important scale of time his fabulous treasure.

This story shows the importance of the quantity put into circulation on the valuation of an asset. This analysis works perfectly for the cryptocurrency market as well; any analysis of an asset’s ecosystem requires careful attention to the notions of quantity in circulation, total quantity, and inflation management.

 

Inflation and the Importance of Tokenomics

While the media usually describes inflation as a rise in the price of everyday consumer goods, it is in reality, the value of money that tends to fall rather than prices getting higher. This notion of inflation is at the heart of tokenomics, a merger of “token” and “economics” used to refer to all the elements that make a particular cryptocurrency valuable and interesting to investors. In this regard, there exist two predominant models: deflationary and inflationary tokens.


The Limited Quantity Deflationary Model

This is the model used by Bitcoin, i.e. a fixed total supply and less and less money issued over time. Many cryptocurrencies are governed under this model, like Solana, Litecoin, Tron, and many others, alongside the king of cryptos.

In the case of Bitcoin, for example, a block is mined about every 10 minutes, rewarding the miner 6.25 BTC (when Bitcoin started it was 50 BTC per block, then 25, 12.5, 6.25, etc). The reward is halved every 210K blocks, leading to a halving every 4 years with the 10 minutes mining-time per block assumption. Without changes to the protocol, the final Bitcoin will be mined around the year 2140.


The Balanced Inflation Model

Many blockchains have been coded without incorporating a limited amount of token issuance. This choice can be made for a variety of reasons, usually involving the use to be made of the blockchain in question. The Ethereum protocol for example, operates under this model. However, some mechanisms are put in place to limit inflation or even to create a deflationary system.

This is the objective of the implementation of future updates of the Ethereum network: while the annual rate of ETH tokens issuance is currently equal to nearly 4.5%, the switch from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake should allow developers to reduce this rate to less than 1%. The network introduced as well a burn mechanism, meaning that part of the fees paid by Ethereum users in the future will not be returned to validators but will be removed altogether. This could not only achieve a balance with the issuance rate but potentially lead to a decrease in the number of tokens in circulation in case of high network usage.

Both models have their strengths and weaknesses, with good justifications behind their use. For example, the Ethereum white paper indicates that a stable issuance rate would prevent the excessive concentration of wealth in the hands of a few actors/validators. Whereas Bitcoin’s deflationary system, as previously stated, allowed for the growing development of its ecosystem by paying miners large amounts of Bitcoin when it was not worth the tens of thousands of dollars it is worth today.

More generally, it is always a good idea to look into a project’s tokenomics before getting involved. This can help answer questions like:

  • What is the current token supply as well as total supply?
  • Does the token have an inflationary or deflationary model?
  • What is the real-world use case?
  • Who owns the majority of coins? Is it well spread out or concentrated?

 

Main Differences Between Deflationary and Inflationary
Tokens

Solana Case Study

Let’s take a deep dive into one of the most prominent blockchains’ tokenomics. Solana has a native token called SOL that has two primary use cases within the network:

Staking: users can stake their SOL either directly on the network or delegate their holding to an active validator to help secure the network. In return, stakers will receive inflation rewards.

Transaction Fees: users can use SOL to pay fees related to transaction processing or running smart contracts.

The Solana team distributed tokens in five different funding rounds, four of which were private sales. These private sales began in Q1 2019 and culminated in a $20 million Series A led by Multicoin Capital, announced in July 2019. Additional participants included Distributed Global, BlockTower Capital, Foundation Capital, Blockchange VC, Slow Ventures, NEO Global Capital, Passport Capital, and Rockaway Ventures. The firms received SOL tokens in exchange for their investments, although the number of tokens allocated to investors was not disclosed.

The initial distribution of SOL tokens was as follows:

According to Messari data, vesting schedules were as follows: Solana’s three pre-launch private sales all came with a nine-month lockup after the network launched. The project’s public auction sale (held in March 2020) did not come with a lockup schedule, and the SOL tokens distributed in that sale were fully liquid once the network launched. The founder’s allocation (13% of the initial supply) was also subject to a nine-month lockup post-network launch. After the lockup period ends, these tokens will vest monthly for another two years (expected to fully vest by January 2023). This last clause is good protection for investors as team members’ tokens are locked up for a longer period. The Grant Pool and Community Reserve (both overseen by the Solana Foundation) contain ~39% of the initial SOL supply combined. These allocations began to vest in small amounts since Solana’s main net launch.

Inflation stands at an initial annual inflation rate of 8%. However, this inflation rate will decrease at an annual rate of 15% (“dis-inflation rate”). The inflation decrease is thus non-linear and much more important in the first years. Solana’s inflation rate will continue to decrease until it reaches an annual rate of 1.5%, which the network should reach in about ten years or 2031. 1.5% will remain the long-term inflation rate for Solana unless the network’s governance system votes to change it.


Source: docs.solana

Major identified issues with current projects’ tokenomics:

Is it Really that Decentralised?

Using the Solana example, we can see that more than 50% of the tokens in circulation are concentrated, during a long period after the project’s launch, in the hands of the core team, VCs and early investors. This is hardly an exception to Solana as similar distributions are very common within the blockchain ecosystem projects. Can we talk seriously about the benefits of blockchain decentralization with such capital and governance concentration without forgetting technical knowledge concentration as well?

 

What Happens After the End of the Lock-Up Period?

Blockchain projects often come with varying lock-up periods that can last from less than a year to five years for early investors and the founding team, who usually cash out their investments after this period. What we identify as a significant issue after the end of the lock-up period is the huge and asymmetric risk-return transfer between this first group, which realized a pretty good return on their initial investments and are completely de-risked at this stage, and retail investors joining the project at a stage where core decision-makers are no longer incentivized to ensure the well-functioning of the project.

 

What Rights for Token Investors?

Cryptocurrency projects often use ICOs (Initial Coin Offering), among other fundraising techniques, to raise funds through the issue of crypto-assets in exchange for either fiat currency or an established cryptocurrency like bitcoin or ether. The issuing entity usually accounts for digital assets collected as an intangible asset, or as a financial instrument in the case of stablecoins for example, as they are redeemable for cash. The accounting for tokens distributed on the other hand, depends on the promise given to investors under the terms of the ICO, which could include: free or discounted access to the entity’s goods or services for a specified or indefinite period of time; a share of the profits of the entity or access to an exchange through which it can transact with other users of the exchange in buying goods or services. Digital asset projects may also offer equity tokens, which are a type of security tokens that work more like a traditional stock asset, giving their holders some form of ownership in their investments. The use of these equity instruments remains restricted, nevertheless raising the question of the rights and guarantees given to retail investors in particular in exchange for the funds given to the cryptocurrency project.  

 

VC Double-Dipping Practices

What we refer to as double-dipping practices, in this case, relates to VCs investing in cryptocurrency projects and realizing important capital gains on their equity shares as well as digital token holdings. This privilege is almost unique to the cryptocurrency ecosystem, raising some questions again about asymmetric information advantages against retail investors: compared to traditional VC funding, crypto VC investors enjoy a double economic as well as governance advantage, having control over token and equity.

 

Conclusion

Tokenomics is an important aspect of cryptocurrency, which covers almost anything to do with the token. Professional as well as retail investors should spend a lot of time studying a project’s tokenomics before investing to be well aware of the financial and governance rights attributed to them via the token purchase. There is an absolute need in our view for regulation on this particular topic to evolve in order to provide better transparency and, eventually, protection levels for investors.

This article was republished with permission from the SUN ZU Lab website. It was authored by Chadi El Adnani, Crypto
Research Analyst at SUN ZU Lab.


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Highlights and Outlook from OPEC’s August Report



Image Credit: Kishjar (Flickr)


OPEC Sees a Better Balance of Supply and Demand in New Forecast

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Nations (OPEC) released a 92-page report dated August 11, 2022, on the state of the global oil market. The topics include expected supply and demand balance shifts, global demand expectations, world economy expectations, and physical versus futures prices. The OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report suggests the cartel is not expecting to increase output.


Supply

The global oil supply has risen steadily over the past several months. This includes OPEC coordination with countries participating in the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC). However, ongoing low overall investment is limiting non-OPEC oil supply growth. Signs of slowing growth in the world economy and oil demand have been causing a better balance of output and consumption.

The oil market since the beginning of 2022 has been riddled with price volatility, this became much more pronounced after February 2022. The late winter imbalances were triggered by concerns in Eastern Europe. Sanctions on Russian oil by some major oil importing nations served to increase the premium that was built into crude prices. The sanctions led to significant changes to inter-regional trade flows. This raised supply concerns heading into the summer travel season.

The early summer was characterized by increased pressure on prices in most regions and soaring prices. This created a situation that resulted in crude differentials rising to record-high levels in 2Q22, along with steepening backwardation, a situation where physical oil is priced higher than futures contracts.


Demand

The OPEC report shows fundamentals in the physical oil market remain heightened, and volatility in the futures markets is reacting to expectations of lower GDP growth. Lower growth expectations are fed by rising worldwide inflation and the central banks’ reaction to slow economies.

Another factor impacting world demand is the US dollar’s value which strengthened further against major currencies. Oil is priced in US Dollars. Moreover, market price volatility contributed to reduced market liquidity, as seen in declining futures and options open interest in ICE Brent and NYMEX WTI dropped in July 2022 to the lowest since June 2015.


Source: OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report (August 2022)


Prices

Fuel prices surged in the first half of the year due to lower supplies amid refinery closures and a busy refinery turnaround season. The summer also ushered in stronger fuel consumption as pandemic-related travel restrictions were lifted in most regions. Adjustments to flow tied to the war in Eastern Europe further produced tightness. Combined, this all worked to push oil prices to record highs in June.

Jet fuel became the second strongest performer in the US product market. The product saw its price benefit from growing international air travel.

Prices peaked in June, with US gasoline reaching $193.06/b, up by $97.79/b, or 103%, y-o-y.

In July, rising refinery run rates reduced some of the tightness, mostly in US Gulf Coast (USGC), where product prices declined by $26.83/b, on average. In Europe, average prices declined the least,  $20.24/b, m-o-m.

 

Looking Ahead

Refined product markets in the coming months are expected to experience seasonal support from transport fuels, while fuel sales could increase from the trend of moderating product prices.

Available refinery capacity will be helped by the operational ramp-up of at least two large capacity additions last year. These include the Middle East. The countries participating in the DoC will continue to monitor market developments and seek investment to help ensure adequate levels of capacity and bolster their efforts to maintain a stable oil market balance which is perceived to be in the interest of producers and consumers alike.

Paul Hoffman

Managing Editor, Channelchek

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Sources

https://momr.opec.org/pdf-download/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-11/opec-sees-global-oil-market-tipping-into-surplus-this-quarter

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/backwardation.asp#:~:text=Key%20Takeaways,months%20through%20the%20futures%20market.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/opec-cuts-oil-demand-forecasts-as-economic-growth-slows-11660220861?mod=hp_lead_pos2

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Release – Direct Digital Holdings Reports Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results


Direct Digital Holdings Reports Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results

Research, News, and Market Data on Direct Digital Holdings

HOUSTON, Aug. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Direct Digital Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRCT) (“Direct Digital” or the “Company”), a leading advertising and marketing technology platform through its operating companies Colossus Media, LLC (“Colossus Media”), Huddled Masses LLC (“Huddled Masses”) and Orange142, LLC (“Orange142”), today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022.

Mark Walker, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Direct Digital, commented, “We are pleased to report record revenue for the second quarter of 2022, demonstrating the strong growth driven by our business model. By focusing on expanding both of our impactful buy- and sell-side business segments, we have been able to expand our portfolio and client reach, delivering increased topline revenue, and consequently, overall growth in our adjusted EBITDA.”

Keith Smith, President of Direct Digital, added, “This quarter’s results are a testament to Direct Digital’s diverse and open digital marketplace business model. This, along with our supportive partner in Lafayette Square Loan Servicing, LLC, who has recently allowed us to extend our existing non-dilutive debt facility, has propelled the Company to exceptional results for the quarter, which we expect will provide us a strong remainder of the year. Consequently, Direct Digital will be raising guidance for full-year 2022.”

Second Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights:

  • Revenue increased to $21.3 million in the second quarter of 2022, an increase of $10.1 million, or up 90% over the $11.2 million in the same period of 2021.
    • Sell-side advertising segment, consisting of the Colossus Media business, grew to $11.9 million and contributed $9.8 million of the increase, or up 477% over the $2.1 million in the same period of 2021.
    • Buy-side advertising segment, consisting of the Huddled Masses and Orange142 businesses, grew to $9.3 million and contributed $0.2 million of the increase, or up 2% over the $9.1 million in the same period of 2021.
  • Operating income increased $0.6 million, up 22%, to $3.1 million for the second quarter of 2022, compared to income of $2.5 million in the same period of 2021. Operating income was impacted by approximately $0.7 million of public company related costs for the quarter.
  • Net income was $2.6 million in the second quarter of 2022, up 58%, compared to $1.7 million in the same period of 2021.
  • Adjusted EBITDA(1) increased 18% to $3.6 million in the second quarter 2022, compared to $3.0 million in the same period of 2021.
  • Net operating cash provided by operating activities for the six-months ended June 30, 2022 was $0.1 million, compared to a net operating cash of $2.6 million generated in the same period of 2021.

Business Highlights

  • For the second quarter ended June 30, 2022, Direct Digital processed approximately 98 billion monthly impressions through its sell-side advertising segment, an increase of 176% over the same period of 2021, with over 643 billion bid requests for the quarter.
  • In addition, the Company’s sell-side advertising platforms received over six billion bid responses, an increase of over 857% over the same period in 2021, through 88,000 buyers for the quarter.
  • The Company’s buy-side advertising segment served over 152 customers, an increase of 18% compared to the same period of 2021.

Financial Outlook

Direct Digital’s guidance assumes that the U.S. economy continues to recover, and there are no major COVID-19-related setbacks that may cause economic conditions to deteriorate or otherwise significantly reduce advertiser demand. Direct Digital plans to offer annual guidance and update it throughout the year. Accordingly, the Company estimates the following:

  • For fiscal year 2022, Direct Digital is raising expectations for guidance by approximately 40% to increase from a range of $48.0 million-$52.0 million to $70 million-$75 million, or up 113% year-over-year growth at the mid-point, while targeting an Adjusted EBITDA Margin in the double digits.

Conference Call and Webcast Details

Direct Digital will host a conference call on Thursday, August 11, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the Company’s quarterly results. The live webcast and replay can be accessed at https://ir.directdigitalholdings.com/. Please access the website at least fifteen minutes prior to the call to register, download and install any necessary audio software. For those who cannot access the webcast, a replay will be available at https://ir.directdigitalholdings.com/ for a period of twelve months following the live webcast.

Footnote

(1) “Adjusted EBITDA” is a non-GAAP financial measure and Adjusted EBITDA Margin is an operating ratio derived from a non-GAAP financial measure. The section titled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below describes our usage of non-GAAP financial measures and provides reconciliations between historical GAAP and non-GAAP information contained in this press release.  

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and which are subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties.

As used below, “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Direct Digital. We use words such as “could,” “would,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “expect,” “likely,” “believe,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project” and other similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, but not all forward-looking statements include these words. All statements contained in this release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements.

All of our forward-looking statements involve estimates and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that we have made in light of our industry experience and our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, many factors could affect our actual operating and financial performance and cause our performance to differ materially from the performance expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: our dependence on the overall demand for advertising, which could be influenced by economic downturns; any slow-down or unanticipated development in the market for programmatic advertising campaigns; the effects of health epidemics, such as the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic; operational and performance issues with our platform, whether real or perceived, including a failure to respond to technological changes or to upgrade our technology systems; any significant inadvertent disclosure or breach of confidential and/or personal information we hold, or of the security of our or our customers’, suppliers’ or other partners’ computer systems; any unavailability or non-performance of the non-proprietary technology, software, products and services that we use; unfavorable publicity and negative public perception about our industry, particularly concerns regarding data privacy and security relating to our industry’s technology and practices, and any perceived failure to comply with laws and industry self-regulation; restrictions on the use of third-party “cookies,” mobile device IDs or other tracking technologies, which could diminish our platform’s effectiveness; any inability to compete in our intensely competitive market; any significant fluctuations caused by our high customer concentration; any violation of legal and regulatory requirements or any misconduct by our employees, subcontractors, agents or business partners; any strain on our resources, diversion of our management’s attention or impact on our ability to attract and retain qualified board members as a result of being a public company; our dependence, as a holding, of receiving distributions from Direct Digital Holdings, LLC to pay our taxes, expenses and dividends; and other factors and assumptions discussed in the “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations” and other sections of our filings with the SEC that we make from time to time. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should any of these assumptions prove to be incorrect, our actual operating and financial performance may vary in material respects from the performance projected in these forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained in this release to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances, and we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

About Direct Digital Holdings
Direct Digital Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRCT), through its operating companies Colossus Media, LLC, Huddled Masses LLC and Orange142, LLC, brings state-of-the-art sell- and buy-side advertising platforms together under one umbrella company. Direct Digital Holdings’ sell-side platform, Colossus Media, LLC, offers advertisers of all sizes extensive reach within general market and multicultural media properties. The company’s subsidiaries Huddled Masses LLC and Orange142, LLC deliver significant ROI for middle market advertisers by providing data-optimized programmatic solutions at scale for businesses in sectors that range from energy to healthcare to travel to financial services. Direct Digital Holdings, Inc’s sell- and buy-side solutions manage approximately 88,000 clients monthly, generating over 98 billion impressions per month across display, CTV, in-app and other media channels. The company has been named a top minority-owned business by The Houston Business Journal.

 View original content to download multimedia, including tables:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/direct-digital-holdings-reports-second-quarter-2022-financial-results-301604344.html

SOURCE Direct Digital Holdings

Released
August 11, 2022