Great Elm Group, Inc.: Form 10-Q for the period ended Mar 31, 2024

Overview

GEG is a publicly-traded alternative asset management company focused on growing a scalable and diversified portfolio of long-duration and permanent capital vehicles across credit, real estate, specialty finance, and other alternative strategies. GEG and its subsidiaries currently manage GECC, a publicly-traded business development company, and Monomoy UpREIT, an industrial-focused real estate investment trust, in addition to other investments. The combined assets under management of these entities at March 31, 2024 was approximately $688.0 million.

GEG continues to explore other investment management opportunities, as well as opportunities in other areas that it believes provide attractive risk-adjusted returns on invested capital. As of the date of this report, GEG had no unfunded binding commitments to make additional investments.

Critical Accounting Policies

The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements requires our management to make significant estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. These items are monitored and analyzed by our management for changes in facts and circumstances, and material changes in these estimates could occur in the future. During the three and nine months ended March 31, 2024 we did not make material changes in our critical accounting policies or underlying assumptions as disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as it relates to normal and recurring transactions.

The historical results of the Durable Medical Equipment (DME) business, primarily consisting of HC LLC and its subsidiaries, sold on January 3, 2023 and related activity have been presented in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2023 and cash flows for the nine months ended March 31, 2023 as discontinued operations. Further, the historical segment information was recast to reflect our ongoing business as a single reportable segment and to remove the activity of discontinued operations. Unless otherwise specified, disclosures in these condensed consolidated financial statements reflect continuing operations only.

Results of Operations

The following table provides the results of our consolidated operations:

(in thousands)

Revenue

Revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2024 increased $0.9 million as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023 primarily due to the recognition of $0.7 million in incentive fees earned from GECC in the current quarter whereas there were no corresponding incentive fees in the prior year period under the revenue recognition criteria. Revenues for the nine months ended March 31, 2024 increased $3.3 million as compared to the nine months ended March 31, 2023 primarily due to the recognition of $2.7 million in incentive fees earned from GECC in the current year to date period whereas there were no corresponding incentive fees in the prior year period under the revenue recognition criteria. In addition, administration and service fee revenues increased by $0.3 million for the nine months ended March 31, 2024 as compared to the nine months ended March 31, 2023 as a result of changes in organizational structure including additional personnel.

Operating Costs and Expenses

Investment management expenses, excluding non-cash compensation, for the nine months ended March 31, 2024 increased $1.2 million as compared to the corresponding period in the prior year. Increases in investment management expenses, excluding non-cash compensation, were primarily attributable to compensation-related costs as the Company has shifted focus to the investment management business after the sale of the DME business in prior year. These increases are partially offset by the decreases in other selling, general and administrative costs of $0.1 million and -$0.3 million, respectively, for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2024 as compared to the corresponding periods in the prior year.

Other Income (Expense)

Interest expense for the nine months ended March 31, 2024 decreased by $1.8 million compared to the corresponding period in the prior year, as there was no interest expense related to the 35,010 shares of preferred stock issued by Forest Investments, Inc. (Forest) to J.P. Morgan Broker-Dealer Holdings Inc. after the sale of controlling interest in Forest on December 30, 2022 or the $6.3 million promissory note issued to Imperial Capital Asset Management, LLC which was fully repaid in February 2023.

Other income (expense), net includes dividend and interest income and net realized and unrealized gains and losses. For the three and nine months ended March 31, 2024, dividend and interest income was $2.4 million and $6.4 million, respectively, as compared to $1.5 million and $4.4 million, respectively for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2023. The increases in dividend and interest income are primarily attributable to new investments in private funds and marketable securities. Net realized and unrealized gains and losses generally consist of unrealized mark-to-market adjustments on investments and the gain or loss realized on the sale of investments. In addition, during the three and nine months ended March 31, 2023, the Company recognized a gain on the sale of its controlling interest in Forest in December 2022 of $10.5 million and gain on the January 2023 sale of its remaining non-controlling interest in Forest of $24.4 million.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Cash Flows

Cash used in operating activities of our continuing operations for the nine months ended March 31, 2024 were $18.5 million. The adjustments to reconcile our net income from continuing operations of -$0.4 million to net cash used in operating activities included add-backs for various non-cash charges, such as $1.8 million of stock-based compensation expense, $1.7 million of non-cash interest and amortization of capitalized issuance costs, and $0.8 million of depreciation and amortization, which was offset by deduction of $1.8 million of unrealized gain on our investments, and the net negative change in our operating assets and liabilities of $11.6 million, including the impact of changes related to consolidated funds.

Cash used in operating activities of our continuing operations for the nine months ended March 31, 2023 were $3.6 million. The adjustments to reconcile our net income from continuing operations of $19.7 million to net cash used in operating activities included add-backs for various non-cash charges, such as $2.0 million of stock-based compensation expense, $1.7 million of non-cash interest and amortization of capitalized issuance costs, and $0.9 million of depreciation and amortization, which was offset by deduction of $12.8 million of unrealized gain on our investments, $4.7 million of realized gain on our investments, $10.5 million of gain on Sale of Controlling Interest in Forest in December 2022, and the net negative change in our operating assets and liabilities of $2.0 million. During the nine months ended March 31, 2023 we also received $1.6 million attributed to sales of investments by Great Elm SPAC Opportunity Fund, LLC (GESOF). Cash flows provided by operating activities of our discontinued operations for the nine months ended March 31, 2023 were $0.8 million.

Cash used in investing activities of our continuing operations for the nine months ended March 31, 2024 were $3.7 million, which includes investment purchases of $59.8 million partially offset by the proceeds from sale of investments of $56.8 million. Cash flows used in investing activities of our discontinued operations for the nine months ended March 31, 2024 were $0.9 million, which represents the payments made to the buyer and former minority interest holders of our durable medical equipment business in connection with working capital adjustment and escrow payments.

Cash provided by investing activities of our continuing operations for the nine months ended March 31, 2023 were $41.1 million which is attributed to the combined proceeds from sale of Forest, net of cash sold, of $44.3 million, partially offset by purchases of investments of $3.1 million. Cash flows provided by investing activities of our discontinued operations for the nine months ended March 31, 2023 of $67.2 million were primarily attributed to the cash proceeds from the Sale of HC LLC, net of cash sold and before transaction costs and distributions to non-controlling interests, of $71.3 million, partially offset by other investing activities of our DME Business.

Cash provided by financing activities of our continuing operations for the nine months ended March 31, 2024 were $7.1 million related to capital activity of Consolidated Funds.

Cash used in financing activities of our continuing operations for the nine months ended March 31, 2023 were $42.4 million, which consisted of principal payments of $38.1 million on the promissory note issued to Forest on December 29, 2022 and fully repaid by January 3, 2023, and principal payments of $3.7 million on the Seller Note, as well as distributions to non-controlling interests in GESOF of $0.6 million. Cash flows used in financing activities of our discontinued operations for the nine months ended March 31, 2023 of $5.2 million were primarily attributed to distributions to non-controlling interests upon Sale of HC LLC of $5.9 million.

Financial Condition

As of March 31, 2024, we had an unrestricted cash balance of $44.1 million and $24.8 million in marketable securities. We also held 1,518,162 shares of GECC common stock with an estimated fair value of $16.8 million as of March 31, 2024. We believe we have sufficient liquidity available to meet our short-term and long-term obligations for at least the next 12 months.

Borrowings

As of March 31, 2024, the Company had $26.9 million in outstanding aggregate principal amount of 7.25% notes due on June 30, 2027 (the GEGGL Notes). Interest on the GEGGL Notes is paid quarterly. The GEGGL Notes include covenants that limit additional indebtedness or the payment of dividends in the event that our net consolidated debt to equity ratio is, or would be on a pro forma basis, greater than 2 to 1. In addition, if our net consolidated debt to equity ratio is greater than 2 to 1 at the end of any calendar quarter, we must retain no less than 10% of our excess cash flow as cash and cash equivalents until such time as our net consolidated debt to equity ratio is less than 2 to 1 at the end of a calendar quarter.

As of March 31, 2024, the Company had $38.9 million principal balance in convertible notes outstanding (including cumulative interest paid in-kind). The convertible notes are held by a consortium of investors, including related parties. The convertible notes accrue interest at 5.0% per annum, payable semiannually in arrears on June 30 and December 31, in cash or in kind at the option of the Company. The convertible notes are due on February 26, 2030, but are convertible at the option of the holders, subject to the terms therein, prior to maturity into shares of our common stock. Upon conversion of any note, the Company will pay or deliver, as the case may be, to the noteholder, in respect of each $1,000 principal amount of notes being converted, shares of common stock equal to the conversion rate in effect on the conversion date, together with cash, if applicable, in lieu of delivering any fractional share of common stock. To date, all interest on these instruments has been paid in-kind.

There have been no material changes in the market risks discussed in Item 7A. of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023.

We evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2024. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that the information we are required to disclose in reports that we file under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Our CEO and CFO participated in this evaluation and concluded that, as of March 31, 2024, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal control over financial reporting.

We have disclosed the risk factors affecting our business, financial condition and operating results in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023. There have been no material changes from the risk factors previously disclosed.