Hennessy Advisors Inc: Form 10-Q for the period ended Dec 31, 2024

Forward‑Looking Statements

This report contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the securities laws, for which we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, forward‑looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “assume,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “project,” “continue,” “seek,” and similar expressions, as well as statements in the future tense. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events, based on information currently available to us. Forward‑looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at which, or means by which, such performance or results will be achieved.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including those described in our Annual Report on Form 10‑K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, including under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in such report. Unforeseen developments could cause actual performance or results to differ substantially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Management does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of these forward-looking statements. There is no regulation requiring an update of any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this report to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations.

Our business activities are affected by many factors, including, without limitation, redemptions by investors in the Hennessy Funds, taxes, general economic and business conditions, interest rate movements, inflation, the personal savings rate, competitive conditions, industry regulation, and fluctuations in the stock market, many of which are beyond the control of our management. Further, the business and regulatory environments in which we operate remain complex, uncertain, and subject to change. We expect that regulatory requirements and developments will cause us to incur additional administrative and compliance costs. Notwithstanding the variability in our economic and regulatory environments, we remain focused on the investment performance of the Hennessy Funds and on providing high‑quality customer service to investors.

Our business strategy centers on (i) the identification, completion, and integration of future acquisitions and (ii) organic growth, through both the retention of the fund assets we currently manage and the generation of inflows into the funds we manage. The success of our business strategy may be influenced by the factors discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024. All statements regarding our business strategy, as well as statements regarding market trends and risks and assumptions about changes in the marketplace, are forward-looking by their nature.

Overview

Our primary business activity is providing investment advisory services to a family of 16 open-end mutual funds and one ETF branded as the Hennessy Funds. We manage 12 of the 17 Hennessy Funds internally. For the remaining five funds, we have delegated the day‐to‑day portfolio management responsibilities to sub‑advisors, subject to our oversight. We oversee the selection and continued employment of each sub‑advisor, review each fund’s investment performance, and monitor each sub‑advisor’s adherence to each applicable fund’s investment objectives, policies, and restrictions. In addition, we conduct ongoing reviews of the compliance programs of sub‑advisors and make onsite visits to sub‑advisors, as feasible. Our secondary business activity is providing shareholder services to investors in the Hennessy Mutual Funds.

We derive our operating revenues from investment advisory fees paid to us by the Hennessy Funds and shareholder service fees paid to us by the Hennessy Mutual Funds. These fees are calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of each Hennessy Fund. The percentage amount of the investment advisory fees varies by fund. The percentage amount of the shareholder service fees is consistent across all Hennessy Mutual Funds, but shareholder service fees are charged on Investor Class shares only. The dollar amount of the fees we receive fluctuates with changes in the average net asset value of each Hennessy Fund, which is affected by each fund’s investment performance, purchases and redemptions of shares, general market conditions, and the success of our marketing, sales, and public relations efforts.

On a total return basis, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.93% for the three months ended December 31, 2024. During the most recent quarter, equity prices increased modestly as a strong economic backdrop coupled with a solid earnings season appeared to give investors reason to continue bidding stocks higher. Following the November election, equities rallied sharply on the expectation of lower tax rates and fewer governmental business regulations. In the final weeks of 2024, though, investors seemed to turn their attention to inflation and the prospect of rate cuts. While there was once an expectation of several Federal Reserve interest rate cuts in 2025, the market is now pricing in anywhere from one to perhaps two cuts in 2025, according to Bloomberg, as the economy continues to grow above expectations and inflation remains higher than the Federal Reserve’s target rate. For 2025, aggregate revenue growth for the companies in the S&P 500® Index is forecasted to increase 6% while earnings are expected to increase nearly 15%, also according to Bloomberg. This robust implied margin expansion may provide investors with more reasons to buy equities this year provided that the economy continues to do well.

Long-term U.S. bond yields increased meaningfully during the three months ended December 31, 2024. With inflation still above the Federal Reserve’s 2% inflation goal and unemployment remaining low, yields increased. At the end of September 2024, the market was pricing in close to eight interest rate cuts by the end of 2025, according to Bloomberg. With recently released economic data continuing to point to above trend inflation, the market is now pricing in no more than two rate cuts by the end of 2025.

The Japanese equity market was down 4.04% in U.S. dollar terms over the three months ended December 31, 2024, as measured by the Tokyo Stock Price Index. During the period, Japanese equities traded lower despite optimism that a potential merger between Honda and Nissan could portend a new era of dealmaking in the Japanese equity market.

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, all 17 Hennessy Funds generated positive total returns. In addition, for the three‑year and five-year periods ended December 31, 2024, all of the 17 Hennessy Funds posted positive annualized total returns as well. Lastly, over the longer term, all of the Hennessy Funds with over ten years of operating history posted positive returns in the ten-year period ended December 31, 2024.

As always, we are committed to providing superior service to investors and employing a consistent and disciplined approach to investing based on a buy‑and‑hold philosophy that rejects the idea of market timing. Our goal is to provide products that investors can have confidence in, knowing their money is invested as promised and with their best interests in mind. Accordingly, we continually seek new and improved ways to support investors in the Hennessy Funds, including by providing market insights, sector highlights, and other resources to help them manage their fund investments with confidence. We operate a robust and leading‑edge marketing automation and customer relationship management (CRM) system, with a database of over 100,000 financial advisors, in addition to retail investors. We utilize this technology both to help retain assets and to drive new purchases into the Hennessy Funds. We employ a comprehensive marketing and sales program consisting of content, digital, social media, and traditional marketing initiatives and proactive meetings. In addition, our consistent annual public relations campaigns have resulted in the Hennessy brand name appearing on TV, radio, print, or online media on average once every two to three days.

We provide service to over 210,000 fund accounts nationwide, including accounts held by investors who employ financial advisors to assist them with investing as well as accounts held by retail investors who invest directly with us. We serve approximately 11,000 financial advisors who utilize the Hennessy Funds on behalf of their clients, including roughly 500 who purchased one of our Funds for the first time during the most recent quarter. Approximately 18% of such advisors own two or more Hennessy Funds, and over 700 advisors hold a position of over $500,000. While numbers have declined in recent years, we continue to focus significant efforts on building and maintaining brand loyalty among our top tier of advisors.

Total assets under management as of December 31, 2024, was $4.8 billion, an increase of $1.5 billion, or 45.7%, compared to December 31, 2023. The increase in total assets was attributable to net inflows into the Hennessy Funds, market appreciation, and the purchase of the assets related to the management of the CCM Funds.

The following table illustrates the quarter‑by‑quarter changes in our assets under management since the quarter ended December 31, 2023:

(In thousands)

As stated above, the fees we receive for providing investment advisory and shareholder services are based on average assets under management. The following table shows average assets under management for each quarter since the quarter ended December 31, 2023:

(In thousands)

The principal asset on our balance sheet, the management contracts asset, represents the capitalized costs incurred in connection with the purchase of the assets related to the management of investment funds. As of December 31, 2024, this asset had a net balance of $82.3 million, unchanged since September 30, 2024.

On October 20, 2021, we completed a public offering of the 2026 Notes in the aggregate principal amount of $40.25 million, which included the full exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment option. The 2026 Notes mature on December 31, 2026, and may now be redeemed in whole or in part at any time or from time to time at our option. The 2026 Notes bear interest at 4.875% per annum, payable on the last day of each calendar quarter and at maturity, beginning December 31, 2021. The 2026 Notes are direct unsecured obligations, rank equally in right of payment with any of our future unsecured unsubordinated indebtedness, senior to any of our future indebtedness that expressly provides that it is subordinate to the 2026 Notes, effectively subordinate to all of our future secured indebtedness, and structurally subordinate to all future indebtedness and other obligations of any future subsidiaries of ours.

The 2026 Notes are the principal liability on our balance sheet at $39.6 million, net of issuance costs.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

We continually review our capital requirements to ensure that we have funding available to support our business model. Management anticipates that cash and other liquid assets on hand as of December 31, 2024, will be sufficient to meet our capital requirements for one year from the issuance date of this report, as well as our longer-term capital requirements for periods beyond one year from the issuance date of this report. To the extent that liquid resources and cash provided by operations are not adequate to meet long-term capital requirements, management plans to raise additional capital by either, or both, seeking bank financing or accessing the capital markets. There can be no assurance that we will be able to raise additional capital.

As discussed above, on October 20, 2021, we completed a public offering of our 2026 Notes in the aggregate principal amount of $40.25 million. The 2026 Notes mature on December 31, 2026, and may now be redeemed in whole or in part at any time or from time to time at our option.

Our total assets under management as of December 31, 2024, was $4.8 billion, an increase of $1.5 billion, or 45.7%, compared to December 31, 2023. The primary sources of our revenue, liquidity, and cash flow are our investment advisory fees and shareholder service fees, which are based on and generated by our average assets under management. Our average assets under management for the three months ended December 31, 2024, was $4.8 billion, an increase of $1.8 billion, or 58.8%, compared to the three months ended December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2024, we had cash and cash equivalents of $65.0 million.

The following table summarizes key financial data relating to our liquidity and use of cash:

(In thousands)

The increase in cash provided by operating activities of $1.8 million was primarily due to increased net income in the current period.

The decrease in cash used in investing activities of $0.1 million was primarily due to the costs associated with the purchase of assets related to the management of the CCM Funds in the prior comparable period.

The increase in cash used in financing activities of $0.01 million was due to the increased dollar amount of dividends paid as a result of having more shares outstanding in the current period than in the prior comparable period.

Results of Operations

The following table sets forth items in the statements of income as dollar amounts and as percentages of total revenue:

(In thousands, except percentages)

18

Revenue – Investment Advisory Fees and Shareholder Service Fees

Total revenue comprises investment advisory fees and shareholder service fees. Comparing the three months ended December 31, 2023, to the three months ended December 31, 2024, total revenue increased by 58.0%, from $6.1 million to $9.7 million, investment advisory fees increased by 59.9%, from $5.7 million to $9.1 million, and shareholder service fees increased by 35.1%, from $0.5 million to $0.6 million.

The increase in investment advisory fees was due mainly to increased average daily net assets of the Hennessy Funds, and the increase in shareholder service fees was due to an increase in the average daily net assets held in Investor Class shares of the Hennessy Mutual Funds. Assets held in Investor Class shares of the Hennessy Mutual Funds are subject to a shareholder service fee, whereas assets held in Institutional Class shares of the Hennessy Mutual Funds are not subject to a shareholder service fee.

We collect investment advisory fees from each of the Hennessy Funds at differing annual rates. These annual rates range between 0.40% and 1.25% of average daily net assets. Average daily net assets of the Hennessy Funds for the three months ended December 31, 2024, was $4.8 billion, which represents an increase of $1.8 billion, or 58.8%, compared to the three months ended December 31, 2023. The Hennessy Fund with the largest average daily net assets for the three months ended December 31, 2024, was the Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30 Fund, with $1.7 billion. We collect an investment advisory fee from the Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30 Fund at an annual rate of 0.74% of average daily net assets. The Hennessy Fund with the second largest average daily assets for the three months ended December 31, 2024, was the Hennessy Focus Fund, with $0.7 billion. We collect an investment advisory fee from the Hennessy Focus Fund at an annual rate of 0.90% of average daily net assets. However, we pay a sub‑advisory fee at an annual rate of 0.29% to the fund’s sub-advisor, which reduces the net operating profit contribution of the fund to our financial operations.

Total assets under management as of December 31, 2024, was $4.8 billion, an increase of $1.5 billion, or 45.7%, compared to December 31, 2023. The increase in total assets was attributable to net inflows into the Hennessy Funds, market appreciation, and the purchase of the assets related to the management of the CCM Funds.

The Hennessy Funds with the three largest amounts of net inflows were as follows:

The Hennessy Funds with the three largest amounts of net outflows were as follows:

Redemptions as a percentage of assets under management decreased from an average of 2.8% per month during the three months ended December 31, 2023, to an average of 2.6% per month during the three months ended December 31, 2024.

Operating Expenses

Comparing the three months ended December 31, 2023, to the three months ended December 31, 2024, total operating expenses increased by 24.6%, from $4.7 million to $5.9 million. As a percentage of total revenue, total operating expenses decreased 16.3 percentage points to 60.5%. The dollar value increase in operating expense was due to increases in all expense categories other than general and administrative expense and depreciation expense, which moderately decreased.

Compensation and Benefits Expense: Comparing the three months ended December 31, 2023, to the three months ended December 31, 2024, compensation and benefits expense increased by 48.2%, from $1.9 million to $2.8 million. As a percentage of total revenue, compensation and benefits expense decreased 1.9 percentage points to 28.5%. The dollar value increase in compensation and benefit expense was due to an increase in incentive-based compensation in the current period.

General and Administrative Expense: Comparing the three months ended December 31, 2023, to the three months ended December 31, 2024, general and administrative expense decreased by 4.1%, from $1.72 million to $1.65 million. As a percentage of total revenue, general and administrative expense decreased 11.1 percentage points to 17.0%. The decrease in general and administrative expense was primarily due to decreased professional services expense, partially offset by increased commission expense on sales of the Hennessy Funds.

Fund Distribution and Other Expense: Fund distribution and other expense consists primarily of financial institution fees incurred by us for distribution of the Hennessy Funds and also for the operations of the Hennessy Stance ESG ETF. Fund distribution and other expense does not include sub‑advisory fees, which are shown separately.

The distribution component of fund distribution and other expense consists of fees paid to various financial institutions that offer the Hennessy Funds as potential investments to their clients. When the Hennessy Funds are purchased through one of these financial institutions, the institution typically charges an asset‑based fee, which is recorded as a fund distribution expense on our statement of operations to the extent paid by us. The Hennessy Mutual Funds, but not the Hennessy Stance ESG ETF, may be purchased directly and when purchased directly, we do not incur any such expense. These fees generally increase or decrease in line with the net assets of the Hennessy Funds held through these financial institutions, which are affected by inflows, outflows, and fund performance. In addition, some financial institutions charge a minimum fee if the average daily net assets of a Hennessy Fund held by such an institution are less than a threshold amount. In such cases, we pay the minimum fee.

The distribution component of fund distribution and other expenses is affected by many factors, including the following:

• average daily net assets held by financial institutions;
• the split of average daily net assets held by financial institutions in Institutional Class shares of the Hennessy Mutual Funds versus Investor Class shares of the Hennessy Mutual Funds; and
• fee minimums at various financial institutions.

The other component of fund distribution and other expense consists of fees incurred by us for the operations of the Hennessy Stance ESG ETF. We receive a unitary investment advisory fee from the Hennessy Stance ESG ETF and then pay all of its operating expenses (with limited exceptions), including fund administration, fund accounting, transfer agency, custody, licensing, audit, and tax services.

Comparing the three months ended December 31, 2023, to the three months ended December 31, 2024, fund distribution and other expense increased by 77.9%, from $0.1 million to $0.3 million. As a percentage of total revenue, fund distribution and other expense increased 0.3 percentage points to 2.7%. The increase in fund distribution and other expense was primarily due to increased average daily net assets across the Hennessy Funds. Additionally, there was an increase in operating expenses relating to the Hennessy Stance ESG ETF, which had greater average daily net assets in the current period resulting from the purchase of assets related to the management of the CCM Core Impact Fund and subsequent reorganization of such assets into the Hennessy Stance ESG ETF. Such reorganization, which was effective as of February 23, 2024, nearly doubled the average daily net assets of the Hennessy Stance ESG ETF.

Sub-Advisory Fees Expense: Comparing the three months ended December 31, 2023, to the three months ended December 31, 2024, sub-advisory fees expense increased by 24.4%, from $0.9 million to $1.1 million. As a percentage of total revenue, sub-advisory fees expense decreased 3.1 percentage points to 11.7%. The dollar value increase in sub-advisory fees expense was due to increased average daily net assets of the sub‑advised Hennessy Funds, including the increase in average daily net assets of the Hennessy Stance ESG ETF as a result of the purchase of assets related to the management of the CCM Core Impact Fund and subsequent reorganization of such assets into the Hennessy Stance ESG ETF.

Depreciation Expense: Comparing the three months ended December 31, 2023, to the three months ended December 31, 2024, depreciation expense decreased by 11.6% from $0.07 million to $0.06 million. As a percentage of total revenue, depreciation expense decreased 0.5 percentage points to 0.6%. The decrease in depreciation expense resulted from fewer fixed asset purchases in the current period.

Interest Income

Interest income consists of interest earned on cash and cash equivalents. Comparing the three months ended December 31, 2023, to the three months ended December 31, 2024, interest income decreased from $0.8 million to $0.7 million. The decrease in interest income resulted from decreased interest rates in the current period.

Interest Expense

Comparing the three months ended December 31, 2023, to the three months ended December 31, 2024, interest expense increased from $0.567 million to $0.572 million. The increase in interest expense was due to the manner in which interest expense is calculated under U.S. GAAP. The issuance costs related to the 2026 Notes that have been capitalized are amortized over time and therefore increase the carrying amount of the 2026 Notes. As the carrying amount of the 2026 Notes increases, the interest expense on the 2026 Notes for financial statement purposes also increases.

Income Tax Expense

Comparing the three months ended December 31, 2023, to the three months ended December 31, 2024, income tax expense increased by 155.2%, from $0.4 million to $1.1 million. The increase in income tax expense was due to increased net operating income, as well as a higher effective income tax rate in the current period due to a greater exposure to state income tax liability based on the location of investors in the Hennessy Funds.

Net Income

Comparing the three months ended December 31, 2023, to the three months ended December 31, 2024, net income increased by 136.2%, from $1.2 million to $2.8 million. The increase in net income was primarily due to increased revenue in the current period.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our financial statements and accompanying notes are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, which require the use of estimates, judgments, and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. These accounting policies, methods, and estimates are an integral part of the financial statements prepared by management and are based upon management’s current judgments. Those judgments are normally based on knowledge and experience with regard to past and current events and assumptions about future events. Certain accounting policies, methods, and estimates are particularly sensitive because of their significance to the financial statements and because future events affecting them may differ markedly from management’s current judgment. For a discussion of the accounting policies and estimates that we believe are most critical to understanding our results of operations and financial position, see the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10‑K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024. There has been no material change to our critical accounting estimates disclosed in such Annual Report.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Management performed an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on such evaluation, management, including the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There have been no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act that occurred during the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2024, and that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

There have been no material changes from the risk factors disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2024.