Marketwise, Inc.: Form 10-Q for the period ended Mar 31, 2025

The following discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations of MarketWise, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“MarketWise,” “we,” “us,” and “our”), should be read together with our unaudited financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes and the discussion under the heading “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 December 31, 2024 (the “Annual Report”). The following discussion contains forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ significantly from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause future results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the section entitled “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in this report.

Overview

We are a leading multi-brand platform of subscription businesses that provides premium financial research, software, education, and tools for self-directed investors. We offer a comprehensive portfolio of high-quality, independent investment research, as well as several software and analytical tools, on a subscription basis.

MarketWise started in 1999 with the simple idea that, if we could publish intelligent, independent, insightful, and in-depth investment research and treat the subscriber the way we would want to be treated, then subscribers would renew their subscriptions and stay with us. Over the years, we have expanded our business into a comprehensive suite of investment research products and solutions. We now produce a diversified product portfolio from a variety of financial research brands such as Stansberry Research, Chaikin Analytics, Altimetry, TradeSmith, InvestorPlace, and Brownstone Research. Our entire investment research product portfolio is 100% digital and channel agnostic, and we offer all of our research across a variety of platforms, including desktop, laptop, and mobile devices, including tablets and mobile phones.

Today, we benefit from the confluence of a leading editorial team, diverse portfolio of content and brands, and a comprehensive suite of investor-centric tools that appeal to a broad subscriber base.

First Quarter 2025 Highlights

• Paid Subscribers were 473 thousand as of March 31, 2025 compared with 683 thousand as of March 31, 2024(1)
• Total net revenue was $83.5 million in first quarter 2025 compared with $109.0 million in first quarter 2024(2)
• Total Billings were $70.5 million in first quarter 2025 compared with $55.4 million in fourth quarter 2024 and $77.2 million in first quarter 2024 – excluding the first quarter 2024 Billings of Legacy Research, first quarter 2024 Billings were $61.4 million
• Net income was $16.8 million in first quarter 2025 compared with $22.7 million in first quarter 2024
• Cash from Operating Activities improved by $20.2 million to $1.7 million in first quarter 2025 compared with cash used in Operating Activities of $18.5 million in first quarter 2024
• Cash and cash equivalents were $79.2 million as of March 31, 2025

(1) The decline in Paid Subscribers is primarily related to lower customer acquisition as well as elevated churn associated with the shutdown of our Legacy Research business. We expect a decrease in Paid Subscribers in second quarter 2025 primarily related to the remaining churn of low average revenue per user (ARPU) Legacy Research subscribers.

(2) For GAAP purposes Billings are recognized as Net Revenue over the term of the subscription.

The following table presents net cash provided by operating activities, and the related margin as a percentage of net revenue, and Adjusted CFFO (as defined below), a non-GAAP measure, and the related margin as a percentage of Billings, for each of the periods presented. This quarter, we are also introducing two additional non-GAAP financial measures: Free Cash Flow and EBITDA (as defined below). For more information on our non-GAAP measures, see “— Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

(In thousands)

29

Key Factors Affecting Our Performance

We believe that our growth and future success are dependent upon several factors, including those below and those noted in the “Risk Factors” section in the Annual Report. The key factors below represent significant business opportunities as well as challenges that we must successfully address in order to continue our growth and improve our financial results.

Growing our subscriber base with compelling unit economics. We are highly focused on continuing to acquire new subscribers to support our long-term growth. Our marketing spend is a large driver of new subscriber growth. At the heart of our marketing strategy is our compelling unit economics that combine long-term subscriber relationships, highly scalable content delivery, cost-effective customer acquisition, and high-margin conversions.

Our Paid Subscribers (as defined below) as of December 31, 2024 generated average customer lifetime Billings of approximately $1,120, resulting in a LTV/CAC (as defined below) ratio of approximately 1.3x. On average, it takes us approximately 1.6 to 1.7 years for a Paid Subscriber’s cumulative net revenue to exceed the total cost of acquiring that subscriber (which includes fixed costs, such as marketing salaries). For more information on Billings and our LTV/CAC ratio and the components of this ratio, see “—Key Business Metrics” and “—Definitions of Metrics,”

We adjust our marketing spend to drive efficient and profitable customer acquisition. We can adjust our marketing spend in near real-time, and we monitor costs per acquisition relative to the cart value of the initial subscription.

As of March 31, 2025, our paid subscriber base was 473 thousand, down 210 thousand, or 30.7% as compared to 683 thousand at March 31, 2024. Our base is comprised of subscribers obtained through both direct-to-paid acquisition and free-to-paid conversions. Since 2022, direct-to-paid acquisition has accounted for approximately 50% of our annual Paid Subscriber acquisition, and is largely driven by display ads and targeted email campaigns.

Our free subscription products also serve as a significant source of new Paid Subscribers, accounting for approximately 50% of our annual Paid Subscriber acquisition.

Retaining and expanding relationships with existing subscribers. We believe that we have a significant opportunity to expand our relationships with our large base of Active Free and Paid Subscribers. Thanks to the quality of our products, we believe our customers will continue their relationship with us and extend and increase their subscriptions over time. As we deepen our engagement with our subscribers, our customers tend to purchase more and higher-value products.

Our high-value composition rate reflects the percentage of Paid Subscribers that have purchased more than $600 of our products over their lifetime. We believe our high-value composition rate reflects our ability to retain existing subscribers through renewals and our ability to expand our relationship with them when those subscribers purchase higher-value subscriptions. Our ultra high-value composition rate reflects the percentage of Paid Subscribers that have purchased more than $5,000 of our products over their lifetime. We believe our ultra high-value composition rate reflects our ability to successfully build lifetime relationships with our subscribers, often across multiple products and brands. As of March 31, 2025, our high-value composition rate and ultra high-value composition rate were 58% and 26%, respectively.

Definitions of Metrics

Throughout this discussion and analysis, a number of our financial and operating metrics are referenced which we do not consider to be key business metrics, but which we review to monitor performance, and which we believe may be useful to investors. These are:

High-value composition rate: High-value composition rate is the number of high-valued subscribers divided by Paid Subscribers. High-value subscribers are Paid Subscribers who have purchased >$600 in aggregate over their lifetime.

LTV/CAC ratio: We calculate LTV/CAC ratio as LTV divided by CAC. We use LTV/CAC ratio because it is a standard metric for subscription-based businesses, and we believe that an LTV/CAC ratio above 3x is considered to be indicative of strong profitability and marketing efficiency. We believe that an increasing LTV per subscriber reflects our existing subscribers recognizing our value proposition, which will expand their relationship with us across our platform over time, either through a combination of additional product purchases or by joining our membership offerings. Investors should consider this metric when evaluating our ability to achieve a return on our marketing investment. Lifetime value (“LTV”) represents the average margin on average customer lifetime Billings (that is, the estimated cumulative spend across a customer’s lifetime). Customer acquisition cost (“CAC”) is defined as direct marketing spend, plus external revenue share expense, plus retention and renewal expenses, plus copywriting and marketing salaries, plus telesales salaries and commissions, plus customer service commissions.

Net revenue retention: Net revenue retention is defined as Billings from all prior period cohorts in the current period, divided by all Billings from the prior period. We believe that a high net revenue retention rate is a measure of customer retention and an indicator of the engagement of our subscribers with our products. Investors should consider net revenue retention as an ongoing measure when evaluating our subscribers’ interest in continuing to subscribe to our products and spending more with us over time.

Subscriber count churn rate: Our subscriber count churn rate is defined as the number of paid subscribers who either cancelled or failed to renew all of their paid subscriptions during the period divided by the number of unique paid subscribers at the beginning of the period plus the number of new subscribers obtained during the period. Monthly subscriber count churn rate is defined by the annual subscriber count churn divided by twelve months.

Ultra high-value composition rate: Ultra high-value composition rate is the number of ultra high-valued subscribers divided by Paid Subscribers. Ultra high-value subscribers are Paid Subscribers who have purchased >$5,000 in aggregate over their lifetime.

Key Business Metrics

We review the following key business metrics to measure our performance, identify trends, formulate financial projections, and make strategic decisions. We are not aware of any uniform standards for calculating these key metrics, which may hinder comparability with other companies who may calculate similarly titled metrics in a different way.

Active Free Subscribers. Active Free Subscribers are defined as unique subscribers who have subscribed to one of our free investment publications via a valid email address and who have received and/or consumed our content during the quarter Active Free Subscribers exclude any Paid Subscribers who also have free subscriptions. Free subscriptions are often daily publications that include some commentary about the stock market, investing ideas, or other specialized topics. Included within our free publications are advertisements and editorial support for our current marketing campaigns. While subscribed to our publications, Active Free Subscribers learn about our editors and analysts, get to know our products and services, and learn more about ways we can help them be a better investor.

Active Free Subscribers decreased by 0.8 million, or 21.2%, to 3.0 million as of March 31, 2025 as compared to 3.8 million as of March 31, 2024. The year over year decline in Active Free Subscribers is a result of a reduced number of free subscriptions available as we rationalized our offerings in general and as a result of the shutdown of our Legacy Research Group in the first half of 2024.

Active Free Subscribers decreased by 0.3 million, or 10.5% to 3.0 million as of March 31, 2025 as compared to 3.3 million as of December 31, 2024. The sequential reduction was the result of a reduced number of free subscriptions available during the current quarter.

Paid Subscribers. We define Paid Subscribers as the total number of unique subscribers with at least one paid subscription at the end of the period. We view the number of Paid Subscribers at the end of a given period as a key indicator of the attractiveness of our products and services, as well as the efficacy of our marketing in converting Free Subscribers to Paid Subscribers and generating direct-to-paid acquisitions. We grow our Paid Subscriber base through marketing directly to prospective and existing subscribers across a variety of media, channels, and platforms.

Total Paid Subscribers decreased by 210 thousand, or 30.7%, to 473 thousand as of March 31, 2025 as compared to 683 thousand at March 31, 2024, primarily related to lower customer acquisition as well as elevated churn associated with the shutdown of our Legacy Research business. Additionally, direct marketing spend decreased as we managed profitability given the aforementioned factors. The decrease was further compounded by the loss of approximately 20 thousand Paid Subscribers as part of sale of the MMP Business in fourth quarter 2024.

Total Paid Subscribers decreased by 32 thousand, or 6.4%, to 473 thousand as of March 31, 2025 as compared to 506 thousand as of December 31, 2024. Gross new subscribers were up 8 thousand or 60% compared to fourth quarter 2024 as a result of increased marketing spend and engagement. However, the increase in new subscribers did offset churn within the quarter which was in line with the historical average.

Subscriber count churn has ranged from approximately 2.4% to 3.3% per month between 2022 and 2024. Almost all of the subscribers who churned in first quarter 2025 did so having owned only one entry level publication. This is evidenced by the fact that their ARPU approximately matched the subscription price of our entry level publications. We believe our net revenue retention rate, which has averaged over 55% from 2022 to 2024, is a more meaningful gauge of subscriber satisfaction.

Average Revenue Per User (“ARPU”). We calculate ARPU as the trailing four quarters of net Billings divided by the average number of quarterly total Paid Subscribers over that period. We believe ARPU is a key indicator of how successful we are in attracting subscribers to higher-value content. We believe that our high ARPU is indicative of the trust we build with our subscribers and of the value they see in our products and services.

ARPU decreased by $73, or 14.9%, to $419 as of March 31, 2025 as compared to $492 as of March 31, 2024. The year-over-year decrease was driven by a 36% decrease in trailing four quarter Billings, while trailing four quarter Paid Subscribers only decreased by 25%. The decrease in trailing four quarter Billings was driven by reduced engagement of prospective and existing subscribers, as further discussed in Billings below. The decrease in trailing four quarter Paid Subscribers is also driven by the winding down of our Legacy Research business during 2024.

ARPU increased by $25, or 6.4%, to $419 as of March 31, 2025 as compared to $394 as of December 31, 2024. The sequential increase was driven by a 9% decrease in trailing four-quarter average Paid Subscribers, while trailing four-quarter Billings only decreased 3%.

While they have declined somewhat recently, our ARPUs remain high relative to other subscription businesses, and we attribute this to the quality of our content and effective sales and marketing efforts regarding higher value content, bundled subscriptions and membership subscriptions. These subscriptions have compelling economics that allow us to recoup our initial marketing spend made to acquire these subscribers. Specifically, our payback period was estimated at 1.7 years for the years ended 2024 and 2023 and was 1.6 years in 2022. Our payback period remains elevated primarily due to a combination of increased customer acquisition costs and lower conversion rates on higher value products.

Billings. Billings represents amounts invoiced to customers. We measure and monitor our Billings because it provides insight into trends in cash generation from our marketing campaigns. We generally bill our subscribers at the time of sale and receive full cash payment up front, and defer and recognize a portion of the related revenue ratably over time for term and membership subscriptions. For certain subscriptions, we may invoice our Paid Subscribers at the beginning of the term, in annual or monthly installments, and, from time to time, in multi-year installments. Only amounts invoiced to a Paid Subscriber in a given period are included in Billings. While we believe that Billings provides valuable insight into the cash that will be generated from sales of our subscriptions, this metric may vary from period to period for a number of reasons and, therefore, Billings has a number of limitations as a quarter-over-quarter or year-over-year comparative measure. These reasons include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) a variety of contractual terms could result in some periods having a higher proportion of annual or membership subscriptions than other periods; (ii) fluctuations in payment terms may affect the Billings recognized in a particular period; and (iii) the timing of large campaigns may vary significantly from period to period.

We break down our Billings into three sub-categories: New Marketing Billings, Net Renewal Billings, and Other Billings.

New Marketing Billings are Billings from all new subscription sales. New Marketing Billings decreased by $3.5 million, or 6.3%, to $51.3 million for first quarter 2025 as compared to $54.8 million for first quarter 2024. The decrease was primarily driven by ceasing new sales campaigns within our Legacy Research Group brands, which began winding down operations in mid-February 2024, somewhat offset by larger campaigns in first quarter 2025.

New Marketing Billings increased by $14.3 million, or 38.8% to $51.3 million for first quarter 2025 as compared to $37.0 million in fourth quarter 2024. The increase was primarily driven by successful campaigns targeted at existing subscribers in first quarter 2025.

Net Renewal Billings are Billings from renewals and maintenance fee payments. Net Renewal Billings decreased by $3.1 million, or 14.5%, to $18.3 million for first quarter 2025 as compared to $21.4 million for first quarter 2024. This is primarily a function of a significant decrease (approximately 180 thousand) in average Paid Subscribers for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2025 versus the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2024.

Net Renewal Billings increased by $2.3 million, or 14.5%, to $18.3 million for first quarter 2025 as compared to $16.0 million for fourth quarter 2024. The increase was driven by an increased number of subscriptions up for renewal during first quarter 2025.

Other Billings are Billings from revenue share, advertising and conferences. Other Billings decreased by $0.2 million, or 19.0% to $0.8 million for first quarter 2025 as compared to $1.0 million for first quarter 2024.

Other Billings decreased by $1.6 million or 65.8% to $0.8 million for first quarter 2025 as compared to $2.4 million for fourth quarter 2024 as a result of decreasing revenue share activity with external parties as well as well as lack of conference revenue compared to fourth quarter 2024.

Total Billings decreased by $6.8 million, or 8.8%, to $70.5 million for the first quarter 2025 as compared to $77.2 million for first quarter 2024. The decrease was primarily driven by the lack of billings from our Legacy Research Group brands, which began winding down operations in mid-February 2024.

Total Billings increased by $15.1 million, or 27.3%, to $70.5 million for first quarter 2025 as compared to $55.4 million for fourth quarter 2024. The increase was primarily driven by successful campaigns targeted at existing subscribers in first quarter 2025.

Components of MarketWise’s Results of Operations

Net Revenue

We generate net revenue primarily from services provided in delivering term and membership subscription-based financial research, publications, and SaaS offerings to individual subscribers through our online platforms, advertising arrangements, print products, events, and revenue share agreements.

We earn net revenue from the sale of advertising placements on our websites and from the sale of print products and events. We also recognize net revenue through revenue share agreements where we earn a commission for successful sales by other parties generated through the use of our customer list.

Employee Compensation Costs

Employee compensation costs, or payroll and payroll-related costs, include salaries, bonuses, benefits, and stock-based compensation for employees classified within cost of revenue, sales and marketing, and general and administrative, and also includes sales commissions for sales and marketing employees. Stock-based compensation includes amounts related to our 2021 Incentive Award Plan, our ESPP, and profits interests.

Cost of Revenue

Cost of revenue consists primarily of employee compensation costs associated with producing and publishing our content, hosting fees, customer service, credit card processing fees, product costs, and allocated overhead. Cost of revenue is exclusive of depreciation and amortization, which is shown as a separate line item.

Sales and Marketing

Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of employee compensation costs, amortization of deferred contract acquisition costs, agency costs, advertising campaigns, and branding initiatives. Sales and marketing expenses are exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown as a separate line item.

General and Administrative

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of employee compensation costs associated with our finance, legal, information technology, human resources, executive, and administrative personnel, legal fees, corporate insurance, office expenses, professional fees, and travel and entertainment costs.

Research and Development

Research and development expenses consist primarily of employee compensation costs, technical services, software expenses, and hosting expenses associated with maintaining and enhancing the functionality of our platforms, including our software and analytical tools. Research and development expenses are exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown as a separate line item.

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization expenses consist of amortization of trade names, customer relationship intangibles, and software development costs, as well as depreciation on other property and equipment such as leasehold improvements, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment.

Impairment Losses

Impairment losses relate to impairment of leasehold improvements.

Related Party Expense

Related party expenses primarily consist of Board of Director compensation, revenue share expenses and expenses for certain corporate functions performed by a related party for certain historic periods.

Other Income (Expense), Net

Other income (expense), net primarily consists of the net gains or losses on our embedded derivative instruments.

Interest (Expense) Income, Net

Interest (expense) income, net primarily consists of interest income from our money market accounts.

Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests

As of March 31, 2025, MarketWise, Inc.’s controlling interest in MarketWise, LLC was 14.5% and the noncontrolling interest was 85.5%. For the three months ended March 31, 2025 net income attributable to controlling interests included a $1.0 million tax provision, which is 100% attributable to the controlling interest.

As of March 31, 2024, MarketWise, Inc.’s controlling interest in MarketWise, LLC was 11.7% and the noncontrolling interest was 88.3%. For the three months ended March 31, 2024 net income attributable to controlling interests included a $0.7 million tax provision, which is 100% attributable to the controlling interest.

Results of Operations

The following table sets forth our results of operations for the periods presented:

(In thousands)

(1) Cost of revenue, sales and marketing, general and administrative, and research and development expenses are exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown as a separate line item.

The following table sets forth our condensed consolidated statements of operations data expressed as a percentage of net revenue for the periods indicated:

(1) Cost of revenue, sales and marketing, general and administrative, and research and development expenses are exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown as a separate line item.

Comparison of Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 and Three Months Ended March 31, 2024

Net Revenue

(In thousands)

The decrease in net revenue was primarily driven by a $17.7 million decrease in term subscription revenue and a $7.7 million decrease in membership subscription revenue.

Term subscription revenue decreased during the three months ended March 31, 2025 primarily due to the wind down of Legacy Research, which contributed $11.6 million to the decrease in term subscription revenue and $7.3 million to the decrease in membership subscription revenue. Term subscription revenue also decreased during the three months ended March 31, 2025 due to lower billings as compared to the 2024 period which was driven by reduced engagement of prospective and existing subscribers in the 2025 period.

Operating Expenses

(In thousands)

Cost of Revenue

Cost of revenue decreased primarily driven by a $1.8 million decrease in outsourced labor, and a $0.4 million decrease in credit card fees. This was partially offset by a $0.7 million increase in stock-based compensation expense.

Sales and Marketing

Sales and marketing expense decreased primarily driven by a $10.2 million decrease in amortization of deferred contract acquisition costs, a $2.0 million decrease in salaries, taxes and benefits, and a $1.3 million decrease in marketing expense.

General and Administrative

General and administrative expense decreased primarily driven by a $1.6 million gain on lease termination, a $1.2 million gain on contingent consideration receivable, a $1.4 million decrease in stock-based compensation expense, a $1.2 million decrease in legal expense, a $0.5 million decrease in outsourced labor, and a $0.5 million decrease in salaries, taxes and benefits.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to our results determined in accordance with GAAP, we believe that the below non-GAAP financial measures are useful in evaluating operating performance. We use the below non-GAAP financial measures, collectively, to evaluate our ongoing operations and for internal planning and forecasting purposes. We believe that non-GAAP financial information, when taken collectively, may be helpful to investors because it provides consistency and comparability with past financial performance. This non-GAAP financial information is presented for supplemental informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for financial information presented in accordance with GAAP, and may be different from similarly titled non-GAAP measures used by other companies. A reconciliation is provided below for each non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable financial measure stated in accordance with GAAP. Investors are encouraged to review the related GAAP financial measures and the reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

This quarter, we are introducing two additional non-GAAP financial measures: Free Cash Flow and EBITDA. These new non-GAAP financial measures are intended to provide investors with additional information regarding our liquidity and operating performance, and they are commonly used within our industry.

These new non-GAAP measures are provided in addition to, and not as a substitute for or superior to, our existing non-GAAP financial measures, which we will continue to present.

Management uses these non-GAAP measures internally to evaluate performance and make operating decisions, and we believe they provide a meaningful perspective to investors when used in conjunction with our GAAP results.

These non-GAAP measures have limitations as analytical tools, and should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of other GAAP financial measures, such as cash flow from operations, operating cash flow margin, and net income. Some of the limitations of using these non-GAAP measures are that these metrics may be calculated differently by other companies in our industry.

(In thousands)

Adjusted CFFO / Adjusted CFFO Margin

We believe that Adjusted CFFO and Adjusted CFFO Margin are useful indicators that provide information to management and investors about our ability to generate cash, and for internal planning and forecasting purposes.

We expect Adjusted CFFO and Adjusted CFFO Margin to fluctuate in future periods as we invest in our business to execute our growth strategy. These activities, along with any non-recurring items as described above, may result in fluctuations in Adjusted CFFO and Adjusted CFFO Margin in future periods.

The following table provides a reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP, to Adjusted CFFO for each of the periods presented:

(In thousands)

39

The following table provides the calculation of net cash provided by operating activities margin as a percentage of total net revenue, the most directly comparable financial measure in accordance with GAAP, and Adjusted CFFO Margin for each of the periods presented:

(In thousands)

CFFO and Adjusted CFFO for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was primarily due to net income of $16.8 million, adjusted for net non-cash items which increased cash by $4.4 million. This was partially offset by net changes in our operating assets and liabilities which reduced cash by $19.5 million, including incentive compensation payouts and payments related to renegotiated employment agreements.

Free Cash Flow

We define Free Cash Flow as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less capital expenditures. We define capital expenditures as purchases of property and equipment plus capitalized software development costs. Acquisitions are not included in capital expenditures.

We believe Free Cash Flow is a useful indicator that provides information to management and investors about the cash generated by the business that is available for discretionary purposes, such as dividends and strategic investments.

The following table provides a reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP, to Free Cash Flow for each of the periods presented:

(In thousands)

EBITDA

We define EBITDA as net income before interest income (expense), income taxes, depreciation, and amortization. We believe EBITDA provides a useful supplemental measure of operating performance and is helpful to investors in evaluating our GAAP results.

The following table provides a reconciliation of net income, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP, to EBITDA for each of the periods presented:

(In thousands)

Liquidity and Capital Resources

General

A substantial portion of our cash on hand is the result of the nature of our subscription business. We receive cash up front from our sales of annual, multi-year, and membership subscriptions. For tax and GAAP purposes, however, this revenue is deferred and recognized over the term of the subscription, or in the case of membership subscriptions, over four years for tax and five years for GAAP. Tax distributions are made to MarketWise Members to satisfy their tax obligations when revenue is recognized for tax purposes, not when cash is received. The timing difference between when cash is received and when tax distributions are made results in an accumulation of cash on our balance sheet.

We refer to this accumulation of cash as our “float” which we view as a valuable resource that we may invest or use to expand our operations. We expect that as we grow our business, the amount of our float will increase. The Company estimates that the amount of float was approximately $107.7 million and $119.7 million as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. As part of the Company's broader capital allocation strategy, our consolidated cash balance may from time to time decline below our estimate of the long term float requirement.

The Company invests a portion of this cash in financial instruments to achieve reasonable returns on a risk-adjusted basis. The investment allocation decisions are based in part on the anticipated liquidity requirements of the Company including working capital, estimated tax related distributions, and broader capital allocation objectives.

For the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company earned interest income of $0.9 million and $1.8 million, respectively, on our cash portfolio which was invested solely in money market funds.

The Company may allocate a portion of our “float” to investments meeting pre-determined guidelines, including U.S.-listed equity securities, with the objective to provide an acceptable rate of return while complying with established risk tolerances and liquidity parameters. The Board is responsible for approving investment decisions. Gains and losses on marketable securities may fluctuate significantly from period to period in the future and could have a significant impact on the Company’s results of operations.

As of March 31, 2025, our principal sources of liquidity were cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash of $79.2 million. Cash and cash equivalents are comprised of bank deposits, money market funds, and certificates of deposit. We have financed our operations primarily through cash received from operations, and our sources of liquidity have enabled us to make continued investments in supporting the growth of our business. We expect that our anticipated operating cash flows, in addition to cash on hand, will enable us to continue to make investments in the future, and to pay dividends. We expect our operating cash flows to further improve as we increase our operational efficiency and experience economies of scale.

We pay quarterly dividends on shares of our Class A common stock and distributions on our LLC Units. We also declared a special dividend for Class A shareholders on January 15, 2025. Our continued declaration and payment of dividends and institution of any other distributions of capital to shareholders will nonetheless be at the discretion of our Board and will depend on many factors, including our earnings, financial condition and results of operations, capital requirements, level of indebtedness, contractual restrictions with respect to payment of dividends, ability to obtain cash or other assets from our subsidiaries, restrictions imposed by applicable law, general business conditions and other factors that our Board may deem relevant. There can be no assurance that we will continue to pay dividends in the future. Therefore, the success of an investment in shares of our Class A common stock may in the future depend only upon any future appreciation in their value. There is no guarantee that shares of our Class A common stock will appreciate or even maintain their value.

We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents and cash flow from operations will be sufficient to support working capital and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 12 months. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including our subscription growth rate, subscription renewal activity, including the timing and the amount of cash received from subscribers, the pace of expansion of sales and marketing activities, the timing and extent of spending to support development efforts, the introduction of new and enhanced products, and the level of costs to operate as a public company. We may, in the future, enter into arrangements to acquire or invest in complementary businesses, products, and technologies.

We expect to incur payment obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement in the future. These obligations correspond to future cash tax savings that MarketWise, Inc. derives from tax-related benefits created as MarketWise Members exchange their LLC Units for Class A shares of MarketWise, Inc. This obligation is equal to 85% of the estimated future tax benefit for MarketWise, Inc. and is recorded as a TRA liability on the condensed consolidated balance sheet. The TRA liability was $3.7 million as of March 31, 2025. No payments have been made under the TRA, and no significant payments are expected in the next 12 months. However, these obligations may be significant in the future. MarketWise, Inc. intends to cause MarketWise, LLC to make distributions to MarketWise, Inc. in an amount sufficient to allow MarketWise, Inc. to pay its tax obligations and operating expenses, including distributions to fund any payments due under the Tax Receivable Agreement. If MarketWise, LLC does not have sufficient cash to fund distributions to MarketWise, Inc. in amounts sufficient to cover MarketWise, Inc.’s obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement, it may have to borrow funds, which could materially adversely affect its liquidity and financial condition and subject it to various restrictions imposed by any such lenders. To the extent that MarketWise, Inc. is unable to make timely payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement for any reason, the unpaid amounts will be deferred and will accrue interest until paid. For additional information regarding the Tax Receivable Agreement, see the section entitled “ Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Tax Receivable Agreement” in the Annual Report.

Furthermore, to the extent we have taxable income, we will make distributions to the MarketWise Members and to MarketWise, Inc. in amounts sufficient for the recipients to pay taxes due on their share of MarketWise income at prevailing individual income tax rates, which for the 2024 tax year the highest federal, state and local tax rate the Company used was 49.75%. In January 2025, MarketWise, LLC made a quarterly tax distribution of $15.1 million proportionately to all MarketWise Members, including MarketWise, Inc. This quarterly tax distribution to MarketWise, Inc. exceeded its corporate tax liability and enabled MarketWise, Inc. to declare and pay the aforementioned special dividend with the excess tax distribution proceeds. We expect MarketWise, Inc. will receive quarterly tax distributions in future quarters however the amount is uncertain.

We may be required to seek additional equity or debt financing. In the event that we require additional financing, we may not be able to raise such financing on terms acceptable to us or at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital or generate cash flows necessary to expand our operations and invest in continued innovation, we may not be able to compete successfully, which would harm our business, operations, and financial condition.

Share Repurchase Program

On February 28, 2025, the Company announced that the Board authorized a stock repurchase program of up to $50 million of Class A common stock. Repurchases of Class A common stock may be made from time to time, either through open market transactions (including pre-set trading plans) or through other transactions, at the discretion of the management of the Company and in accordance with the limitations set forth in Rule 10b-18 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and other applicable securities laws. The timing of the repurchases will depend on market conditions and other requirements. Repurchases under the program have been authorized for the next 12 months but the program may be modified, suspended, or terminated at any time. The share repurchase program does not obligate the Company to repurchase any dollar amount or number of shares.

For each share of Class A common stock the Company repurchases under the share repurchase program, MarketWise, LLC, the Company’s direct subsidiary, will redeem one common unit of MarketWise, LLC held by the Company, decreasing the percentage ownership of MarketWise, LLC by the Company and relatively increasing the ownership by the other unitholders of MarketWise, LLC.

Legacy Reorganization

In October 2024, we completed our reorganization and operational transition plans with respect to substantially all of the Legacy Research brands. The Company expects to dissolve the Legacy Research legal entities during second quarter 2025. For further background, see Note 4 – Acquisitions and Disposals in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.

In March 2025, Legacy Research agreed to terminate its office lease early. During the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Company recorded an impairment loss on leasehold improvement assets totaling $380, and the related lease was terminated for a gain of $1,646, which is included within general and administrative expense.

Cash Flows

The following table presents a summary of our consolidated cash flows provided by (used in) operating, investing, and financing activities for the periods indicated:

(In thousands)

Operating Activities

For the three months ended March 31, 2025, net cash provided by operating activities was $1.7 million, primarily due to net income of $16.8 million, adjusted for net non-cash items which increased cash by $4.4 million, partially offset by net changes in our operating assets and liabilities which reduced cash by $19.5 million. The non-cash items include stock-based compensation expense of $3.1 million, and noncash lease expense of $2.1 million. The changes in operating assets and liabilities were primarily driven by a decrease in deferred revenue, which reduced cash by $11.9 million due to our overall decrease in sales, an increase in accounts receivable, which reduced cash by $6.9 million, a decrease in accrued expenses, which reduced cash by $4.8 million, partially offset by a net increase due to deferred contract acquisition costs, which increased cash by $8.2 million.

For the three months ended March 31, 2024, net cash used in operating activities was $18.5 million, primarily due to net changes in our operating assets and liabilities which reduced cash by $46.8 million, partially offset by net income of $22.7 million, adjusted for net non-cash items which increased cash by $5.6 million. The non-cash items include stock-based compensation expense of $3.8 million, and depreciation and amortization of $0.7 million. The changes in operating assets and liabilities were primarily driven by a decrease in deferred revenue, which decreased cash by $30.9 million due to our overall decrease in sales, a decrease in accrued expenses, which decreased cash by $33.0 million, and a net increase due to deferred contract acquisition costs of $13.8 million.

Investing Activities

For the three months ended March 31, 2025, net cash used in investing activities was $0.2 million.

For the three months ended March 31, 2024, net cash used in investing activities was $0.3 million.

Financing Activities

For the three months ended March 31, 2025, net cash used in financing activities was $20.2 million, primarily driven by dividends and distributions paid.

For the three months ended March 31, 2024, net cash used in financing activities was $5.2 million, primarily driven by dividends and distributions paid.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Our financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, costs, and expenses, and related disclosures. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates and assumptions. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Management believes that, of our significant accounting policies, which are described in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024 in our Annual Report, the following accounting policies involve a greater degree of judgment and complexity. Accordingly, management believes that “Revenue Recognition” and “Transactions and Valuation of Goodwill and Other Acquired Intangible Assets” are the two policies that are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our condensed consolidated financial condition and results of operations. Refer to the 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion of these two policies. During the three months ended March 31, 2025, there were no material changes to these policies.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated, as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)). Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of March 31, 2025, our disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended March 31, 2025, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by Rule 13a-15(d) and 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act.

Inherent Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls

Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, believes that our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting are designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and are effective at the reasonable assurance level. However, our management does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal control over financial reporting will prevent all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Furthermore, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected.

These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of a simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the controls. The design of any system of controls is also based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions; over time, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.

The risks described below could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, or operating results. Although it is not possible to predict or identify all such risks and uncertainties, they may include, but are not limited to, the factors discussed below. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we currently believe are not material, may also become important factors that adversely affect our business or results of operations

There have been no material changes in the risk factors disclosed in Part 1, Item 1A, of our Annual Report.