WisdomTree Announces First Quarter 2024 Results

Record AUM of $107.2 Billion

870bps of Operating Margin Expansion vs. Q1 2023

Diluted Earnings Per Share of $0.13 ($0.12, as Adjusted)

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- WisdomTree, Inc. (NYSE: WT), a global financial innovator, today reported financial results for the first quarter of 2024.

$22.1 million of net income ($20.3⁽¹⁾ million of net income, as adjusted), see “Non-GAAP Financial Measurements” for additional information.

$107.2 billion of ending AUM, an increase of 7.1% from the prior quarter arising from market appreciation and net inflows.

$2.0 billion of net inflows, primarily driven by inflows into our international developed equity and U.S. equity products.

0.36% average advisory fee, unchanged from the prior quarter.

$96.8 million of operating revenues, an increase of 6.6% from the prior quarter primarily due to higher average AUM.

79.4% gross margin⁽¹⁾, a 0.3 point decrease from the prior quarter due to higher fund costs.

28.9% operating income margin (29.6%⁽¹⁾ as adjusted), a 0.2 point increase (0.9 point increase, as adjusted⁽¹⁾) compared to our operating margin of 28.7% in the prior quarter primarily due to higher revenues.

$0.03 quarterly dividend declared, payable on May 22, 2024 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 8, 2024.

Update from Jonathan Steinberg, WisdomTree CEO

Update from Jarrett Lilien, WisdomTree COO and President

OPERATING AND FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

RECENT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS

QUARTERLY HIGHLIGHTS

Operating Revenues

• Operating revenues increased 6.6% and 18.0% from the fourth quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2023, respectively, primarily due to higher average AUM.
• Our average advisory fee was 0.36% during each of the first quarter of 2024, the fourth quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2023.

Operating Expenses

• Operating expenses increased 6.3% from the fourth quarter of 2023 primarily due to higher compensation arising from payroll taxes, benefits and other items in connection with the payment of year-end bonuses, as well as higher fund management and administration costs and professional fees. These increases were partly offset by lower marketing expenses, sales and business development expenses and third-party distribution fees.
• Operating expenses increased 5.2% from the first quarter of 2023 primarily due to higher incentive and stock-based compensation expense and increased headcount, as well as higher fund management and administration costs. These increases were partly offset by the termination of the deferred consideration—gold payments obligation on May 10, 2023.

Other Income/(Expenses)

• Interest expense increased 9.8% from the fourth quarter of 2023 primarily due to the recognition of a full quarter of imputed interest on our obligation payable to Gold Bullion Holdings (Jersey) Limited (“GBH”), a subsidiary of the World Gold Council, in connection with our repurchase in November 2023 of our Series C Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock. Interest expense increased 3.1% from the first quarter of 2023 due to the recognition of imputed interest on our obligation payable to GBH, partly offset by a lower level of debt outstanding.
• Interest income increased 14.1% and 29.1% from the fourth quarter of 2023 and first quarter of 2023, respectively, due to a higher level of interest-earning assets.
• Other gains and losses, net was a gain of $2.6 million for the first quarter of 2024. This quarter includes gains of $2.1 million and $0.1 million on our financial instruments and our investments, respectively. Gains and losses also generally arise from the sale of gold earned from management fees paid by our physically-backed gold exchange-traded products (“ETPs”), foreign exchange fluctuations and other miscellaneous items.

Income Taxes

• Our effective income tax rate for the first quarter of 2024 was 20.5%, resulting in income tax expense of $5.7 million. The effective tax rate differs from the federal statutory rate of 21.0% primarily due to the decrease in the deferred tax asset valuation allowance on losses recognized on the Company’s financial instruments owned, tax windfalls associated with the vesting of stock-based compensation awards and a lower tax rate on foreign earnings. These items were partly offset by state and local income taxes.
• Our adjusted effective income tax rate for the first quarter of 2024 was 24.9%⁽¹⁾.

CONFERENCE CALL DIAL-IN AND WEBCAST DETAILS

WisdomTree will discuss its results and operational highlights during a live webcast on Friday, April 26, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. ET, which can be accessed using the following link: https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=fQD4Npsv.

Participants also can dial in using the following numbers: (877) 407-9210 or (201) 689-8049. Click here to access the participant international toll-free access numbers. To avoid delays, we encourage participants to log in or dial into the conference call 10 minutes ahead of the scheduled start time. All earnings materials and the webcast can be accessed through WisdomTree’s investor relations website at https://ir.wisdomtree.com. A replay of the webcast will also be available shortly after the call.

About WisdomTree

WisdomTree is a global financial innovator, offering a well-diversified suite of exchange-traded products (ETPs), models, solutions and products leveraging blockchain technology. We empower investors and consumers to shape their future and support financial professionals to better serve their clients and grow their businesses. WisdomTree is leveraging the latest financial infrastructure to create products that provide access, transparency and an enhanced user experience. Building on our heritage of innovation, we are also developing and have launched next-generation digital products, services and structures, including digital or blockchain-enabled mutual funds and tokenized assets, as well as our blockchain-native digital wallet, WisdomTree Prime™.*

* The WisdomTree Prime digital wallet and digital asset services are made available through WisdomTree Digital Movement, Inc. (NMLS ID: 2372500) in select U.S. jurisdictions and may be limited where prohibited by law. Visit https://www.wisdomtreeprime.com or the WisdomTree Prime mobile app for more information.

WisdomTree currently has approximately $106.0 billion in assets under management globally.

For more information about WisdomTree and WisdomTree Prime™, visit: https://www.wisdomtree.com.

Please visit us on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @WisdomTreeNews.

WisdomTree^® is the marketing name for WisdomTree, Inc. and its subsidiaries worldwide.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AVAILABLE VIA WISDOMTREE PRIME:

NOT FDIC INSURED | NO BANK GUARANTEE | NOT A BANK DEPOSIT | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT SIPC PROTECTED | NOT INSURED BY ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY

The products and services available through the WisdomTree Prime app are not endorsed, indemnified or guaranteed by any regulatory agency.

Note: Previously issued statistics may be restated due to fund closures and trade adjustments

Source: WisdomTree

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASUREMENTS

In an effort to provide additional information regarding our results as determined by GAAP, we also disclose certain non-GAAP information which we believe provides useful and meaningful information. Our management reviews these non-GAAP financial measurements when evaluating our financial performance and results of operations; therefore, we believe it is useful to provide information with respect to these non-GAAP measurements so as to share this perspective of management. Non-GAAP measurements do not have any standardized meaning, do not replace nor are superior to GAAP financial measurements and are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. These non-GAAP financial measurements should be considered in the context with our GAAP results. The non-GAAP financial measurements contained in this press release include:

Adjusted Operating Income, Operating Expenses, Income Before Income Taxes, Income Tax Expense, Net Income and Diluted Earnings per Share

We disclose adjusted operating income, operating expenses, income before income taxes, income tax expense, net income and diluted earnings per share as non-GAAP financial measurements in order to report our results exclusive of items that are non-recurring or not core to our operating business. We believe presenting these non-GAAP financial measurements provides investors with a consistent way to analyze our performance. These non-GAAP financial measurements exclude the following:

Gains or losses on financial instruments owned: We account for our financial instruments owned as trading securities, which requires these instruments to be measured at fair value with gains and losses reported in net income. We exclude these items when calculating our non-GAAP financial measurements as the gains and losses introduce volatility in earnings and are not core to our operating business.

Tax windfalls and shortfalls upon vesting of stock-based compensation awards: GAAP requires the recognition of tax windfalls and shortfalls within income tax expense. These items arise upon the vesting of stock-based compensation awards and the magnitude is directly correlated to the number of awards vesting/exercised as well as the difference between the price of our stock on the date the award was granted and the date the award vested or was exercised. We exclude these items when calculating our non-GAAP financial measurements as they introduce volatility in earnings and are not core to our operating business.

Imputed interest on our payable to the Gold Bullion Holdings (Jersey) Limited (“GBH”): During the fourth quarter of 2023, we repurchased our Series C Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock, which was convertible into 13.1 million shares of WisdomTree common stock, from GBH, a subsidiary of the World Gold Council, for aggregate cash consideration of approximately $84.4 million. Under the terms of the transaction, we paid GBH $40.0 million on the closing date, with the remainder of the purchase price payable in equal annual installments on the first, second and third anniversaries of the closing date, with no requirement to pay interest. Under US GAAP, the obligation is recorded at its present value utilizing a market rate of interest on the closing date of 7.0% and the corresponding discount is amortized as interest expense pursuant to the effective interest method of accounting over the life of the obligation. We exclude this item when calculating our non-GAAP financial measurements as recognition of interest expense is non-cash and contrary to the stated terms of our obligation.

Other items: Unrealized gains and losses recognized on our investments, changes in deferred tax asset valuation allowance, expenses incurred in response to an activist campaign, unrealized gains or losses on the revaluation/termination of deferred consideration – gold payments which we terminated in the second quarter of 2023, loss on extinguishment of convertible notes, impairments, remeasurement of contingent consideration payable to us from the sale of our former Canadian ETF business and litigation expenses associated with certain provisions of our Stockholder Rights Agreement dated as of March 17, 2023, as amended, with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent, are excluded when calculating our non-GAAP financial measurements.

Adjusted Effective Income Tax Rate

We disclose our adjusted effective income tax rate as a non-GAAP financial measurement in order to report our effective income tax rate exclusive of items that are non-recurring or not core to our operating business. We believe reporting our adjusted effective income tax rate provides investors with a consistent way to analyze our income taxes. Our adjusted effective income tax rate is calculated by dividing adjusted income tax expense by adjusted income before income taxes. See above for information regarding the items that are excluded.

Gross Margin and Gross Margin Percentage

We disclose our gross margin and gross margin percentage as non-GAAP financial measurements because we believe they provide investors with a consistent way to analyze the amount we retain after paying third-party service providers to operate our ETPs. These measures also assist us in analyzing the profitability of our products. We define gross margin as total operating revenues less fund management and administration expenses. Gross margin percentage is calculated as gross margin divided by total operating revenues.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements relate to future events or our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which are, in some cases, beyond our control and could materially affect results. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, the risks described below. If one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties occur, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual events or results may vary significantly from those implied or projected by the forward-looking statements. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future performance. You should read this press release completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

In particular, forward-looking statements in this press release may include statements about:

• anticipated trends, conditions and investor sentiment in the global markets and ETPs;
• anticipated levels of inflows into and outflows out of our ETPs;
• our ability to deliver favorable rates of return to investors;
• competition in our business;
• whether we will experience future growth;
• our ability to develop new products and services and their potential for success;
• our ability to maintain current vendors or find new vendors to provide services to us at favorable costs;
• our ability to successfully implement our strategy relating to digital assets and blockchain-enabled financial services, including WisdomTree Prime™, and achieve its objectives;
• our ability to successfully operate and expand our business in non-U.S. markets;
• the effect of laws and regulations that apply to our business; and
• actions of activist stockholders.

Our business is subject to many risks and uncertainties, including without limitation:

• declining prices of securities, gold and other precious metals and other commodities and changes in interest rates and general market conditions can adversely affect our business by reducing the market value of the assets we manage or causing WisdomTree ETP investors to sell their fund shares and trigger redemptions;
• fluctuations in the amount and mix of our AUM, whether caused by disruptions in the financial markets or otherwise, including but not limited to events such as a pandemic or war, geopolitical conflicts, political events, acts of terrorism and other matters beyond our control, may negatively impact revenues and operating margins, and may impede our ability to refinance our debt upon maturity or increase the cost of borrowing upon a refinancing;
• competitive pressures could reduce revenues and profit margins;
• we derive a substantial portion of our revenues from a limited number of products, and, as a result, our operating results are particularly exposed to investor sentiment toward investing in the products’ strategies and our ability to maintain the AUM of these products, as well as the performance of these products and market-specific and political and economic risk;
• a significant portion of our AUM is held in products with exposure to U.S. and international developed markets, and we therefore have exposure to domestic and foreign market conditions and are subject to currency exchange rate risks;
• withdrawals or broad changes in investments in our ETPs by investors with significant positions may negatively impact revenues and operating margins;
• we face increased operational, regulatory, financial and other risks as a result of conducting our business internationally, and as we expand our digital assets product offerings and services beyond our existing ETP business;
• many of our ETPs have a limited track record, and poor investment performance could cause our revenues to decline;
• we depend on third parties to provide many critical services to operate our business and our ETPs. The failure of key vendors to adequately provide such services could materially affect our operating business and harm WisdomTree ETP investors; and
• actions of activist stockholders against us, which have been costly and may be disruptive and cause uncertainty about the strategic direction of our business.

Other factors, such as general economic conditions, including currency exchange rate fluctuations, also may have an effect on the results of our operations. For a more complete description of the risks noted above and other risks that could cause our actual results to differ from our current expectations, see “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.

The forward-looking statements in this press release represent our views as of the date of this press release. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments may cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. Therefore, these forward-looking statements do not represent our views as of any date other than the date of this press release.

Category: Business Update

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240426564191/en/

Investor Relations
Jeremy Campbell
+1.917.267.3859
jeremy.campbell@wisdomtree.com

Corporate Communications
Jessica Zaloom
+1.917.267.3735
jzaloom@wisdomtree.com

Source: WisdomTree, Inc.

Released April 26, 2024