WisdomTree Announces Third Quarter 2024 Results

Record AUM of $112.6 Billion

850 bps of Operating Margin Expansion vs. YTD September 30, 2023

Diluted Loss Per Share of -$0.13 and +$0.18 Earnings Per Share, as Adjusted

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

($4.5) million of net loss ($28.8⁽¹⁾ million of net income, as adjusted), including a loss on extinguishment of our convertible notes of $30.6 million and a $4.0 million civil money penalty in connection with a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) regarding certain statements about the ESG screening process for three ETFs advised by WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. (the “SEC ESG Settlement”). See “Non-GAAP Financial Measurements” for additional information.

$112.6 billion of ending AUM, an increase of 2.6% from the prior quarter arising from market appreciation, partly offset by net outflows.

($2.4) billion of net outflows, primarily driven by outflows from our international developed equity, fixed income and commodity products.

0.37% average advisory fee, unchanged from the prior quarter.

$113.2 million of operating revenues, an increase of 5.7% from the prior quarter due to higher average AUM and the recognition of $3.7 million of other revenue related to legal and other related expenses incurred in connection with the SEC ESG Settlement that are expected to be covered by insurance.

80.8% gross margin⁽¹⁾, a 0.4 point decrease from the prior quarter due to higher expenses.

36.0% operating income margin, a 4.7 point increase compared to our operating margin of 31.3% in the prior quarter primarily due to higher revenues, as well as lower professional fees incurred in connection with an activist campaign. Our adjusted operating income margin of 37.3%⁽¹⁾ increased 2.0 points compared to our adjusted operating income margin of 35.3% in the prior quarter due to higher revenues.

$198.8 million of cash consideration paid to repurchase (1) all 14,750 shares of our Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock (equivalent to 14.75 million shares of our common stock) from ETFS Capital Limited and (2) approximately 5.7 million shares of our common stock.

$345.0 million issuance of convertible senior notes due 2029 (the “2029 Notes”), bearing interest at a rate of 3.25% and issued with a conversion price of $11.82 per share. Concurrent with the issuance, we paid $132.7 million to repurchase $104.2 million aggregate principal amount of our 5.75% convertible senior notes (conversion price of $9.54 per share) due 2028 (the “2028 Notes”).

$0.03 quarterly dividend declared, payable on November 20, 2024 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 6, 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 5.7% from the second quarter of 2024 due to higher average AUM and the recognition of $3.7 million of other revenue related to legal and other related expenses expected to be covered by insurance described above. Operating revenues increased 25.2% from the third quarter of 2023 due to higher average AUM and higher other revenues attributable to our European listed exchange-traded products (“ETPs”).
• Our average advisory fee was 0.37%, 0.37% and 0.36% during the third quarter of 2024, the second quarter of 2024 and the third quarter of 2023, respectively.

Operating Expenses

• Operating expenses decreased 1.6% from the second quarter of 2024 primarily due to lower incentive compensation, partly offset by higher fund management and administration expenses.
• Operating expenses increased 13.6% from the third quarter of 2023 primarily due to higher professional fees, which is inclusive of the legal and other related expected to be covered by insurance described above, as well as higher fund management and administration costs, incentive compensation and marketing expenses.

Other Income/(Expenses)

• Interest expense increased 21.4% and 45.2% from the second quarter of 2024 and third quarter of 2023, respectively, due to a higher level of debt outstanding, partly offset by a lower average interest rate. The increase from the third quarter of 2023 also is due to the recognition 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 income increased 24.8% and 126.9% from the second quarter of 2024 and the third quarter of 2023, respectively, due to a higher level of interest-earning assets.
• During the third quarter of 2024, we recognized a loss on extinguishment of convertible notes of $30.6 million arising from the repurchase of $104.2 million aggregate principal amount of our 2028 Notes.
• Other losses and gains, net was a loss of $3.1 million for the third quarter of 2024. This included a $4.0 million civil money penalty in connection with the SEC ESG Settlement. Also included are net gains of $0.8 million and $0.6 million on our financial instruments owned and our investments, respectively. Gains and losses also generally arise from the sale of gold and crypto earned from management fees paid by our physically-backed gold and crypto ETPs, foreign exchange fluctuations and other miscellaneous items.

Income Taxes

• Our effective income tax rate for the third quarter of 2024 was 216.0%, resulting in income tax expense of $8.4 million. The effective tax rate differs from the federal statutory rate of 21.0% primarily due to non-deductible loss on extinguishment of convertible notes, a non-deductible civil money penalty of $4.0 million and non-deductible executive compensation. These items were partly offset by a lower tax rate on foreign earnings.

• Our adjusted effective income tax rate for the third quarter of 2024 was 23.9%⁽¹⁾.

NINE MONTH HIGHLIGHTS

• Operating revenues increased 22.8% as compared to 2023 due to higher average AUM, higher other revenues attributable to our European listed ETPs and the recognition of $4.1 million of other revenue related to legal and other related expenses expected to be covered by insurance described above.
• Operating expenses increased 9.2% as compared to 2023 primarily due to higher incentive and stock-based compensation expense and increased headcount, fund management and administration costs, marketing expenses, sales and business development expenses, third-party distribution fees, as well as higher depreciation and amortization. Operating expenses during the nine months ended September 30, 2024, also includes $4.1 million of legal and other related expenses expected to be covered by insurance that were incurred in connection with the SEC ESG Settlement. These increases were partly offset by lower contractual gold payments.
• Significant items reported in other income/(expense) in 2024 include: a loss on extinguishment of convertible notes of $30.6 million arising from the repurchase of $104.2 million aggregate principal amount of our 2028 Notes; a civil money penalty of $4.0 million in connection with the SEC ESG Settlement; an increase in interest expense of 15.8% due to imputed interest on our obligation payable to GBH and higher level of debt outstanding, partly offset by a lower average interest rate; an increase in interest income of 61.1% due to an increase in our interest-earning assets; net gains on our financial instruments owned of $2.6 million; and losses on our investments of $0.6 million. Gains and losses also generally arise from the sale of gold earned on management fees paid by our physically-backed gold ETPs, foreign exchange fluctuations and other miscellaneous items.
• Our effective income tax rate for 2024 was 35.6%, resulting in an income tax expense of $21.8 million. Our tax rate differs from the federal statutory rate of 21.0% primarily due to non-deductible loss on extinguishment of convertible notes, a non-deductible civil money penalty of $4.0 million and non-deductible executive compensation. These items were partly offset by a lower tax rate on foreign earnings.

CONFERENCE CALL DIAL-IN AND WEBCAST DETAILS

WisdomTree will discuss its results and operational highlights during a live webcast on Friday, October 25, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. ET, which can be accessed using the following link: https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=kZrhyzrd.

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^® and institutional platform, WisdomTree Connect™.*

* The WisdomTree Prime digital wallet and digital asset services and WisdomTree Connect institutional platform are made available through WisdomTree Digital Movement, Inc., a federally registered money services business, state-licensed money transmitter and financial technology company (NMLS ID: 2372500) or WisdomTree Digital Trust Company, LLC, in select U.S. jurisdictions and may be limited where prohibited by law. WisdomTree Digital Trust Company, LLC is chartered as a limited purpose trust company by the New York State Department of Financial Services to engage in virtual currency business. Visit https://www.wisdomtreeprime.com, the WisdomTree Prime mobile app or https://wisdomtreeconnect.com for more information.

WisdomTree currently has approximately $112.9 billion in assets under management globally.

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

Please visit us on X, 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 and WisdomTree Connect 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 Revenues, Operating Income, Operating Expenses, Income Before Income Taxes, Income Tax Expense, Net Income and Diluted Earnings per Share

We disclose adjusted revenues, 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:

Legal and other related expenses expected to be covered by insurance: We have incurred $4.1 million of legal and other related expenses in connection with the SEC ESG Settlement that are expected to be covered by insurance. GAAP requires that such covered expenses be reported gross in the income statement such that revenues are recorded to offset expenses incurred. We offset the revenues and related expenses when calculating our non-GAAP financial measurements as the gross presentation serves to overstate our revenues and expenses recognized in the ordinary course of business.

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 approximately 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: Losses on extinguishment of convertible notes, a civil money penalty in connection with the SEC ESG Settlement, gains and losses recognized on our investments, changes in deferred tax asset valuation allowance, expenses incurred in response to an activist campaign and impairments 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 adjusted operating revenues less fund management and administration expenses. Gross margin percentage is calculated as gross margin divided by total adjusted operating revenues.

GAAP to NON-GAAP RECONCILIATION (CONSOLIDATED)
(in thousands)
(Unaudited)