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Organization and Basis of Presentation
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2025
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Organization and Basis of Presentation Organization and Basis of Presentation
Business Overview
BGC is a leading global marketplace, data, and financial technology company that specializes in the trade execution of a broad range of products, including fixed income securities such as government bonds, corporate bonds, and other debt instruments, as well as related interest rate derivatives and credit derivatives. Additionally, the Company provides brokerage services across foreign exchange, energy, commodities, shipping, equities, and futures and options. The Company also provides network and connectivity solutions, market data and related information services, and post-trade services.
BGC’s integrated platform is designed to provide flexibility to customers with regard to price discovery, trade execution and transaction processing, as well as accessing liquidity through our platforms, for transactions executed either OTC or through an exchange. Through the Company’s electronic brands, BGC Group offers multiple trade execution, market infrastructure and connectivity services, as well as post-trade services.
The Company’s clients include many of the world’s largest banks, broker-dealers, trading firms, hedge funds, governments, corporations, investment firms, commodity trading firms and end users, such as producers and consumers. BGC is a global operation with offices across all major geographies, including New York and London, as well as in Bahrain, Beijing, Bogota, Brisbane, Cape Town, Chicago, Copenhagen, Dubai, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, Houston, Johannesburg, Madrid, Manila, Melbourne, Mexico City, Miami, Milan, Monaco, Nyon, Palm Beach, Paris, Perth, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, São Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, Toronto, Wellington and Zurich.
Corporate Conversion
On July 1, 2023, pursuant to the Corporate Conversion Agreement, BGC Partners completed the Corporate Conversion from an Umbrella Partnership C-Corporation to a Full C-Corporation in order to reorganize and simplify its organizational structure. As a result of the Corporate Conversion, BGC Group became the public holding company for, and successor to, BGC Partners, and its Class A common stock began trading on Nasdaq, in place of BGC Partners’ Class A common stock, under the ticker symbol “BGC.” Upon completion of the Corporate Conversion, the former stockholders of BGC Partners and the former limited partners of BGC Holdings now participate in the economics of the BGC businesses through BGC Group.
The Corporate Conversion was made pursuant to the Corporate Conversion Agreement which was approved by the Board of Directors of BGC Partners, at the recommendation of the Joint Committee, composed of the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee sitting jointly. The Joint Committee was advised by independent financial and legal advisors selected by the Joint Committee. Houlihan Lokey, Inc., as financial advisor, provided a fairness opinion to the Joint Committee.
The Corporate Conversion was effected pursuant to the terms of the Corporate Conversion Agreement dated as of November 15, 2022 by and among BGC Group, BGC Partners, BGC Holdings, BGC GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and general partner of BGC Holdings, BGC Partners II, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of BGC Group (“Merger Sub 1”), BGC Partners II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of BGC Group (“Merger Sub 2”), BGC Holdings Merger Sub, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of BGC Holdings (“Holdings Merger Sub”), and, solely for the purposes of certain provisions therein, Cantor.
Effective as of 12:01 a.m., Eastern Time, on July 1, 2023, BGC Holdings reorganized from a Delaware limited partnership into a Delaware limited liability company through a merger with and into Holdings Merger Sub, with Holdings Merger Sub continuing as a direct subsidiary of BGC Partners. Effective as of 12:02 a.m., Eastern Time, on July 1, 2023, Merger Sub 1 merged with and into BGC Partners, with BGC Partners continuing as a direct subsidiary of BGC Group. At the same time, Merger Sub 2 merged with and into Holdings Merger Sub, with Holdings Merger Sub continuing as a subsidiary of BGC Group. As a result of the Corporate Conversion Mergers, BGC Partners and BGC Holdings became wholly owned subsidiaries of BGC Group.
In the Holdings Reorganization Merger, each unit of BGC Holdings outstanding as of immediately prior to the Holdings Reorganization Merger was converted into a substantially equivalent equity interest in Holdings Merger Sub.
In the Corporate Merger, each share of Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of BGC Partners and each share of Class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of BGC Partners outstanding was converted into one share of Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of BGC Group and one share of Class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of BGC Group, respectively.
As a result of the Corporate Conversion, on July 1, 2023:
64.0 million Cantor units, including 5.7 million purchased on June 30, 2023, were converted into shares of BGC Group Class B common stock, subject to the terms and conditions of the Corporate Conversion Agreement, provided that a portion of the 64.0 million shares of BGC Group Class B common stock issued to Cantor will exchange into BGC Group Class A common stock in the event that BGC Group does not issue at least $75,000,000 in shares of BGC Group Class A or B common stock in connection with certain acquisition transactions prior to July 1, 2030, the seventh anniversary of the Corporate Conversion;
BGC Group assumed all BGC Partners RSUs, RSU Tax Accounts or restricted stock awards outstanding as of June 30, 2023; and
non-exchangeable limited partnership units of BGC Holdings were converted into equity awards denominated in cash, restricted stock and/or RSUs of BGC Group, each as further set forth in the Corporate Conversion Agreement.
In connection with the Corporate Conversion on July 1, 2023, the BGC Holdings limited partnership agreement was terminated. There were no limited partnership units of BGC Holdings remaining after the Corporate Conversion was completed.
Recent Board of Directors and Executive Officers Changes
On February 18, 2025, Mr. Howard W. Lutnick was confirmed by the United States Senate as the 41st Secretary of Commerce. Following his confirmation, on February 18, 2025, Mr. Howard W. Lutnick stepped down as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. On February 18, 2025, the Company appointed Brandon Lutnick, son of Mr. Howard W. Lutnick, to serve as a member of the Board. Additionally, on February 18, 2025 the Company appointed Mr. Stephen Merkel to serve as a member of the Board and as Chairman of the Board. On February 18, 2025, the Company appointed John A. Abularrage, JP Aubin, and Sean A. Windeatt as Co-Chief Executive Officers of the Company and as the Principal Executive Officers of the Company. Mr. Howard W. Lutnick has agreed to divest his interests in BGC to comply with U.S. government ethics rules, which is expected to occur within 90 days following his confirmation, and does not expect any arrangement which involves selling shares on the open market.
Basis of Presentation
The Company’s unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC and in conformity with U.S. GAAP. Accordingly, they do not include all information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for annual financial statements and, as such, the information in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. The Company’s unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the Company’s accounts and all subsidiaries in which the Company has a controlling interest. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain reclassifications have been made to previously reported amounts to conform to the current presentation.
During the first quarter of 2024, the Company changed the name of the brokerage product line formerly labeled as “Energy and Commodities” to “Energy, Commodities, and Shipping” to better reflect the integrated operations of these businesses. The change did not result in any change in the classification of revenues and had no impact on the Company’s Total brokerage revenues. See Note 22—“Segment and Geographic Information.”
The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contain all adjustments (consisting only of normal and recurring adjustments) that, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair presentation of the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition, the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations, the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss), the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity of the Company for the periods presented.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In September 2022, the FASB issued ASU No. 2022-04, Liabilities—Supplier Finance Programs (Subtopic 405-50): Debt Restructurings Disclosure of Supplier Finance Program Obligations. The guidance requires entities to disclose the key terms of supplier finance programs they use in connection with the purchase of goods and services along with information about their obligations under these programs, including a rollforward of those obligations. BGC adopted the standard on the required effective date beginning on January 1, 2023, except for the rollforward requirement, which became effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2024. The guidance was adopted using a retrospective application to all periods in which a balance sheet is presented, and the rollforward disclosure requirement will be applied prospectively. The rollforward disclosure requirement did not have a material impact on the Company’s unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
In December 2022, the FASB issued ASU No. 2022-06, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Deferral of the Sunset Date of Topic 848. ASU No. 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting provided optional guidance to ease the potential burden in accounting for (or recognizing the effects of) reference rate reform on financial reporting. The ASU was effective upon issuance and generally could be applied through December 31, 2022. Because the relief in ASC 848, Reference Rate Reform may not cover a period of time during which a significant number of modifications may take place, the amendments in ASU No. 2022-06 deferred the sunset date from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2024, after which entities are no longer permitted to apply the relief in ASC 848. The ASU was effective upon issuance. The adoption of this guidance did not have an impact on the Company’s unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. The guidance was issued in response to requests from investors for companies to disclose more information about their financial performance at the segment level. The ASU does not change how a public entity identifies its operating segments, aggregates them or applies the quantitative thresholds to determine its reportable segments. The standard requires a public entity to disclose significant segment expenses and other segment items on an annual and interim basis, and to provide in interim periods all disclosures about a reportable segment’s profit or loss and assets that were previously required annually. Public entities with a single reportable segment are required to provide the new disclosures and all the disclosures previously required under ASC 280. BGC adopted the standard on the required effective date for the Company’s financial statements issued for annual reporting periods beginning on January 1, 2024 and applies the guidance for the interim periods beginning on January 1, 2025. Refer to Note 22“Segment and Geographic Information.” The adoption of this guidance did not have an impact on the Company’s unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
In March 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-01, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope Application of Profits Interest and Similar Awards. The standard is intended to reduce the complexity in determining whether profits interests and similar awards are in the scope of ASC 718 and to reduce diversity in practice. The new guidance applies to all reporting entities that grant profits interest awards or similar awards to employees or non-employees in exchange for goods or services. The ASU adds an example to ASC 718 that illustrates how to apply the scope guidance to determine whether a profits interest award should be accounted for as a share-based payment arrangement under ASC 718 or another accounting standard. BGC adopted the standard on the required effective date beginning January 1, 2025 using a prospective transition method for profits interest awards granted or modified on or after the effective date. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s unaudited Condensed Financial Statements.
In March 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-02, Codification Improvements—Amendments to Remove References to the Concepts Statements. The Conceptual Framework establishes concepts that the Board considers in developing standards. The ASU was issued to remove references to the Conceptual Framework in the Codification. The FASB noted that references to the Concepts Statements in the Codification could have implied that the Concepts Statements are authoritative. Also, some of the references removed were to Concepts Statements that are superseded. BGC adopted the standard on the required effective date beginning January 1, 2025 using a prospective transition method for all new transactions recognized on or after the effective date. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
New Accounting Pronouncements
In October 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-06, Disclosure Improvements—Codification Amendments in Response to the SECs Disclosure Update and Simplification Initiative. The standard is expected to clarify or improve disclosure and presentation requirements of a variety of ASC topics, allow users to more easily compare entities subject to the SEC’s existing disclosure requirements with those entities that were not previously subject to the requirements, and align the requirements in the Codification with the SEC’s regulations. The effective date for the guidance will be the date on which the SEC’s removal of the related disclosure from Regulation S-X or Regulation S-K becomes effective. If by June 30, 2027 the SEC has not removed the applicable requirements from Regulation S-X or Regulation S-K, the pending content of the related amendment will be removed from the Codification and will not become effective for any entity. Management is currently evaluating the impact of the new standard on the Company’s unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. The standard improves the transparency of income tax disclosures by requiring consistent categories and greater disaggregation of information in the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. The ASU also includes certain other amendments to improve the effectiveness of income tax disclosures. The new guidance will become effective for the Company’s financial statements issued for annual reporting periods beginning on January 1, 2025, will require prospective presentation with an option for entities to apply it retrospectively for each period presented, and early adoption is permitted. Management is currently evaluating the impact of the new standard on the Company’s unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03, Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive IncomeExpense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses. The standard improves financial reporting and responds to investor input that additional expense detail is fundamental to understanding the performance of an entity, assessing its prospects for future cash flows, and comparing its performance over time and with that of other companies. The new guidance requires public business entities to disclose in the notes to financial statements specified information about certain costs and expenses at each interim and annual reporting period, including the amounts of employee compensation, depreciation, and intangible asset amortization for each income statement line item that contains those expenses. Specified expenses, gains or losses that are already disclosed under existing U.S. GAAP will be required by the ASU to be included in the disaggregated income statement expense line item disclosures, and any remaining amounts will need to be described qualitatively. Separate disclosures of total selling expenses and an entity’s definition of those expenses will also be required. The new guidance will become effective for the Company’s financial statements issued for annual reporting periods beginning on January 1, 2027 and interim reporting periods beginning on January 1, 2028, will require either prospective or retrospective presentation, and early adoption is permitted. Management is currently evaluating the impact of the new standard on the Company’s unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
SEC Rule on Climate-Related Disclosures
In March 2024, the SEC adopted the final rules, The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors, that would require registrants to provide climate-related disclosures in a note to the audited financial statements. The disclosures would include certain effects of severe weather events and other natural conditions, including the aggregate amounts and where in the financial statements they are presented. If carbon offsets or renewable energy credits or certificates (RECs) are deemed a material component of the registrant’s plans to achieve its disclosed climate-related targets, registrants would be required to disclose information about the offsets and RECs. Registrants would also be required to disclose whether and how (1) exposures to risks and uncertainties associated with, or known impacts from, severe weather events and other natural conditions and (2) any disclosed climate-related targets or transition plans materially impacted the estimates and assumptions used in preparing the financial statements. Finally, registrants would be required to disclose additional contextual information about the above disclosures, including how each financial statement effect was derived and the accounting policy decisions made to calculate the effects, for the most recently completed fiscal year and, if previously disclosed or required to be disclosed, for the historical fiscal year for which audited consolidated financial statements are included in the filing. In April 2024, the SEC released an order staying the rules pending judicial review of all of the petitions challenging the rules and in March 2025, the SEC voted to end its defense of the rules. Absent these developments, the rules would have been effective for the Company on May 28, 2024 and phased in starting in 2025. Management is continuing to monitor the developments pertaining to the rules and any resulting potential impacts on the Company’s unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.