ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS

ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS

B. Riley Financial, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) provide investment banking and financial services to corporate, institutional and high net worth clients, and asset disposition, financial consulting, appraisal and capital advisory services to a wide range of retail, wholesale and industrial clients, as well as lenders, capital providers, private equity investors and professional services firms throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, and Europe and consumer Internet access and cloud communication services through its wholly-owned subsidiaries United Online, Inc. (“UOL” or “United Online”) and magicJack VocalTec Ltd. (“magicJack”). The Company has a majority ownership interest in BR Brands Holding, LLC (“BR Brands” or “Brands”), which provides licensing of trademarks.

On January 19, 2022, the Company acquired FocalPoint Securities, LLC ("FocalPoint"), an independent investment bank headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The purchase price consideration totaled $124,479, which consisted of $64,248 in cash, $20,320 in issuance of common stock of the Company, and $39,911 in deferred cash and contingent consideration payable over the next three years. The Company used the acquisition method of accounting for this acquisition. Goodwill of $110,612 and other intangible assets of $10,680 that were recorded as a result of the acquisition will be deductible for tax purposes. The acquisition is expected to expand B. Riley Securities’ mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) advisory business and enhance its debt capital markets and financial restructuring capabilities.

On February 25, 2021, the Company completed the acquisition of all of the outstanding shares of National Holdings Corporation (“National”) not already owned by the Company. The total cash consideration for the approximately 55% of National outstanding shares that the Company did not previously own and settlement of outstanding share based awards amounted to $35,314. The Company used the acquisition method of accounting for this acquisition. The acquisition expanded the Company’s investment banking, wealth management and financial planning offerings by adding National’s brokerage, insurance, tax preparation and advisory services.

The Company operates in six operating segments: (i) Capital Markets, through which the Company provides investment banking, corporate finance, securities lending, restructuring, research, sales and trading services to corporate and institutional clients; (ii) Wealth Management, through which the Company provides wealth management and tax services to corporate, institutional and high net worth clients; (iii) Auction and Liquidation, through which the Company provides auction and liquidation services to help clients dispose of assets that include multi-location retail inventory, wholesale inventory, trade fixtures, machinery and equipment, intellectual property and real property; (iv) Financial Consulting, through which the Company provides bankruptcy, financial advisory, forensic accounting, real estate consulting and valuation and appraisal services; (v) Principal Investments - Communications and Other, through which the Company provides consumer Internet access and related subscription services from United Online, cloud communication services primarily through the magicJack devices, and mobile phone voice, text, and data services and devices through a mobile virtual network operator; and (vi) Brands, which is focused on generating revenue through the licensing of trademarks.

There continues to be widespread impact from COVID-19, which the World Health Organization classified as a pandemic in March 2020. There has been a trend in many parts of the world of increasing availability and administration of vaccines against COVID-19, as well as an easing of restrictions on social, business, travel, and government activities and functions; however, the full impact of the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve with the emergence of new variant strains and breakthrough infections. Although the U.S. economy continued to grow during the first quarter of 2022, the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher inflation, the actions by the Federal Reserve to address inflation, and rising energy prices create uncertainty about the future economic environment which will continue to evolve and may impact our business in future periods. These developments and the impact on the financial markets and the overall economy continue to be highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. If the financial markets and/or the overall economy continue to be impacted, the Company’s results of operations, financial position, and cash flows may be materially adversely affected.