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ACCOUNTING POLICIES
3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Sep. 30, 2024
Accounting Policies [Abstract]    
ACCOUNTING POLICIES

NOTE 2        ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Forward Industries, Inc. and all of its wholly-owned subsidiaries: Forward Industries (IN), Inc. (“Forward US”), Forward Industries (Switzerland) GmbH (“Forward Switzerland”), Forward Industries UK Limited (“Forward UK”), Intelligent Product Solutions, Inc. (“IPS”) and Kablooe, Inc. (“Kablooe”). The terms “Forward”, “we”, “our” or the “Company” as used throughout this document are used to indicate Forward Industries, Inc. and all of its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

In the opinion of management, the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements presented in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q reflect all normal recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position and results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented herein but are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for the year ending September 30, 2025. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, and with the disclosures and risk factors presented therein. The September 30, 2024 condensed consolidated balance sheet has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements.

 

Accounting Estimates

 

The preparation of the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions. Within this report, certain dollar amounts and percentages have been rounded to their approximate values.

 

Segment Reporting

 

As a result of discontinuing the retail and OEM segments, as disclosed in Note 3, the Company now has only one reportable segment. The design segment consists of two operating segments (IPS and Kablooe, which have been aggregated into one reportable segment) that provide a full spectrum of hardware and software product design and engineering services to customers predominantly located in the U.S. See Note 5 for more information on segments.

 

Accounts Receivable

 

Accounts receivable consist of unsecured trade accounts with customers net of an allowance for credit losses. Collectability of accounts receivable is estimated by evaluating the number of days accounts are outstanding, customer payment history, recent payment trends and perceived creditworthiness, adjusted as necessary based on specific customer situations. At December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, the Company had allowances for credit losses of $51,000, $27,000 and $771,000, respectively.

 

Inventories

 

Inventories consist primarily of finished goods and are stated at the lower of cost (determined by the first-in, first-out method) or net realizable value. Based on management’s estimates, an allowance is made to reduce excess, obsolete, or otherwise unsellable inventories to net realizable value. The allowance is established through charges to cost of sales, which is now presented as a component of income/(loss) from discontinued operations in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations. In determining the adequacy of the allowance, management’s estimates are based upon several factors, including analyses of inventory levels, historical loss trends, sales history and projections of future sales demand. The Company’s estimates of the allowance may change from time to time based on management’s assessments, and such changes could be material. Due to the Retail Exit and the OEM Plan, all inventory on hand at December 31, 2024 and September 30, 2024 is presented as a component of assets held for sale.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

Discontinued OEM Distribution Segment

 

The OEM distribution segment recognized revenue when: (i) finished goods were shipped to its customers (in general, these conditions occurred at either point of shipment or point of destination, depending on the terms of sale and transfer of control); (ii) there were no other deliverables or performance obligations; and (iii) there were no further obligations to the customer after the title of the goods has transferred. If the Company received consideration before achieving the criteria previously mentioned, it recorded a contract liability, which would be classified as a component of liabilities held for sale in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. The OEM distribution segment had no contract liabilities at December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024 or September 30, 2023. The results of operations of the OEM segment are reported as discontinued operations for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

 

Discontinued Retail Distribution Segment

 

The discontinued retail distribution segment sold products primarily through online websites operated by authorized third-party retailers. Revenue was recognized when control (as defined in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”) of the related goods were transferred to the retailer, which generally occurred upon shipment to the end customer. Other than product delivery, the retail distribution segment did not typically have other deliverables or performance obligations associated with its products. Revenue was measured as the amount of consideration expected to be received in exchange for the products provided, net of allowances taken by retailers for product returns and any taxes collected from customers that will be remitted to governmental authorities. When the Company received consideration before achieving the criteria previously mentioned, it recorded a contract liability, which was classified as a component of deferred income in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. The retail distribution segment had no contract liabilities at December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024 or September 30, 2023. The results of operations of the retail segment are reported as discontinued operations for the three months ended December 31, 2023. See Note 3.

 

Design Segment

 

The Company applies the “cost to cost” and “right to invoice” methods of revenue recognition to the contracts with customers in the design segment. The design segment typically engages in two types of contracts: (i) time and material and (ii) fixed price. The Company recognizes revenue over time on its time and material contracts utilizing a “right to invoice” method. Revenues from fixed price contracts that require performance of services that are not related to the production of tangible assets are recognized by using cost inputs to measure progress toward the completion of its performance obligations, or the “cost to cost” method. Revenues from fixed price contracts that contain specific deliverables are recognized when the performance obligation has been satisfied or the transfer of goods to the customer has been completed and accepted.

 

Recognized revenues that will not be billed until a later date are recorded as contract assets in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. The design segment had contract assets of $885,000, $1,273,000 and $976,000 at December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively. Contracts where collections to date have exceeded recognized revenues, or contract liabilities, are recorded as a liability and classified as a component of deferred income in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. The design segment had contract liabilities of $279,000, $399,000, and $297,000 at December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively.

 

Goodwill

 

The Company reviews goodwill for impairment at least annually, or more often if triggering events occur. The Company has two reporting units with goodwill (the IPS and Kablooe operating segments) and we perform our annual goodwill impairment test on September 30, the end of the fiscal year, or upon the occurrence of a triggering event. The Company has the option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine if an impairment is more likely than not to have occurred. If the Company can support the conclusion that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then the Company would not need to perform a quantitative impairment test for the reporting unit. If the Company cannot support such a conclusion or does not elect to perform the qualitative assessment, then the Company will perform the quantitative assessment by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, no impairment charge is recognized. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment charge will be recognized for the amount by which the reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value. A significant amount of judgment is required in performing goodwill impairment tests including estimating the fair value of a reporting unit. See Note 4.

 

Intangible Assets

 

Intangible assets include trademarks and customer relationships, which were acquired as part of the acquisitions of IPS in Fiscal 2018 and Kablooe in Fiscal 2020 and are amortized over their estimated useful lives, which are periodically evaluated for reasonableness.

 

Our intangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. In assessing the recoverability of our intangible assets, we must make estimates and assumptions regarding future cash flows and other factors to determine the fair value of the respective assets. These estimates and assumptions could have a significant impact on whether an impairment charge is recognized and the magnitude of any such charge. Fair value estimates are made at a specific point in time, based on relevant information. These estimates are subjective in nature and involve uncertainties and matters of significant judgments and therefore cannot be determined with precision. Changes in assumptions could significantly affect the estimates. If these estimates or material related assumptions change in the future, we may be required to record impairment charges related to our intangible assets. Management evaluated and concluded that there were no indications of impairments of intangible assets at December 31, 2024.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company recognizes future tax benefits and liabilities measured at enacted rates attributable to temporary differences between financial statement and income tax bases of assets and liabilities and to net tax operating loss carryforwards to the extent that realization of these benefits is more likely than not. At December 31, 2024, there was no change to our assessment that a full valuation allowance was required against all net deferred tax assets as it is not probable that such deferred tax assets will be realized. Accordingly, any deferred tax provision or benefit was offset by an equal and opposite change to the valuation allowance. Our income tax provision or benefit is generally not significant due to the existence of significant net operating loss carryforwards.

 

Fair Value Measurements

 

In connection with the acquisition of Kablooe, the Company has a contingent earnout agreement based on Kablooe’s results of operations through August 2025. This earnout agreement is measured at fair value in accordance with the guidance provided by ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurement.” ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities required to be recorded at their fair values, we consider the principal or most advantageous market in which we would transact and consider assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the assets or liabilities, such as inherent risk, transfer restrictions, and risk of nonperformance.

 

ASC 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. An asset's or liability's categorization within the fair value hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. ASC 820 establishes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

 

  · Level 1: quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

 

  · Level 2: inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities; or

 

  · Level 3: unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair values of the assets or liabilities.

 

The fair value of the earnout liability is measured on a recurring basis at each reporting date using inputs categorized within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. Due to the low likelihood of Kablooe reaching the specified earnout targets, the fair value of this earnout liability is $0 at December 31, 2024 and September 30, 2024.

 

The carrying amounts of cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, due to Forward China, and the Note Payable to Forward China approximate fair value due their short-term maturities.

 

Leases

 

Lease assets and liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term, using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate commensurate with the lease term, since the Company’s lessors do not provide an implicit rate, nor is one readily available. The Company has certain leases that may include an option to renew and when it is reasonably probable to exercise such option, the Company will include the renewal option terms in determining the lease asset and lease liability. Lease assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Operating lease assets are shown as right-of-use assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The current and long-term portions of operating lease liabilities are shown separately as such on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In November 2024, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2024-03, “Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses” and in January 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-01, “Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Clarifying the Effective Date”, which clarified the effective date of ASU 2024-03 for non-calendar year-end companies. ASU 2024-03 will require the Company to disclose the amounts of purchases of inventory, employee compensation, depreciation and intangible asset amortization, as applicable, included in certain expense captions in the consolidated statements of operations, as well as qualitatively describe remaining amounts included in those captions. ASU 2024-03 will also require the Company to disclose both the amount and the Company’s definition of selling expenses. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2026 and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2027. The Company is currently evaluating the effects of the pronouncement on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, "Income Taxes - Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures", requiring enhancements and further transparency to certain income tax disclosures, most notably the tax rate reconciliation and income taxes paid. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024 on a prospective basis and retrospective application is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effects of this pronouncement on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures,” which requires expanded segment reporting and disclosure and is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. The Company is currently evaluating the effects of this pronouncement on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

NOTE 2        ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions. Within this report, certain dollar amounts and percentages have been rounded to their approximate values.

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Forward Industries, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (Forward Industries (IN), Inc. (“Forward US”), Forward Industries (Switzerland) GmbH (“Forward Switzerland”), Forward Industries UK Limited (“Forward UK”), Intelligent Product Solutions, Inc. (“IPS”), and Kablooe, Inc. (“Kablooe”). All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

Segment Reporting

 

As a result of the discontinued retail and OEM segments, as disclosed in Note 3, the Company now has only one reportable segment. The design segment consists of two operating segments (IPS and Kablooe, which have been aggregated into one reportable segment) that provide a full spectrum of hardware and software product design and engineering services to customers predominantly located in the U.S. See Note 16 for more information on segments.

 

Goodwill

 

The Company reviews goodwill for impairment at least annually, or more often if triggering events occur. The Company has two reporting units with goodwill (the IPS and Kablooe operating segments) and we perform our annual goodwill impairment test on September 30, the end of the fiscal year, or upon the occurrence of a triggering event such as an overall change in economic climate, changes in the industry and competitive environment, and earnings quality and sustainability. The Company has the option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine if an impairment is more likely than not to have occurred. If the Company can support the conclusion that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then the Company would not need to perform a quantitative impairment test for the reporting unit. If the Company cannot support such a conclusion or does not elect to perform the qualitative assessment, then the Company will perform the quantitative impairment test by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, no impairment charge is recognized. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, an impairment charge will be recognized for the amount by which the reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value. A significant amount of judgment is required in performing goodwill impairment tests including estimating the fair value of a reporting unit. See Note 4.

 

Intangible Assets

 

Intangible assets include trademarks and customer relationships, which were acquired as part of the acquisitions of IPS in Fiscal 2018 and Kablooe in Fiscal 2020 and are amortized over their estimated useful lives, which are periodically evaluated for reasonableness.

 

Our intangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. In assessing the recoverability of our intangible assets, we must make estimates and assumptions regarding future cash flows and other factors to determine the fair value of the respective assets. These estimates and assumptions could have a significant impact on whether an impairment charge is recognized and the magnitude of any such charge. Fair value estimates are made at a specific point in time, based on relevant information. These estimates are subjective in nature and involve uncertainties and matters of significant judgments and therefore cannot be determined with precision. Changes in assumptions could significantly affect the estimates. If these estimates or material related assumptions change in the future, we may be required to record impairment charges related to our intangible assets. Management evaluated and concluded that there were no indications of impairments of intangible assets at September 30, 2024 or 2023.

 

Cash

 

The Company maintains cash deposits and a money market account in banks with financial institutions in the United States (that at times may exceed federally insured limits of $250,000 per financial institution). At September 30, 2024 and 2023, there were deposits totaling $2,089,000 and $2,207,000, respectively, held in excess of federally insured limits. Historically, we have not experienced any losses due to such cash concentrations.

 

Accounts Receivable

 

Accounts receivable consist of unsecured trade accounts with customers net of an allowance for credit losses. Collectability of accounts receivable is estimated by evaluating the number of days accounts are outstanding, customer payment history, recent payment trends and perceived creditworthiness, adjusted as necessary based on specific customer situations. At September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company had allowances for credit losses of $27,000 and $771,000, respectively.

 

Inventories

 

Inventories consist primarily of finished goods and are stated at the lower of cost (determined by the first-in, first-out method) or net realizable value. Based on management’s estimates, an allowance is made to reduce excess, obsolete, or otherwise unsellable inventories to net realizable value. The allowance is established through charges to cost of sales, which is now presented as a component of income/(loss) from discontinued operations in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. In determining the adequacy of the allowance, management’s estimates are based upon several factors, including analyses of inventory levels, historical loss trends, sales history and projections of future sales demand. The Company’s estimates of the allowance may change from time to time based on management’s assessments, and such changes could be material. Due to the Retail Exit and the OEM Plan, all inventory on hand at September 30, 2024 and 2023 is presented as a component of assets held for sale.

 

Property and Equipment

 

Property and equipment consist of computer hardware and software, furniture, fixtures and equipment and are recorded at cost. Expenditures for major additions and improvements are capitalized, and minor replacements, maintenance, and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. When property and equipment are retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is included in the results of operations for the respective period. Depreciation is provided over the estimated useful lives of the related assets using the straight-line method. The estimated useful lives for all property and equipment ranges from three to five years.

 

Leases

 

Lease assets and liabilities are recognized at lease commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term, using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate commensurate with the lease term, since the Company’s lessors do not provide an implicit rate, nor is one readily available. The Company has certain leases that may include an option to renew and when it is reasonably probable to exercise such option, the Company will include the renewal option terms in determining the lease asset and lease liability. Lease assets represent the Company’s right-to-use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Operating lease assets are shown as right-of-use assets and financing lease assets are a component of property and equipment on the consolidated balance sheets. The current and long-term portions of operating and financing lease liabilities are shown separately as such on the consolidated balance sheets.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company recognizes future tax benefits and liabilities measured at enacted rates attributable to temporary differences between financial statement and income tax bases of assets and liabilities and to net tax operating loss carryforwards to the extent that realization of these benefits is more likely than not. At September 30, 2024, there was no change to our assessment that a full valuation allowance was required against all net deferred tax assets as it is not probable that such deferred tax assets will be realized. Accordingly, any deferred tax provision or benefit was offset by an equal and opposite change to the valuation allowance. Our income tax provision or benefit is generally not significant due to the existence of significant net operating loss carryforwards. 

 

Revenue Recognition

 

Discontinued OEM Distribution Segment

 

The OEM distribution segment recognized revenue when: (i) finished goods were shipped to its customers (in general, these conditions occurred at either point of shipment or point of destination, depending on the terms of sale and transfer of control); (ii) there were no other deliverables or performance obligations; and (iii) there were no further obligations to the customer after the title of the goods had transferred. If the Company received consideration before achieving the criteria previously mentioned, it recorded a contract liability, which would be classified as a component of liabilities held for sale in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The OEM distribution segment had no contract liabilities at September 30, 2024, 2023 or 2022. The results of operations of the OEM segment are reported as discontinued operations for Fiscal 2024 and Fiscal 2023 (see Note 3).

 

Discontinued Retail Distribution Segment

 

The retail distribution segment sold products primarily through online websites operated by authorized third-party retailers. Revenue was recognized when control (as defined in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”) of the related goods was transferred to the retailer, which generally occurred upon shipment to the end customer. Other than product delivery, the retail distribution segment did not typically have other deliverables or performance obligations associated with its products. Revenue was measured as the amount of consideration expected to be received in exchange for the products provided, net of allowances taken by retailers for product returns and any taxes collected from customers that will be remitted to governmental authorities. When the Company received consideration before achieving the criteria previously mentioned, it recorded a contract liability, which was classified as a component of deferred income in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The retail distribution segment had no contract liabilities at September 30, 2024, 2023 or 2022. The results of operations of the retail segment are reported as discontinued operations for Fiscal 2024 and Fiscal 2023 (see Note 3). 

 

Design Segment

 

The Company applies the “cost to cost” and “right to invoice” methods of revenue recognition to the contracts with customers in the design segment. The design segment typically engages in two types of contracts: (i) time and material and (ii) fixed price. The Company recognizes revenue over time on its time and material contracts utilizing a “right to invoice” method. Revenues from fixed price contracts that require performance of services that are not related to the production of tangible assets are recognized by using cost inputs to measure progress toward the completion of its performance obligations, or the “cost to cost” method. Revenues from fixed price contracts that contain specific deliverables are recognized when the performance obligation has been satisfied or the transfer of goods to the customer has been completed and accepted.

 

Recognized revenues that will not be billed until a later date are recorded as contract assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The design segment had contract assets of $1,273,000, $976,000 and $609,000 at September 30, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Contracts where collections to date have exceeded recognized revenues, or contract liabilities, are recorded as a liability and classified as a component of deferred income in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The design segment had contract liabilities of $399,000, $297,000 and $439,000 at September 30, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

 

Shipping and Handling Fees

 

The Company includes shipping and handling fees billed to customers in net revenues and the related transportation costs in cost of sales.

 

Foreign Currency Transactions

 

The Company’s functional currency is the U.S. dollar. Foreign currency transactions may generate receivables or payables that are fixed in terms of the amount of foreign currency that will be received or paid. Fluctuations in exchange rates between such foreign currency and the functional currency increase or decrease the expected amount of functional currency cash flows upon settlement of the transaction. These increases or decreases in expected functional currency cash flows are foreign currency transaction gains or losses that are included in other income or expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. The approximate net gains (losses) from foreign currency transactions were $8,000 and $2,000 in Fiscal 2024 and Fiscal 2023, respectively.

 

Fair Value Measurements

 

We perform fair value measurements in accordance with the guidance provided by ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurement.” ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities required to be recorded at their fair values, we consider the principal or most advantageous market in which we would transact and consider assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the assets or liabilities, such as inherent risk, transfer restrictions, and risk of nonperformance.

 

ASC 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. An asset’s or liability’s categorization within the fair value hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. ASC 820 establishes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

 

  · Level 1: quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
     
  · Level 2: inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities; or
     
  · Level 3: unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair values of the assets or liabilities.

 

The carrying amounts of cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, due to Forward China, and the Note payable to Forward China approximate fair value due their short-term maturities.

 

Share-Based Compensation Expense

 

The Company estimates the fair value of employee and non-employee director share-based compensation on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which includes variables such as the expected volatility of the Company’s share price, the exercise behavior of its grantees, interest rates, and dividend yields. These variables are projected based on the Company’s historical data, experience, and other factors. The fair value of employee and non-employee director share-based compensation is recognized in the consolidated statements of operations over the related service or vesting period of each grant. In the case of awards with multiple vesting periods, the Company has elected to use the graded vesting attribution method, which recognizes compensation cost on a straight-line basis over each separately vesting portion of the award as if the award was, in substance, multiple awards (see Note 9).

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2023-09, “Income Taxes - Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures”, requiring enhancements and further transparency to certain income tax disclosures, most notably the tax rate reconciliation and income taxes paid. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024 on a prospective basis and retrospective application is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effects of this pronouncement on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures,” which requires expanded segment reporting and disclosure and is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. The Company is currently evaluating the effects of this pronouncement on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In November 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-11, “Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses.” ASU 2019-11 is an accounting pronouncement that provides clarity to and amends earlier guidance on this topic and would be effective concurrently with the adoption of such earlier guidance. This pronouncement is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company adopted this guidance in the first quarter of Fiscal 2024 with no material impact on its consolidated financial statements.