A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ:
AMRK) (A-Mark), a leading fully integrated precious metals
platform, has acquired an additional 8% of the outstanding equity
interest in Calgary-based Silver Gold Bull Inc. (SGB) for
approximately $9.6 million. The investment brings A-Mark’s
ownership in SGB to 55.4% and continues to expand A-Mark’s
direct-to-consumer (DTC) footprint in the international market.
A-Mark acquired its initial stake in SGB in 2014, increasing its
investment to 47.4% in 2022.
Founded in 2009, SGB is a leading e-commerce
precious metals retailer in Canada focused on providing online
innovation, high-quality products, competitive pricing, and
excellent customer service.
Transaction Summary
- A-Mark paid approximately $9.6
million for an additional 8% of the outstanding equity interest in
SGB.
- A-Mark’s previous option to
increase its ownership interest in SGB has been reduced from 75% to
70%. The option, previously set to expire in September 2024, has
been extended to September 2025.
- Employment agreements have been
entered into with key SGB management, including Nikolas Morianos,
Mihali Belandis and President and Co-Founder Bob Belandis.
SGB financial and operational highlights
for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024, include:
- Net sales of $467.9 million, gross
profit of $20.8 million (4.4% of net sales), and pre-tax income of
$4.2 million (0.9% of net sales).
- Sold more than 7.85 million ounces
of silver and 151,000 ounces of gold
- Added approximately 53,000 new
customers, for a total of 520,000 customers as of April 30,
2024
- Processed
approximately 105,000 orders
Management
Commentary“Increasing our stake in SGB aligns with our
strategy to expand internationally,” said A-Mark CEO Greg Roberts.
“Since our 2014 investment, SGB has shown consistent growth in
Canada and abroad. We aim to strengthen our partnership with SGB
and may further increase our ownership in the company in the
future.”
Bob Belandis commented: “This marks another
milestone in our enduring partnership with A-Mark. Their previous
investments have fueled significant growth for us. This additional
backing positions us for further expansion in Canada and new
markets.”
Transaction AdvisorsFrye & Hsieh LLP and
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP acted as legal advisors to A-Mark.MLT
Aikins LLP acted as legal advisor to SGB.
About A-Mark Precious
Metals Founded in 1965, A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc.
is a leading fully integrated precious metals platform that offers
an array of gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and copper bullion,
numismatic coins, and related products to wholesale and retail
customers via a portfolio of channels. The company conducts its
operations through three complementary segments: Wholesale Sales
& Ancillary Services, Direct-to-Consumer, and Secured Lending.
The company’s global customer base spans sovereign and private
mints, manufacturers and fabricators, refiners, dealers, financial
institutions, industrial users, investors, collectors, e-commerce
customers, and other retail customers.
A-Mark’s Wholesale Sales & Ancillary
Services segment distributes and purchases precious metal products
from sovereign and private mints. As a U.S. Mint-authorized
purchaser of gold, silver, and platinum coins since 1986, A-Mark
purchases bullion products directly from the U.S. Mint for sale to
customers. A-Mark also has longstanding distributorships with other
sovereign mints, including Australia, Austria, Canada, China,
Mexico, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. The company sells
more than 200 different products to e-commerce retailers, coin and
bullion dealers, financial institutions, brokerages, and
collectors. In addition, A-Mark sells precious metal products to
industrial users, including metal refiners, manufacturers, and
electronic fabricators.
Located in the heart of Hong Kong’s Central
Financial District, LPM Group Limited (LPM), is one of Asia’s
largest precious metals dealers. LPM was acquired by AM/LPM
Ventures, LLC, a subsidiary of A-Mark. LPM offers a wide selection
of products to its wholesale customers, through its retail showroom
and 24/7 online trading platform, including recently released
silver coins, gold bullion, certified coins, and the latest
collectible numismatic issues.
Through its A-M Global Logistics subsidiary,
A-Mark provides its customers with a range of complementary
services, including managed storage options for precious metals as
well as receiving, handling, inventorying, processing, packaging,
and shipping of precious metals and coins on a secure basis.
A-Mark’s mint operations, which are conducted through its wholly
owned subsidiary Silver Towne Mint, enable the company to offer
customers a wide range of proprietary coin and bar offerings and,
during periods of market volatility when the availability of silver
bullion from sovereign mints is often product constrained,
preferred product access.
A-Mark’s Direct-to-Consumer segment operates as
an omni-channel retailer of precious metals, providing access to a
multitude of products through its wholly owned subsidiaries, JM
Bullion and Goldline. JM Bullion is a leading e-commerce retailer
of precious metals and operates eight separately branded,
company-owned websites targeting specific niches within the
precious metals
market: JMBullion.com, ProvidentMetals.com, Silver.com, Gold.com, GoldPrice.org, SilverPrice.org, BGASC.com,
and BullionMax.com. JMB also owns CyberMetals.com, an
online platform where customers can purchase and sell fractional
shares of digital gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bars in a
range of denominations. Goldline markets precious metals directly
to the investor community through various channels, including
television, radio, and telephonic sales efforts. A-Mark also holds
minority ownership interests in three additional direct-to-consumer
brands.
The company operates its Secured Lending segment
through its wholly owned subsidiary, Collateral Finance Corporation
(CFC). Founded in 2005, CFC is a California licensed finance lender
that originates and acquires loans secured by bullion and
numismatic coins. Its customers include coin and precious metal
dealers, investors, and collectors.
A-Mark is headquartered in El Segundo, CA and
has additional offices and facilities in the neighboring Los
Angeles area as well as in Dallas, TX, Las Vegas, NV, Winchester,
IN, Vienna, Austria, and Hong Kong. For more information, visit
www.amark.com.
A-Mark periodically provides information for
investors on its corporate website, www.amark.com, and its
investor relations website, ir.amark.com. This includes press
releases and other information about financial performance, reports
filed or furnished with the SEC, information on corporate
governance, and investor presentations.
Company Contact:Steve Reiner, Executive Vice
President, Capital Markets & Investor RelationsA-Mark Precious
Metals, Inc.1-310-587-1410sreiner@amark.com
Investor Relations Contacts:Matt Glover and
Greg BradburyGateway Group,
Inc.1-949-574-3860AMRK@gateway-grp.com
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