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Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 10-Q

 


 

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED OCTOBER 31, 2003

 

Commission File Number 0-23410

 


 

CROWN FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 


 

NEW JERSEY   13-1924455

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

 

525 Washington Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07310

(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (201) 459-9500

 


 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  x    No  ¨

 

As of the date of the filing of this Form 10-Q, we are current with respect to the filing of our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2003. The Company initially delayed filing this report as it was in the process of restating certain of its public reports as a result of the recently discovered financial overstatements as described in this Quarterly Report.

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2)    Yes  ¨    No  x

 

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date:

 

At October 31, 2003 the number of shares outstanding of the Registrant’s Common Stock was: 10,423,463.



Table of Contents

Crown Financial Group, Inc.

 

FORM 10-Q QUARTERLY REPORT

 

For the Quarter Ended October 31, 2003

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page

PART I FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

    

Item 1.

  

Consolidated Financial Statements

   9
    

Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition

   9
    

Consolidated Statements of Operations

   10
    

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity

   11
    

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

   12
    

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

   13

Item 2.

  

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

   24

Item 3.

  

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

   34

Item 4.

  

Controls and Procedures

   34

PART II OTHER INFORMATION:

    

Item 1.

  

Legal Proceedings

   35

Item 2.

  

Changes in Securities and Use of Proceeds

   36

Item 3.

  

Defaults Upon Senior Securities

   37

Item 4.

  

Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

   37

Item 5.

  

Other Information

   37

Item 6.

  

Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K

   37

Signatures

    

Certifications

    

 

Unless the context otherwise requires, the “Company”, “Crown”, “We”, or “our” shall mean Crown Financial Group, Inc., f/k/a M.H. Meyerson & Co., Inc., and its consolidated subsidiary.

 

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

Certain statements set forth in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended October 31, 2003 constitute forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and are subject to the safe harbor created by such section. Certain factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward looking statements are described in Item 7 - Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation – Certain Factors Affecting Results of Operations and elsewhere as appropriate. This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including the Statements of Financial Condition and the notes thereto, should be read in its entirety together with the Form 10-K/A for the year ended January 31, 2003, filed with the SEC on March 9, 2004 for a complete understanding.

 

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

 

Our reports, proxy and information statements and other information filed with the SEC are also available at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549 (1-800-SEC-0330), and are also available from the SEC’s website. The SEC’s Internet address is http://www.sec.gov. The Company provides a link to our filings at the SEC’s website on the Company’s website, www.crownfin.com.

 

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

 

This Quarterly Report for the quarter ended October 31, 2003, includes the effect of the restatement of the Company’s financial statements for the years ended January 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001 (see “Restatement of Financial Statements” within Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements) and revisions to disclosure and presentation of the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2002, to be consistent with the restated financial statements.

 

The items amended and supplemented are as follows:

 

Part I, Item 1.

  

Consolidated Financial Statements

Part I, Item 2.

  

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Part I, Item 3.

  

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Part I, Item 4.

  

Controls and Procedures

Part II, Item 1.

  

Legal Proceedings

Part II, Item 2.

  

Changes in Securities and Use of Proceeds

Part II, Item 4.

  

Submission of matters to a Vote of Security Holders

Part II, Item 6.

  

Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K

 

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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

None.

 

However, as this Form 10-Q for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2003 contain restatements of previously issued annual and interim financial information, and numerous significant events have occurred since June 16, 2003, the date of our most recent filing of the Quarterly Report, we urge you to also refer to the Current Reports on Form 8-K, the Amended Annual Report on Form 10-K/A and the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q/A filed since January 23, 2003 as listed below.

 

  Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 23, 2003

 

  Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 19, 2003

 

  Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 17, 2003

 

  Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed with the SEC on June 27, 2003

 

  Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 7, 2003

 

  Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 18, 2003

 

  Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 17, 2003

 

  Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on October 23, 2003

 

  Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on October 30, 2003

 

  Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 5, 2003

 

  Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 17, 2003

 

  Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 24, 2003

 

  Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 28, 2003

 

  Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 15, 2003

 

  Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 18, 2003

 

  Amended Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended January 31, 2003 filed with the SEC on March 9, 2004

 

  Amended Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q/A for the quarterly period ended April 30, 2003 filed with the SEC on March 9, 2004

 

  Amended Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q/A for the quarterly period ended July 31, 2003 filed with the SEC on March 9, 2004

 

RESTATEMENT OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

In January of 2003, John P. Leighton became the Company’s Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Subsequently, he assumed the role of sole Chairman and President, and installed a new management team and a new business plan. In mid-September 2003, a new finance team was also appointed to further the implementation of this new business plan as the new management believed that the previously engaged accounting and finance personnel performing these functions during the previous periods did not possess adequate experience and expertise.

 

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On October 17, 2003, as part of the closing of the Company’s financial records for the month of September 2003, the new finance team of the Company determined that certain items in the Company’s previously issued unaudited financial statements for the interim periods of the year ended January 31, 2004, were misstated. Additionally, the Company had been under a routine finance and operations review by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (“NASD”) staff from February 2003 to August 2003. Before this, the Company has also been subject to a special financial examination by the NASD in 2002 covering the periods of April-June 2002 and October-December 2002. On September 17, 2003 and October 22, 2003, respectively, contemporaneously to the discovery of the misstatements described above, reports were issued by the NASD documenting their findings of the routine finance and operations review in 2003, and the special financial examination in 2002. These reports identified, among other things, certain adjustments required to correct improper methods in accruing certain expenses and related liabilities.

 

The Company immediately commenced an internal review to determine the scope of the financial statement misstatements and to issue restated financial statements for any prior periods materially impacted by the misstatements. The internal review was conducted by the Company’s new management team. The Company’s independent auditors, Sanville & Company and Ernst & Young LLP, (which replaced Sanville & Company as the Company’s independent auditors for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2004) also participated in the review. As the restatement of the Company’s financial statements would have an effect on its compliance with the SEC’s net capital requirements, the Company secured a capital infusion of approximately $1.7 million in the form of a capital contribution (without the issuance of additional shares of Common Stock). The Company committed significant human and financial resources to ensure the review was completed in a thorough, independent and expeditious manner.

 

As a result of the findings of the review, the Company has restated its financial statements for the years ended January 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001, including the corresponding interim periods, and the quarterly periods ended April 30, 2003 and July 31, 2003.

 

Set forth below are the nature of the principal adjustments made in restating the Company’s financial statements:

 

  Adjustments to clearing broker balances. It was determined that the clearing broker statements were incorrectly reconciled to the accounting records, and the methodology for recording balances with clearing brokers was not consistently applied. As a result, amounts recognized as trading revenues and expenses, and net securities balances were overstated and trading accounts were double counted.

 

  Adjustments to expenses and accruals. It was determined that accruals for certain expenses were not recorded on a timely basis and that certain expenses were only expensed when paid, as opposed to when incurred. This resulted in timing differences as expenses were recognized in the Statements of Operations in the wrong periods.

 

  Adjustments to prepaid expenses. It was determined that certain prepaid expenses were not recorded and amortized correctly, resulting in timing differences as expenses were recognized in the Statements of Operations in the wrong periods.

 

  Adjustments to the accounting for the consolidation and sale of the Company’s subsidiary, Emeyerson.com, Inc. (“EMEY”). It was determined that EMEY was not consolidated by the Company for the six months ended July 31, 2001, and that the sale of EMEY in exchange for an interest in ViewTrade on July 25, 2001 was incorrectly accounted for. This resulted in an understatement of the Company’s consolidated revenue and expenses, a failure to recognize the gain on the sale of EMEY, and an understatement of the initial fair value of the Company’s investment in ViewTrade. The understatement of the initial fair value of the Company’s investment in ViewTrade also affected the Company’s subsequent assessments of the recoverability of that investment, and the restatement has led to the recording of subsequent impairments in investment in ViewTrade.

 

  Adjustments to compensation and consulting expense due to issuance of stock options. It was determined that the compensation and consulting expense related to the issuance of stock options to consultants and employees were not properly recorded.

 

  Adjustments to various classifications within the Statements of Operations and Statements of Financial Condition. It was determined that there were errors in the classification of certain assets and expenses within the line items in the Statements of Operations and Statements of Financial Condition that resulted in the need to reclassify the presentation of those items.

 

  Other adjustments.

 

Following its decision to restate its financial statements for the matters described above, the Company also reclassified certain prior year financial statement amounts to conform to the current year presentation.

 

Each of the restatement adjustments are described further below:

 

Adjustments to clearing broker balances:

 

As a result of errors and omissions in the reconciliation of the Company’s accounting records to the statements from dealers and clearing brokers, amounts reflected as revenues and net securities owned were overstated and trading accounts were double counted. The restatement has led to a reduction in the net securities owned/sold and receivable from broker-dealers’ balances in the Statement of Financial Condition of $1,194,025 as at January 31, 2003. In the Statements of Operations for the three months and nine months ended October 31, 2002, this adjustment has led to net movements in trading revenues, commissions, clearing costs and other trading expenses consisting of an aggregate increase of $62,325 ($0.01 per share) and an aggregate decrease of $675,570 ($0.10 per share), respectively.

 

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Adjustments to expenses and accruals:

 

The Company determined that accruals for certain expenses were not recorded on a timely basis and that certain expenses were recognized when paid, as opposed to when incurred. As a result the affected expenses were recognized in the results of operations in the wrong periods. The financial statements have been restated to accrue the expenses and related liabilities in the correct periods. These restatements have led to an increase in accrued expenses of $799,294 as at January 31, 2003. The adjustments for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2002 decreased expenses by $240,854 ($0.04 per share) and increased expenses by $413,817 ($0.06 per share), respectively.

 

Adjustments to prepaid expenses:

 

In connection with its review of the accrual of expenses, the Company also discovered that prepaid expenses were incorrectly recorded and amortized, as a result of which those expenses were recognized in the results of operations in the wrong periods. The financial statements have been restated to amortize the prepaid expenses to the correct periods. These restatements have led to an increase in prepaid expenses of $86,123 at January 31, 2003. The total adjustment in expenses amortized to the statement of operations for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2002, is an increase in expenses of $48,456 ($0.01 per share) and $46,593 ($0.01 per share), respectively.

 

Adjustments to the consolidation and sale of subsidiary:

 

The Company determined that it did not consolidate its interest in the losses of its subsidiary, EMEY, for the six months before its sale on July 25, 2001. This has been corrected for the year ended January 31, 2002. As part of the consolidation of EMEY for the years ended January 31, 2001 and 2000, the Company incorrectly recognized a current tax benefit for its share of the operating losses of EMEY. As EMEY had no history of income, this benefit should have been subject to a valuation allowance offsetting its effect on the income tax provision. This tax adjustment has also been corrected for the years ended January 31, 2001 and 2000.

 

In addition, the Company did not properly account for the sale of EMEY. In July 2001, the Company’s subsidiary EMEY agreed to merge with VTS Acquisition Corp (subsequently renamed ViewTrade Financial Network Inc.), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViewTrade Holding Corporation (“ViewTrade”). In connection with the merger, the stockholders of EMEY received ownership interests in ViewTrade aggregating 28.3994% in exchange for 100% ownership of EMEY. On the date of the merger, the Company owned 54.29% of EMEY. As a result, the Company received an ownership interest of 15.418% of ViewTrade and such investment was not recorded at a fair value of $1,383,569. The Company did not properly account for the gain on the sale of this subsidiary (representing the difference between the Company’s investment in EMEY and the fair value of the interest in ViewTrade it received), and has restated its financial statements to record a gain on sale of subsidiary of $23,997 for the year ended January 31, 2002, and a net increase in the fair value of the Company’s investment in ViewTrade of $1,043,569 as at the date of the merger. The accounting for the sale has been corrected for the year ended January 31, 2002.

 

On September 11, 2001, the ViewTrade head office located in the World Trade Center was destroyed. ViewTrade suffered declines in revenues due to the breakdown in their operations, as well as the decline in market conditions affecting ViewTrade’s business immediately following the terrorist attack. Following these events, the Company has recorded as an adjustment an impairment charge to their investment in ViewTrade of $1,184,008 ($0.18 per share) for the year ended January 31, 2002. The continuing decline in market conditions affecting ViewTrade’s business resulted in a further impairment charge of $94,817 ($0.01 per share) for the year ended January 31, 2003. These adjustments led to a decrease in the value of the investment in ViewTrade of $1,184,008, offset by the increase of $1,043,569 above (aggregate decrease of $140,439) as at January 31, 2002. These adjustments resulted in a net decrease in the value of the investment in ViewTrade of $235,256 as at January 31, 2003.

 

Adjustments to compensation and consulting expense due to issuance of stock options:

 

As part of the review performed by the new finance department during October 2003, it was discovered that compensation expense was not properly recognized for certain stock options granted to employees and consultants. The Company determined that in prior periods, stock options were granted to employees below fair market value and that there were repricings of existing stock options, both of which resulted in adjustments to stock compensation expense as permitted under the relevant provisions of Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25 (which the Company uses for accounting for employee and director stock options and awards as permitted under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 123). In addition, stock options were also granted to consultants without recognizing the corresponding consulting cost as required by SFAS No. 123, which required additional adjustments. There were no adjustments for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2002.

 

Adjustments to various classifications within the Statements of Operations and the Statements of Financial Condition:

 

The Company determined that errors were made in the classification of certain expenses within the line items within the Statements of Operations for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2002. These misclassifications have been corrected for all periods presented. Employee benefits such as medical insurance were reclassified from other expenses to employee compensation and benefits. Execution and clearance fees originally classified within net trading revenues and commissions have been reclassified to execution and clearance fees. The write-down of a tax receivable balance was reclassified from income tax expense to other expenses. Reclassifications of expenses were also required between execution and clearance fees, and communications and data processing. Income from the sub-lease of office space has been reclassified from occupancy and equipment rental to interest and other income, and interest income has been reclassified from net trading revenues to interest and other income.

 

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None of the reclassifications had any impact on the Company’s net loss or net loss per share for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2002. There were also certain errors in the classification of assets within the Statements of Financial Condition at January 31, 2003, resulting in reclassifications between other assets and various other asset line items. Such reclassifications had no effect on the Company’s total stockholders’ equity.

 

Other adjustments:

 

A number of other adjustments to the Company’s previously filed financial statements are also necessary, most notably:

 

  a) The Company discovered a reduction to the tax benefit recorded for the year ended January 31, 2002 of $423,180 or $0.06 per share, that was originally recorded in the quarter ended April 30, 2002 instead of in the year ended January 31, 2002. This adjustment has been reflected in the Statements of Operations for the nine months October 31, 2002, and in the year ended January 31, 2002.

 

  b) The Company issued 50,000 shares of stock to the Vice-President of Operations on February 1, 2000 in exchange for a non-recourse loan in the amount of $200,000. This loan was originally included in receivables from trading and sales personnel, but has been reclassified to stockholders’ equity (contra-equity) as of January 31, 2003 and 2002.

 

  c) As part of the reconciling process performed by the Company on the clearing broker statements, the number of outstanding shares as per the accounting records was reconciled to the transfer agent, resulting in an increase of 25,000 shares to the total shares of common stock outstanding as at January 31, 2003.

 

The following summarizes the effect of these adjustments on the previously reported net loss and net loss per share:

 

     For the three months ended
October 31, 2002


 
     Net loss

    Net loss per
share


 

As previously reported

   $ (1,953,551 )   $ (0.30 )

Reconciliation of clearing broker statements

     62,325       0.01  

Accrual of expenses

     240,854       0.04  

Prepaid expenses

     (48,456 )     (0.01 )
    


 


As restated

   $ (1,698,828 )   $ (0.26 )
    


 


 

     For the nine months ended
October 31, 2002


 
     Net loss

    Net loss per
share


 

As previously reported

   $ (4,502,526 )   $ (0.68 )

Reconciliation of clearing broker statements

     (675,570 )     (0.10 )

Accrual of expenses

     (413,817 )     (0.06 )

Prepaid expenses

     (46,593 )     (0.01 )

Tax benefit

     423,180       0.06  
    


 


As restated

   $ (5,215,326 )   $ (0.79 )
    


 


 

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The impact on the Statements of Operations, Statements of Financial Condition and Statements of Cash Flows, as a result of the above adjustments, is illustrated on a condensed basis below. Also see Note 2 in notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The amounts previously reported are derived from the original Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2002, as well as the original Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 2003:

 

     For the three months ended
October 31, 2002


    For the nine months ended
October 31, 2002


 
     Amounts
previously
reported


    As restated

    Amounts
previously
reported


    As restated

 

Statements of Operations:

                                

Total revenues

   $ 1,949,844     $ 2,169,218     $ 7,474,905     $ 6,621,941  

Total expenses

     3,903,395       3,864,832       11,553,927       11,828,275  

Net loss

   $ (1,953,551 )   $ (1,698,828 )   $ (4,502,526 )   $ (5,215,326 )

Basic earnings per share

   $ (0.30 )   $ (0.26 )   $ (0.68 )   $ (0.79 )

Diluted earnings per share

   $ (0.30 )   $ (0.26 )   $ (0.68 )   $ (0.79 )

Shares used in basic earnings per share calculation

     6,606,818       6,606,964       6,606,818       6,606,819  

Shares used in diluted earnings per share calculation

     6,606,818       6,606,964       6,606,818       6,606,819  

 

     January 31, 2003

 
     Amounts
previously
reported


   As restated

 

Statements of Financial Condition:

               

Total assets

   $ 10,520,816    $ 9,063,178  

Total liabilities

     8,821,170      9,625,349  

Total stockholders’ equity

     1,699,646      (562,171 )

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

   $ 10,520,816    $ 9,063,178  

 

     For the nine months ended
October 31, 2002


 
     Amounts
previously
reported


    As restated

 

Statements of Cash Flows:

                

Net cash used in operating activities

   $ (748,768 )   $ (765,262 )

Net cash provided by financing activities

     297       297  

Net cash provided by investing activities

     7,860       24,354  

 

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PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 1.   Financial Statements

 

CROWN FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

 

(Unaudited)

 

     October 31,
2003


    January 31,
2003


 
           (restated)  

Assets

                

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 1,771,486     $ 961,465  

Deposit with and receivables from brokers and dealers

     4,578,222       3,473,248  

Securities owned, held at clearing brokers, at market value

     1,902,725       1,128,631  

Other investments

     274,435       778,597  

Furniture, equipment, capitalized software and leasehold improvements, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization

     1,417,603       632,334  

Receivables from trading personnel

     397,834       730,139  

Insurance recovery

     1,000,000       1,000,000  

Income taxes

     11,277       24,669  

Other assets

     351,866       334,095  
    


 


Total assets

   $ 11,705,448     $ 9,063,178  
    


 


Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

                

Liabilities:

                

Securities sold but not yet purchased

   $ 767,226     $ 222,663  

Accrued compensation expense

     478,211       254,682  

Accrued NASD arbitration awards

     5,000,000       5,000,000  

Accounts payable and accrued expenses

     1,485,272       1,148,004  
    


 


Total liabilities

     7,730,709       6,625,349  
    


 


Commitments and contingent liabilities

                

Subordinated loans

     2,000,000       3,000,000  
    


 


Stockholders’ equity:

                

Common stock, $0.01 par value, 25,000,000 shares authorized; 10,423,463 shares issued and outstanding at October 31, 2003 and 7,556,964 shares issued and outstanding at January 31, 2003, as restated

     104,235       75,570  

Treasury stock, at cost

     (200,000 )     —    

Unearned compensation

     (93,360 )     (97,071 )

Notes receivable from stock issuance

     —         (200,000 )

Additional paid-in capital

     23,376,332       16,872,876  

Accumulated deficit

     (21,212,468 )     (17,213,546 )
    


 


Total stockholders’ equity

     1,974,739       (562,171 )