DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS |
3 Months Ended |
|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2021 | |
| Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] | |
| Description of Business | DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS Overview
Freedom Holding Corp. (the “Company” or “FRHC”) is a corporation organized in the United States under the laws of the State of Nevada that through its operating subsidiaries provides financial services including retail securities brokerage, investment research, investment advisory services, securities trading, market making, investment banking and underwriting services and complementary banking services in Eurasia. The Company is headquartered in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with supporting administrative office locations in Russia, Cyprus and the United States. The Company has retail locations in Russia, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Germany. The Company also owns an institutional broker dealer registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The Company’s common stock trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
The Company owns directly, or through subsidiaries, the following companies:
•LLC Investment Company Freedom Finance, a Moscow, Russia-based securities broker-dealer (“Freedom RU”);
•LLC FFIN Bank, a Moscow, Russia-based bank (“Freedom Bank RU”);
•JSC Freedom Finance, an Almaty, Kazakhstan-based securities broker-dealer (“Freedom KZ”);
•Freedom Finance Global PLC, an Astana International Financial Centre-based securities broker-dealer, (“Freedom Global”);
•Bank Freedom Finance Kazakhstan JSC, an Almaty, Kazakhstan-based bank (“Freedom Bank KZ”);
•Freedom Finance Special Purpose Company LTD, an Astana International Financial Centre-based special purpose company (“Freedom SPC”);
•Freedom Finance Commercial LLP, a Kazakhstan-based sales consulting company (“Freedom Commercial”);
•Freedom Finance Europe Limited, a Limassol, Cyprus-based broker-dealer (“Freedom EU”);
•Freedom Finance Technologies Ltd, a Limassol, Cyprus-based IT development company (“Freedom Technologies”);
•Freedom Finance Germany GmbH, a Berlin, Germany-based tied agent of Freedom EU (“Freedom GE”);
•UK Prime Limited, a London, United Kingdom-based financial intermediary company (“Prime UK”);
•LLC Freedom Finance Uzbekistan, a Tashkent, Uzbekistan-based broker-dealer (“Freedom UZ”);
•LLC Freedom Finance Azerbaijan, an Azerbaijan-based financial educational center (“Freedom AZ”);
•LLC Freedom Finance Armenia, an Armenia-based broker-dealer (“Freedom AR”);
•Prime Executions, Inc., a New York City, New York-based NYSE institutional brokerage, that recently received approval to engage in certain capital markets and investment banking activities (“PrimeEx”); and
•FFIN Securities, Inc., a currently-dormant Nevada corporation (“FFIN”)
As of December 31, 2021, the Company also owned a 9% interest in LLC Freedom Finance Ukraine, a Kiev, Ukraine-based broker-dealer (“Freedom UA”). The remaining 91% interest in Freedom UA is owned by Askar Tashtitov, the Company’s president. However, as a result of a series of contractual relationships between FRHC and Freedom UA, we account for Freedom UA as a variable interest entity (“VIE”) under the accounting standards of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”). Accordingly, the financial statements of Freedom UA are consolidated into the financial statements of the Company.
Prior to July 2021 we owned approximately 32.9% of Freedom UA, but due to recent changes to Ukrainian regulations to further restrict foreign ownership of registered Ukrainian broker-dealers, in July 2021 we were required to sell approximately 23.9% of our equity interest in Freedom UA to Mr. Tashtitov, reducing our direct ownership interest in Freedom UA to approximately 9%. In April 2019 the Company entered into a series of contractual arrangements with Freedom UA and Mr. Tashtitov that obligate the Company to guarantee the performance of all Freedom UA obligations and provide Freedom UA sufficient funding to cover all operating losses and net capital requirements, enable the Company to receive 90% of the net profits of Freedom UA after tax, and require the Company to provide Freedom UA the management competence, operational support, and ongoing access to the Company’s significant assets, necessary technology resources and expertise to conduct the business of Freedom UA.
The Company’s subsidiaries are professional participants on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE), Astana Stock Exchange (AIX), Moscow Exchange (MOEX), Saint-Petersburg Exchange (SPBX), the Ukrainian Exchange (UX), the Republican Stock Exchange of Tashkent (UZSE), the Uzbek Republican Currency Exchange (UZCE) and a member of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq Stock Exchange (Nasdaq). We also own a 24.3% interest in the UX.
Unless otherwise specifically indicated or as is otherwise contextually required, FRHC, Freedom RU, Freedom Bank RU, Freedom KZ, Freedom Global, Freedom Bank KZ, Freedom SPC, Freedom Commercial, Freedom EU, Freedom Technologies, Freedom GE, Prime UK, Freedom UZ, Freedom AZ, Freedom AR, PrimeEx and FFIN are collectively referred to herein as the “Company”.
|