DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS |
12 Months Ended |
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Mar. 31, 2022 | |
| 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, research, investment counseling, securities trading, market making, retail banking, corporate investment banking and underwriting 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 Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cyprus, the UK, Greece, Spain, France and Germany. The Company also owns an U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") registered broker dealer. The Company's common stock trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
As of March 31, 2022, the Company owned directly, or through subsidiaries, the following companies:
•Investment Company Freedom Finance LLC, a Moscow, Russia-based securities broker-dealer ("Freedom RU");
•FFIN Bank LLC, a Moscow, Russia-based bank ("Freedom Bank RU");
•Freedom Finance JSC, 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");
•Freedom UK Prime Limited, a London, United Kingdom-based financial intermediary company ("Prime UK");
•Freedom Finance Uzbekistan LLC, a Tashkent, Uzbekistan-based broker-dealer ("Freedom UZ");
•Freedom Finance Azerbaijan LLC, an Azerbaijan-based financial educational center ("Freedom AZ");
•Freedom Finance Armenia LLC, 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").
The Company also owns a 9% interest in Freedom Finance Ukraine LLC, a Kiev, Ukraine-based broker-dealer ("Freedom UA"). The remaining 91% interest in Freedom UA is owned by Askar Tashtitov, the Company's president. The Company has entered into a series of contractual arrangements with Freedom UA and Mr. Tashtitov, including a consulting services agreement, an operating agreement and an option agreement.
Because such agreements obligate the Company to guarantee the performance of all Freedom UA obligations and provide Freedom UA sufficient funding to cover all Freedom UA 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 accounts 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 changes to Ukrainian regulations restricting 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%.
On October 17, 2022, the Company entered into an agreement to sell its Russian subsidiaries, Freedom RU and Freedom Bank RU. For financial information regarding the Company's Russian subsidiaries see Note 26 - Assets and Liabilities held for sale and Divestiture of our Russian Subsidiaries in the Overview section of Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in this annual report on Form 10-K/A.
The Company's subsidiaries are 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) and the Uzbek Republican Currency Exchange (UZCE) and members of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq Stock Exchange (Nasdaq). We also own a 24.3% interest in the UX. Freedom EU serves to provide the Company's clients with operations support and access to the investment opportunities, relative stability, and integrity of the U.S. and European securities markets.
Unless otherwise specifically indicated or as is otherwise contextually required, FRHC, Freedom RU, Freedom Bank RU, Freedom KZ, Freedom Global, Freedom Bank KZ, Freedom EU, Prime UK, Freedom GE, Freedom UZ, PrimeEx, Freedom Technologies, Freedom AZ, FFIN, Freedom SPC, Freedom Commercial, Freedom AR and Freedom UA collectively referred to herein as the "Company".
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