Freedom Holding Corp. Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

LEASES

LEASES

12 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

At March 31, 2024, the Group was obligated under a number of noncancellable leases, predominantly operating leases of office space, which expire at various dates through 2033. The Group's primary involvement with leases is in the capacity as a lessee where a Group lease premises to support its business.

The Group determines whether a contract is or contains a lease at inception of the contract and whether that lease meets the classification criteria of a finance or operating lease. Operating lease liabilities and right-of-use (ROU) assets are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term. The future lease payments are discounted at a rate that estimates the Company’s collateralized borrowing rate for financing instruments of a similar term and are included in accounts payable and other liabilities. The operating lease ROU asset, included in premises and equipment, also includes any lease prepayments made, plus initial direct costs incurred, less any lease incentives received. The Company recognizes fixed lease costs on a straight-line basis throughout the lease term in the Consolidated Statement of Income. Certain of these leases also have extension or termination options,

and the Company assess the likelihood of exercising such options. If it is reasonably certain that the Group will exercise the options to extend, then we include the impact in the measurement of our right-of-use assets and lease liabilities.

When readily determinable, the Company uses the rate implicit in the lease to discount lease payments to present value; however, the rate implicit on most of the Group's leases are not readily determinable. Therefore, the Company must discount lease payments based on an estimate of its incremental borrowing rate.

The table below presents the lease related assets and liabilities recorded on the Company's consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2024:


	Classification on Balance Sheet	March 31, 2024		March 31, 2023
Assets
Operating lease assets	Right-of-use assets	$	36,324	$	30,345
Total lease assets		$	36,324	$	30,345

Liabilities
Operating lease liability	Lease liability	$	35,794	$	30,320
Total lease liability		$	35,794	$	30,320

The following table presents as of March 31, 2024, the annual maturities of the lease liabilities:


Leases maturing during twelve months ended March 31,
2025	$	11,377
2026	11,415
2027	10,258
2028	6,715
2029	1,839
Thereafter	2,803
Total payments	44,407
Less: amounts representing interest	(8,613)
Lease liability, net	$	35,794
Weighted average remaining lease term (in months)	29
Weighted average discount rate	14		%

Lease commitments for short-term operating leases as of March 31, 2024 and March 31, 2023 was approximately $2,014 and $457, respectively. The Group's rent expense for office space was $3,197 for the year ended March 31, 2024 and $2,038 for the year ended March 31, 2023.

The Group has leases that involve variable payments tied to an index, which are considered in the measurement of operating lease right-of-use (ROU) assets and operating lease liabilities.