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Acacia(ACTG) - 2021 Q2 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - At the end of Q2 2021, the company's capital base was $770 million, which includes cash, private and public investments, and availability from a partnership with Starboard Value LP [6] - Revenues for Q2 2021 were $17.4 million, a significant increase from $2.1 million in the same quarter last year [13] - Operating income for the quarter was $1.6 million, reversing a loss of $6.7 million from the previous year [13] - Book value at June 30, 2021, was $147.1 million or $3.02 per basic share, compared to $128.1 million or $2.64 per basic share at March 31, 2021 [12] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Life Sciences portfolio has recovered $212 million of the original $282 million investment, with ongoing monetization efforts [9] - The IP business generated over $17 million in revenue this year, up from $2 million in Q2 last year, driven by several licenses and settlements [11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company focuses on companies with an equity market cap of less than $2 billion, viewing this segment as the least efficient area of public markets [6] - The company holds significant positions in public companies, including Arix Bioscience and Induction Healthcare Group, valued at approximately $66.7 million [9] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to pursue acquisitions of operating businesses in mature technology, Life Sciences, Healthcare, Industrials, and certain segments of Financial Services [6] - Acacia is positioned at the interface between private and public market valuations, allowing it to be an attractive partner for various sellers and investors [7] - The company remains committed to its strategy, focusing on improving book value and executing its acquisition strategy in collaboration with Starboard [14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the ongoing monetization of the Life Sciences portfolio and the potential for substantial follow-on revenues from new portfolios [11][19] - The management acknowledged the challenges in making acquisitions but indicated a robust pipeline of late-stage prospects [27] Other Important Information - The company has active relationships with private equity investors, which may lead to constructive involvement in underperforming public companies [7] - The company has not been diluted in its stake in Oxford Nanopore despite capital raises [36] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of recent patent litigation settlement on June revenues - Management confirmed that June revenues included a large settlement and would reflect as accounts receivable in Q3 [16][17] Question: Expectation of continued revenue from settlements - Management indicated that while many licensing agreements involve upfront payments, some may have recurring revenue characteristics [18][19] Question: Valuation differences with Viamet Pharmaceuticals - Management explained that private company positions are valued on a cost basis under GAAP, which may differ from partner valuations [21][22] Question: Timeline for acquisitions with Starboard - Management stated they are actively working on transactions and have a robust pipeline, with expectations for significant transactions by year-end [25][27] Question: Revenue expectations from patent investments - Management clarified that they do not set prescriptive revenue targets for patent investments but focus on building book value over time [28][29] Question: IPO value expectations for Oxford Nanopore - Management refrained from commenting on the IPO value due to the active nature of the process [32] Question: Ownership stake in Oxford Nanopore - Management confirmed that they have not been diluted and participated in the recent capital raise [36]