Westwood(US:WHG)2025-04-30 21:32Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenues for Q1 2025 were $23.3 million, down from $25.6 million in Q4 2024 and up from $22.7 million in Q1 2024, reflecting a decrease due to lower performance-based fees and an increase due to higher average assets under management [21][22] - Net income for Q1 2025 was $500,000 or $0.05 per share, compared to $2.1 million or $0.24 per share in Q4 2024 and $2.3 million or $0.27 per share in Q1 2024 [21][22] - Economic earnings were $2.5 million or $0.29 per share in Q1 2025, compared to losses of $3.4 million or $0.39 per share in Q4 2024 and $3 million or $0.36 per share in Q1 2024 [21][22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The firm reported assets under management and advisement totaling $18 billion, with $17 billion in assets under management and $1 billion in assets under advisement [22] - Institutional assets accounted for 53% of total assets under management, wealth management assets for 24%, and mutual fund assets for 23% [22] - The wealth management business saw inflows of $56 million in Q1 2025, with net flows of -$157 million [13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The U.S. stock market hit record highs in February but declined sharply through the quarter, with the S&P 500 falling about 8.5% and the Russell 2000 declining nearly 12% [7][8] - Fixed income finished the quarter with positive returns, highlighting the benefits of diversification [8] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company launched the Westwood Libertay Global Equity ETF, which aims to limit exposure to authoritarian regimes while maintaining broad market exposure [5][16] - The firm is focusing on high-quality businesses and expects continued market uncertainty driven by tariffs and their impact on global economies [10][11] - The company is expanding its ETF platform and has seen strong traction in its existing ETFs, particularly the MDST ETF, which has surpassed asset thresholds required by some platforms [13][19] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the firm's strategic positioning and the value provided to clients, despite a challenging market environment [19] - The firm anticipates continued growth in its SMID cap product and a robust pipeline across multiple strategies [32][33] - Management highlighted the importance of their Managed Investment Solutions team, which had over 30 prospect meetings in Q1 2025 [32] Other Important Information - The firm reported cash and liquid investments totaling $26.9 million and a debt-free balance sheet [23] - A regular cash dividend of $0.15 per common share was approved, payable on July 1, 2025 [23] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you provide more details on the flows in the small cap strategy and the potential for other mandates? - Management noted a significant sub-advisory mandate win in the small cap product, which is expected to help in overall marketing and has contributed to a pipeline of over $1 billion [26][27] Question: What are the expectations for growth in the MDST ETF and its qualification for national platforms? - Management indicated that they are making progress in getting onto several platforms and anticipate exponential growth if successful in securing larger platforms [28][29][30]