Scott Yessner
Analyst · Raymond James
Thanks, Bryant. I'll share an update on our third quarter and year-to-date 2026 financial performance, segment earnings, investment holdings, capital and liquidity. As Bryant highlighted, we executed on several important corporate strategies from July through this week while also experiencing a volatile market, which had a downward impact on some mark-to-market positions and constrained capital markets transaction activity. The third quarter market decline gave back some market gains achieved in the first half of 2026, which aligns with the volatile third quarter performance while the 9-month results are flatter. Operating adjusted EBITDA, which removes most of the market and investment volatility, is a primary performance measurement of management. To start, I would like to walk through our financial performance for the third quarter and 9 months of 2026. For the third quarter, total revenues were $33 million, a decrease of $244.8 million year-over-year, primarily driven by an unrealized third quarter loss in Babcock & Wilcox of $128.6 million compared to a $30.2 million prior period fair value gain. Included in total revenues was service and fee revenues of $112.5 million, which decreased $58.2 million year-over-year, further comprised of $28.9 million decrease from lower ATM, private placement and underwriting fees, partially offset by $6.3 million in higher M&A and advisory fees, lower management fees of $13 million from carried interest in funds that own SpaceX and lower commissions and a $5.5 million lower amount of telecom revenues. Nine-month total revenues were $624.2 million, a decrease of $65 million year-over-year. Service and fee revenue was $438.2 million, a decrease of $37.1 million, comprised of $15.1 million in lower revenues from exited and deconsolidated businesses, net of $7.7 million of increase in SpaceX carried interest, $20.9 million in lower ATM, private placement and underwriting fees, partially offset by $12.9 million in higher M&A and advisory fees, and $13.5 million in lower telecom revenues. Trading gains were $33.5 million, lower by $31 million due to $7.8 million in unrealized losses on Babcock & Wilcox compared to a $19.6 million unrealized gain in the prior year period. Next, third quarter total operating expenses declined $39.7 million from $212.5 million to $172.7 million. The reduction was driven by $29.5 million in lower SG&A costs, primarily lower investment banking compensation on lower revenues and lower cost in Wealth Management. $6.1 million in lower cost of goods sold, primarily from lower Consumer Products sales and tariff refunds, and $4.2 million in lower direct cost of services in our telecom businesses. Year-to-date total operating expenses declined $101.7 million from $674.5 million to $572.8 million, driven by $71.5 million in lower SG&A costs across Capital Markets, Corporate and Wealth Management, $19 million in lower direct cost of services from exited businesses and telecom, and $14.2 million in lower cost of goods sold, primarily in the Consumer Products segment. Included in our year-to-date results are restructuring charges of $1.9 million related to the B. Riley Securities and Wealth combination, and Targus tradename impairment charges of $5.2 million, including $1.2 million in the third quarter. Continuing down the income statement. Third quarter other income, excluding interest expense, was a loss of $111.8 million compared to income of $52 million in the third quarter of 2025. The third quarter 2026 included a $98.1 million unrealized loss on our Babcock & Wilcox investment and a $14.6 million noncash impairment on our GA Group investment to reflect its subsequent sale price, while the third quarter of 2025 included $32.8 million in realized annualized investment gains, $12.2 million in senior note exchange gains and $9.2 million in income for equity investments. Year-to-date, other income, excluding interest expense, was $1.5 million compared to $208.3 million in the first 9 months of 2025, which included $86.2 million from the sale of and deconsolidation of businesses, $67.2 million in senior note exchange gains and $34.2 million in income from equity investments. Interest expense declined $1 million from $18.8 million to $17.8 million in the third quarter and declined $17 million from $72.7 million to $55.7 million year-to-date. The decline in interest expense has tracked our total debt reduction of $291.7 million from December 31, 2025, to the ending balance of $1.1 billion at September 30, 2026. We recorded an income tax benefit of $24 million in the third quarter and concluding, the remaining difference in the third quarter and year-to-date year-over-year financial performance was $1.9 million from loss of a discontinued GlassRatner operations booked in 2025. These details culminate in a third quarter 2026 net loss available to common shareholders of $243 million, a diluted loss per share of $6.04, adjusted EBITDA of negative $219 million and operating adjusted EBITDA of $2.9 million. For the 9 months of 2026, a net loss of $13.2 million, a diluted loss per share of $0.40, adjusted EBITDA of $104.3 million and operating adjusted EBITDA of $103.3 million. Operating adjusted EBITDA is on plan for the year. Next, I'll review our segment operating performance. Our former Communications segment is reported as 4 reportable segments, which we aggregate and describe as the Communications Business Group in 2026. The Capital Markets segment, which is comprised solely of B. Riley Securities had revenues of negative $90.2 million and segment loss of $120 million in the third quarter and revenues of $135.6 million and segment income of $30.3 million year-to-date. Third quarter results were driven by $125 million in trading losses, primarily the unrealized loss on our Babcock & Wilcox investment and a $28.9 million decline in service and fee revenue on lower ATM, private placement, underwriting activity, partially offset by higher M&A and advisory fees. Year-to-date, lower trading gains and lower ATM, private placement and underwriting fees were partially offset by $12.5 million in higher M&A and advisory fees and $30.9 million in lower SG&A. In October, B. Riley Corporation acquired the outstanding minority interest in B. Riley Securities, making B. Riley Securities wholly owned. Next, the Wealth segment had revenues of $24.3 million and segment loss of $3.7 million in the third quarter. And revenues of $134.5 million and segment income of $29.8 million year-to-date. The third quarter loss reflected an $8 million decrease in management fees from carried interest in funds that own SpaceX, a $5.9 million decrease in commissions and lower trading income, partially offset by higher investment advisory fees. The year-to-date 2026 revenue and profit increase were driven by a $7.7 million increase in trading income and $16 million in lower SG&A costs. The Wealth segment ended the third quarter with $12.8 billion in assets under management and 181 financial advisors. Next, the Communications Business Group had aggregate revenues of $54.6 million and income of $13.2 million in the third quarter, and revenues of $172.2 million and income of $39.7 million year-to-date. Nine-month income increased $5.1 million despite a $14.9 million revenue reduction, reflecting cost reductions across the group. In September, we announced the Sangoma acquisition, which is targeted to close in January 2027. The Sangoma transaction will more than double our revenues with significant synergies bringing important scale and product and service capabilities. We look forward to updating the transaction next quarter. Next, our Targus business, which comprises the Consumer Products segment, had revenues of $39.3 million and a loss of $4.3 million in the third quarter. And revenues of $126.9 million and a loss of $12.7 million year-to-date. Year-to-date revenues were $5.4 million lower than the prior year, reflecting weaker consumer demand, partially offset by lower sales allowance and customer programs. During the third quarter, there was a market-wide laptop sales decline that led to lower sales of our peripheral laptop products. Next, I would like to provide an update on the company's investment holdings portfolio, which is reported on our balance sheet in securities and other investments owned, loans receivable at fair value and equity investments. Investments are held across consolidated entities where valuation changes are primarily booked as revenue in either trading gains or losses or in other income as realized and unrealized gains and losses. At September 30, 2026, securities and other investments decreased by $77 million to $369.8 million from December 31, 2025. The decrease was primarily driven by the exit of structured equity financing positions and related common stock of $41.1 million and $12.1 million. The sale of DoubleDown Interactive common stock of $30 million and net dispositions of corporate bonds of $19.8 million and a $13.7 million increase in our Babcock & Wilcox investment, partially offset by a $31.3 million increase in partnership interest related to the market value of carried interest in funds that own SpaceX and $9.7 million in net additions to other public equities. Babcock & Wilcox comprised $160.3 million of the September 30 balance. Continuing with investment holdings, loans receivable at fair value decreased by $15.5 million in the period to an ending balance of $10.8 million at September 30, 2026, with a reduction of $9.8 million of our loan to XBP Americas. We have shifted our lending strategy to shorter duration lending in support of our investment banking clients. Notably, we originated a $21.5 million loan in the second quarter, which was repaid in the third quarter. Lastly, equity investments were $68.1 million at September 30, a decline of $22.4 million from December 31, 2025. The GA Group investment comprised $62.3 million at the September 30 balance, a decline of $21 million, reflecting our $6.5 million share of the year-to-date losses and the $14.6 million impairment booked in the third quarter. On November 3, we sold GA Group for $62.3 million, facilitating debt reduction and funding the Sangoma transaction. These transactions reflect our corporate strategy to enhance our operating cash flow and results through realigning capital to our core business operations, including the Communications Business Group and B. Riley Securities. Next, I'll provide an update on our liquidity and capital. At September 30, 2026, cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash had a total balance of $145.7 million compared to $229.3 million at December 31, 2025. Year-to-date, we reduced total debt by $291.7 million, which included the full redemption of the $238.1 million senior notes comprised of $96 million of RILYK notes in March, $142.1 million of RILYN notes in September and the exchange of $69.1 million of senior notes for approximately 8.4 million shares of common stock, partially offset by $25.6 million in higher revolver borrowings. At September 30, 2026, total debt was $1.14 billion and net debt declined $64.7 million to $562.3 million from December 31, 2025. Concluding our 2026 senior note redemptions, our RILYG senior notes are due on December 31, in the principal amount of $164 million. We have cash on hand, cash flow from operations and expected cash flows from balance sheet assets to fund the RILYG redemption. We do not have any senior note maturities in 2027. As described earlier, on November 3, we completed the sale of our remaining interest in GA Group to Oaktree for $62.3 million, consisting of $10.6 million in cash and a $51.7 million reduction of our Oaktree loan. Concurrently, we added a $26.5 million incremental term loan and paid a $3.3 million transaction fee in kind. There are no remaining prepayment fees on the Oaktree loan. After these transactions, our Oaktree loan total amount will be $43.7 million. Please refer to our earnings press release for reconciliation tables and descriptions of non-GAAP calculations in my remarks, including an updated calculation and description of our operating adjusted EBITDA non-GAAP measure. We had very strong strategic execution during this period, purchasing Sangoma, acquiring the minority interest in B. Riley Securities holding, returning to full ownership, selling our GA Group remaining interest and redeeming $142.1 million of RILYN notes, while navigating a volatile capital market period. These strategies strengthened our long-term cash flows and operating model while improving our balance sheet. I look forward to taking your questions. I'll turn the call over to Tom Kelleher, our Co-Chief Executive Officer.