14. FINANCING AGREEMENTS

Lines of Credit

Effective March 27, 2020, through an amendment and restatement of the applicable credit documents, A-Mark renewed its uncommitted demand borrowing facility ("Trading Credit Facility") with a syndicate of banks. Under the agreements, Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A. acts as joint lead lender and administrative agent and Natixis acts as joint lead arranger and syndication agent for the syndicate. The Trading Credit Facility is secured by substantially all of the Company’s assets on a first priority basis.

As of June 30, 2020, the Trading Credit Facility provided the Company with access up to $270.0 million, featuring a $220.0 million base, with a $50.0 million accordion option.  The Trading Credit Facility is scheduled to terminate on March 26, 2021.  From commencement of the Trading Credit Facility (i.e., March 31, 2016), the Company has incurred $4.1 million of accumulated loan costs.   These loan costs have been capitalized when incurred and are amortized over the term of the Trading Credit Facility.  As of June 30, 2020 and June 30, 2019, the remaining unamortized balance was approximately $0.5 million and $0.6 million, respectively.

The Company routinely uses the Trading Credit Facility to purchase and finance precious metals and for operating cash flow purposes. Amounts under the Trading Credit Facility bear interest based on London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) plus a 2.50% margin for revolving credit line loans and a 4.50% margin for bridge loans (that is, for loans that exceed the available revolving credit line).  The one-month LIBOR rate was approximately 0.16% and 2.40% as of June 30, 2020 and June 30, 2019, respectively. Borrowings are due on demand and totaled $135.0 million and $167.0 million at June 30, 2020 and June 30, 2019, respectively. The amounts available under the respective borrowing facilities are determined at the end of each week following a specified borrowing base formula.  The Company is able to access additional credit as needed to finance operations, subject to the overall limits of the borrowing facilities and lender approval of the revised borrowing base calculation. Based on the latest approved borrowing bases in effect, the amounts available under the Trading Credit Facility, after taking into account current borrowings, totaled $76.3 million and $11.6 million as determined on June 30, 2020 and June 30, 2019, respectively.

The Trading Credit Facility has certain restrictive financial covenants, including one requiring the Company to maintain a minimum tangible net worth. As of June 30, 2020 the minimum tangible net worth financial covenant under the Trading Credit Facility was $55.7 million. The Company is in compliance with all restrictive financial covenants as of June 30, 2020.

Interest expense related to the Company’s lines of credit totaled $7.0 million and $7.8 million, which represents 37.1% and 45.3% of the total interest expense recognized, for the years ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Our lines of credit carried a daily weighted average effective interest rate of 4.01% and 4.78%, respectively, for the years ended June 30, 2020 and 2019.

Debt Obligation with Goldline Lenders

On August 28, 2017, in connection with the closing of the Goldline acquisition, Goldline, then known as Goldline Acquisition Corp., entered into a privately placed credit facility in the amount of $7.5 million (the “Goldline Credit Facility”) with various lenders (the "Goldline Lenders"). Borrowings under the Goldline Credit Facility were used to finance a portion of the consideration payable pursuant to the Goldline acquisition.

The Goldline Credit Facility was secured by a first priority lien on substantially all of the assets of Goldline, and was guaranteed by the Company.  Interest on the Goldline Credit Facility was payable quarterly in arrears at the rate of 8.5% per annum, and the Goldline Lenders under the Goldline Credit Facility were entitled to an additional funding fee payment at maturity equal to the greater of 3.0% of the principal amount of the Goldline Credit Facility and 10.0% of cumulative EBITDA (for the periods ending June 30, 2018 and 2019) of Goldline in excess of $10.0 million, on a pro rata basis.  The Goldline Credit Facility had a three-year maturity.

On December 7, 2018, the Company prepaid the $7.5 million principal amount outstanding under the Goldline Credit Facility. As such, there was no interest expense incurred for the year ended June 30, 2020 related to this facility.

Interest expense related to the Goldline Credit Facility (including debt loan amortization costs) totaled $342,000 which represents 2.0% of the total interest expense recognized, for the year ended June 30, 2019.  The Goldline Credit Facility's weighted average effective interest rate was 9.3% for the year ended June 30, 2019.

Notes Payable

In September 2018, AM Capital Funding, LLC. (“AMCF”), a wholly owned subsidiary of CFC, completed an issuance of Secured Senior Term Notes (collectively, the "Notes"): Series 2018-1, Class A (the “Class A Notes”) in the aggregate principal amount of $72.0 million and Secured Subordinated Term Notes, Series 2018-1, Class B (the “Class B Notes” and together with the Class A Notes, the “Notes”) in the aggregate principal amount of $28.0 million.  The Class A Notes bear interest at a rate of 4.98% and the Class B Notes bear interest at a rate of 5.98%.  The Notes have a maturity date of December 15, 2023. The Notes were issued under a Master Indenture and the Series 2018-1 Supplement thereto between AMCF and Citibank, N.A., as trustee.  The Company holds $5.0 million of the Class B Notes in order to comply with the Credit Risk Retention Rules of Section 15G of the Exchange Act.  The $5.0 million portion of the Class B Notes retained by the Company is eliminated in consolidation.

AMCF applied the net proceeds from the sale of the Notes to purchase loans and precious metals inventory, and to pay certain costs and expenses. CFC and A-Mark may from time to time also contribute cash or precious metals to AMCF in exchange for cash or subordinated, deferred payment obligations from AMCF.  In addition, AMCF may from time to time sell precious metals to A-Mark for cash.

As of June 30, 2020, the consolidated carrying balance of the Notes was $92.5 million (which excludes the $5.0 million note that the Company retained), and the remaining unamortized loan cost balance was approximately $2.5 million, which is amortized using the effective interest method through the maturity date.  As of June 30, 2020, the balance of the interest payable was $234,000.  Interest on the Notes is payable monthly in arrears at the aggregate rate of 5.26% per annum.

For the years ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, the interest expense related to the Notes (including loan amortization costs) totaled $5.6 million and $4.7 million, which represents 29.8% and 27.2% of the total interest expense recognized by the Company, respectively.  For the years ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, the Notes' weighted average effective interest rate was 5.88% and 5.88%, respectively.

Liabilities on Borrowed Metals

The Company recorded liabilities on borrowed precious metals with market values totaling $168.2 million as of June 30, 2020, with corresponding metals totaling $148.9 million and $19.3 million included in precious metals held under financing arrangements and inventories, respectively, on the consolidated June 30, 2020 balance sheet.  The Company recorded liabilities on borrowed metals with market values totaling $201.1 million as of June 30, 2019 with corresponding metals totaling $179.3 million and $21.8 million included in precious metals held under financing arrangements and inventories, respectively, on the consolidated June 30, 2019 balance sheet.

Advanced pool metals

The Company borrows precious metals from its suppliers and customers under short-term agreements using other precious metals from its inventory as collateral. The Company has the ability to sell the metals advanced. These arrangements can be settled by repayment in similar metals or in cash.  Once the obligation is settled, the metals held as collateral are released back to the Company.

Liabilities on borrowed metals — Other

Liabilities may also arise from: (i) unallocated metal positions held by customers in the Company’s inventory, (ii) amounts due to suppliers for the use of their consigned inventory, and (iii) shortages in unallocated metal positions held by the Company in the supplier’s inventory.  Unallocated or pool metal represent an unsegregated inventory position that is due on demand, is a specified physical form, based on the total ounces of metal held in the position.  Amounts due under these arrangements require delivery either in the form of precious metals, or in cash.

Product Financing Arrangements

The Company has agreements with financial institutions (third parties) that allow the Company to transfer its gold and silver inventory at an agreed-upon price based on the spot price with these third parties. Such agreements allow the Company to repurchase this inventory at an agreed-upon price based on the spot price on the repurchase date. The third party charges a monthly fee as a percentage of the market value of the outstanding obligation; such monthly charges are classified in interest expense. These transactions do not qualify as sales, and therefore have been accounted for as financing arrangements and are reflected in the consolidated balance sheet as product financing arrangements. The obligation is stated at the amount required to repurchase the outstanding inventory. Both the product financing obligation and the underlying inventory (which is entirely restricted) are carried at fair value, with changes in fair value recorded as a component of cost of sales in the consolidated statements of income. Such obligation totaled $74.7 million and $94.5 million as of June 30, 2020 and June 30, 2019, respectively.