A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc. Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Description of Business

Description of Business

6 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc. and its subsidiaries (“A-Mark” or the “Company”) is a full-service precious metals trading company. Its products include gold, silver, platinum and palladium for storage and delivery in the form of coins, bars, wafers and grain. The Company's trading-related services include financing, consignment, hedging and various customized financial programs.

Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Collateral Finance Corporation (“CFC”), a licensed California Finance Lender, the Company offers loans on precious metals and rare coins and other collectibles collateral to coin dealers, collectors and investors. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, A-Mark Trading AG, (“AMTAG”), the Company promotes A-Mark bullion products throughout the European continent. Transcontinental Depository Services, (“TDS”), also a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, offers worldwide storage solutions to institutions, dealers and consumers.

Spinoff from Spectrum Group International, Inc.

The Company filed a registration statement on Form S-1 in connection with the distribution (the “Distribution”) by Spectrum Group International, Inc. (“SGI” or the "Parent") to its stockholders of all the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share. The registration statement was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 11, 2014. On March 11, 2014, the Company filed a Form 8-A with the SEC to register its shares of common stock under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Distribution, which effected a spinoff of the Company from SGI, was made on March 14, 2014, to SGI stockholders of record on February 12, 2014. On the Distribution date, stockholders of SGI received one share of A-Mark common stock for each four shares of SGI common stock held. Up to and including the Distribution date, the SGI common stock traded on the “regular-way” market; that is, with an entitlement to shares of A-Mark common stock distributed pursuant to the Distribution. SGI common stock did not trade on an ex-distribution market; that is, without an entitlement to shares of A-Mark common stock distributed pursuant to the Distribution.

As a result of the Distribution, the Company is now a publicly traded company independent from SGI. On March 17, 2014, A-Mark’s shares of common stock commenced trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "AMRK." An aggregate of 7,402,664 shares of A-Mark common stock were distributed in the Distribution. All share and per share information has been retrospectively adjusted to give effect for the Distribution.

In connection with the spinoff, the Company entered into various agreements with SGI, each effective as of March 14, 2014. These agreements are described below.

Distribution Agreement

The Distribution Agreement (the "Distribution Agreement") set forth the principal actions to be taken in connection with the distribution and also governs our ongoing relationship with SGI following the distribution.

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A-Mark-SGI Arrangements. All agreements, arrangements, commitments and understandings, including most intercompany accounts payable or accounts receivable, between us and our subsidiaries and other affiliates, on the one hand, and SGI and its other subsidiaries and other affiliates, on the other hand, terminated effective as of the distribution, except certain agreements and arrangements that we and SGI expressly provided will survive the distribution.


•	The Distribution; Conditions. The Distribution Agreement governed the rights and obligations of the parties regarding the proposed distribution and set forth the conditions that must be satisfied or waived by SGI in its sole discretion.

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Exchange of Information. We and SGI have agreed to provide each other with access to information in the other party's possession or control owned by such party and created prior to the Distribution date, or as may be reasonably necessary to comply with reporting, disclosure, filing or other requirements of any national securities exchange or governmental authority, for use in judicial, regulatory, administrative and other proceedings and to satisfy audit, accounting, litigation and other similar requests. We and SGI have also agreed to retain such information in accordance with our respective record retention policies as in effect on the date of the distribution agreement, but in no event for fewer than seven years from the Distribution date. Until the end of the first full fiscal year following the distribution, each party has also agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to assist the other with respect to its financial reporting and audit obligations.

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Release of Claims. We and SGI agreed to broad releases pursuant to which we released the other and its affiliates, successors and assigns and their respective shareholders, directors, officers, agents and employees from any claims against any of them that arise out of or relate to events, circumstances or actions occurring or failing to occur or any conditions existing at or prior to the time of the distribution. These releases are subject to certain exceptions set forth in the Distribution Agreement.


•	Indemnification. We and SGI agreed to indemnify each other and each other’s current and former directors, officers and employees, and each of the heirs, executors, successors and assigns of any of the foregoing against certain liabilities in connection with the distribution and each other’s respective businesses.

Tax Separation Agreement

The Tax Separation Agreement (the "Tax Separation Agreement") with SGI governs the respective rights, responsibilities and obligations of SGI and us with respect to, among other things, liabilities for U.S. federal, state, local and other taxes. In addition to the allocation of tax liabilities, the Tax Separation Agreement addresses the preparation and filing of tax returns for such taxes and disputes with taxing authorities regarding such taxes. Under the terms of the Tax Separation Agreement, SGI has the responsibility to prepare and file tax returns for tax periods ending prior to the Distribution date and for tax periods which include the distribution date but end after the Distribution date, which will include A-Mark and its subsidiaries.

These tax returns will be prepared on a basis consistent with past practices. A-Mark has agreed to cooperate in the preparation of these tax returns and have an opportunity to review and comment on these returns prior to filing. A-Mark will pay all taxes attributable to A-Mark and its subsidiaries, and be entitled to any refund with respect to taxes it has paid.

Secondment Agreement

Under the terms of the Secondment Agreement (the "Secondment Agreement"), A-Mark has agreed to make Gregory N. Roberts, our Chief Executive Officer, and Carol Meltzer, our Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, available to SGI for the performance of specified management and professional services following the spinoff in exchange for an annual secondment fee of $150,000 (payable monthly) and reimbursement of certain bonus payments.

Neither Mr. Roberts nor Ms. Meltzer will devote more than 20% of their professional working time on a monthly basis to SGI and in no event will the performance of services for SGI interfere with the performance of the duties and responsibilities of Mr. Roberts and Ms. Meltzer to A-Mark. In addition, to the services to be provided under the Secondment Agreement, both Mr. Roberts and Ms. Meltzer are expected to serve as officers and directors of SGI following the spinoff. The Secondment Agreement will terminate on June 30, 2016 and is subject to earlier termination under certain circumstances. Under the Secondment Agreement,

SGI will be obligated to reimburse A-Mark for the portion of the performance bonus payable under Mr. Roberts’ employment agreement with A-Mark (to be effective at the time of the spinoff) attributable to pre-tax profits of SGI.

Equity Awards

Holders of share-based awards denominated in and settleable by delivery of shares of Parent's common stock, are entitled to receive share-based awards denominated in and settleable by delivery of shares of the Company's common stock based on the exchange ratio of one to 4.17, for which the ratio was based on the three-day-average closing stock price of SGI prior to the Distribution compared to the three-day-average closing stock price of A-Mark after the Distribution. As a result, the Company intends to issue 130,646 restricted stock units, 8,990 stock appreciation rights and options to purchase 266,687 shares of common stock under the Company's 2014 Stock Award and Incentive Plan.

Reclassifications

Certain previously reported amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current fiscal year's condensed consolidated financial statement presentation.