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DR

Data443 Risk Mitigation, Inc. (ATDS)·Q1 2018 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • ATDS did not issue a conventional Q1 2018 earnings press release or hold an earnings call; instead, it filed an 8-K with Exhibit 99.1 containing restated, unaudited financial statements as of December 31, 2017 and narrative disclosures, indicating the company had no operations, substantial doubts about going concern, and was pursuing a merger/acquisition strategy .
  • The restatement highlighted previously unrecorded long-term debt totaling $1,000,000 at a 12% interest rate, convertible notes of $125,000, and an accumulated deficit of $(6,360,479), underscoring capital constraints and balance sheet risk .
  • No revenue, EPS, margin, or formal guidance metrics were disclosed for Q1 2018; the 8-K Item 2.02 contained no quantitative operating results, limiting comparison to estimates or prior quarters .
  • Consensus estimates via S&P Global for Q1 2018 were unavailable; as such, estimate comparison cannot be performed for this period.

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

What Went Well

  • Management articulated a strategic direction focused on identifying “product & solution whitespace,” acquiring and integrating roll-up candidates in cybersecurity, privacy, data governance, and related areas, signaling an M&A-led growth plan .
  • Emphasis on customer experience and adoption into existing cybersecurity/data protection investments suggests intent to build a cohesive platform spanning cyber response, identity governance, blockchain ledgers, and distributed big-data capabilities .
  • Corporate reorganization steps (name change to Data443 Risk Mitigation, Inc.) reflect alignment of branding with planned “All Things Data Security” positioning .

What Went Wrong

  • The company disclosed “substantial doubt” about its ability to continue as a going concern due to no operations, stockholders’ deficit, and accumulated losses, raising significant solvency concerns for investors .
  • Restatement revealed previously unrecognized long-term obligations (two notes totaling $594,000 plus accrued interest, now $1,000,000 at 12%), increasing leverage and financial fragility .
  • Convertible debt ($125,000) with restrictive non-dilution clauses and change-in-control complexities (including declaratory judgment matters) add legal and financing constraints that could impede capital raising and strategic execution .

Financial Results

ATDS did not disclose Q1 2018 revenue, EPS, or margin metrics in the 8-K; Exhibit 99.1 contained restated year-end 2017 financials and narrative disclosures, with Item 2.02 providing no quantitative results for Q1 2018 .

Income Statement Metrics vs Prior Periods and Estimates

MetricQ3 2017Q4 2017Q1 2018Vs. Estimates
Revenues ($USD)Not disclosed Not disclosed Not disclosed Not available (no S&P coverage)
Diluted EPS ($USD)N/A — no presentation due to net operating loss N/A — no presentation due to net operating loss N/A — no presentation due to net operating loss Not available (no S&P coverage)
EBITDA ($USD)Not disclosed Not disclosed Not disclosed Not available (no S&P coverage)
Gross Profit Margin (%)Not disclosed Not disclosed Not disclosed Not available (no S&P coverage)
Net Income - (IS) ($USD)Not disclosed Not disclosed Not disclosed Not available (no S&P coverage)

Balance Sheet Snapshot (Context from Restated Exhibit 99.1)

MetricFY 2016FY 2017
Long-term debt with interest ($USD)$1,000,000 $1,000,000
Convertible debt ($USD)$125,000 $125,000
Accumulated deficit ($USD)$(6,360,479) $(6,360,479)
Total liabilities ($USD)$1,125,000 $1,125,000
Total stockholders’ deficit ($USD)$(125,000) $(1,125,000)

Segment Breakdown and KPIs

ItemQ3 2017Q4 2017Q1 2018
Segment reportingNone reported None reported None reported
Operating KPIsNot disclosed Not disclosed Not disclosed

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
RevenueQ2 2018/Q1 2018Not provided Not provided Maintained (no guidance)
MarginsQ2 2018/Q1 2018Not provided Not provided Maintained (no guidance)
OpExQ2 2018/Q1 2018Not provided Not provided Maintained (no guidance)
Tax rateQ2 2018/Q1 2018Not provided Not provided Maintained (no guidance)
Segment-specificQ2 2018/Q1 2018Not provided Not provided Maintained (no guidance)

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

ATDS did not hold or disclose a Q1 2018 earnings call or transcript in the filing set; Item 2.02 contained no call-related content .

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q3 2017)Previous Mentions (Q4 2017)Current Period (Q1 2018)Trend
AI/technology initiativesNot disclosed Not disclosed Strategy: cybersecurity, data governance, blockchain described in narrative Emerging strategy direction
Supply chainNot disclosed Not disclosed Not disclosed No change
Tariffs/macroNot disclosed Not disclosed Not disclosed No change
Product performanceNot disclosed Not disclosed Not disclosed No change
Regional trendsNot disclosed Not disclosed Not disclosed No change
Regulatory/legalDeclaratory judgment noted; claim bar date Change in control Going concern disclosure Heightened risk profile
R&D executionNot disclosed Not disclosed Not disclosed No change

Management Commentary

  • “Identify product & solution whitespace existing in the market, identify acquisition target products/companies… Build/Integrate the rollup candidate organizations into a larger operating umbrella – focusing heavily on customer experience and adoption… Leverage existing and new skillsets… encompass cyber response, data and identity governance, blockchain ledgers and other distributed big-data oriented capabilities.”
  • “The Company currently has no operations and has a stockholders’ deficit of $125,000 with an accumulated deficit of $6,360,479… These factors… raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.”
  • “The convertible note payable… consisted of two interest bearing notes… convertible at the option of the holder into common shares at the conversion price of $0.0001 per share… includes a non-dilution provision.”
  • “Together with interest [pre-2008 loans], it now amounts to $1,000,000 being interest rate of 12% per annum.”

Q&A Highlights

No Q&A available; the filing did not include an earnings call transcript or analyst Q&A content for Q1 2018 .

Estimates Context

  • Wall Street consensus estimates via S&P Global for Q1 2018 were unavailable; no EPS or revenue consensus could be compared to reported results.
  • Given absence of disclosed operating results (revenue/EPS/margins) and no guidance, there is no basis for an estimate beat/miss assessment for Q1 2018 .

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • ATDS functioned effectively as a pre-revenue, non-operating entity in Q1 2018, using the 8-K to restate prior financials and outline an M&A-led strategy rather than report quarterly operations .
  • Balance sheet risk is acute: long-term debt of $1,000,000 at 12% and $125,000 of convertible debt with restrictive non-dilution provisions constrain financing flexibility and dilute equity value potential .
  • Going concern language and accumulated deficit $(6,360,479) highlight solvency concerns; capital formation and successful acquisition/integration execution are prerequisites for the strategic plan to progress .
  • Legal and control changes (declaratory judgment, claim bar date, changes in control) add governance complexity and could impact corporate actions and access to capital markets .
  • With no Q1 operating metrics or guidance, near-term stock narrative is likely driven by corporate developments (capital raises, acquisitions, governance changes) rather than fundamentals .
  • Monitoring subsequent filings and press releases for the first disclosed revenue, backlog/billings, customer adds, and guidance will be critical to reassessing risk/reward as the strategy transitions from narrative to execution .
  • Until operating traction and a cleaner capital structure emerge, position sizing should reflect binary outcomes tied to successful acquisitions and financing terms .