Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Basis of Presentation Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Nature of Operations

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Basis of Presentation Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Nature of Operations
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Basis of Presentation Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Nature of Operations  
Note 1. Basis of Presentation, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Nature of Operations

Basis of presentation

 

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Lightbridge Corporation and its subsidiaries have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, including the instructions to Form 10-Q and Regulation S-X. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, including a summary of the Company’s significant accounting policies, have been condensed or omitted from these statements pursuant to such rules and regulations and, accordingly, they do not include all the information and notes necessary for comprehensive consolidated financial statements and should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019, included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

In the opinion of the management of the Company, all adjustments, which are of a normal recurring nature, necessary for a fair statement of the results for the three and nine-month periods have been made. Results for the interim period presented are not necessarily indicative of the results that might be expected for the entire fiscal year. When used in these notes, the terms “Lightbridge”, “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our” mean Lightbridge Corporation and all entities included in our condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

The Company was formed on October 6, 2006, when Thorium Power, Ltd., which was incorporated in the state of Nevada on February 2, 1999, merged with Thorium Power, Inc. (“TPI”), which was incorporated in the state of Delaware on January 8, 1992. On September 29, 2009, the Company changed its name from Thorium Power, Ltd. to Lightbridge Corporation and began its focus on developing and commercializing metallic nuclear fuels. The Company is a nuclear fuel technology company developing and commercializing next generation nuclear fuel technology.

 

Going Concern, Liquidity and Management’s Plan

 

The Company currently believes the combination of cash on hand at September 30, 2020 and management’s reduction in budgeted operating expenses for 2020, will be sufficient to allow the Company to meet its obligations, as they become due in the ordinary course of business, for at least 12 months following the date of this filing. While the Company’s cash at September 30, 2020 exceeds its currently budgeted expenditures through the third quarter of 2021, there are inherent uncertainties in forecasting future expenditures, especially forecasting for a significantly revised level of operations and with uncertainties such as to how COVID-19 may affect costs and operations. Accordingly, the potential for budget variances in the projection of the Company’s planned operations, plus any additional expenditures that may result from unexpected developments, such as additional expenditures that might result from additional legal costs and unexpected fees relating to ongoing legal matters (see Note 5). Taking into account these uncertainties, it raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for the 12 months following the date of this filing.

 

To the extent these recent cost-cutting measures do not provide sufficient liquidity for the next 12 months, the Company will consider additional equity raises and delaying certain expenditures, including research and development expenses, until sufficient capital becomes available.

 

At September 30, 2020, the Company had approximately $17.4 million in cash and had a working capital surplus of approximately $15.8 million. The Company’s net cash used in operating activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was approximately $5.6 million, and current projections indicate that the Company will have continued negative cash flows until the commercialization of its nuclear fuel. Net losses incurred for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 amounted to approximately $7.5 million and $8.9 million, respectively. As of September 30, 2020, the Company has an accumulated deficit of approximately $121.5 million, representative of recurring losses since inception. The Company has incurred recurring losses since inception because it is a development stage nuclear fuel development company. The Company expects to continue to incur losses due to future costs and expenses related to the Company’s research and development expenses and general and administrative expenses.

  

The Company also may consider other plans to fund operations including: (1) raising additional capital through equity issuances or debt financings; (2) additional funding through new relationships to help fund future research and development costs; and (3) other sources of capital. The Company may issue securities, including common stock, preferred stock, and stock purchase contracts through private placement transactions or registered public offerings, pursuant to its registration statement on Form S-3 filed with the SEC on March 15, 2018 and declared effective on March 23, 2018. There can be no assurance as to the availability or terms upon which financing and capital might be available. The Company’s future liquidity needs, and ability to address those needs, will largely be determined by the success of the development of its nuclear fuel, key nuclear development and regulatory events, and its business decisions in the future.

 

Equity Method Investment – Enfission, LLC - Joint Venture with Framatome Inc.

 

In January 2018, Lightbridge and Framatome Inc., a subsidiary of Framatome SAS (formerly part of AREVA SAS) (collectively “Framatome”), finalized and launched Enfission, LLC (“Enfission”), a 50-50 joint venture company, to develop, license, and sell nuclear fuel assemblies based on Lightbridge-designed metallic fuel technology and other advanced nuclear fuel intellectual property. Lightbridge and Framatome began joint fuel development and regulatory licensing work under previously signed agreements initiated in March 2016. The joint venture, Enfission, is a Delaware-based limited liability company that was formed on January 24, 2018.

 

Management determined that its investment in Enfission be accounted for under the equity method of accounting. Under the equity method of accounting, an investee company’s accounts are not reflected within the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets and condensed consolidated statements of operations; however, the Company’s share of the losses of the investee company is reported in the “Equity in loss from joint venture” line item in the condensed consolidated statements of operations, and the Company’s carrying value in an equity method investee company is reported in the “Investment in joint venture” or “Investee losses in excess of investment” line item in the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

 

The Company allocates income or loss utilizing the hypothetical liquidation book value (“HLBV”) method, based on the change in each JV member’s claim on the net assets of the JV under the JV’s operating agreement at period end after adjusting for any distributions or contributions made during such period. The Company uses this method because of the difference between the distribution rights and priorities set forth in the Enfission operating agreement and what is reflected by the underlying percentage ownership interests of the joint venture.

 

The Company evaluates on a quarterly basis whether our investment accounted for under the equity method of accounting has an other than temporary impairment (“OTTI”). An OTTI occurs when the estimated fair value of an investment is below the carrying value and the difference is determined not likely to be recoverable. This evaluation requires significant judgment regarding, but not limited to, the severity and duration of the impairment; the ability and intent to hold the security until recovery; financial condition, liquidity, and near-term prospects of the issuer; specific events; and other factors.

 

Enfission was inactive as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019. No amounts related to the equity method investment in Enfission have been recorded on the condensed consolidated balance sheets or the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020.

 

 Basis of Consolidation

 

These condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Lightbridge, a Nevada corporation, and the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, TPI, a Delaware corporation, and Lightbridge International Holding LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. These wholly-owned subsidiaries are inactive. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

The Company owns a 50% interest in Enfission, accounted for using the equity method of accounting (see Note 3, Investment in Joint Venture (Investee Losses in Excess of Investment). Investment in Joint Venture (Investee Losses in Excess of Investment). Enfission is deemed to be a variable interest entity (“VIE”) under the VIE model of consolidation because it does not have sufficient funds to finance its operations. The Company has determined that it is not the primary beneficiary of the VIE since it does not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the VIE’s performance.

 

In determining whether the Company is the primary beneficiary and whether it has the right to receive benefits or the obligation to absorb losses that could potentially be significant to the VIE, the Company evaluates all its economic interests in the entity, regardless of form. This evaluation considers all relevant factors of the entity’s structure including the entity’s capital structure, contractual rights to earnings (losses) as well as other contractual arrangements that have potential to be economically significant. The Company is not the primary beneficiary since the major decision making for all significant economic activities require the approval of both the Company and Framatome. The significant economic activities identified were financing activities, research and development activities, licensing activities, manufacturing of fuel assembly product activities, and marketing and sales activities. The evaluation of each of these factors in reaching a conclusion about the potential significance of our economic interests and control is a matter that requires the exercise of management judgment.

 

Certain Risks, Uncertainties and Concentrations

 

The Company is an early stage company and will need additional funding by way of strategic alliances, government grants, further offerings of equity securities, an offering of debt securities, or a financing through a bank in order to support the remaining research and development activities required to further enhance and complete the development of its fuel products to a commercial stage.

 

The Company participates in a government-regulated industry. Our operating results are affected by a wide variety of factors including decreases in the use or public favor of nuclear power, the ability of our technology to safeguard the production of nuclear power, the ability to receive the required approval from the nuclear regulatory commission for utilities to use our fuel and our ability to safeguard our patents and intellectual property from competitors. Due to these factors, the Company may experience substantial period-to-period fluctuations in our future operating results. Potentially, a loss of key officer, key management, and other personnel could impair our ability to successfully execute our business strategy, particularly when these individuals have acquired specialized knowledge and skills with respect to nuclear power and our operations.

 

Our future operations and earnings may depend on the results of the Company’s operations outside the United States, including some of its research and development activities. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully continue to conduct such operations, and a failure to do so would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s research and development activities, financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. Also, the success of the Company’s operations will be subject to other numerous contingencies, some of which are beyond management’s control. These contingencies include general and regional economic conditions, competition, changes in government regulations and support for nuclear power, changes in accounting and taxation standards, inability to achieve overall long-term goals, future impairment charges, and global or regional catastrophic events. The Company may be subject to various additional political, economic, and other uncertainties.

 

 On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (“WHO”) announced a global health emergency because of a new strain of coronavirus originating in Wuhan, China (the “COVID-19 outbreak”) and the risk to the international community as the virus spreads globally beyond its point of origin. In March 2020, the WHO classified the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, based on increase in exposure globally. The current spread of COVID-19 that is impacting global economic activity and market conditions could lead to adverse changes in our ability to conduct research and development activities with the United States national labs and others. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our business operations and results of operations for the first nine months of 2020, resulting in the reduction of our research and development expenses and increase in our general and administrative expenses due to severance payments to our former employees. While we continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on our business, we are unable to accurately predict the ultimate impact on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity that COVID-19 will have due to various uncertainties, including the geographic spread of the virus, the severity of the disease, the duration of the outbreak, and actions that may be taken by governmental authorities and other third-parties.

 

On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.” The CARES Act, among other things, includes provisions relating to refundable payroll tax credits, deferment of employer social security payment, net operating loss carryback period, alternative minimum tax credit refund, modification to the net interest deduction limitation, increased limitations on qualified charitable contributions, and technical corrections to tax depreciation method for qualified improvement property. It also appropriated funds for the SBA Paycheck Protection Program loans that are forgivable in certain situations to promote continued employment, as well as Economic Injury Disaster Loans to provide liquidity to small businesses harmed by COVID-19. Management decided not to apply for these funds. We continue to examine the impact that the CARES Act may have on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

The Company may at times invest its excess cash in interest bearing accounts and US Treasury Bills. It classifies all highly liquid investments with original stated maturities of three months or less from date of purchase as cash equivalents and all highly liquid investments with stated maturities of greater than three months as marketable securities. The Company holds cash balances in excess of the federally insured limits of $250,000. It deems this credit risk not to be significant as cash is held by two prominent financial institutions in 2020 and 2019. The Company buys and holds short-term US Treasury Bills from Treasury Direct to maturity. US Treasury Bills totaled approximately $13.0 million and $9.0 million at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. The remaining $4.4 million and $9.0 million at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively, are on deposit with one notable financial institution. Total cash and cash equivalents held, as reported on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets, totaled approximately $17.4 million and $18.0 million at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively.

 

Grant Income

 

The Company has concluded that its government grant is not within the scope of ASC Topic 606 as it does not meet the definition of a contract with a customer. Additionally, the Company has concluded that the grant meets the definition of a contribution and are non-reciprocal transactions, and has also determined that Subtopic 958-605, Not-for-Profit-Entities-Revenue Recognition does not apply, as the Company is a business entity and the grant is with governmental agencies.

 

In the absence of applicable guidance under US GAAP, the Company management has developed a policy to recognize grant income at the time the related costs are incurred and the right to payment is realized.

 

The Company believes this policy is consistent with the overarching premise in ASC Topic 606, to ensure that revenue recognition reflects the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services, even though there is no exchange as defined in ASC Topic 606. Additionally, the Company has determined that the recognition of grant income as costs are incurred and amounts become realizable is analogous to the concept of transfer of control of a service over time under ASC Topic 606.

 

Further, the Company believes that showing grant income on a gross method, with the grant income shown as other operating income and the related costs as a charge to research and development expense, rather than depicting the grant income as a reduction of research and development expense, is a more meaningful presentation.

 

The Company recognized grant income of approximately $30,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020. There was no grant income recognized in 2019.

 

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

 

Intangibles, Goodwill and Other — In January 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) – Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. To simplify the subsequent measurement of goodwill, ASU 2017-04 eliminates Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. In computing the implied fair value of goodwill under Step 2, an entity had to perform procedures to determine the fair value at the impairment testing date of its assets and liabilities following the procedure that would be required in determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination. Instead, ASU 2017-04 requires an entity to perform its annual, or interim, goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value; however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. ASU 2017-04 also eliminates the requirements for any reporting unit with a zero or negative carrying amount to perform a qualitative assessment and, if it fails that qualitative test, to perform Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test. Therefore, the same impairment assessment applies to all reporting units. An entity is required to disclose the amount of goodwill allocated to each reporting unit with a zero or negative carrying amount of net assets. An entity still has the option to perform the qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. ASU 2017-04 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company adopted ASU 2017-04 commencing in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 and this ASU did not have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related footnote disclosures.

 

ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure FrameworkChanges to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement — This ASU modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements in Topic 820, including the removal, modification to, and addition of certain disclosure requirements. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 with early adoption permitted. The majority of the disclosure changes are to be applied on a prospective basis. The Company adopted ASU 2018-13 commencing in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 and this ASU did not have a material impact on the Company’s fair value disclosures in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes, simplifies the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740. The ASU also clarifies and amends existing guidance to improve consistent application. For public business entities, the amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods within those fiscal years. For all other entities, the amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. Early adoption is permitted. The amendments in the ASU have various transition requirements.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements – To Be Adopted

 

The Company does not believe that other standards, which have been issued but are not yet effective, will have a significant impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related footnote disclosures.